Matches made in Heaven - Marriages performed on Earth

By the time I reached Ludhiana railway station it was 6.30: PM and the Swaran Shatabdi train to New Delhi was running on schedule. Its departure time was 6:55 PM. I gradually moved towards platform no. 1 which was over-crowded with passengers and I started proceeding towards the front side of the platform so that I could get some standing space.  By the time the train entered the platform, it was already 7 o’clock and I could see heavy rush of passengers to board the train in front of every AC coach. I was waiting at the entrance of my AC coach no. B2 when one middle-aged lady pushed me aside and hurriedly boarded the train carrying two big suitcases in both her hands; the entrance space was narrow and the suitcases were big; hence she could not move inside the coach easily. Moreover, the suitcases were making it impossible for her to move forward. People at the entrance gate were shouting and pushing themselves forward to the door but couldn’t enter the coach. I requested the lady to first carry one suitcase at a time with her and the second suitcase I took from her. Then, we both entered the coach with great difficulty. It took three more minutes to finally settle down in our respective seats. By this time, the train had left the station and the service boy had already started distributing mineral water bottles to those passengers who had boarded the train from Ludhiana railway station.

I had visited Ludhiana town this morning by the same train but the objective of my visit was badly hit as my purpose of the visit was totally defeated. Still, somehow, I was trying to control my emotions but was failing in my attempts miserably. I could pretty well feel the heat of my hypertension and the blood sugar level which were moving north. On top of it, my co-passenger had further added to my frustration by her adamant behaviour. I was trying to cool myself off without having any positive solution in my mind. Suddenly, I woke up when the service boy started serving tea and snacks in the compartment. I requested him to provide me with the sugar free pouch. He obliged immediately with two pouches of sugar free powder for my tea.   

I was enjoying my hot cup of tea when the lady sitting on the next seat offered me her thanks and enquired about my destination. She was the same lady who had trouble boarding the train with her two heavy suitcases. I politely accepted her thanks and replied: “I am going to Gurgaon.” She instantly acknowledged:  “me too” with a broad smile on her beautiful face. She must be around fifty years of age, very fair, charming and gorgeous looking. She was gifted with a heavy body structure with a very decent looking personality. To continue the conversation she said - “I am going to stay with my in-laws’ place at Gurgaon and tomorrow night I am going to catch a flight to Canada. Before I could answer her question, she shooted another one: “You live in Gurgaon or Ludhiana, Mr. Singh?” I answered her question and after a long pause, I started narrating her the whole story of the day which had forced me to flush out my whole day’s frustration in front of the lady whom I had met just half an hour back, but I didn’t know why, the after effect of my utterances were so soothing that I felt much relieved!

It all started a month back when I first advertised for a suitable match for my second daughter in an English national daily newspaper. The responses were very encouraging and we short-listed five prospective matches. Out of these, the 5^th one was from Ludhiana - a B.TECH (Mechanical) with MBA (Operations), working as a Product Development Manager in an automotive component manufacturing company based at Chandigarh, and my today’s visit was to this boy’s house at Model Town-Ludhiana.

The initial talks were very cordial with the boy’s parents. They had in-fact invited me to fix-up the date of the engagement and discuss other marriage related formalities. Although we had met them once in Delhi where both my daughter and their son had met and liked each other. I repeatedly asked them if they had any demand and if so, I must know in advance. The boy’s father was decent and politely brushed aside my worries by saying: “we don’t want anything from you because our Lord has given us everything - we only need a decent girl for our boy from a fairly cultured and decent family, that’s all.”   

I repeatedly asked the question of any demands etc. to them including the boy but I got a similar reply from both father and the son. They both seemed extra-ordinarily simple and sweet people. I was praying for this alliance to the God Almighty as to me they appeared to be a cultured decent and gentle family.    

