Getting Married

"maa, please tell me what do you want me to get for you?" i asked for the nth time.
"ha ha, what can you get? get whatever you like, its ok" said mom.
I decided to stop asking her and buy the jewelry set that i had seen earlier that day.
"Ok ma, did you people decide if we wud be going to Tirupathi when i am there?" i asked.
"We'll see, there are some other important things to do before that" she said.
"Like what?" i said.
"Like your marriage" she said.
"maa, not again. I .."
"Did you see the pictures that dad mailed?" she said.
The very topic i wanted to avoid was being brought up again.
"Ya i saw" i said.
"So, did you like someone? We were expecting some reply to that mail" she said.
"Maa, how can i say if i liked someone or not just by seeing their photo? and that too the photos look so artificial. Also, dint i tell you that i am not interested in getting married yet?" i said.
"But why? You are 26. We feel its the right time" she said.
"Ma, i'll be there in a couple of day right, we can talk about this then. Not now pleaseee" i said.
"Whatever, I am not letting you go back this time without getting married or atleast engaged. Anyways what time is you flight tomorrow?" she said.
"4 PM. I'll reach hyderabad at 11PM, the day after" i said.
"Ok then, have a safe journey and if possible call up before starting" she said
"Ok ma, i'll see if i can call. Good Night"
"Ok bye" she said. There was a bit of anger in her tone.
As i lay there doing nothing, old memories came flooding ... one particular conversation with Puja that had changed everything...
"i want to get married when i am 26. do you think you can wait till then?" i said
She just smiled and dint reply.
"what? you still think i am not serious?" i said
"i hope you are not. i told you the problem and please dont start this again" she said
"but i think we can convince them.."
i was brought back to the present by the sound of my phone ringing. It was Anil, we had planned to go out for lunch. The next few days went by without much activity. I reached home and got busy eating whatever mom and grandma cooked and catching up with friends and relatives after 3 long years. I still had to meet kiran, my best friend. He was in bombay and would be back only a week later.
Meanwhile, mom, dad and grandma were all trying to convince me to get married. Just to make them happy, i agreed. My plan was that i would not say 'ok' to any photo and very soon, i'd be flying back. But they did not give me that chance, after looking at countless photos, they zeroed in on one girl, Priya. It was decided that her family and my family would meet at some temple and there, i could talk to her alone if i wanted to. I was trying to find ways to escape, to find some excuse but my parents were very firm this time. So, i decided to go ahead with the plan. Finally, on the day, my dad forced me to go have a hair cut, shave and by evening, i was told a 100 times what to say, how to behave etc etc.

to be continued....

PS: This is NOT MY story. Its just my imagination.