The knot before the knot
Too many drafts of late. I’m never finding enough time to finish those and post them here. Sigh!
I went to Palakkad taking a week off last week. Needless to say, I found myself in trouble again. This knotty situation was all about “the knot”.
The knot is a physical tying of a knot which they say is metaphor for the knot or binding of the lives of two people, the man and his wife (For female chauvinists, the woman and her poor “Mr. bechara” husband), but it actually is a rather knotty problem — from then on, you need to have a lot of discipline and responsibilities. So, I reached my home on the fine morning of Friday, a bit soaked in the drizzle. I had my morning chores, which I couldn’t finish off in the train. Then I had my breakfast with my mother. It was then that the lightning struck from the skies, right on to my head. My mom said some distant relative had come with a marriage proposal of some distant relative of hers. So it was twice the distance!
The conversation went like this:
Mother: I’ve started checking your horoscope. It is very difficult to find a girl from our community and with good family background, and for you two to like each other.
Me: NO! No No No… Don’t start it.
Mother: You are 24 years old.
Me: You know, it is good to hear someone say I’m getting old, for a change. But not in this matter.
Mother: I’m not asking you to marry immediately. It will take about a year to find the right girl…
Me: I have aspirations right now; you know that. I want to study further. I don’t want to marry until I’m 27-28.
Mother(As if she didn’t hear what I said): …then you can get engaged and wait for another year if you want.
Me: You can do whatever you want with the horoscope. But I will reject it outright if you show me some alliance before I’m 27.
Mother: As a matter of fact, there is a proposal now.
Me: WHAT?
Mother: You know Annam (She was the distant relative), don’t you? I’d met her in Chelakkara when she asked me if I started looking for alliances. I just nodded. Yesterday, she met your aunt and complained to her that I was not interested in the alliance.
Me: Great! So now everyone knows there is a proposal coming in!
Mother: Look, In this case we don’t have to worry about the family. They are known ones. We just have to match the horoscopes, and then it’s up to you two to talk and decide if you like each other.
Me: I don’t want to get married now.
Mother: Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to get married soon.
Me: I don’t want to get married now.
Mother: You can get engaged if you like each other and then wait for a year.
Me: Sigh! I don’t want to get married now.I went to my grandmother’s house. We had the first death anniversary rituals of my grandfather. It got over by noon.
When the Vadhyar (the priest who presides over the ritual) was having his lunch, he asked for more rice, “Koncham annam kondu vaango”(”Annam” also means rice). On hearing the word “Annam” I nervously looked around. I saw an evil grin on my aunt’s face as she looked at me. After having a heavy lunch, it was time for a post-lunch family gathering. My mother’s siblings and their family were present. My uncle and family had come from US.
I somehow always liked small gatherings like this. I always enjoyed talking to my aunt because she was the only person who was more talkative than me.
So there I was, tired after gobbling up lots of food. When I saw the evil grin in my aunt’s face again, I sensed it was coming.
Aunt: I heard you are getting married.
Me: O really? I didn’t hear any such news.
Aunt: It’s about time you got married.
Me: No. I’m only 24.
Aunt: It is good for you. You won’t have to struggle with bachelor life anymore.
Me: That is true, but I’m just not ready.
Aunt: Come on. She is a very nice girl. And it is our family.
Me: Yeah, right. Something like my grandma’s cousin’s son-in-law’s sister’s daughter is family. Besides, you haven’t even seen her to say she is a nice girl.
Aunt: So we will be back in India again in an year.
Me: Shut up, okay? What the hell is this pulling-legs for?
Aunt: Just some after-lunch entertainment.
Me: Right. I’M THE VICTIM.
After some emotional blackmail (I finally got my chance to get even with my mother), my mom agreed that she will just match our horoscopes for the sake of being courteous with her “distant relative”.
I was so relieved on having escaped from the knot (for the time being) when another less lethal issue came. This too was about “tying the knot”.
My brother came to me asking me to teach him how to tie a tie.
I went on, “Watch carefully. The perfect Windsor is an art…”
21 Comments, Comment or Ping
Prasil
Haha! Koncham annam kondu vaango! LOL!
Gee, how I wish my mom had the very same noble intention of going through horoscopes of good looking dames, I could’ve played GOD and rejected a few outrightly! *Evil grin*
Jul 2nd, 2007
Ajith
So, finally what the update ? u getting engaged or not
? Can we celebrate with a champagne ?
And yeah, this aunt’s moms second cousins father in laws ……types relatives are aplenty everywhere.. I too had a marriage proposal some time back..