Once I briefly informed them that we want the engagement ceremony to be conducted at Gurgaon first and then the marriage could be performed at Chandigarh or Ludhiana as per their choice because we were comfortable with both the places. They were too good and they had not objected to any of our suggestions. Also they gave their consent for every proposal or suggestions offered by us. In the beginning I was having some doubts but later I was convinced to accept them as a fairly ideal family.

Only the last week, I got an invitation from the boy’s father to come to Ludhiana by the morning Shatabadi Express train so that they could discuss and finalize the marriage related matters which included engagement ceremony, ring ceremony and the marriage reception. They also assured me that they would pick me up from the railway station and also drop me back in their car.

Therefore, today I came by the morning train carrying with me five boxes of sweets, two buckets of fruits, one box each of dry fruits and chocolates/biscuits/toffees etc. I saw boy’s father standing at the platform holding a big bouquet of flower, who welcomed me with a warm hug. The driver standing next to him took all the things that I was carrying from my hands and offered me a bottle of chilled mineral water for drink.

Within twenty minutes or so, we reached their Model Town home. It was a double-storied bungalow built on a 500 yard plot. I was being driven in a Honda city car and one Toyota Innova SUV was standing at the portico of their house. At the entrance door, the boy’s mother welcomed me with a broad smile. First they offered me fresh fruit juice and later served varieties of sweets/snacks/biscuits and at the end they served me with a cup of tea with separate milk and sugar pots.

I was feeling awe struck seeing their style of hospitality. Moreover, the house seemed to be very big, fully furnished, well decorated with all the material goods to make life comfortable.

   

We were discussing about the present political and industrial scenario of the state when I saw the house lady entering the Drawing Room with a very serious face. She straight-away came to the subject with a very blunt question - “Mr. Singh, which model car you have decided to present to your daughter?” The house owner warned the lady by saying: “Don’t you worry madam ji, Singh Sahib is very intelligent, he must have planned something extra ordinary for his daughter, isn’t it Sir ji?”

I was taken aback; suddenly I got up from my seat and started staring at the lady who had just hurled a bomb in front of me. Before I could answer her question, she shot another arrow aimed at me loaded with heavy ammunition and this one virtually pierced me tearing me to pieces. The pain was so severe that my mind, body and soul started bleeding profusely on the lady enquiring about the status of one 3-BHK fully furnished flat in Gurgaon which I was supposed to gift to my daughter on her marriage.

I was dumb-founded and finding it so difficult to speak at that very moment but with great difficulty, all that I could utter was only one sentence -“Are you asking for Dowry?” This time, the house lady started speaking rudely to her husband in loud voice: “What did he say: Dowry” what nonsense is he talking? We are not asking anything for ourselves; damn it, he will only give us one suit each that’s all, but will definitely gift, a foreign make sedan Car, 3-BHK furnished flat and foreign trip to his lovely daughter on her marriage; what’s so new about it? All the girls’ parents do it - there is no big deal?”  

With lots of courage and confidence I finally told the lady with both my hands folded: “Madam, I can’t give even a motor-cycle, forget about gifting a car to my daughter. At present I am staying in a rented house in Gurgaon so how could I offer a furnished flat to my daughter? Sorry, I can’t fulfill any of your demands and moreover, I had repeatedly asked you in the beginning whether you have any demand but you simply denied everything, and today you are presenting me with such a long list of items which I just can’t afford and moreover your demands can’t be met by me”

After listening to my submission, the house lady started shouting at her husband and she very rudely spoke to him in a very loud voice: “I told you not to contact these service class people, they are worst than beggars, what can they offer us, nothing, this relationship is over, just tell the driver to drop him at the nearby bus stop, from where he will get an auto for station - you hear that.”    

The house lady went inside and her husband also followed her. I was still standing at their Drawing Room totally confused not knowing what to do next. I didn’t know when my eyes were filled with tears and with a very heavy heart I left their house alone without talking to anyone. I slowly walked out of the house and after walking for twenty yards or so, I got a rickshaw which dropped me at the main road from where I got an auto-rickshaw to reach the railway station.

