The Iyengars

Me and Bhagi got married after a long courtship period of Six and a half years. The first Five years i was not sure if I wanted to marry her. But once i made up my mind i proposed and she readily accepted. Till this point it was very easy. Now all that was left was for me to approach her family and ask her hand in marriage. And for anybody who has done that knows how difficult the whole exercise is. Mine was no different. I wrote about my experience on my journey back from Mumbai to Nagpur in the Train itself, and what transpired is what i am gonna share today. This was written 5 years back and Bhagi initially thought i exaggerating a bit too much but i told her, as i am going to tell you today - 'We all need a writer to put our life into perspective. I choose me to write ours and i am the quintessential hyperbolic one' 

This is at the peril of Bhagi’s wrath that I tell thee,

About my future in-laws, a family to see.

The Iyengars they are and the only next to He,

So blasphemy it was when she decided to marry a lesser mortal like me.

Ignorance at first, then denial it was,

Till reluctantly acceptable they got.

I was the one who had cats to bell,

And how it all happened is a story to tell.

On Bhagi’s invitation I went to see them on a fine day,

Nervous I was and all the way long I did pray.

The anxiety but then vanished when in Ratna Kutir I did step,

And tranquility set in my heart and remained kept.

Nope it wasn’t for warmth of the family whom I had come to meet,

But the total absence of those who I expected to greet.

Only the old man was there holding a smile and waiting in the corridor,

Rest all I was told were busy with their important daily chore.

Sensing the 'fervor' I handed over the sweets I was carrying,

Thus making my opening move in the frosty sparring.

I then waited and waited and waited for someone to come,

But all I got were Dosa-chutney and a long drawn mum.

Finally and leisurely my would be bro-in-law woke from his afternoon nap,

And ambled he to the living room after almost an hour’s gap.

It was then that the rest of the household gathered,

To confront me whose confidence had already been shattered.

The Q and A round that followed was quite a disaster,

Since with my laconic reply it got over faster.

Then a long list of 'ifs and buts' was hurled in my direction,

It was a monologue from Bala and I contemplated my next action.

A divine intervention then took place and the Lord himself came forward,

That was the day I realized that DOG is ‘GOD’ spelled backwards.

The Doberman ambled to me to let me scratch his behind,

And I obeyed with all my sincerity as I had nothing else on my mind.

That Alex accepted me was the best thing that happened to me that day,

For I was invited to Lunch and then an overnight stay.

I praised the canine and his gait and his breath and even his carriage,

And the topic quickly moved to our long impending marriage.

By the nightfall I was happy with the day’s outcome,

For I was also referred as Mapillai by some.

Needless to tell I have decided to buy a Dog, a collar and a hook

Only to keep myself in the Iyengar’s good books. 

P.S -  1) Iyengars are supposed to be from lineage of Lord Balaji. 

          2) Ratna Kutir is name of Bhagi's House in Badlapur (Mumbai Suburb).

          3) Mapillai in Tamil means Son-in-Law.

       4) Alex was everybody's favorite in the Family. He presently passed away this year. This work is also on ode to Alex.