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I told her, if we decide to take our relationship to the next level, she will have to meet mom by dressing Indian. You know what she did? She laughed uproariously and declared she would, provided I came to meet her parents in a dhoti!"
I reached the airport late and rushed through the security check because they had already started boarding. I was the last one to get onto the shuttle. As I struggled for leg space I found myself standing next to a strapping young man speaking into his mandatory blue tooth speaker.
I have no shame in admitting that I love eavesdropping. These bits of interesting conversations are the seeds to my fertile imagination. Hence I paid attention to his confessions.
“Dating Shanaya is a process. She is forever busy doing stuff. I have to adjust our outings accordingly! Just imagine! There are so many eligible women waiting to be my plus one and I chose her. Yet…” the young man, no, the whiny man-child complained.
Sadly I couldn’t get the listener’s response.
“Yeah. Maybe. As you say, there are many plus points to her. But Shanaya Trivedi doesn’t know basic housekeeping stuff! She isn’t so empathetic either! When I was very stressed last week over my missed promotion, instead of consoling and comforting me, she gave me a counsellor’s number saying perhaps I needed an overhaul!”
My my! This gripe was getting to be gold!
The man-child now was silent, nodding occasionally as the other side responded.
“No no that will not work! Shanaya Trivedi is a wilful and opinionated woman. I can see the friction and fissures right away. I told her, if we decide to take our relationship to the next level, she will have to meet mom by dressing Indian. You know what she did? She laughed uproariously and declared she would, provided I came to meet her parents in a dhoti!”
The listener must have been stumped too because the man-child’s response was swift.
“What monetary benefits bro? She earns as much as me, and insists on doing what she feels like with her money even after marriage. Luckily her parents may not need her help, but it will be too much of pressure to handle my folks and hers too! All this is still ok! If only she could cook and be a bit more caring! Feels like I’m dating my boss!”
I couldn’t take it anymore.
As we got down and walked towards the aircraft, I gently tapped the man-child over his shoulders and said, “Shanaya Trivedi cares for you but she isn’t your mother no? As her mother, I say you got a great deal. Can’t say the same about her! Shanaya Trivedi is as unique as her name!”
And I walked away, waving him into silence, praying to the entire pantheon of three crore gods that we wouldn’t be seated together or he wouldn’t bombard me with question-missilery during the flight. The universe listened. I was safe.
It’s another matter that I don’t know any Shanaya Trivedi, but the man-child’s cribbing got my goat.
If we women don’t stand for each other’s pride who else will?
Because change starts with small steps taken by us.
Hopefully Shanaya has a great life ahead doing her own thing, making her own decisions!
Image source: a still from the film Pyaar ka Panchanama 2
Anupama Jain is the author of: * ’Kings Saviours & Scoundrels -Timeless Tales from Katha Sarita Sagara’, listed as one of the best books of 2022 by @Wordsopedia. Rooted in the traditional storytelling of Indian legends, warriors, read more...
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