Marriage Proposal for Vehicle Number- OR 05 - 5387

Still the concept of arrange marriage is prevalent in India and also off course in my home state Odisha. May be 1 in 100 would be a love marriage and there will be parallel common melodrama associated with it. There is a other form of marriage which is getting popular is Love cum arrange marriage, means when there is no melodrama associated and everything happens smoothly. But there is a most rare form of marriage  which I am going to described, is an arrange marriage but with a twist.

Now when parents find their kids are old enough to given in matrimony and they exchange of proposals either through matrimony sites or through matrimony agents. Once they have it, they just type the name of the boy/girl in the facebook (FB) and with a few seconds search they get to know how he or she is. It is by analyzing the photos they shared, friends they have, the dress they have worn, the comments they have given and the communities they like, they get to know about their character. 

"Why, what happened, why are you not interested in the proposal?", asked when one madhyasthi (Matrimony mediator) to the father of a marriageable girl.

"You, know the boy has more girls as friends in FB than boys. I doubt his character" replied the agitated father. ( Is it not Normal ? !)

"But sorry sir, they (the boy's side) were telling your daughter is having more boys as friends in FB rather than girls and have similar views about your daughter!"

"What they think of themselves!" blasted the father.

Might be to the westerners the other way round is abnormal! but it will take a time for my country to understand the normality as abnormality.  Hail to the gay movement!

Anyway in India, nowadays to get married their kids, parents are obtaining character certificate from FB!. Mark Zuckerberg, take a note of it.

But there was a time when Facebook was about to penetrated in the life of innocent Odiya youths and they were far away from concept of falling in love in social media. Even parents, how educated knew nothing of FB. It was a different time and during that time Prabha married Jatin.

Prabha, who belonged to Cuttack was doing then doing her Masters in some management college in Bhubaneswar and occasionally drive to her College with her scooty. Jatin, who belonged to Bhubaneswar after completion of his engineering has joined as engineer trainee in a big automobile company somewhere else in the country. Both their parents considered that they are now of suitable age to be married!

It was 4th of June,2007 and was the convocation day in the college, she dressed herself in a blue Shari and along with one her college mate, drove her Scooty to attend the convocation. While Jatin was on a vacation to his home went to Cuttack, to meet his maternal uncle there whom he was fond of since he was a kid. He was the circle inspector in the local RTO office.

It was by afternoon both were on their way back homes. Both took Barang route to avoid NH. It was at the mid way the Prabha's Scooty broke down. Although the fuel meter was showing full but self start was not functioning at all. She tried kick start and but the vehicle was not buzzing up.

In munities Jatin crossed. He slowed down his bike. Out of courtesy he asked.

"Do you need help?"

"No", was a blunt reply from Prabha as she dialled his father at home. She knew her father will arrange someone for help. But her friend insisted, they should take the help.

"Don't worry, papa will arrange some for help" told Prabha to her friend and ignored Jatin.

Feeling little humiliated, Jatin drove past them. He said himself why girls thinks that all boys are there take advantage of their situation. As he drove he realized, it is he, who might not be interest in taking advantage, but at the place the girls were standing, bad people can take advantage. He parked his vehicle at a nearby pan shop,  removed his sun glass, undid his hairs put some grease and dust on his white T shirt, took out the toolkit from his bike and requested the pan shop owner for his cycle.

The pan shop owner was confused.

He said, bhaina (Brother)," My bike is here, don't worry about the cycle"

As he reached the spot the two girls were struggling with the kick start lever. Prabha's face was all red and she was all drenched in sweat.

"Madam, your father sent me, to repair your vehicle. My garage owner got a call from you father", Said Jatin as he got down from the cycle. he feared the girls may not recognize.

 "Thank's God!, but he said he is coming in his car....." she was about to say something but Jatin intervened.

"Can I see the vehicle?"

"Oh sure"

Jantin tried to start it by kick, he understood there might be problem in the spark plug. He took it out from the engine head and cleaned it off with a piece of sand paper and re-installed it on the same position.

He turn on the key and tried the self start and the vehicle yielded, "Kat kat traaaaaaa....."

Prabha felt relieved with start sound of the vehicle and was thankful towards Jatin and said, " Thank you Bhaina (Brother), let me know your due"

Jatin was also in a jovial mood, "Bhauni (Sister) only rupees five"

"what?  only five?!!"

"haan Panchoti mudrika Bhauni (only five coins)"

"I have only 50 rupees note, take it and keep the change"

"Dhanybad bahuni (Thank You sister)"

Both the girls left and while they went away Jatin noted down the registration no for the vehicle.

"OR-05 - 5387"

.....

It was few months afterwards a traffic police constable came in search of Prabha's House.

"Prabha Mallick stays here?" He enquired

Prabha's father rushed to the gate and asked the constable "What happened?"

"Your daughter owns registration  OR-05 - 5387 no vehicle "

"Yes it her Scooty's no, why what happened?"

Inside the house Prabha was confused. She thought;  has some one noticed her while she knowingly crossed red signal at Dolomundei chaak?.

"Circle inspector has sent this letter, please read it. You can call to his number", said the constable to Prabha'a father

After reading the letter, Prabha's father called to the inspector and for at least fifteen minutes they discussed. The police constable went after drinking a hot sweet tea, which Prabha was asked to prepare.

Prabha was confused.

The next day in the afternoon, when Prabha was taking out the dried clothes from the balcony, she saw a traffic police van entered their house. There was sweat all over her face, she rushed to her room. This time also she was asked to prepare tea and she did it. It was then she realized some on has come to see her in the proposal of marriage.The boy, who came to see her was seated at the corner and he seemed familiar. He was indeed handsome and resembled someone glamorous, she could not recall.

When the moment came for both to discuss.

he started...

"I came here to return your, 45 rupees and he handed her four 10 rupees note and a five rupees coin"

And everyone laughed.

Parbha looked confused.

"Do you not remember the boy who repaired your vehicle?" Jatin asked

Prabha was open mouthed !