Bride Seeing

We sat under the darkening sky,
My mother, father and I
Ancient moon, youth to brim
My young mother, all wrinkled

Why are you so worried, I asked
I have a dear son unloving
Unlistening and Uncaring
Unwilling and incorrigible

I am so very tired of washing,
Shirts, pants and banians,
Yours, your brother’s, your fathers’
And my own discoloured nine yards

My hands are not stiff now
To hold both the knife and vegetable
My food is either too sweet or salty
Your tongue can only complain

What is there to sweep and clean
You don’t mess like those days of old
I miss those days and would like again
To clean baby mess all over the place

Mother, I said, I can’t marry
With this salary, too little, too late
‘Tis not enough for three of us
And it is not just one more

You may not like it, she said
But you have ketu in seventh
Many horoscopes don’t match
But here is the one that does

We went bride seeing,
Father, mother and I
Were received at the gate
By prospective father in law

My girl can paint and sing
Can dance and embroider
Can drive and garden
What is it that she cant?

She came in, girl of my dreams
All decked in gold, hardly visible
And sat demurely, not looking
But I couldn’t take off my gaze

They all went away,
My mother, my father
Her father, her mother
To see the terrace,
Architecture, ripe mangoes
And family tree

We were left alone
Shy of each other
Atlast she looked up
And whispered ‘Ram’

I was aghast, in acute discomfort
This girl will not suit me at all
Which girl calls her Lord by name
In this holy land of Savitri?

Let us discuss, Ram
Our common future
What we shall do
Where we shall live

I shall keep the home clean
And also earn, if you like
No, I shall not neglect you ever
Admist baby mess and baby noise

Ma’am, this is not what I want
Can you cook at all?
Yes, Ram, Yes, glad you asked
I like to cook as hobby

Ma’am, then we should part
We are so incompatible
I don’t feel hungry as hobby
Though you may cook so!

(1995)