It happened a few years back. A busy road in a major part of the city sealed for several minutes. Why? Well, some guy was proposing to his sweetheart in the middle of the street! Really! Yes, and that seems to have become a trend. Now and then we hear of marriage proposal Maybe, I’m a backward dude unable to keep pace with ‘changing times!’ Finally, the hush, hush marriage proposals are off radar. Hip, hip, hooray! After that we’ve repeatedly heard of marriage proposals being made even in night clubs! Then there is the more common way of sending a handful people to ask the hand of a daughter for their Prince Charming. And that is where the most interesting and even memorable drama plays out. The bride’s parents and close relatives to if Prince Charming has a job? Does he make enough money to look after their daughter? They won’t agree to give away their twentyish “still a little girl” to an unknown guy not knowing what he’s really made of!
Does he have his own house? ‘Well… umm…er…’ Look, anyone who goes on such a mission should lock up their morale luggage and be willing to sin, and sin big! The passage to Heaven isn’t even an agenda here! Come on’ say it loud! “He is planning to build one.” No, he isn’t. In fact, he’s having a hard time to keep off the landlord who’s breathing down his neck every month. Does he drink? The answer to this one is an outright “No, he doesn’t!” Of course, the guy drinks and even using the term ‘drinks’ wouldn’t be an understatement. You’re not going to throw him under the bus, are you? (Yes, the daughter knows and she is willing to give it a try. Who can argue with that?) I told you sinning is not about saluting St. Peter and passing through the gates of what you’ve been working for your earthly life. (Isn’t it St. Peter who manages the gates of Heaven?) You haven’t been praying all those years for nothing! Who knows, maybe, your stumbles and staggers would be overlooked!
Yes, even two or three weeks before the set date word goes around people were coming to ask for the hand in marriage to some mysterious person. And all kinds of stories fly around; stories which could be turned into novellas if not entire novels! That in itself adds pomp and color to the whole marriage and wedding drama as some just shrug it off and others get eggs on their faces! At least there for better or worse, real human behavior is in play with all the main actors and the extras.
The groom-to-be could even keep everything secret not even telling his best friends the identity of his bride-in-waiting. Isn’t that like Robert Ludlum suspense stuff! I’ll tell you a real story about which I had firsthand knowledge. This guy, a banker in his early thirties, was planning to marry and he discusses about details with his colleague at work and also best friend. The other guy never pressed him to be told who Helen of Troy was.
One day the guy goes to the house of his best friend for the first time. While there the friend was in another room where the guy looks at photos on the top of a mini bookshelf. And there among the photos of strangers he sees the smiling picture of a familiar person…his future wife! He later narrates he had never been shocked in life. He casually asks his friend who all those people were, and his friend tells him one by one. His future wife was his best friend’s sister! The friend was told only a couple of days before a group of five was sent to ask for the daughter’s hand. They turned out to be one of the rare example-setting couples still going strong across the oceans.
Sending handpicked groups to ask for the hand of some pretty girl whose time to set up a home has come is also evolving in unexpected ways. Someone was telling me about a group of close to fifteen people to be sent on such a mission. Fifteen! Yes, and we have already seen signs of that in recent times. I mean, fifteen guys …down on any house is like SWAT raid! (Just joking!) I told you I might be a dude failing to keep pace with ‘evolving times.’ Of the fifteen probably only three or four would do the talking and what matters is the talking and it’s rarely about numbers. An entire battalion! Come on; that would be too much!
Also, there’s this trend of sending teams of ‘celebrities.’ One can’t deny this is a sure of way of getting attention. But then the daughter’s then parents and relatives could find themselves in a dilemma. On one hand they might think these famous guys for friends he must be in good financial and social position. On the other hand they might feel threatened that if they show any signs of resisting or asking too many questions they might be in for nasty media blitz! It might to happen; but the very thought could indeed result in sleepless nights! What no one tells them is that all those who come aren’t necessarily friends of the groom! When you come to details, stories of such could range from the wittiest to the most bizarre.
Times are indeed changing and this dude, which’s me, better board the train or get out of the station! Still, an entire battalion! There must be better and less stressful ways of getting the “Yes, we agree!” from parents of the girl!
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