Apr 27, 2010

Window Shopping


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Long ago, I asked my mother, what fun she gets from window shopping. She replied by implying, arey chaltay phirte aksar kuch acha mil hi jata hai. Aur phir burai kya hai dekhte rehne main?
I recently discovered that window shopping is not only restricted to malls and markets but invaded our houses ages ago.

This is called Bridal Shopping.


Aunties, mothers, sisters, and all the not-so-necessary females form this group and march into houses offering an eligible girl for marriage. These ladies have no idea what they or the man is looking for in a bride-to-be but they hop onto the bandwagon and visit an infinite number of houses. The rejection from this band of brutality has no basis since all they have to do is to eat, visit, and reject.

What surprised me most is being a female themselves, they let a woman go through the agony of screening and sometimes rejection afterward. 
In my small span of experience, I listened to some of the interesting rejections from guy’s relatives:
  • Great Nostradamus sister:  “Ummm well, I think she will become fat after having babies” 
  • Dettol Sisters on their 2nd visit to the girl’s house: “House wasn’t clean enough. Her mom must have not taught her.” (I think they wanted a maid cum bride)
  • Baby Bride hunters: “Girl is old enough for our brother. She must not exceed 24”  (heheheheh the brother is 40+)
  • Material mothers: “Drawing Room tells, the family isn’t modern enough”  (I think they wanted the girl to do a striptease on their visit)
    But winner rejection yet to come, readers.

    Someone I know went for her trolley session and sat beside the guy’s mother who was some palmist. They rejected her because her palm lines were not good enough as per the palmy-mommy.
    Imagine!!!

    I mean do these women think even once before saying stupidest of statements to the parents.
    It’s exactly like when you are sitting at a shop, having a look at silk, chattering about its texture, print, and price. While the salesman tries to convince you to buy, you throw away the silk and leave the shop saying let us have a look in the market and decide.

    And why only blame women? Its men too.

    A few days back, I asked a class fellow, why he isn’t married yet since he was complaining about how everyone he knows has babies now. He shot back saying he hasn’t found the one. I inquired if he has seen any girl for marriage purposes. Rest of the conversation is:


    K: So what exactly are you looking in a girl?

    B: Nothing much, I have seen many girls but something is missing.

    K: Ohh so you have done your window shopping?

    B: Well yes.

    K: Still on the hunt? Why?

    B: Just looking for someone decent and pretty

    K: So you mean your family made you see an indecent and ugly girl


    Let’s finish it here everyone.

    May GOD give you the strength to be an item-for-sale and sense to the window shoppers.

    Amen.

    2 comments:

    Georg said...

    Bonjour Kulsoom,

    Very interesting but rather strange. To me this is like looking backwards. Here in France, we have a classical comedy author, Molière, living at the time of King Louis 14th, around 1680 to 1715. Nearly three hundred years ago. This guy wrote a play about a young girl who should be married to a greybeard. But she was in love with a guy of her age.

    I think the play is "L'Avare" (the greedy one). It is still played or read in school to the amusement of the pupils. I suppose in your country the play would risk a bomb thrown into the audience.......

    I wonder how many people in your country realize that your backwardness in nearly every domain stems probably from your religion or at least from your ways to practice it.

    Cheers nevertheless
    Georg

    Kulsoom B. said...

    Hey Georg,

    The way you wrote "the play would risk a bomb thrown into the audience" is funny to me. Pakistan has a rich history of theater and classics. Theater dramas here deal with social issues that are not only sensitive but crucial in nature.

    Trust me, Pakistan is not what it is highlighted as in media :)

    As far as the backwardness is concerned, it is from the cultural roots we share with India/Hindus for centuries in sub-continent. Talking about Islam, it gives full permission to an adult to choose their own bride or groom. One doesn't even need a religious scholar to read out the vows, bride and groom can do that by themselves.

    Islam is a way of life with all the freedom and respect in it. But here in sub-continent culture and tradition rule above the religion, sadly.