Marriages are arranged in … for …..

On various occasions, there occurs some interesting minor incidences in life. We in general tend to either ignore them or forget them.  But these minor incidences carry some meanings, we should not forget that. Here, I am going to narrate such kind of incidence of my life, that occurred a few years ago.

                                                    My visit

I am a North Indian and in the year of 2018, I happened to visit the city of Banguluru (in South India) along with my two other friends to attend a seminar. We arrived there, one day prior to the seminar. The purpose was, to visit some visible sites of the city. It was the month of October and Banguluru city is known for its magnificent climate and orderly settlement. One problem a person may face there, is that of language. But the city being an IT hub, now people from every corner of North India throng there, this has made people to understand Hindi in somewhat proportion.

Otherwise also, I am a denizen of a Himalayan foot hill city which has got an acclamation for its pleasant weather. But, in all, I found the climate of Banguluru  more pleasanter than my own city. here, my city’s climate is not so tormenting in summer season, but wintry season is somewhat arduous. Often, this part gets hit by cold waves when seasonal snow fall takes place in far away peaks of Himalaya.

                                      Plan for South Indian dish

On reaching at Banguluru, we traveled across the metropolitan city via metro-train, visited some important places. By mid noon, we arrived back to our hotel. There, we all friends planned to relish South Indian meal at some medium class restaurant nearby. Although, in Banguluru, many restaurants are there which serve the North Indian food. But, we were here to enjoy the facility of Southern culture and recipe.

We inquired about some restaurant, hotel staff suggested the name of a popular traditional restaurant, that located merely at a distance of three km from our hotel. We came out of the hotel to a nearest market place and sought the help of a local person, “how could we reach there?” He cooperated with us, by citing the exact location and distance i. e. three km, and advised us to hire an auto- three wheeler.

                                           Rouge treatment

We made stop an auto- three wheeler and asked about the charges to get us there. He responded in passable Hindi language, “whatever the meter displays, you pay that.” Well, we all three friends loaded our selves in the three wheeler auto. After some times, we noticed in meter that we had covered a distance of six km, whilst every one had told, restaurant was at a distance of three km only.  We asked the driver, ” why we have been forced to take such a long ride?’

Then, same happened with us, that in common, every rogue auto- three wheeler driver of India does with his passengers. The same driver, who at the beginning was conversing in passable Hindi language, now began to behave, as if, he knows naught about the Hindi language. Not only this, when we tried to communicate in English, he said one word , “Kannada only.” He continued his blabbering in his own dialect with angry gestures. His mien obviously telltale that he was using abusive epithets for us. He contemptuously  addressed us as, ” bloody North Indian.”

This made us realize that we were in trouble. Then he stopped other running three wheeler autos of his fraternity . They all began to quarrel with us in his support. Finally he dropped us on the same spot on the road, besides grabbed a good amount as fare charges. This looting culture with tourists is common in our India by auto-three wheeler drivers, in every part. Well, now we stood there on the road, but the luck favored us, a local government public transport bus arrived near us and halted. Without asking, where it was going, we loaded ourselves in that.

                                                   Destination

After some harassment, we succeeded to reach at our destined restaurant. We consoled ourselves, ” let bygone, be bygone,” and resumed to our tourist mood again. When we entered the restaurant, it was not crowded. We occupied our table and placed an order for some delicacies. At the adjacent table, an adult South Indian local couple occupied the seat. Both attired in their conventional costumes.

Food got served. One of our friends was given to make funny comments in serious mood, it was his permanent feature to make satirical remarks. It occasioned, the topic of conversation got shifted about the behavioral mode of our wives back in home. As it often happens, when husbands are in outing with friends, all they become focused about the tormenting demeanor of their own spouse. But natural, we were conversing in our Hindi dialect. In between, some sentences we applied in English, it’s a fashion as well or way of talking of so called educated people like us.

                                         Friend’s satirical opinion

Our this friend uttered a well talked maxim about marriage staidly but with some suffix as amendment. The maxim he used was, ” marriages are arranged in the heaven and got solemnized upon the Earth……so both can make quarrel whole through in life……” In fact, this amendment was enough to amuse us and we enjoyed that too. But couple, that occupied our adjacent table, the husband hearing this amendment, at once made him give a full throated laugh.

It took some moments to control his laugh and he in English spoke to us, ” you are exactly right on your part Sir! Look here, my this wife was engaged in quarrel with me from the morning time without any substantial cause. Neither she prepared breakfast or lunch at the house. Eventually, I offered her the proposal of lunch in this restaurant. Now look upon her, how happy she look, as if, nothing happened back in the house!”

On his this statement, his wife gave him a “magnificent” look. Magnificent in the sense, that look contained an amorous feeling saturated with spurious complain. Her eyes carried a saturated, tender look of a devoted, loving woman but with a killing effect. Still, on this day, whenever, I occasionally recall about my that visit of Banguluru, the picture of the woman’s face reels before my eyes serenely.  Penned by — Vinay Pharasi …..