She was fuming ! She HATED dressing up. She hated it more, when she didn't have a choice. She gave more importance to a person's presence than appearance - so, she didnt really see the point in dressing up. Sarees were her worst nightmare. One long piece of cloth draped around with folds at the appropriate places - Origami on the human body ! How on earth could she walk normally when there was the perennial fear of the Saree falling off? She was cursing her stars, why'd she have to wear a saree, why'd she have to dress up, why'd she have to be born INDIAN? Quite obviously, Aarthi was not connected to her roots.
The doorbell rang. They must have arrived. She sighed thinking about the usual routine - Welcoming the new family with a plastic smile, asking them to sit down (while they examine your wealth by your living room unsubtly), bringing them tea and snacks (while they observe your walking skills), catching a quick glance at all the family members especially the prospective groom, doing some meaningless chit-chat, and sending them off while they promise to get back to you. NOT AGAIN, she helplessly complained.
Mrs. Rajalakshmi Sudhakaran, fondly called Raji, was a very interesting personality. Her views vibed with the present generation's. Even during her times, she always questioned traditions and broke the orthodox barriers. She didn't have full family support in all her ventures, but that didn't hinder her progress. Quite naturally, she was unbelievably shocked when her son had asked her to find him a wife.
Raji was now in a sticky situation. Had she observed what her elders did, she'd know the norms of "ponnu-paakardhu". She had just resorted to passing the message through her friends circle. They would find her son a suitable wife, she hoped.
She walked into the Ramanathan residence. When she received this young girl's photo, immediately she saw a spark in the girl's eyes. She somehow reminded her a lot of herself. Also, this girl's photo elicited a "Hmmm ok" response from her son unlike his usual "No". Mr and Mrs. Ramanathan welcomed Raji and her son warmly. After ten minutes of formal conversation, Aarthi walked in with coffee and some snacks. Raji smiled when she noticed how Aarthi had had some trouble with her saree. She was transported back to her days, when she walked in, in a salwar kameez suit after spending what seemed like a 100 years, trying to tie her saree. Ofcourse, that family concluded that she had a mind of her own and took back their proposal. Three months and 5 days later, Rajalakshmi married the man of her dreams in a small temple at the end of their street. After the proceedings, they went to have lunch at a nearby restaurant, for the first time as man and wife. "2 Masala dosais and 2 coffees"..."Sure sir, do you want some sugar in that?"
"Do you want some sugar in that?", Aarthi asked for the third time. Her prospective mother-in-law seemed to be in a trance. She wasn't like the other mothers she had met. Something was different about her. She felt an aura of positive vibes from this lady. Her son was blessed with handsome looks, alright ! But Aarthi wanted to know more about Mrs. Sudhakaran than her son. For the time being, she learnt some small facts - doesn't like any sugar in her coffee.
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