By Swatee Miittal
Hustling through the dirty streets, she pulls the dupatta over her head to save herself from the scorching sun.
It is her fifth visit to the market that week. The exhaustion has begun to set in. But this is her only son’s wedding and she wants everything to be perfect.
“Here, this one it is!” Her son exclaims in relief pointing his phone towards the garment shop.
Thanks to GPS, they could finally reach the big old shop nestled in the bustling streets. As she steps inside, she asks him to join, but he promptly refuses. He has no interest in all this garment shopping, “What a waste of time!” he thinks to himself.
“You shortlist some stuff and give me a call, I’ll come and try them. And Mamma, please hurry up!”
“You have no clue how much time goes in the wedding shopping beta[1]. I want you to look your best in every single function! I really recommend you come help me select your garments for the main events at least. You know it is your wedding after all, your choice is really important.”
“You know na, I have zero interest in clothes, besides I will come to make the final choice once you shortlist a few. I don’t have the time and patience to sort through hundreds of options. As it is, everyone is going to look at the bride only, it hardly matters what I wear.”
She enters the shop, while he sits on a chair at the entrance, flips out his phone and starts scrolling.
After almost 40 minutes, he receives a call from her to come in for trials. She has finally managed to find a couple of good options for him, and he seems pleasantly satisfied with them.
As they walk towards the cash counter, she excitedly shows him a saree she found for herself.
“I loved the colour! What do you think? I think this would look perfect for the engagement ceremony!” She chirps. Her eyes lit up as she puts the saree on her shoulder to show him.
He gives a look at the sari. Rani pink with a yellow and gold border. He nods in disapproval and remarks, “Mamma, at least think about your age. You are fifty plus, the groom’s mother. Does this colour suit you?”
He turns to the sales guy and asks him directly, “Bhaiya[2], do you have something for the groom’s mother? Something age appropriate?”
He nods with a sly smile “I told the same thing to aunty ji, but she insisted on the Rani Pink one. We have multiple options for the groom’s mother. bhaiya ji, cream, beige, navy blue, light green. She didn’t like a single one.”
“Mamma, what will people say?” He whispers in her ears.
“Yeah, you are right. Let us look for something more age appropriate for me. She gently lets go of the rani pink and proceeds to pay for his clothes.
[1] son
[2] brother
Dr. Swatee Miittal, an artist, writer, and storyteller is committed to shedding light on societal issues through deconstructing old narratives. With a Ph.D. in audience behaviour with respect to theatre and storytelling, she has crafted stories addressing gender equality, relationships and mental health.
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