The proposal came in the usual manner: an ordinary phone conversation. They always do and I always have fun throwing them away in a manner as extra ordinary as possible. This one though was a little too less ordinary to be dealt with in the same fashion.
"You know so and so," I heard Mother Dearest saying as she put the phone down.
"Yes," said Sister Dearest - I pretended to be busy surfing.
"Well, she has a daughter. She'll be doing her MBA abroad you know; he he. So umm, she was asking whether he'd be interested."
"Oh just say no. Reject it straightaway."
At this point, I lost interest in surfing and thought it best to spice up the conversation. So, "What what was that?" I asked innocently, "Is anybody asking for me?"
"Yes. Mother Dearest tell him about it."
Of course, Mother Dearest isn't a fool. She knows my ears well enough to think I was busy surfing. So, she collected the plates and said, "Well you know she is from so and so's house. And so and so is her relation. They were just asking." She did manage to stress on 'just' to make it amply obvious to me that the proposal was no big deal and that she definitely thought so.
"Oh," I said, all set to dress this proposal with a little controversy,"but that sounds interesting. I'll get to go abroad."
"And wash the dishes as well," cut in Sis Dearest.
"So what's the harm?" i said, pushing my chair towards the table.
"Well, nothing; just that your children will also learn to live in boarding schools."
"Oh come on! I did not go to a boarding school. Why should they?"
"Because she did."
"Oh she did?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
"Oh yes."
"Well," I said recovering, "it's okay with me."
"But it's not okay with anyone here. Nor is it okay with me. Since I know how these kind of girls are."
"Really? And how are they?"
"Well, you never know. You may end up doing all types of tests on her just to ensure..."
"That is so mean of you Sis."
"Well, fact is a fact."
Now I had a whole long list of reasons why she would or could be wrong. However, I did not tell her all that. I just let it pass. But I did get a chance to give it all back at dinner-time.
"Oh I want to get married," I remember her saying as we all sat down to eat.
"And why?"
"I am fed up of working. I'll gladly cook in the kitchen and look after children."
"Oh my my! What happened to the career woman?"
"All that is oh so stupid."
"But you wanted always wanted to be a career woman. You always said so."
"I am fed up of working. I am just waiting for the appropriate man."
"Oh," I said - my tone deadpan, "even I am fed up of working. I'll just marry that girl then."
I thought I had safely put an end to the topic. But no, my 'retort' only put the fire back into her mouth and she sat up, all set to fire me: "What rubbish!" she roared, "Have you know shame to say that?"
"Well what's shameless in that? I'm just; I'm just looking at my options."
"Looking at my options," she mocked, "you have no shame to say that? You have no shame to live on your wife's salary?!"
"None whatsoever!"
"Well such people should not get married at all."
"Well that," I said triumphantly, "is exactly what I'm going to do."
"You know so and so," I heard Mother Dearest saying as she put the phone down.
"Yes," said Sister Dearest - I pretended to be busy surfing.
"Well, she has a daughter. She'll be doing her MBA abroad you know; he he. So umm, she was asking whether he'd be interested."
"Oh just say no. Reject it straightaway."
At this point, I lost interest in surfing and thought it best to spice up the conversation. So, "What what was that?" I asked innocently, "Is anybody asking for me?"
"Yes. Mother Dearest tell him about it."
Of course, Mother Dearest isn't a fool. She knows my ears well enough to think I was busy surfing. So, she collected the plates and said, "Well you know she is from so and so's house. And so and so is her relation. They were just asking." She did manage to stress on 'just' to make it amply obvious to me that the proposal was no big deal and that she definitely thought so.
"Oh," I said, all set to dress this proposal with a little controversy,"but that sounds interesting. I'll get to go abroad."
"And wash the dishes as well," cut in Sis Dearest.
"So what's the harm?" i said, pushing my chair towards the table.
"Well, nothing; just that your children will also learn to live in boarding schools."
"Oh come on! I did not go to a boarding school. Why should they?"
"Because she did."
"Oh she did?" I asked, genuinely surprised.
"Oh yes."
"Well," I said recovering, "it's okay with me."
"But it's not okay with anyone here. Nor is it okay with me. Since I know how these kind of girls are."
"Really? And how are they?"
"Well, you never know. You may end up doing all types of tests on her just to ensure..."
"That is so mean of you Sis."
"Well, fact is a fact."
Now I had a whole long list of reasons why she would or could be wrong. However, I did not tell her all that. I just let it pass. But I did get a chance to give it all back at dinner-time.
"Oh I want to get married," I remember her saying as we all sat down to eat.
"And why?"
"I am fed up of working. I'll gladly cook in the kitchen and look after children."
"Oh my my! What happened to the career woman?"
"All that is oh so stupid."
"But you wanted always wanted to be a career woman. You always said so."
"I am fed up of working. I am just waiting for the appropriate man."
"Oh," I said - my tone deadpan, "even I am fed up of working. I'll just marry that girl then."
I thought I had safely put an end to the topic. But no, my 'retort' only put the fire back into her mouth and she sat up, all set to fire me: "What rubbish!" she roared, "Have you know shame to say that?"
"Well what's shameless in that? I'm just; I'm just looking at my options."
"Looking at my options," she mocked, "you have no shame to say that? You have no shame to live on your wife's salary?!"
"None whatsoever!"
"Well such people should not get married at all."
"Well that," I said triumphantly, "is exactly what I'm going to do."
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