‘Good. Give me the phone.’
I saw his profile picture. A lean, tall and bespectacled man in a beige overcoat stood against
the backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. He resembled Sundar Pichai, the CEO of
Google. Geeks have their own role models, I guess.
‘He is handsome,’ my mother said.
‘He looks like the student who tells other children to stop talking.’
‘Any nonsense you say.’
I read his name. Brijesh Gulati.
‘Ugh,’ I said. ‘Ugh. Rejected. I am not marrying someone called Brijesh Gulati.’
‘Why? It’s a nice name. Gulatis are Punjabis. Don’t you know that restaurant on Pandara
Road?’
‘Exactly. I am not marrying someone whose name resembles a Punjabi restaurant.’
My mother stared at me.
‘What?’ I said.
‘What name you want? Amitabh Bachchan? Akshay Kumar?’
‘It’s not that. It is just that he’s just so.. .’ I thought of the right word, ‘typical.’
‘I think you are looking for negatives. And you can’t find any. So all this name and “typical”
nonsense. Tell me one proper thing wrong?’ my mother said.
‘Exactly. There’s nothing wrong with him. But he doesn’t have like, any wow or thrill factor.’
‘You are choosing a husband. Not taking an amusement park ride for thrills.’
Ah, but love can be thrilling, mom, I wanted to say. Love can mean passion under the
moonlight on remote islands. The thought of that night with Neel made me flinch.
‘Okay fine,’ I said in a brisk fashion and chose the ‘accept’ option. I put my phone aside. Ten
minutes later my phone made a ‘ting’ sound. I picked it up.
‘I don’t believe this. He already sent a “Hi” with his Skype details. Mom, this is desperate,
no?’
‘This is a good sign. It means God wants both of you to connect,’ my mother said. It is amazing
how mothers can justify any action as divine intervention as long as it suits them.
‘Set up a call,’ my mother said in her most royal tone.
I typed back a message.
‘Skype call fixed for tomorrow,’ I said to my mother.
‘Hi,’ I said, as cheerfully as possible. One of the most awkward moments in world history has to be
speaking to a shortlisted arranged marriage candidate for the first time. I sat in my living room near
my window, on Skype with Brijesh.
‘Good morning,’ Brijesh said. ‘Or sorry. Good afternoon.’
‘So I am Radhika. You already saw my profile.’
‘Yes, I found it quite interesting.’
‘Really? Which part?’ I said, to enable more conversation.
‘I like that you have a good career. Investment banking is hectic, though, isn’t it?’
‘It is. But I am used to it now.’