Table of Contents
From "Kaavya"
By Ashwati Parameshwar '05Written for English 310, Advanced Fiction Writing
At nineteen, Kaavya was past her best breeding age. That's how she thought of it, every time the Family brought up her marriage, or lack thereof.
"You should have been settled long ago." Grandma had been married at sixteen, and had her daughter married at seventeen. That Kaavya was still unmarried was a failure on her part. "When will I see my great-grandchildren? What do you need to study so much? I'm telling you, by the time you finish all this degree business, all the good prospects will be taken." After all a woman was judged on the family she had raised. But these young girls baffled Grandma.
As a twenty-first century Indian woman, Kaavya Nair had her future all planned out: a job at Synext, Bombay's best advertising agency, an apartment in Cuffe Parade, and the silver Lancer she'd be driving. A husband was an amorphous, romantic figure hovering in the background of her late twenties, and children certainly didn't figure until her early thirties.
When she was sixteen, it had been hilarious to imitate Grandma to her friends, using the typically accented English of the pre-independence generation, between frozen cappuccinos at their favorite post-class hangout. "You know what happened to Neelam's husband's youngest sister. She went running around with all the boys when she was young, now no one will marry her." Three years later, the joke was wearing thin. Grandma's badgering had dwindled into sulky silences and frequent exhortations to the gods to "show my poor granddaughter some good sense."
But Kaavya was a romantic; she wanted to be swept off her feet. Her bookshelves had several sentimental romances alongside philosophy, Shakespeare and heavy tomes on several ancient cultures. Although she could hardly be compared to any of her favorite heroines, two years ago Valentine's Day had been the most romantic day of her life. Umang, the boy she'd been dating the last four months, took her out to lunch, wrote her a haiku and got down on his knees with a bunch of roses in the middle of the road to recite it to her. Then, they'd blown off classes, gone to his place and kissed the hours away till four, the time she usually went home. The roses were left strewn on his bed; she didn't dare take them home to cause accusatory questions. The Princess Bear Beanie Baby, minus wrappings, fit comfortably in her book bag. No one would question its appearance in her extensive stuffed toy collection.
Her first year at college, however, she was single again. Umang had moved to a different city, and she almost managed to convince herself and him in her last letter that she had no time for boyfriends thank-you-very-much; they demanded too much energy. She had classes, her a capella group, basketball practice, classical dance lessons, far too many things to do. It wasn't that she hadn't had any opportunities, oh no! At least three different guys had asked her out. All of whom she had nothing in common with, and all jerks on closer inspection, mainly interested in her as a trophy to their machismo.
"I think you just expect too much from guys." Rhea, Kaavya's best friend, was of the firm opinion that all opportunities were to be grabbed with both hands as gifts from the gods.
"But Umang was such a sweetie, and he was smart and funny and -"
"And so ugly. Barely taller than you."
"Rhea! That's hardly the point!"
"Anyway, I thought you were over Umang."
"I am over him. I was just using him as an example," said Kaavya, exasperated now. "I want certain things from a guy, so I don't mind waiting till the right one comes along."
"Get real, Kaavya. Umang is an exception; most guys are only looking for one thing," Rhea said, winking.
"So are you saying I should let the Family decide who I spend the rest of my life with?"
"Just meet the guys, what's the harm?" Rhea put her arm around Kaavya's shoulder. "If I were you I'd go out with them a few times, and see what happens."