Mother's matchmaking
Yasmin JALDIN
Vinod was an eye surgeon and was home on vacation after a stint
abroad. His mother was very keen that he enter wedded bliss soon. This
evening he was due to see the seventh bride.
The sixth girl was attractive but short, he had said. Engrossed in
his vocation he paid little attention to his mother's matchmaking and
had no good word to the six belles he had seen. "Oh! Vinod," his mother
lamented, "at this rate you shall never find the perfect partner and you
will end up an old bachelor."
"Mother," he said, "how could I say yes to a partner who does not
catch my eye, simplicity is my motive," he said.
Every time he was on vacation his mother set up a matchmaking trip.
Today, she kept on reminding Vinod that the bride they intend to meet
was very pretty, educated with a good family background. "You will
absolutely have no cause for complain and would definitely say 'I do' my
son," she said.
Neeta had heard that the young doctor was an arrogant man, hard to
please, a 'Narcissus' her friend had said. I shall look my very best and
drown him with my beauty, he would be a fool to disqualify me as I am
perfect in every way, was her thought.
That evening she chose a light orange sari that matched her
complexion and chose to wear accessories to blend with her skin. Her
mother looked at the pleasing personality of her daughter and nodded her
head in appreciation.
Secretly she thought, since the intended party were not dowry
hunters. Neeta's beauty was sufficient to ensnare Vinod.
"Oh! The party have already arrived," her cousin came in with the
news. "How does he look," asked Neeta with a glint in her eye.
"He is really a Prince Charming," her cousin replied with a wink.
"When he sees you, definitely he will get obsessed with your beauty,"
she said. Neeta added her final make-up to her already painted face and
then remembered the contact lenses. She retrieved the never used out box
of contact lenses from her almirah and selected the pair of brown ones.
I shall put them on, this would give me an added touch and my eyes would
sparkle, she thought. Sure enough wearing the coloured contact lenses
made her more captivating giving the touch of a feline.
At the auspicious time, she was summoned by her parents to meet the
bridegroom and his party. After all formalities and introductions,
everyone seemed contented when they witnessed the young couple talking
to each other as if long friends and the admiring glances Vinod made
towards Neeta. Vinod's mother heaved a sigh of relief that at last she
had accomplished her task.
On their return, Vinod kept his mother in a high sense of humour,
speaking of the beautiful bride and never making her guess that he was
troubled. His mother too noticed that he was in a pensive mood. "What is
ailing you my son, tell me what do you think of Neeta," they are
expecting your reply.
"Mother," Vinod said, "Neeta is a beauty alright, but she has lost
her eyesight and camouflaged herself, how could I ever marry her."
"Are you crazy son," she said, "she was not wearing spectacles."
"No, she was not," Vinod said, "I am a doctor, I cannot be fooled,
she was wearing contact lenses," was his answer. By trying to be too
smart and enhance her natural beauty artificially, Neeta lost a very
good marriage proposal.
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