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In every morsel you eat, only your father’s money is seen. Taking over his business does not make you in any way fit to be a groom. Try to stand on your legs, then you can proceed with searching for a bride!
“Trisha! For the past twenty minutes, you have been aimlessly walking around the room, peeped into your mobile more than fifty times, which never buzzed even once, poured water into five glasses without sipping any one of them. I can guess the date with Varun did not go well. Again, this is not the first time your parents asked you to meet a prospective groom in a café. So far, you never liked any of them and directly said a ‘No’, after which no one proceeded in convincing you. Why is this case different? Now spill out what is running in your mind.” Nithya spoke as she lost patience, noticing her best buddy’s actions for quite a while.
Trisha and Nithya were close friends right from their childhood. They shared every detail leaving behind zero secrets, indeed a reason why their friendship was so strong, for thirty years.
Trisha sat on the couch, facing Nithya.
“You well know the struggle I faced in opening my news channel. It may not be the top one in India. Still, aren’t we dominating in the south?”
“Madam! From the time you completed journalism, I am aware of your journey to today’s CEO of Q7 News Channel. Yet I do not see a connection with your meeting. Did he by chance ask you to resign?” Nithya was relieved that Trisha opened her thoughts but still could not sense where her speech was leading to.
“Something much worse, Nithya. Varun manages some garment business, which I do not care about. After all the initial chocolate talks, he said he has the biggest gift for me after we get married. Want to take a guess?”
“Oh! A vacation to Switzerland or a diamond jewelry set. It could be a villa. No! that seems simple. Owning an island?” Nithya was excited, guessing the options.
Trisha sighed, “No wonder we are besties. These ran in my mind too.”
“Common girl, please say it.”
“His close friend manages the number two News channel in India. So he recommended a merger.”
Nithya closed her face with her palm. She felt disappointed on hearing it. Then like a lightning, something struck her. She asked, “Isn’t it a good option? I have always read about company mergers. So this should be beneficial right?”
“Nithya! Not all mergers seem what they are. I know its details. The hidden truth is that it is an acquisition that will push me to some dummy post.” Trisha was filled with rage, and her eyes blazed redness with stressed lines covering her beautiful face.
“Let that be the case. Just like the others, tell a big ‘No’ and finish the story.” Nithya was waiting to see her friend in a relaxed state.
“His biggest mistake is talking about business in a matchmaking meet that involved insulting my reputation. I can never find peace over unsettled things.” Trisha was determined to stand by her decision.
“Please, Trisha! Just push his thoughts into the recycle bin. He is not even worth your anger.” Nithya felt worried. She has not seen such wilderness in her friend even during her tough times, either in personal or career life.
“Men love beautiful women. But when it’s beauty and brains, they don’t know how to handle it. Because we have no role models to emulate? Even our parents call such women ‘too forward’. When actually it’s the men who are backward. Women are racing ahead, having kids and careers, leaving men holding their dicks in their hands. You know, at one time, girls were sent to finishing schools to increase their market value? Well, guess what? It’s time for men’s finishing schools!” Trisha’s anger turned to a different angle now, and Nithya understood she cannot be stopped.
“Fine. Go meet and show him, what happens when you mess with a woman,” winked Nithya.
A week later, Trisha and Varun met at the same café.
“I knew this would work out, and we will meet again. I assured my friend that the merger would impress you well,” Varun spoke excitedly.
“I never agreed,” Trisha replied with a smile.
“What! Come again?”
“You heard it right.”
“Then why the f**k you asked me to come here?” Varun was furious.
“To tell you of a revelation that your friends or family have missed to communicate.”
Varun frowned upon hearing this unexpected statement from Trisha.
She continued, “My father used to say in every grain of rice we eat, our name has already been written, on it. I am not so sure of this. But in every morsel you eat, only your father’s money is seen. Taking over his business does not make you any fit for a groom. Try to stand on your legs, then you can proceed with searching for a bride, after which you can think about a merger with someone else’s company. Right now, you are far behind the status of an ‘Eligible Bachelor’. Your friend, who owns the news channel, has also inherited the same from his father. Not someone like me who has spent fifteen years of hardship in creating my channel for which I proudly stand as the CEO. So you can very well pass on to him what I just said since he falls in the same category as you. It is time to grow up. Never to meet again, goodbye.” Trisha walked out of the café with her head straight, feeling relieved.
This was shortlisted for our January 2021 Muse of the month short story contest.
Image source: Image source: a still from Love Per Square Foot
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Vidhya came home with Riya. She was surprised to see the same expectations from her that were before from having a child. Nothing had changed, and she felt that nothing would ever change.
Vidhya was just like any other normal girl who grew up reading Cinderella and Rapunzel, wishing to meet her Prince charming someday. Though not a topper, she scored well in school and college and fulfilled her parent’s dream by joining as HR in a reputed financial firm.
After she settled in her career path, her parents began their hunt to find the perfect groom and complete their responsibility in life. Finally, after seeking permission from the stars in her chart, they fixed her wedding with Rahul, who according to them, got a tick for most of their eligibility criteria. She obliged and got married to him as per their wish.
Mothers do things for you out of love, so please treat them with respect and dignity at your home, especially in front of your in laws, and ask your in laws to share responsibilities.
Motherhood isn’t just a word. It’s a world in itself…of love, labor and commitment that goes beyond a lifetime, when we don’t really have a concept of flying the nest and mothers are required to be battle ready to shoulder every responsibility at any age.
As a new mom I too had my share of struggles like every woman, and reached out to my mom for help. Sadly, since she had health issues of her own she agreed reluctantly and was uneasy throughout her stay, which disappointed me. Only later did I know that she had suffered from serious menopausal problems that made her edgy and nervous in difficult situations, and it left me with a sense of regret of not taking the effort of understanding her troubles.
"We can only give them the inspiration and the ideas. Whether to act or not is up to the free will of the humans. So many times I have given people the urge to act, and they have overruled me.”
“We can only give them the inspiration and the ideas. Whether to act or not is up to the free will of the humans. So many times I have given people the urge to act, and they have overruled me.”
Our Muse of the Month series this year focus on stories that pass the Bechdel test, and are written on inspiration from a new prompt every month. This month, the prompt was “Where Your Dreams Take You”. The story should pass the Bechdel Test, that is, it should have at least two well crafted, named women characters (we differ here slightly from the classic Bechdel test, in that we require these characters to be named),
The third winner of our October 2018 Muse of the Month contest is Vijayalakshmi Harish.
Fame, success, beauty isn't everything - time robs one of those. Deeper and meaningful relationships endure. The second winning entry for the muse of the month.
Fame, success, beauty isn’t everything – time robs one of those. Deeper and meaningful relationships endure. The second winning entry for the Muse of the Month.
This year, we bring you again the Muse of the Month January contest. The cue for January 2016 was:
“Aren’t we all pawns in the hands of time, the greatest player of them all?” ―from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions