The Pennukanal ! :D

               It was one hot Tuesday afternoon when I was hurriedly rushing through the college corridors that I got this weird call from my friend. Much to my astonishment this friend of mine who has been adding colours to my weekend outing trips here at Cochin , had a very different kinda yet challenging favour set for me this time. 

"Tell me that you gonna come with me. I need you to promise me that. " She insisted galore before unveiling the weirdo situation.

"Okaaay. Whatever !" I sounded a bit irritated. 

" Promise ?  Promise me that." She insisted again. 

" Uh-ho ! I gonna be there. Could you please let me know the thing?You know well that I hate these suspenses and surprises. I simply am not the material for those." I spurted out.

" Well Amma has arranged a marriage proposal for me. She needs me to meet him today evening. And I need you to come with me. Don't try to pull yourself out of this. I really want you to come. " She completed the whole sentence in a breath and paused, waiting for the response from me. 

Well on the other hand I was trying hard to come to terms with my astonishment. A marriage proposal. You know A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL ! I was blown off. I couldn't relate to the fact that its time that people around me have actually started thinking of getting married. Well Marriage does means a hell lot to me. I respect marriages. I adore the one's who stay married even after going through  hell lot of situations that question your identity and principles. It for sure meant a huge step to me after all these years. And a decision of atleast, To Get Married, that too this early, seriously sounded weird to me. 

"You there?" She asked. 

"Ah yup. " I retorted. 

"Well that would have sounded much weird to you. Right? " She giggled. 

 I sighed and replied. " I'm afraid I may have to say You know me quite too well. "

She broke off and her innocent laughter filled my earlobes and echoed in my eardrums.

"So we are gonna meet today evening. I will text you the place and time. Is that okay? " She anxiously asked.

"You  know what? You are too cruel Girl. You never leave me an option to opt out." I sarcastically said.

" I know. " She sounded contented. Contended of intelligently trapping me in a really embarrassing situation that she was already trapped in by fate or chance.

"Wait. One thing. What am I supposed to do? It sounds kinda embarrassing. Ain't it? " I blurted out as it was, on my mind. The blunt talk of the Sagittarians. Well I must say, I am blessed with that.

" Aww! I know. You know what. I am damn nervous. I need you to be with me. Just be with me. " It sounded Like a plea. And here I go. I melted out. You know the five year attachment of being roomies and going through a hell lot of adversities and serendipities did work out well on my thoughts. And I agreed without a second thought, well to be exact without a third thought, to go along with her to see the  could-be- -groom-someday-guy, in the innocent pursuit of just being with her.

The evening seemed to Set in faster than it ever does usually. Well when you are looking forward to something time just lags. You wait for hours together and look at the clock just to find that its been just minutes that you were counting on. Ironically the thing with me was different. I was totally embarrassed of this Pennukanal- unplugged version, though it was set in a serene restaurant near kakkanad by around Seven in the hope of having space for those lighter talks for the future groom and bride to get to know each other. 

I had these weirdest thoughts rooted in my brains like its not the time for Marriage kinda stuffs. Coz of that It really sounded weird. She was just in her early twenties and I for sure couldn't relate to what she was supposed to go through. And me becoming a silent witness of this added up to my rebel thoughts. But you know the Indian traditions. It just doesn't allow a girl to stay happily unmarried after your twenties. The society tends to trap you either in marriages or in scandals. Its obvious that you choose the former. Its always difficult to get through life for a girl all alone through her twenties in India. Its the way its structured. The thoughts, the people, the system  they simply doesn't allow you to live your life.  The freedom for Eve- ians is a dream,  far away here, in-spite of the female up-liftment and empowerment being talked out aloud. Its a Mans world, Literally. They wont let you go your way if its after seven in the evening. You will have prying eyes on you scanning you like anything, making you wonder Do I look like a hooker. Though We boast of the traditions, the family way and all those mesmerizing values in relationships, the Indian society simply sucks. Its seriously pathetic that we fail to impart the values that we preach. So all my fingers pointed out to the society for putting her and myself to go through this ultra- embarrassing situation  of Pennukanal , thereby pathetically of being a part of the marriage market.