But my mom had the sense to say a NO at the first point itself 
Jul 2nd, 2007
Srijith Unni
Haa, Haa! Deepak. My problem is my mother never asks me..!!! I guess i`ll have to do some prodding myself..
Cool Hilarious post..!
Have Fun, Take Care and God Bless!
With Best Regards,
Srijith.
Jul 3rd, 2007
Deepak
@Prasil: Heh! You call that noble intention?
@Ajith: Keep the champagne for yourself. It will come in handy for your celebrations.
If you’d read the post completely, you would have known what the update is!
@Srijith: Yeah sure! Keep laughing at my plight!
Jul 3rd, 2007
the rain tree
lol…when u going home next??Im sure nobody is easily going to forget about the knot.
its a syndrome dude…all parents makes it th purpose of life. Get us settled once we get a job…like duh
maneesha( yeah d same one)
Jul 3rd, 2007
Bakwaas
he he he :)) couldn’t stop ….
welcome to the escape run
this will continue forever till u actually get KNOTTED :))
update us, what happened after the horoscope match :))
Jul 3rd, 2007
Upasna
Seems like everyone is being chased for the knot :D…hehe…mom’s dont understand NO in this matter do they!!
Jul 5th, 2007
Hitchhiker
hehehe
I can hear the nadaswarams already 
! And yeah I know about the family’s friends daughters blah blah blah..and how they would be a perfect match and so on and so forth….As bakwaas, its gonna stop only the day I get married!
Jul 6th, 2007
Deepak
@Maneesha: You are so right. My mom mentioned that even when I called her yesterday. She stopped when I threatened to hang up and reduce the calling frequency to once in 3 days.
@Tanu: Oho! So you are a veteran in this running away thing, aren’t you?
@Upasna: They sure don’t. My mom said that she won’t talk to me about marriage again, until I start the conversation myself. Yet the very next sentence she uttered was about checking my horoscope!
Jul 6th, 2007
Sanjiv
On reading this post , a theme song started buzzing in my head ‘n hasn’t left me since.
I dunno if you would remember it, but there was this theme sequence from
“Ramjirao Speaking” which ended like “Gulimaal..Gulimaal” :d
All the best dude.. Strengthen your defences.
Jul 7th, 2007
Lavanya
Been there done that, my friend:-) A lil’ too early dont ya think? Maybe annam can wait?
Jul 8th, 2007
Deepak
@Laina: Oh yeah! That family friend’s family’s grand-cousin stuff is kinda cliche!
@Sanjiv: That song has now started buzzing in my head everytime I log on to Blogger.com
@Lavanya: Try telling this to my mom..
Jul 8th, 2007
the rain tree
thanks for the idea. Might help me some day
still…i only wish ur mom realise its only a treat n u dont mean it.
Jul 10th, 2007
Deepak
Your wish seems (unfortunately) to be true. My mom seems to know all my tricks now.
Jul 10th, 2007
Bakwaas
he heya ya….remember ‘TOM’ and JERRY’ :)??
something like that
have to write a blog on this 
Jul 11th, 2007
the rain tree
enjoy madi…god bless you.
dude..i tagged u.take it up.
Jul 11th, 2007
Deepak
@Tanu: Oh yeah. I’m waiting for the post.
@Maneesha: What is your blog address? I don’t see any tag in the lone blog you have in your profile.
Jul 11th, 2007
Marutham
ROTFL!!
- cudn’t help…
Sorry
So u did manage to escape (for the time being…) It is really pretty amusing to see their interest! And when u step back or withdraw or show some disinterest in them search— the next chord that strikes is ” Are you having someone in mind already?We could….” and u go “NO!!!!!!”
Ofcourse it may not be from Mom or Dad… but still you have to face it.
You seem to have very well handled the situation
These days the pressure on girls is even more worse.
From nowhere you see these relatives & friends of our parents ask them “Have you started looking out..I have this friend of mine who has…”BLAH BLAH BLAH….
Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
There is this Quote in tamil “Yaam petra inbam ivayagam peruga”….
“May the world enjoy the pleasure i enjoyed”
People take it otherwise I guess!:)
Cheers!
Jul 13th, 2007
Deepak
@Marutham:
Yes. I did manage to escape for now. Even if it is quite possible that my mom is still after that, it is not conspicuous. She doesn’t talk about it any more
Jul 20th, 2007
Serendipity
If parents of guys start looking for girls when they are jus 24 then what will folks like us who opt for a late marriage do
Jul 23rd, 2007
Deepak
Hehe. Let the parents keep looking. We will be around for a late marriage
Jul 23rd, 2007
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