Typical Indian arranged marriage.
Two days later, Eeshwar’s phone rang at an unusual hour, his mother calling late afternoon on a workday, which was highly unusual for her. He was anyway about to leave for the day, to beat the traffic and reach home before his evening conference calls. He quickly answered the call, and asked if everything was alright with them.
“Eeshwar, we had such a lovely surprise today!” Her voice was bubbling with an excitement he hadn’t heard in years. “Gowri’s parents came to our house! They’re such wonderful people, so cultured and well-mannered.”
His heart began to race, a mixture of anticipation and anxiety flooding through him. “Oh, that’s nice, amma. Did they need help with something?”
“Help? Son, they came to talk about you! About marriage! They spoke so highly of you, about how you’ve been such a good friend to their daughter, how responsible and kind you are. They said they’ve been watching how you interact with Gowri, and they think you two would be perfect for each other.”
Eeshwar nearly dropped his phone. “They… what?”
“They’re very interested in a marriage alliance, son! And you know what? We are too. Your father and I, we’ve been so worried about you. You’re twenty-seven now, and you’ve never shown interest in meeting any girl. We were beginning to think you’d never settle down. But Gowri sounds like such a lovely girl, educated, working, from a good family, and clearly someone who understands your quiet nature.”
His mother’s voice grew softer, more emotional. “Son, you know how much we’ve been worried about you finding someone who would appreciate you for who you are. Most girls want boys who are more outgoing, more social. But Gowri’s parents say she specifically mentioned how much she values your thoughtfulness, your reliability, the way you listen more than you speak.”
Eeshwar was just speechless. “What did you tell them?” he finally managed to ask.
“We told them we’d love to move forward, but of course, we need to talk to you first. Son, what do you think? Do you… do you have feelings for this girl?”
The question hung in the air, and suddenly everything crystallized for Eeshwar. The way his heart lifted every time he saw Gowri. The way conversations with her felt effortless when talking to others felt like work. The way he found himself thinking about her reactions to things, wanting to share experiences with her, feeling like his days were somehow more complete when she was part of them.
“Yes, amma,” he said quietly. “I think I do.”