How I proposed to a guy boldly ....

I am sharing the Mr.Right story with you all here. It is one of the most memorable and happy event I can recall from my childhood. At times I wonder what would have happened to me if Mr.Right was one of the freaks we hear about.

One day as I was piling up the dirt I saw this young cute person watching me with a smile. That was surprising. He wasn’t angry at what I was doing. He just shook his head meaning don’t do it. And I had to agree with someone so beautiful. I couldn’t go against a person who was smiling when I was doing something wrong and not saying shhhhhhhhh shhhhh. He had to be very good person.

So I asked my aunt “who is he? What is his name?”

She looked at me curiously and asked “why do you want to know that now?” “He is so cute and I want to marry him”.

Suddenly I could see that her face just lit up. I could see her discussing something very seriously with my mother and I was sure it was about what I had told her just now and they both kept giggling at me. For once they had no problem handling me.

The next day they announced to me that his name was Raja, and he would marry me if I would behave well and keep quite. He wasn’t willing to talk to me because he was very upset that I had been always naughty and talkative. But he agreed to allow them to sit in a place where I could watch him. I was afraid that he may have told them what I was doing but they did not speak about it and so I admired him more for not giving away my secret. From then on it was Raja from morning till night.
“If you don’t drink milk you will not become fair and then Raja may refuse to marry you”
“If you cry you may lose your eyesight and Raja will not like you”
“If you shout loudly your voice will go hoarse and Raja will not like talking to you”

They had me do everything they wanted. I would sit there in front of him and look at him quietly waiting for him to find me so good and nice and try to talk to me. He would occasionally throw a glance at me and smile and sometimes ask ‘what?’ by raising his eyebrows. I can’t remember how long this went on. But then I just got bored beyond my limit. I just couldn’t keep quite anymore. I gave in to the wildness in me and started to be my old self when I was stopped all of sudden by a chubby fair girl from China. Now my mother would say “if you don’t listen to me then Raja will marry her because she is very good and so quite” .

I had to give in for a few more days. I hated that girl. Actually she was so fat and tired that she could not do anything much. As though I was already not having enough on my plate she had to come along to add to my woes. Whenever I found her looking my way I would make faces and stare angrily at her. She was surprised in the beginning but then started acting scared of me and I loved that.

I could not stay quite for a long time. Not even to marry someone as nice as Raja. Yes! I decided to settle the matter for once and all. One day I saw him walking towards the hostel and my mother and aunt were engrossed in conversation with some new found friends. I told them I am going to daddy and ran away. I just ran up to him and called Raja. He did not turn back. I thought I was still not good enough for him to talk to me. Yet I could not do everything they told me anymore so I just went up to him and touched his hand. He looked down and smiled at me. I felt very happy that he was not angry with me. The one thing I liked about him and still remember is he sat down on his knees so that he could talk to me and that too with his spotless white pants. He asked me kindly “are you lost? Where is your mother?” I replied speedily in one breath.

“I don’t know what they have been saying to you about me but I have been good girl ever since you told them and I am finding it very boring. I want to know when you are marrying me and coming home with me because I can’t do everything they are asking me to do anymore”.

He was shocked and amused. But he knew there was something behind this. So he questioned me a little more and I answered him but as we talked I realized that they had been lying to me. They had cheated me. They did not even know his name. He told me his name and I could not even pronounce it. But he was a very good person. He told me I was nice when I was naughty and he liked me when I looked mischievous. So we sort of became friends in a very short time. Yet my question had not been answered and I still wanted to know whether we can marry?
“Why do you want marry me?”
“Because I want to be with you”
“Why?”
“You are cute and you like it when I am mischievous. With you I can be naughty and still not be scolded for it”
“But after marriage people have to cook food, wash clothes, etc. but look at your hands, they are so small. Look at my hands they are so big. We should be of same size to marry. So you should play well, eat well and study well and do me a favor. Try to walk with as much less limp as possible”
He went on to hold my foot and showed me the best way I could maintain balance.
“Then when you grow up I will marry you. But you don’t have to be very quite and sober. You can be playful and naughty. And don’t tell your mother or aunt about our friendship. Let that be a secret”.
“My mom lied to me and so did my aunt. Are you lying to me? Should I believe you?”
“You have to remember that to make me happy you do not have to be very good. But you shouldn’t limp more than it is required of you. You should walk with good balance. I will be going away after some days because I belong to a different place, but you remember me and when you grow up and your hands are big, legs are big you will know I was not lying. Ok. Go now they are looking for you”. He patted my head and went away.

I walked towards my mother and aunt with a big smile knowing they had lost control over me. I waited for her to say ‘Raja will not marry you’. But somehow that little talk had made me feel happy from inside. I slowly became less naughty and less mischievous. I would sit there and exchange smiles with my friend for some time. One day he told me his exams were over and he was going away and gave me few chocolates. That was the last I ever saw him. But I am still walking with less limp now. I just lift up my left leg a little to maintain balance. I don’t jump and land down anymore. I developed a special love for chocolates and if I am not buying books with the money I earn, then it is chocolates.

(PS: I could have been aged between 6-7 yrs when this incident happened but it is still well carved out in my mind)