Episode 2

It’s been three weeks since my engagement and the ensuing un-engagement; I went from affianced to de-fianced. My parents are still super pissed off.

I wish I had put some thought into all this. But I was not exactly thinking. I told you, he was handsome and 22-23 is not too old enough to not be blinded by good looks. But at least I did wake up later. I mean, the guy was into research people!! It’s just a constructive way for extremely obsessive people to do something about their obsessions that would otherwise be considered abnormal. What was I thinking??

In a gist this is what happened on the fateful day after my engagement (Some would argue that my engagement was the fateful one). The next day after my parents were rested and looked positively better, I sneaked up on them and declared I am not interested in the marriage and they should stop it. If they cant I will do it myself, Karthik is a good guy (really? I had no idea!), he would understand for sure.

I had no idea I so thoroughly had displeased my parents for my full 23 or so years. Being the only daughter in an almost upper middle class family made you a princess of a sort. I was always either extremely liked or thoroughly disliked, not much ambivalence there. My father especially found it the right time to highlight all my shortcomings. I will summarize for you guys – I am not good enough to reject Karthik. I am a fool in all categories of foolishness. I will readily agree to the 2^nd part. But the 1^st one, naaaa.. I am better. A researcher? He is a geek, come on I could do better! This is what I keep telling myself. All I know right now is that, I had to do this. I am not yet sure why, but I just had to.

Interestingly my mom was really silent and not her usual screaming self. I am just waiting for her break out any minute now. Three weeks. I wonder why there has been no reaction from her. Scary. I feel my nerves rattle every time she looks at me with such undisturbed eyes. A mother has to be disturbed. I just threw a good marriage away, didn't I? Aren't mothers supposed to be throwing fits and blackmailing with suicides and all that? Seriously, no?

But the bottom-line is, I stopped my marriage. I felt a weight that I didn't know I carried escape me as soon as it was official that the engagement was broken. I am in full party mood and I snuck out twice last week to join a few of my hangout buddies for some into- the-night party action. It was fun. But I feel my strict parents know and just don't care. It’s scary too. I mean as much as I am pampered I am from this modern but not-so-modern family where things like partying and too much male association are taboo.

 Okay, a silent father, a silently watchful mother, easy to handle isn't it? They don’t ask me what I do, where I go or anything. They still cook all my favorite dishes, but no questions, no restrictions. I must be happy. I am. I really am, it is not really bugging me. Right!

I am off to office of course. I have not told anyone in my team that I got un-engaged. At first I didn't want to answer their prying questions. But now I have a secondary reason.  A 23-24 year old gal has to have been away from her house for at least a year in all those 22 years.

But I have stayed in the same neighbourhood for as long as I can remember. I want out. And this of course is my ticket. Married ladies and about to be married ladies always get to go wherever they want. I was about to be married. It won’t hurt my manager what he doesn’t know. That’s my ticket out of this all-people-know-me-from-childhood area. I am a feminist and all. As much as using this marriage a reason for my escape is irking my feminist side, I have decided this is an exceptional situation. There is nothing wrong with a girl relocating for her husband right? So, there is nothing wrong in using that as an excuse right?

This made absolute sense to me. So I ask my manager Shan for a meeting.

Now, if the universe was trying to make things happen for me, he wouldn't be my manager. He was youngish for a manager. But we didn't get along. It all started on the weekend he wanted me to work but I couldn't because I was sick. But then all of a sudden I felt better when my friends asked me to go shopping so I went. Surprise, surprise, as fate would have it, guess who I met in the mall?

So when I schedule a meeting with Shan, giving his usual smirk-smile he had especially for me and only me, schedules it right away. So here we are.

‘So tell me Priya, what did you want to talk to me about?’

‘Hi Shan, how are you?’

Smirk-Smiles. ‘I’m good thank you. So go on’

It would really hurt his tongue to ask me how I am I guess. ‘I want to talk about my relocation Shan. I've been asking you many times and I've not been getting it. Finally, now you are going to have to. I am getting married…’

‘Is it? Congrats! When is the marriage?’

‘Oh that.. The date is not yet fixed Shan. It will be soon..’

‘Oh great news! So engaged huh?’

‘Yes yes thanks. See the point is.. My fiancé is working in Bangalore and I’m gonna have to move there too, if its well before my marriage it would be easy for me to get adjusted to everything there…’

‘That could be arranged Priya. Tell me when is the right time for you, I will have a discussion with the clients and the upper management’. Okay. That’s a first. A straight yes?

I smirk-smile now. ‘Thanks Shan, it is mostly within the next three months. The guy’s family wants it to be asap. So..’

‘Is that so? That’s good! I’l see if we can get it that early. Might be a bit difficult. Again.. Your fiancé is?..’

‘Karthik. He is into research. In Bangalore.’ See, when you lie, you need to stick to the truth as much as possible. This news about Karthik and his work are known to most of my team mates.

‘Karthik?’

‘Yeah.. That’s the name’. My mind goes - What’s your problem?

‘So when did you get engaged?’

‘Three weeks back, I sent you an invite too…’ . I really wish I did. I seriously cant remember.

‘Hmmm.. Are you sure Priya?’

Okay, what’s that about? Are you sure you sent me an invite? Or are you sure it is Karthik that you are getting married to? Weird..

‘Yes. I think I sent you an invite.’

His eyes narrow down and suddenly he looks angry. He puts his mobile on the table in between us and mimes for me to pick it up. I pick up the mobile. 

There is a photo displayed - A big birthday cake with ‘Happy Birthday Shanky’ written on it; Booze near the cake. Ok, so he has friends who celebrate his birthday, newsflash!!. What am I to make of it?

‘Scroll!’ a bark from him. Can this meeting get any weirder? I scroll. Shirtless ‘Shanky’ with a group of guys trying to lift him, a group of guys shaking the booze and spraying on unsuspecting floors (no hope for the carpets), ‘Shanky’ and each guy in the group one by one and then the last picture that I saw – ‘Shanky’ and Karthik with raised beer bottles. Oops!

‘You want to say anything Priya?’

My mind – Shit shit shit shit shit shit…

My mouth – open, close, clear throat. Open,close, clear throat…..

‘Priya?’

I very calmly put the mobile down, get up and get the hell out. Busted!!! Could I get terminated for this?????

Link to previous episodes : Episode 1