Sunday Story: Swiping for Shaadi Episode 6 - Does Rejection Need a Reason?

“Manish and I are together again. He even got me a mangalsutra and wore it on me last night.” Reena said proudly. “I am lucky to have him; I really feel everyone should have a caring and loving partner in their lives. Mere career and job can’t give you happiness.” She smirked, undermining Anjali’s single status.

“Isn’t the same mangalsutra that you purchased with your salary for the wedding?” Anjali asked her out of curiosity.

“Yes, it is the same.” Reena fumbled up nervously, blaming her flatmate’s brilliant memory recall. “He was going through a financial slump during our wedding. So, I purchased it anyways. Come on, I am not a gold-digger who wants to marry a millionaire. I bought the mangalsutra, but he is always there for me.”

“Obviously,” Anjali remarked sarcastically. “Ah, I remember he lost in horse races, right? And that’s why you came to his rescue like a dutiful girlfriend. Really, you are an equally caring wife, Reena.” Anjali grabbed her coffee mug and slipped into the kitchen, letting Reena reflect on her ‘caring’ husband.

                                                            -x-

Upon reaching the office, Anjali checked for Varun before she could thump on her office chair. But her efforts were in vain.

She loved her office cafeteria, the timely cab service, and the cubicles, but she couldn’t find the work and the colleagues interesting (of course, excluding Varun, ahem-ahem)! The ladies bickered the whole day about their in-laws, househelp, and the clothes that didn’t fit them at all. They weren’t fascinated much by travel and photography or any other pursuit but loved to discuss wedding ideas.

“Do you know Aneesa has purchased a lovely cream-coloured kaftan for her first night? She has brought it to the office. Let us go and have a look na.” One of her colleagues, Aisha nudged her, but Anjali remained adamant and sarcastic as ever.

“Aneesa, we can find hundreds of kaftans online. Even she should not bring such things to the office. It doesn’t sound professional.” She remarked, trying to focus on her work.

“I love fashion totally, so I don’t think it is an awkward state for me. We all have outfit ideas for our first night.”

Anjali had enough on a Monday morning. “I haven’t planned it yet. But I wonder what my husband would be wearing.” She winked mischievously.

“Oh Anjali, your irony will never get old,” Aneesa remarked chirpily and moved to her desk, and Anjali let a heavy sigh.

Of course, she was excited about her wedding, first night, and married life, but she hadn’t planned the intricate aspects of the same. At that moment, marriage was the last thing on her mind. She wanted to move out of that corporate jungle and work on something that interested her and made her heart alive. Just like when she used to be while clicking photos of nature!

That evening, she received a call from her disheartened father, “They have said no to our proposal, beta. They rejected you stating that you have mediocre looks.”

“WHAT?” Anjali sprang from her bed and didn’t feel like having her usual evening snack of banana chips. She had lost her post-office hunger pangs and felt like a stone in her stomach.

“They said that I look average. They could have straightaway refused to get married. Why do they have to give a wrong reason?” She counter-asked.

“Beta, I understand your agony. But don’t worry, I will find a guy who is laakh-guna than this one. And he won’t marry you for your looks but for your career-oriented attitude.” 👨

“Papa, I am not sad that he didn’t agree to marry me. It is his decision. Even I didn’t feel like marrying that guy. But it doesn’t mean the guy is not good or he has some issues. I am upset because he rejected me for an unreasonable reason. He could have just mentioned that our views don’t match or we have different paths in life. Why to….”

“It is okay, beta. You are new in this world. You don’t know anything. So, just forget everything that happened and sleep well.”

He disconnected the call reluctantly even when he wanted to assure more to his daughter. Upset and enraged, Anjali called her soul-brother, Sid immediately.

“I can’t believe someone can reject me based on my looks. Do you know what that guy, Shiven did? He rejected me for the reason that I have average looks. Bro, this is too much! Why do we have to specify the reason for rejection? I don’t think it is necessary. Why demean and demoralize the person while rejecting?” Anjali explained herself but Sid couldn’t comprehend her claims.

“You would have done the same while rejecting this particular proposal, wouldn’t you?” Sid asked smartly.

“No, I would have said that we weren’t compatible or I couldn’t visualize ourselves as a couple. That is sufficient to say instead of pointing out someone’s dark skin, white hair, or extra-long nose?” Her irony didn’t seem to say good night to her.

“Did he have those characteristics? Gosh, I would have rejected within a moment and returned home.”

Anjali didn’t respond. She was in her thoughts. “It’s like the fox and the grapes story. If you can’t get the grapes, just criticize it. Go for something else.”

“You are taking it too seriously, Anju dear! This is a universal truth. Always convey rejection with a reason, something that brings the worst out of them. It is better than ghosting.”

“Ghosting! Never heard of it in arranged marriage scenario!”

“Hmm…I don’t know. I am 22, so not walked down the lane of arranged marriage. But maybe in the future, I might have to look for girls. But I won’t give them such reasons or excuses. I will give them constructive feedback. I can even coach the girl to get rid of her flaws and improve her personality.” 👦

“You can’t start a marketing funnel over here, bro!” Anjali laughed.

Was that the first and last meet-cute or were there many such proposals awaiting her?

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