“Tch, chinna paiyyan… Ivan kitta poi idhellaam kettaa…” his amma often cut short any tangential discussion that bordered on his nuptial matters, much to everyone’s amusement. He was immensely amused himself. “How incredibly naïve!” he used to wonder.
He speculated, may be, to amma’s mind, he is akin to the typical village belle that one would see in a Bharathiraaja film, who, when reminded of her sexuality, would blush unreservedly and start, well, you know, dreaming. This annoyed him a bit. How the reminder itself is occasioned in those films further added to his woes. And, the suggestion that he might “get ideas” when given the right cues, made him indignant. Not just naïve, but also absurd, he asserted to himself.
When mothers patronize this much, can sisters be far behind? Elder sisters, as soon as they’re elderly enough – that is, once they’re married and start discussing velai vaasi and suchlike, acquire this outrageous, motherly attitude towards their younger brothers, out of immense affection and what not.
Like the other day, his sister offhandedly mentioned about this girl during the post-dinner talk on the current social affairs, suggesting to amma that she should consider her when his turn is up. A quick description of the girl is in order – damn pretty, fits quite well under the various models of orthodoxy and conventions the family conformed to, etc. And, this time, amma didn't hurriedly dismiss it. In fact, she seemed to give a serious thought to it, and he found it to be awkwardly funny.
And, naturally, he started weighing the plausibility of the option too. Looking back, he found, not once has he had thought of any particular girl in this refreshing angle – the angle of a “legitimately arranged” marriage to a singularly likeable girl. This angle itself wouldn’t have been one-hundredth as refreshing to him in usual circumstances. But, ‘likeable’ doesn’t even begin to describe this girl. ‘Gorgeous’ is the one that gets there, he said to himself. And, of course, as he mulled over it for a while, what loomed large in his mind was the utter ludicrousness of it all.
All this – the suggestion and the ensued short, serious thought – was over within two minutes and it has been three weeks since. Yet, that bit of ludicrousness in his mind hasn’t fully diminished yet.
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Who is this "he?" ? anyone I know? ;-)
ReplyDeleteMithra,
ReplyDeleteUmm, this is essentially a piece of fiction, but like any good fiction -- even though this isn't one, it has its roots in reality. Ummm, yeah.
ada paavi, idha potutaya kadaisile
ReplyDeleteZero very nice. Sondha kadhaya pa?:-)
ReplyDeleteMithra,
ReplyDelete(Having realised I haven't answered the question.) May be, he has heck a lot of shades of someone you know.
Deepa,
Thanks. Own story 'nga, enna ippadi kettutteenga? Naan... romba artistu, sir!
Like your style of writing.
ReplyDeleteKeep the stories {?!) coming.
Btw, you have an awesome movie blog :-)
ReplyDeleteDushti,
ReplyDeleteThanks!
mm, who knows, mabe u will also be of this kind soon.. Let me talk to Amma ;)
ReplyDeleteAll,
ReplyDeleteThis may be a startling revelation, but whatever is written in this post in the name of fiction is indeed a work of fiction, in all ways that matter.
Fiction may soon be fact someday :)
ReplyDeleteRegarding all the "this is fiction protestations"
ReplyDeleteHe lives the poetry that he cannot write. The others write the poetry that they dare not realise. ~ Oscar Wilde
So, fiction-E ivvaLavu dhaan-nA....appidingra line-of-thought-ai, audience madhdhiyila encourage paNNakkoodAdhu.
appidiye maindain paNNanum.
Needless to say, it was "well written".