Modern Marriage

By Kanmani.M

The glowing golden thread around her neck, smiles bright like a fresh leaf. Though a simple thread, sacred people call it. Glad that to be considered sacred, the thread symbolizes the kinship. Yep, the kinship between a man and his woman. The world addresses them – the husband and the wife. But in breeds a lot more complementary note.

Resembling the barter system, the relationship becomes the give and take policy. Valuing the temporary destructible goods and devaluing the precious gems. The more sacred the marriage is considered, the more hesitant the lady turns into, to pick up the scattered red flags lying around.

KNOCK… KNOCK…KNOCK… someone knocks the door of marriage. The door when opened, reveals a man. A total stranger in case of arranged marriage. The young lady glances at him from top to bottom. Yet she does not know what to come up with. Unable to draw a decision card, she calls up her parents. Mom and dad, whom she believes would decide the right for her. Yet the innocence in her fails to understand the fact: Parents are good at choosing the best for their children but that does not mean or even guarantee that the children will feel good about it.

In, comes the man, dressed up extra ordinarily than any other day of his life. He holds the hope tight in his heart, wishing firmly that she should be the one! Smiling enough, he graciously takes a seat her parents offer. A paper and pen in hand, he sits opposite to the young lady, waiting for her parents’ approval to begin.

Yeah! Nods her parents, raising a green flag. Adjusting his tone, the man wets his dry lips to begin. He questions the lady about her details, simultaneously filling the sheets. He asks her about her weight, height, and her likes followed by her qualification, career and future plan. Giving scores for each based on his expectation levels. He passes on to round 2! The questions become a bit challenging, touching deliberately her intimacy. He asks her about her body, desires and lust, weighing her virginity scale. Unfortunately, love wasn’t addressed but the sexual drive, fantasy and the blood rush. She rolls her eyeballs in disbelieve. Because she did not expect to be inquired as such. Again, the scores filled the sheets. He declares the end of the round 2. Computing the scores, he releases the result of the two rounds. “She is qualified”, he says. But also mentions that there is one more final round. And that would be a practical round, conducted privately where only she and he would be present.

The elders take leave not asking any further questions. Left alone the man and the lady looks eye to eye. He states her his expectations from the marriage, from her and how important it is for her to attain it. She listens, breathing in his words carefully into her heart. Understanding few bits, trying to understand the rest, she racks her brain. And the discussion gets over soon. He hugs her, leaves the room after kissing her cheeks.

Happy that their daughter passed the final round, the parents choose to take the next step. They ask their “to be son-in-law” what he wants in addition to their girl. And the discussion, the list goes on and on… as the day becomes night, the crows opt for rest, the bats take over the best!

The nocturnal creatures sing in unison the “ modern marriage” !

By Kanmani.M