Somehow I reached station but was still under the influence of today’s episode, something like which had never happened in my life before. My eyes were still moist with tears which were refusing to dry up and flowing uninterruptedly. Suddenly, I was shaken up from a ring from my mobile phone. This was from one of my very dear friend from Jamshedpur. In that moment I was not in a mood to talk to anyone or take any call,  but he being very dear I could not muster courage to miss his call and picked up the phone to talk. After exchange of courtesies, I started narrating to him about the incident that had happened today. After hearing the story and a long pause, he asked me only one question - “will you marry your daughter outside your community?” And my answer was: “Why not, If the boy happens to be from a decent family?” He then hung up saying “please wait for my call”.

I got a call again from my Jamshedpur friend and this time he was very excited. At the outset he said: “would you like to marry your daughter with my sister’s son. The boy is educated, serving in New Delhi and belongs to a Brahmin family. I could not believe his statement and enquired again: “Have you discussed with your family members about my daughter and did they agree for a Punjabi girl. What about dowry etc.???” His answers were in the affirmative as he specifically mentioned ‘No Dowry’. He then asked me to forward the CV and photograph of my daughter so that he could share the details with his sister.

Meanwhile, I discussed this matter with my wife and daughter over phone and also forwarded the details of my daughter to my friend. Within ten minutes I got all relevant details of the boy on my mobile and within half an hour I got the approval and acceptance from the boy’s family also. In between, my friend, whom I refer to as “Anna” (which means elder brother in Tamil) and his wife (who happened to be my Rakhi Sister) spoke to my daughter and asked about her consent, and my daughter’s reply, was: “Whatever you, aunty (Anna’s wife) and my parents will decide shall be acceptable to me.”           

After listening to my sad story the Canada going lady sitting nearby started showing her empathy and even asked for my daughter’s resume and photograph so that she could look for a suitable match in Canada. She was literally feeling very sad and offered her honest consolation and prayers that everything gets settled smoothly in my daughter’s life.

This had happened just a month ago and today sitting at home while penning down this story of mine, I am feeling deeply grateful to the God Almighty that finally like fairy-tale story everything ends well, my tale also reached to a final stage of re-union of two soul-mates with the help of a friend indeed; Anna who had not only accepted my proposal but also decided to arrange my daughter’s marriage with his nephew under his direct supervision.

Who said - matches are made in heaven? Correct, but they are arranged here on this earth by good friends and well-wishers like my most beloved respected friend Anna who truly understood the feelings of a lonely helpless father in need of help for his lovely marriageable young daughter and assisted in bringing together a similar helpless parents in search of a beautiful bride for their handsome son.   

With Prayers

Gurcharan

Language of Silent Prayer

Our company’s product stall at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan’s Hall no. 18 was in the centre and the foot falling was excessive. It was an international building material exhibition where our company has also participated in the said trade fare. It was mid-January and the outside temperature was quite cool but still the crowd was not reducing. I was standing with my colleague at one corner of the stall when I saw one very beautiful and gorgeous woman entering our stall accompanied by an equally handsome and smart gentleman who was carrying lots of product literatures in his hands.

After thoroughly looking at displayed products she started asking questions about the product’s features and benefits to one of our team members. Since she was asking probing questions, I decided to join the conversation and gradually started answering her questions supported with relevant data. After satisfying herself with all details, she wanted us to visit her office at Karnal where she would like to use our products.

At the end, I offered her our product literature along with my visiting card and she also gave me her business card and also introduced the gentleman standing next to her as her husband: “Mr. Raman Kapoor” and she were: ‘Ms. Shushmita Kapoor’ both were Architects by profession.

