Never Give up

This saga of "boy seeing" continued for years. In the mean time, I studied , graduated, chose my vocation,went back home for a while, took up jobs, grew in my career and had fun.My parents really tried hard to get me married. They built contacts, met relatives, went to marriage bureaus, attended weddings and what not. In Hindi there is a saying Kitne kitne papad bele. My parents did all of that and more. I wanted to be married and I thought this is the only way to find a guy.But even for a moment I never ever appreciated what my parents were doing for my future. I wonder if we ever realise the effort that our parents put in for us. I don't miss a chance to tell my husband and children, how much I do for them.

So coming back to the juicy side of "boy seeing" I kept on seeing Number One boy for the next ten years on arranged marriage proposals. My parents or relatives did not want to give up. Each one thought this was the match made in heaven and the astro charts said so. So we had more meetings like the first one. In the mean time the boy got engaged to someone. Then the engagement was called off.More meetings were set up. Again after a couple of years, more meetings. Till he got married
I was also seeing lots of other guys in the right sense, which is the arranged marriage sense. Do arranged marriages make sense? SO we d have meetings in different parts of Mumbai. Some times two or three guys in a day. Heavy interviewing, horoscopes being faxed across and endless cups of tea and snacks. Meetings at five stars to Udipis to relatives to Shiv Sagars. Thru this all, I wore only one bottle green salwar kameez with orange piping and later a sunflower yellow Ritu Kumar fake. When the "Yes" was not coming from the boy s side, people told my parents that my hair was wild. So every meeting I had to tie it. Some said I should not talk about my stay in hostels as hostel girls are considered fast. Remember, we were projecting an 'unfast' image.I had to hide that I was working at a five star hotel as only loose women work. This was the mindset amongst some people those days. So we'd say, I am training and not getting any money.

Every time a response didn't come, my parents were traumatised. They could not understand that their well brought up daughter was being rejected by guys and their families right left and centre. Some guys had said "Yes" but well I said a no. Mom crying, Dad upset and me no knowing what to do except fight with them. All relatives with their version of the meetings we had had. So the entire twenties were spent like this. Neither me nor my parents were relenting. It was a matter of who quits first.