It didn’t matter if she was in London for all that it could matter she would be in a bygone forgotten street of Ludhiana. Why is it that when the daughter turns 25 an invisible ink writes on her forehead that she is of marriageable age and she better marry fast otherwise the ovaries might just die and wither away and she would never be a mother and that would bring eternal doom and damnation to her family.  Plus, who had come with the bright idea that it has to be chai and samosas? Why couldn’t she serve pizza and coffee? Why couldn’t it be golgappas? What is that image where the girl walks in with a tray of tea and samosas, do those samosas cover up for her lack of boobs?

She was in a foul mood after coming back from work and to be told that she needed to get ready, wear a suit, and put her makeup and then the padded bra to accentuate and not be as flat as an ironing board. She looked at herself in the mirror and all see-saw was a lawyer, with wild, wild hair that nothing could tame, a nose that was big and been the butt of all jokes and eyes that were big but were blind as a bat. Simran wondered why she had been named after Simran from the movies and if her parents believed in romance why couldn’t she be allowed to find one when she wanted.

I’m coming, Ma! and she went out with a smile plastered on her face.

Part II coming on Saturday 22nd June, 2019