Ishtiyaq Sibtian Joo
Bhaskar Mukherjee was still skimming through the newspaper he worked for to check if his story they he did yesterday was published or not when he got a call from his girlfriend. The call perturbed Bhaskar. His girlfriend of five years had revealed that she was getting marriage proposals and her parents are zeroing in on his groom, so he needs to do something soon.
The news struck Bhaskar like a thunder bolt.He was just taken as staffer by a local daily after completing his internship of four months. The salary he was getting from his newspaper was barely sufficient to meet his ends. His family, especially his elder sister was still filling his wallet every now and then. There was no chance of getting any increment to his salary for at least a year. Besides, he was well aware with the fact that the employers of local dailies tend to forget giving annual increments to their employees.
Bhaskar was in quagmire as he well understood that committing for marriage in his present circumstances is equivalent to committing a suicide. However, if he wouldn’t do something now, he would lose his love of five years, forever. Finally he decided to take a plunge by revealing everything to his family.
Bhaskar belonged to a Bengali family who couple of decade ago had moved to a small district of Sirsa in Haryana after his father, working in a public sector, was transferred there. The family fell in love with the place and decided to continue living there even after Bhaskar’s father retired.
Although, Bhaskar’s parents always wanted to have a Bengali bride for their son, however, they had to budge under Bhaskar’s love when he expressed his desire to marry the jat girl, he was in love with.
Finally his parents agreed to visit his girlfriend’s house to ask for her hand to her parents for their son.
Bhaskar along with his elder sister who was happily married to a Bengal businessman joined his parents to visit his girlfriend’s place.
Knowing that his girlfriend has apprised her family with the expected arrival of Bhaskar’s family, yet, there seemed little arrangements made for the visitors.
Instead of serving tea with various varieties of Indian snacks along with various sweets, or even the traditional chaach or lassias is the tradition, the visitors were served tea with regular five rupees biscuits.
No one was even talking to them. Bhaskar’s father couple of times tried to break the ice by striking a conversation. He asked the opinion of his counterpart on various political affairs, but except for a cold one or two worded answer, he wasn’t able to get much out of him. After a while he gave up and stopped trying.
Mukherjees expressed their desire to see the girl, however, their hosts declined the request saying,“ Jat girls don’t come in front of strangers.”
Mukherjees were taken aback by the reply. Bhaskar’s elder sister was staring at brother, who in order to avoid her gaze started looking his black polished shoes.
The visitors understood that they are not welcome in the house. Yet for the sake of Bhaskar they still put forward his marriage proposal, saying, the two love each other and should be married.
“I wonder for how you could even bring the proposal to me despite knowing the peanut salary of your son! Defying the suggestions of my relatives to not send the daughter to college I still did it, thinking she would learn something. However, after coming to know what she has been learning is nothing but a matter of shame for me,” the girl’s father said.
He added, “Your son in the name of love might have lured my daughter with his Bengali magic, but being a father I would never let my daughter marry a person whose income is less than what I pay my servants here.”
Mukerjees wishing to interruption was immediately halted by girl’s father. Showing a hand sign of stop, he said, “Do whatever, say whatever, I will not marry my daughter with your son. And my suggestion would be to advice your son to not to make any kind of contact with my daughter from now on as I am getting her married in next month. If your son didn’t listen you would have no one but yourself to blame.”
Mukherjees were shell shocked and felt extremely humiliated. Bhaskar held himself responsible for this humiliation and decided to never let any situation arise where his family has to go through the similar kind of humiliation. Therefore, he never contacted his girlfriend from there on.
Haryana for some years had developed a strange trend where all the grooms who didn’t do any work and used to loiter around for the whole day used to call themselves as real estate businessmen when match makers used to enquire about their profession.
A month later Bhaskar’s girlfriend was married to a similar kind of groom, who of course belonged to a Jat family and was doing his real estate business. As these were the early days when the term“real estate business” was coined in Haryana therefore, the girl’s family was easily tricked and they immediately agreed and married Bhaskar’s love interest to him.
As it happens in such cases, the girl only a few months later started getting molested and was asked by her husband to get money from her parents to invest in business that never existed in the first place.
Meanwhile, dejected for losing his love, Bhaskar divested all his energies into his newspaper reporting job. Although he was getting well appreciated for the exemplary work among his peers, however, there was still not much improvement on salary front for him.
He tried hard, but he still wasn’t able to get rid of the words his ex-girlfriend’s father had used while rejecting him. Therefore, he was exerting all his energies to make a mark and to earn more.
Establishing himself in the local media, he was now trying to break into national English media. He tried couple of times to break in, but he failed. However, that didn’t deter him from pursuing his goal.
And then one day, his parents decided to tie his knot with a Bengali girl Jagriti whose family was also living in the same district. Although, Bhaskar was willing to marry any girl whom his parents would select for him, but he didn’t wanted them to go through the same humiliation as they had suffered previously as there was only a little improvement in his financial condition.
He was sure his family wouldn’t understand his logic and may feel that he is still not over his previous girlfriend. Therefore, instead of emailing his bio-data as was asked by the aspiring Bengali girl’s parents, he decided to give a clear picture to the girl’s parents so that they can make their mind now only rather than insulting his family at their place.
He started the mail with a traditional Bengala salutation:
Respected Sir Nomoskar,
Amar nam Bhaskar Mukherjee, son of Mukherjees living in your city of Sirsa, here. Although, I was directed by my parents to send you my bio-data, however, I thought to write to you to give you a clearer picture about my aspects especially economical and emotionally of my present life. I am sure it will give you a clear picture about me after which you may be able to make a wise decision.
