Is believing= Getting conned?

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In most Indian families, as soon as the daughter of the house turns18 or 20, the family starts looking out for a boy for her. The trick is to catch them young or the proverb of the Early bird catches the worm. So if the man hunt starts early , you will get a good groom. Financial security and good family are two main criterias for a good groom. The groom's grooming, the woman can handle later. When I kept saying No to the boys my parents were showing and a couple of boys rejected him, the family went into a strategy meeting. Two things came out of it. One that my hair was too wild and it made me look modern. So it was decided that I had to tie my hair and put two hair clips to keep in place for every meeting I went for. Secondly, I was too thin. Size zero was not fashionable that time. Solution to that was to take medicines to put on weight.

We had gone to Ahmedabad to see a guy and he rejected me. There was a lot of heartbreak within the family as their daughter lost out on yet another good catch. An Uncle suggested that we visit a Vaid ie an Ayurvedic Doctor, to put on weight. Ayurvedic medicines will not have any side effects. Some syrups were given to be consumed at certain hours. No fruits, no milk and no dryfruits advised. The Doctor's medicines were to be the miracle cure. Alas, I started putting on weight on my face and my stomach. My face erupted into ugly pimples. At that time, I did not even know it was called Acne. I suffered but had the medicines for six months to a year. The syrups were couriered from Ahmedabad every 2 months and I took it dutifully. Now I know how people get taken in by Quacks. Here My family and me were all educated people, atleast graduates, and we got conned into this. Now when I think of it, I am just glad I am alive. God knows what havoc the medicines must have played with my body. Did not manage to catch a guy for many years post that fiasco but the skin was ruined for sure.

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