PROLOGUE:
Two pan-kodambakkam aunties bump into each other in public places like auto-stand,vegetrouble market,jogger’s park,zebra crossing by the conspiracy of the forces of nature in the garb of coincidence. Little do they realise that they would co-conspire to change the live of two strangers, as destiny’s chosen pawns. One aunty had an eligible bachelor in her family & the other contrived aunty had the proverbial eligible bride in hers. So during one of their regulation neighbourhood relation reconciliation chats a.k.a gossip session, they naturally ran out of topic due to repeated analysis of other neighbourhood family crises…so finally started talking about current affairs from familiar territories a.k.a families. In this discussion came the impending issue of unmarried youngsters from respective families belonging to opposite genders. Thus the hitherto irresponsible septuagenarians wore their match-maker hats and decided to take their relationship to the next level.
PONNU-PAKARA DAY & CULMINATION(The day when the Earth stood still):
When strangers find it uneasy to travel together in the same seat together in a public transport, how would it be for two ill-informed- “never met before” families to trade their daughter and son over a plate of un-hygienic sweets and savories based on the opinion from reliable sources!?
The bridegroom’s family lead by Aunty 1.0 descend on the bride’s home pitch(house) in multiples of twenty with similar shades of clothes as a mark of solidarity, whilst the bride’s mildly terror-struck family lead by Aunty 2.0 prepares for the commodity exchange with swift revisions of the FAQs. After the first round of coy exchanges, the bride is introduced by her elders who callout her name in chorus to the groom’s family and her salient facets are given out while the savories are circulated around. As a part of the due diligence test, she is asked to stretch her vocal chords by the groom’s elders & she bowls them out. Then the groom’s alma-matter is scrutinized along with formal enquiries about his earning abilities & hobbies. Then in arm’s-length fashion, the groom & bride family participate in the final show-down-DOWRY FIXATION*(subject to market risk & competitor’s offers) & declare the bride & groom- COUPLE!!
Thus happened my parent’s arranged(by aunties) marriage & the society got another adorable aunty and uncle in due course.
POST-MARRIAGE:
Like is the case with most couples, though the beginning wasn’t quite fancy…in due course the wall of their relation cemented by love has stood firm during the numerous tests of time including
· financial crunches
· nosy relatives
· rising onion prices
· In-Laws hostility
· Festivals & rituals
· Choice of cuisine
· Shopping delays
· TV channel conflicts
· Ethnicity differences
· Children
· Me among other things.
P.S-Elaboration on above-mentioned topics strategically avoided due to domestic security reasons.
EPILOGUE:
As individuals they were plain and boring then, but as a couple they are one of the most loveable people & one of the friendliest parents ever(who allow us to call them by their names). This brings me to the end of this fact-fiction blog on ma parent’s arranged-turned-love marriage and they are living happily ever after with my sister and me.