And finally did the much awaited moment came. It was ticking Seven. She seemed to glow in the dusky light at the restaurant. She was beautiful than ever that day. Well Waiting at the Restaurant was fine. The usual talks of ours, her work place- jokes and my inherent- PG blunders, everything was cool. But I knew things wont be that cool once the Pennukanal starts. The fact that future groom was supposed to arrive with his elder brother added to my embarrassment. I  could very well see that she was trying hard to hide off her embarrassment  I stretched my hands to hold hers. It was cold. She was damn nervous. 

The black Chevrolet streaked in with a sound. As I was sitting againt the windows I could see them , the two guys getting out of the car. The one that seemed to be in the thirties was for sure the brother and the Guy with an I-don't-care Attitude was for sure the future groom. The slightest embarrassment of mine that came in with their arrival was hided perfectly, thanks to my inborn abilities to behave well, in spite of the storms I tend to  have in my mind, on the contrary  I could see her sweating out.

" Sorry for being a bit late. We were caught up in the traffic. Traffic sucks here at cochin." The guy who seemed to be the brother started off. He was  quite handsome apart from the fact that his spectacles gave him a geek look. Being a Geek isn't that a crime. I said to myself.
" Oh its alright. We just came in. Well this is my Friend I was talking about, on phone." She introduced me.
The formal introduction talks and somehow the talk just stepped into the marriage thing, for that was what the purpose was.
The groom seemed in no way interested in the conversation. In-spite of the brother questioning my innocent friend like anything, He had an I-am-not-a-part-of-this-game attitude. Well I did love that. He was short statured, still well groomed and fair. Ahem. Not a bad idea that I came along, I heard that secret grin from within.
"So you been working for a year. You love the IT job. Don't you?" The brother was full on.
BORING ! I heard myself shouting out from within. My eyes wandered over the place. It was just the dusk and the restaurant was half filled. I felt my embarrassment reaching an all time peak. It would have been better if it was a Date. I cursed myself for not being born at some part of the West.
What do you expect to know by meeting a person for the very first time of your life? And a decision to marry based on just that, Seemed like an utter blunder to me. It for sure, sounded a judgement session, to judge whether you are eligible for marrying a Guy.  Blaaaah ! I was reminded of my placement interviews. Pathetic !
She stole glances at me every now and them, tired of being nice to the un-ending saga of questions that the brother was putting forward. I sarcastically smiled at her. The guy was sitting equally bored with the conversation.
" How many times did you have this Bliss of being to a Pennukanal?" I asked finally, breaking the silence, sarcastically smiling at the groom.
Well the future groom did get the sarcasm I had in my question. He laughed and whispered.
"Its my fifth time. And you know what, Its Weird. "
"Its obvious. And you don't have to say that, its written well on your face." I said mocking him.
" Oh thanks. And I must say your friend is beautiful. But marriage, I really haven't had a thought about it yet. Its just the family pressures playing around. You at some point have to give in to them. And its really embarrassing " He sounded sensible.
"Yep I know. If that's the case with you, imagine how bad it would be with a Girl. Its utter embarrassment  I tell you. Look how she's being interrogated. You are blessed, You are a Guy." I retorted with a weird and envious look.
He just smiled. Its hilarious how the youth of today are giving into something like this. I felt bad why these well educated, well paid youth of today, doesn't have the courage to stand out on their own, take decisions and do some thing sensible than giving in to an arranged marriage with just a meeting.
An hour later, Guess the brother was satisfied with the interrogation session and we ordered the dinner. To add to my laughter, I found my friend sweating profusely and finding it hard to eat. An instant thought, and I imagined myself at her place. Just the thought of me being judged by someone totally unknown, was more than just embarrassment. Oh my God ! I adore her. An HOUR  and a HALF ! I wouldn't have survived something like that. I would have traded all heavens not to be a part of this marriage market, I told myself.

It was all in precise about the experience, though the nihilistic thoughts ruled me. The society, the people, the taboos,the loss of freedom, of that of thoughts and expressions, this was all that churned my mind that night. Not that night alone, but always, I for sure fear of a distant future, where in I some how will have to be a part of this weird game. It fills me with just silence, though there are a million hurricanes storming up in my mind !