Man Proposes...

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The twin brothers of mine, 10 years elder, sweet, smart, handsome, talented, intelligent and well occupied. One ended up in the IT field earning lakhs and the other as a bank manager counting money. They look very much alike, grew up together, studied in the same school - same class - same bench, played with the same bat and ball and even shared the same cycle. Yet they grew up to become two different individuals with opposite likes and dislikes. One knew exactly what he wanted and planned everything much in advance. The other was also hard-working but does not plan life ahead. For him things were just trial and error. Even in the case of love both of them showed their opinion. The banker waited for his love to find him one day, mean while he could plan out his future life. And the other fell in love for three times and believed it to be his true love every time till the last moment he decided to break up with his girlfriends. I sometimes wondered if it’s their respective jobs that moulded them into this character or if they accidently landed on them.

The time had come for them to make their choices. Marry a girl and settle down. Proposals that my relatives forwarded were flooding my house. The photographs of beautiful girls lay scattered in the drawing room, dining table, bed room and even the kitchen. The elderly would form groups among themselves and settle down in different parts of the house and analyse each proposals. I don’t know if they were actually trying to find a ‘good’ girl for my brothers as what mattered to the men the most was financial background and beauty for the women. Seldom do both match and it was almost never that they agreed on any one girl (or money/ beauty).

It reminded me of my mom and her sister shopping for sarees. Saris of different colour, style, price, quality and names would lie all around them as they discuss the value of each for hours before buying one of them. Usually, such decisions do not always survive. Even before reaching home, they often lose interest in the saree they have purchased and both of them won’t want it anymore.

Here too, making a decision was not easy as everyone held on to their opinion and in case if they want to settle on one girl, they would settle it on the ground that she is not fit for the family. Meanwhile, my brothers & I had fun passing comments on the rejected ones and making stories about them. I would sit and laugh along with them even though I was aware of the fact that quiet soon my photo will also be in the hands of some brothers and sisters who would treat it the same way.

This went on for days till one morning both my brothers announced that they have found out their life partners. It was a happy moment for the family, “Ghar ke 2 bade bêtone ladki doondliye hai. Shaadi keliye theyyar hojavo”. Little did we know what was to happen next. Who would have guessed that the twins who grew up to become two different individuals will once more become one in their choice? Yes, they both wanted the same girl and were not ready to compromise.

There was a chaos in the family. “ghar ke 2 bade bête shaadi karnewaale hai or woh bhi ek hi ladki ko? Kabhi nahi hosaktha”. One of them had to sacrifice, but whom? One pronounced that he has already planned his life with her and now there is no turning back while the other claimed that she is the only girl whom he would accept in his life. After much confusion the decision was made. Not among my brothers, but among the seniors in the family- that the decision shall be left to the girl. There was nothing much she had to do, both the boys look alike and earn similar salaries. All she had to do was to choose if she wanted to be Ms. IT professional or wife of Mr. Bank manager, simple. Whatever it was, I was happy for her. At least she has options to choose from and needn’t adjust to the one who choose her.

And finally the day came. Both the families met, the girl was called and asked what her decision was. The two grooms sat smiling hoping to impress the bride and praying that she make ‘the right choice’ “magar yeh tho... koyi na jane... ki uski manzil... thi kahaaa”. All of a sudden the girl started crying surprising the others in the house. No one knew what to do and the boys sat idle wondering what went wrong. Slowly she started to speak only to reveal that she is in love with some guy in her college and is even ready to elope with him and if someone tried to stop her she would hang herself. I was laughing deep within hearing all these. Thank God! Atlast she found the guts to tell it out.

Gradually everyone came into sense and moved close to the girl and comforted her and promised her that everything will be just fine. In the end both my brothers had to compromise. No one lose and the girl wins.

Till today it was MAN PROPOSES AND GOD DISPOSES but today it has become –

MAN PROPOSES AND GIRL DISPOSES.