I am presently working for a vernacular daily which is fetching me salary in single digits only. Honestly speaking I am only getting nine thousands from the job which has unscheduled work hours. Initially my family used to supplement my money bag, but now I only borrow from them if I am low, and later on return them once I get my salary. Although it happens rarely, but I think you should know about it.
It is not that I am not trying to better my financial situation. Trust me I am trying hard to break into national English newspapers so that I can fetch a decent salary to give a comfortable life. However, so far I have not succeeded in this mission. But I am optimist that my persistence will pay off one day, and I would also be on the reporters list of some country’s leading English daily. The only thing I am not sure is when itwill happen.
I want to assure you one more thing I may not be financially sound.But when it comes to good education, high values, and respecting woman, my parents have left no stone unturned to ingrainall these virtues in me.
My father’s advice is a gospel’s word to me where he said that you should see your wife as human being first who deserves all the respect a man gets, and then your wife and I have no intention to change my holy Geeta either.
Sir I would like to end my mail here with a request that after reading my mail if you think I am not a fit match for your daughter, please let me know by writing me back with whatever, your decision will be so that I can subtly convey the message to my parents.
A few days later, Bhaskar while checking his mail inbox found the reply to his mail.
It read, “Not everyone holds money as a yardstick for leading a prosperous life. Although money is important for living, but you cannot buy respect, honesty, and good values with it. A person who has all of them is already rich.
Having a dream in life is good and then pursuing it is all the more better as with it only you would be able to realize it. Don’t lose heart you will surely succeed one day and all your dreams would come true.You are a good man. Whosoever, would marry you would be fortunate to spend her life with you.”
Bhaskar was moved by the reply. The kind words somehow comforted his anxious heart, and gave him a strange moral support which he was longing for long. However, he wasn’t sure for who was the writer of the mail. He was sure for whosoever wrote the reply must some aged person who with age has developed a fair understanding of life.
Although, the mail didn’t confirm if his proposal was accepted or rejected, yet Bhaksar somehow was content with it.
A few days later his parents told him that they have received an invitation from the people whom he had written to come to see their girl.
Unlike the first time when Bhaskar went to his girlfriend’s house, this time he was at ease with himself. His previous experience had taught him for not to have any hope with the people you are meeting for the first time. However, he was surprised for what he saw this time round.
Bhaskar along with his family were greeted with an open hearts and broad smiles by their hosts. Varieties of snacks including different types of pakoras, and samosas were served along with sweets ranging from all kinds of rasgulas, and barfis. Unlike their previous experience their hosts were ensuring that Mukerjees have something from everything they were serving. Bhaskar was already moved with this chivalry.
While everyone was relishing the eateries the aspiring bride came out with the tea. Bhaskar was bamboozled with her beauty. Smitten with her looks he thought the fairy with cylindrical neck, long jet black hair, smooth light tanned skin clad in Kanjivaram silk sari has descended from heaven. He couldn’t believe his luck.
It was not that Bhaskar himself was nothing. He possessed the ideal tall dark handsome features that every girl dreams off, however, the fairy holding the tray of tea pot, cups and saucers was way out of his league.
Seeing her chatting with his family seemed to have the effect of nectar falling in his ears. He couldn’t believe that a human being could be as beautiful as she was.He was just looking at her and praying to God to please reward him with her if he had ever done anything noble in his life.
For Bhaskar time seemed to have stopped. Jagriti did noticed that he was just looking at her as she was herself stealing looks every now and then to capture his image in her eyes.
At the end of the gathering both the families were convinced Bhaskar and Jagriti were made for each other, therefore, they should be married.
Soon their marriage dates were announced and the two got married. Few days later Bhaskar again went for an interview for a national newspaper. However, he wasn’t convinced if he did get through this time or it was again the same as before. Seeing him sitting on a chair his newly wedded wife Jagriti told him never let anyone or any situation get better of him. Giving best is in your hands, but you cannot do anything about the results. Therefore, be content if it is good for you it will come and if not it will never happen. Have faith, she ended.
Hearing these wisdom words rang the bell in Bhaskar’s mind. The words reminded him of the mail he had previously received before his marriage and how that mail rejuvenated him.
He asked his wife, “Promise me that you would answer me honestly if I would ask you a question.”
His wife Jagriti taken aback by the condition and the lack of trust his husband showed in her said, “I have married you with my consent. I have pledged to always be faithful, loyal and honest to you till I die. So please ask me whatever, you want to know.”
“Before our marriage, when I was asked by my parents to send my bio-data to your family wrote a detailed mail about myself. Do you have an idea who replied that mail,” Bhaskar asked?
Grinning at Bhaskar, Jagriti replied, “You had poured your heart in that mail. You sounded bit low and disappointed with certain things in your life. However, the best of the mail was your honesty with which you had confessed everything about yourself and the respect you showed for woman. So I pitied on you and wrote some lines in reply.”
“Why you didn’t like that” she teased Bhaskar?
She told Bhaskar how she fell in love with him after reading those that mail, and how she convinced her family to marry her with Bhaskar.
Hearing that Jagriti is the same person who had comforted him by those kind and inspiring words during his tough time excelled Bhaskar’s love for his wife. He realized that his wife possesses the rare combination of beauty and brains, and felt proud to have her in his life.
Only a few months later Bhaskar was called by Times of India to join them as stringer and soon he joined as full time reporter for Hindustan Times. He attributed all the success to his wife, and used to say, “Behind every successful man there is a woman.”
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The article first appeared in print edition of May 11, 2016
