Arranged marriage? Excuse me please!!

Strangely enough my whole life revolved around finding Mr. Right and living happily ever after!
I was curious about this mystery person who would at one point take my hand in marriage and wondered if it would be a fairy tale or a nightmare come true. That is precisely why when it actually came to the point of making a decision of tieing the knot i was in a muddle. Sure, it is a wonderful thing to dream about but the nearer you get to the point of making the decision of settling down the more unsettling it is!

As soon as i completed my post graduation my mom got stung by "the-groom-hunting-bug". Once afflicted by its venom amma got into an insane frenzy of deciding to narrow down a suitable son-in-law for her elder daughter. Before i could blink she managed to arrange a pennukanal! I was flabbergasted to say the least. What about my dreams of running away and having a love marriage?! But then reality flashed in front of me - I do not have any lover bold enough to settle down with me in the first place! I am done with my studies, have a decent job and most important of all I have nothing better to do! So whats the point in resisting!

Pennukanal was awkward. Trust me it is the most embarrassing thing to be left alone in a room with a guy you are meeting for the first time in life and being asked to have small talk! It was more than obvious that we didn't know what to talk and i spent most of the time fixing my attention on the floor thinking intensely to turn up with questions to ask my potential future husband. It was obvious both of us were blank as black boards and wanted to get it over with!

My parents asked me if i liked the guy. "Well...umm...eh...err...your decision will be mine too" was all i could mumble. After all he seemed nice. Let us see where it goes. After i muttered those words, that things proceeded at lightening speed. Before i knew, it was decided i would be getting married to the guy who came to see me for my very first pennukanal.

From then on it was an attempt to get to know each other which got complicated with the fact that he had to fly to the US for some project. Internet and long distance calls were the only source of communication. God bless whoever invented it! Sleepless nights to battle the time difference and keeping in touch ensued for the 4 months until our engagement. It was during those days i realised i am lucky enough to have some one as good as him. More than anything else i realised he was kind, simple and caring. Without a doubt he was a better human being than i ever was.

Almost one year into the marriage my views haven't changed and each day i realise how lucky i am to be blessed with a partner who spoils me with abundance of love and a sense of security. So, does arranged marriage work in today's world? Hell Yeah!!