Frustration

Despite the fiasco in the previous week, Reema's parents did not back down. On the contrary they started acting more vigorously. Each day, Reema had been receiving messages from her mother. Either to send her photo or her payslip. Reema would receive profiles of potential candidates. Each day would be more frustrating than the one before. Reema was finding this extremely draining.

It had just been a week, but Reema felt as if this charade had been going on for years. On Friday Reema decided to not go back home, for she did not want to meet another 'good man' and then quarrel with her parents. Her parents were upset because they had lost a perfect weekend for fixing the life of their daughter with a stranger.

Reema was thinking what to do on the weekend. That is when she received a call from her cousin, Kala.
"Hey, any plans this weekend? Do you want to meet?" Asked Kala.
Reema felt as if her cousin came to her as a good samaritan. Reema agreed to meet Kala who used to stay in the same city.

Reema went to Kala's home. Her cousin was married to an architect and was living in the upscale lavish part of the city. Reema was impressed to see her home. She wondered why she had never visited her cousin who used to stay in the same city as her.
"Thanks for coming. I was alone this weekend. Anish has gone for the site visit. I somehow did not want to go home," Kala confessed.
Reema did not mind that Kala had called her so that she could turn her boring weekend into a fun one. For Kala, the reality was different.
"I heard that uncle and aunty have started looking for a match for you. Mom told me. There are no secrets in our family," Kala asked.
Reema felt the uneasiness came over her. Tears started flowing. She told Kala everything that happened, "my parents are acting so different. As if I do not know them at all. They are not finding a match but they are trying to get rid of me. I feel like they are putting everything emotionally so that I can fall for their tricks and marry the next guy I see. Kala I did not wish for this life. I have ambitions. I want to work, I want to start my own business someday. I don't want to get married," Reema was sobbing.
"I feel our family has a template," Kala's remark shocked Reema.
Kala continued, "exactly the same happened with me. My parents suddenly announced that I need to get married. They started fixing up meetings with various boys. I was pressured to marry quickly because 25 was too old for a girl to be married off. I was made to leave my job. When I met Anish, I was so exhausted of this process that I decided to stop and marry him," Reema was shocked with Kala's confession.

Kala paused for a moment before revealing another brutal truth, "and it does not stop with the wedding. Now they are pressurizing me for a baby. I feel that I am trapped. I thought after the marriage my parents will stop interfering but they still continue it. At least I know I am not going to fall for their tricks this time. I am tired of listening to 'we are telling you for your own good' story".

Kala had given insights of the future. Reema now felt prepared. She knew she had to retaliate. She did not want to end up in Kala's shoes.