Almost a week later I got a call from Shushmita madam and she wanted to know the date of my visit to her office for further discussions on our products. After due approval of my tour I decided to visit her office and I drove down to Karnal town for our second meeting. We had long discussions and question answer session on our proposal and at the end she decided to give us an order with due advance along with an immediate delivery request. I collected the order with advance cheque in the very first sales-call itself, which is not a done thing in our profession. We had not only delivered our product on time but it was also installed within specified period. She was very happy with our product and after-sales-service.

Thereafter, she started recommending our products to many of her friends and clients. Since then I was in touch with her family. She was very kind and helpful person. In between I have changed my job but still we remained in touch with each other through phone calls and emails. Ten years later, suddenly, one fine morning I got a call from her, enquiring about my present Company. After greetings, I told her about my present job, company, product details and job profile. She wanted me to help her in finalizing building materials required for her own house which is being constructed at her home town.

Therefore, the very next morning I left by car around seven so that I could reach Karnal town by noon and return home by late/same evening. Since the highway road was clear smooth and traffic free, I reached her office around one o’-clock in the afternoon. I parked my car in front of the office building and rushed towards her 1^st floor office but to my utmost surprised instead of Shushmita madam I saw her husband: Raman sir welcoming me at the entrance gate, after offering my greetings I straight-away asked him: “Where is madam?” He gave me a broad smile and offered me a chair first and said: “Please relax Mr. Singh, first sit down and have a glass of water, Shushmita is not in the office right now and she has told me to show you the construction site first and later we will come back to office and meet  with her, al-right?” But somehow I was not satisfied with his answer.

We both proceeded towards the destination after spending five minutes in the office and I followed Raman sir’s BMW black sedan car. It was a short drive of 10 minutes and we both entered one posh colony near civil lines area and his car stopped in front of one vacant plot where land digging work was going on; my searching eyes were still looking for Shushmita madam but somehow she was not seen around.

I saw one worker came rushing towards us with two folded chairs in his hands; he first put both the chairs on the ground and later greeted us with folded hands. Once seated on the chairs, Raman sir started explaining about this site. It was amalgamation of two plots of 600 square feet each merged together and made one on which Kapoor family will be constructing their big Bungalow.    

I was called by Shushmita madam to advise them on building materials to be used in this bungalow which includes: Air-conditioning plant, Architecture glasses/fittings, Bathroom fittings, Cement, CP fittings, Electrical fittings, Elevator, Fire fighting and safety equipments, Garage equipment, Lightings, Paint, Sanitary-wares, Steel wire rods, Tiles, UPVC windows/pipes and Wooden Doors/flooring.  

I was literally feeling very hesitant/shy to know about their opinion and trust on my capabilities and knowledge on civil construction products. It’s true that I have been in the profession of selling and marketing building materials throughout my career and I can propose multiple brand options of building materials and its sources but the final decision would be of Kapoor family. Moreover, Shushmita madam herself is very famous and renowned Architect of India then why I was called in a hurry? It still remained a big mystery and unless and until I speak with her this puzzle will not be solved, till then, I have to bear with Raman Sir.      

  

Today afternoon, instead of Madam I was sitting with her husband and having a hot cup of tea. But there was no news of Shushmita Madam as yet. I again asked about her and in reply Raman sir said to wait for some more time and very carefully he diverted the topic on their proposed bungalow plan.

After spending half an hour at the site one worker informed us that the lunch is ready and we both started walking towards the dining table temporarily arranged for us. Raman sir said: “The lunch was planned by Shushmita and she wanted us to have the lunch on the open ground under the sky, which will be a great fun and also give you immense satisfaction.” The food was prepared from the grain, green salad and vegetables grown up in their own farm house. I was having home-made food and was also wondering about the whole day’s activities; somehow I was not comfortable with the way things were happening around me but at the same time I was not in a position to find out the real root cause of her absence.      

