Digital Matrimonial

A girl’s search for Mr. Right: Reproducing a blog by a Mumbai gal out on the ‘digital hunt’ for just the right guy

At the onset itself, let me make it clear, the search for Mr. Right can be an experience, which is anything from neurotic to exceptionally funny! Of course all that, depends upon your way of taking things. I usually just laugh at them.

Okay, so the story begins in Mumbai the land of opportunities, on my 23rd birthday, which was incidentally just six months ago. “Beta, I think, now we should start looking for a bridegroom for you.” My grandmother said, and like I have been since the age of 20, I laughed expecting my parents to join in. But this time they didn’t. Apparently my days were numbered and soon I would have to get married and start a new life, or so I am lead to believe! Anyways, my dear parents tell me that they have no issues if I find myself a better half, black or white, ugly or good-looking, as long as he is well-educated and male!

"We have no issues if you find a guy for yourself,” they said. And since the Big Bazaar sale didn’t exactly have bridegrooms “sabse sasta” (can you image the rush there would have been if that was the case?) I really have no idea how to find myself a groom! And hence I agreed to the age-old regime of chai and kanda poha, basically the arranged marriage funda!

Number 1: Cut to Pune. We enter this posh locality in the city and I am told the guy is an engineer and has a roaring business of his own. How roaring, we soon found out as we parked our car outside a majestic bungalow! As we entered the house, with expensive looking artifacts, my mother’s eyes twinkled mischievously as if sending in a silent message “So far so good”. A pleasant looking lady with a welcoming face greeted us. Well the lady (prospective ma-in-law) seemed really nice, friendly and talkative, but the prospective-groom was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, a grave looking, expressionless guy (he actually looked like President George Bush when he heard about the Twin Tower news) walked into the room. He said a curt “hello” and sat down. No smile!!!!!!! That’s it the decision was made. A guy who didn’t know how to smile was definitely not my type, no matter how much his business really roared. After spending what seemed like an interminable half an hour in the grave man’s company, I ran for my life.

That should have put me off the whole process, but not really! “Shaadi karni hai na? To yeah sub to karna padega!” my mother summoned, and I began questioning myself, do I really want to get married? So after a few weeks, another one of those interminable sessions approached. I tapped on my sense of humor and set of for yet another encounter!

Number 2: Well, this story was just plain boring. The guy was a hotshot MBA with a big fat pay cheque but unbelievably dull. He just couldn’t stop talking about how Indian economy was going down the drain (Duh I think he wasn’t even talking about India in this century, for as per our budget, Indian economy is going at it man!) Anyways…after learning that I could actually sleep while keeping my eyes open, I got the hell out of there and ever since tried keeping my distance.

And since then, tall guys with short surnames, short guys with long surnames, thin guys with fat pay cheques, fat guys with thin pay cheques…I have read all their profiles and decided against meeting most of them!

Ironically enough not one seemed interesting enough! None clicked! It’s early days still of course, and my cousin tells me that Abhi abhi to shuruwat hui hai…but every now and then, I go through sessions of self pity, when I wonder where are all the interesting guys? Looks really don’t matter to me…it’s been kinda my track record, that even my crushes weren’t the best of lookers…looks don’t attract me. Intelligence and wit, now that does! Often enough while browsing through the matrimonial profiles my parents shortlist, my mind wanders to days when as a kid I imagined a romantic liaison turning into marriage. Not once did I see myself sitting in front of a computer short-listing my prospective life partner! Oh dear, life sure isn’t always fair is it? :)

P.S: This is a reproduction of a blog, the link has been mentioned below:

http://o3.indiatimes.com/uptowngirl/archive/2006/03/01/507909.aspx