Raman sir sat down with me in my car and instructed his driver to follow us. On arrival at his office he took me straight to his chamber and first shared with me the structural drawings of the bungalow and later showed me the prototype sample of the bungalow which was kept next to his table. Thereafter, he started discussing about the construction plan, materials and finishing schedules of the building. Meanwhile, he also started asking for the names of the best brands of building materials available in the country and simultaneously noting down the details against each question written in his file. Although all the big brands were now available in the country but he was very keen to import system aluminium slider doors from Italy for all the bed rooms and balconies of their bungalow.

By the time we finished our long exhaustive and thorough discussions it was 5.00: PM but there was no trace of Shushmita madam till then. The office boy brought evening tea and snacks for us. After hurriedly drinking hot cup of tea I tried to leave his chamber without actually meeting with madam. However, it was not a very happy moment to leave without meeting her but there was no choice left for me accepts to leave without asking any more questions about her whereabouts’.

Raman sir walked down along with me near my car and very  warmly hugged me with both his hands, thanked me and wished me a safe journey; he very politely instructed me to drive slowly/safely and also requested me to call him back after reaching my home at Gurgaon. I left Raman sir’s office with a very heavy heart without meeting Shushmita madam and knowing the main objective/purpose of my visit. I was very worried about her, where was she, why was she hiding and not coming in front me and meeting with me; whereas it was she who had actually invited me to visit her today then why was she not there. All these and many more questions kept coming to my mind.

I left Karnal within half an hour and was approaching Panipat toll plaza on NH-1 when my mobile phone started ringing; I read the name of the caller: ‘Shushmita Kapoor’, I immediately parked my car at the roadside and connected the call. Indeed it was Shushmita madam’s voice, after wishing her good evening I asked about her well being. She first offered her sincere apology for not being able to meet with me today in-person; but she said she had seen me and also listened to my views and suggestions very tentatively which I offered to Raman sir today. I interrupted her in between: “But you were not there madam so how come you know?” She replied in her soft/silky voice:  “I watched you on my laptop screen because our office is connected with CCTV cameras.” In fact she had watched and listened to our conversation and in-between has also raised many questions which were sent to Raman sir through SMS.

Thereafter, she said: “I am sorry; I could not meet with you personally simply because I was not well and our Doctor had strictly advised me not to meet with any visitors for some more days. I am admitted in the ICU of a private nursing home in Karnal due to serious infection of H1N1 virus called Swine-flu”. Although Raman ji wanted to tell me about her problem but she requested him not to disclose her problem because she herself wanted to convey about her dreaded disease and also wanted to submit her apology for not being able to meet with me. Since the work must go on; that’s why she had invited me to have a detailed discussions with her husband on building materials requirement of their bungalow, hence she proposed this plan.  

I didn't know when my eyes started flowing with tears and I came to know only when my fingers touched my face and it became wet with my tears. Within few seconds the whole thing was clear to me, she wanted to meet with me but at the same time she was worried about my health and safety that’s why she stayed away from me and not came forward because she was afraid of my getting infected with the deadly virus which kills people.

Although I don’t have any blood relationship with Shushmita madam but her graceful and kind act had deeply touched my heart and brought me very close to her as if she is part of my own family. I kept quiet for few seconds and she enquired in-between if I am still there.

After a long pause I spoke with her with a very heavy heart and hesitant voice and asked about the name and location of her nursing home but she refused to answer my question. I offered my well wishes and told her to get well soon and I again repeated my question with humble request but without any success; with my repeated request she finally disclosed the name of her nursing home, but she also informed me that the visiting hours are over for the day and they will not allow me to meet with her. Therefore, I should not insist visiting her tonight instead I must go back home and should not worry about her. She also promised that we will meet again soon in a very near future.  

Meanwhile, I wished her fast recovery, disconnected my mobile, turned my car back and proceeded towards Karnal nursing home where my well wisher and a good soul was lying alone and fighting with the dreaded virus. I offered my prayers to God Almighty to protect and save her so that she could get well soon and join with her family in healthy mind, body and soul, Amen!

With Prayers

Gurcharan