Chapter 9: Stuck Up Kid
Work place motto was to work hard and party hard. Hence, social life was hectic too. The Bachelors did have fun outdoors and indoors there were get togethers and theme parties.
A fortnight after our arrival, all of us were returning after an off beat musical night. The party had wound up at two in the morning. Since we had to reach office by six thirty, all decided to sit and chat for another three hours instead of going off to sleep. All of us plonked ourselves in front of Room No 20. Topic of discussion happened to be marriage thanks to Brat whose parents were on a bride hunting spree. After the initial one liners from all, Mallu took the onus on himself to project his viewpoints.
"So Singer, any plans of marrying?"
"Not so soon sir."
"Why, you haven't found someone yet??"
"No sir."
"In any case, you girls would get hitched to male colleagues and marry them subsequently."
"What is wrong with that in any case?? With both partners working for the same organisation, the latter is definitely benefited. Hence, there is no need for you to make such sarcastic remarks. As if you guys do not fall for your female colleagues. Who knows, you might end up marrying one yourself."
For the first time Singer had retorted back. She had finally got over her fear of Mallu.
"Way to go Singer," I cheered aloud.
Mallu glared at me.
"No ways. I will only marry the girl my mother chooses for me."
"What if you fall in love with one?" Singer challenged.
"Who me??? I am not the one for love marriage. Ask the others."
Grunts and sighs followed as agreements.
"Still...suppose you fall in love with a female colleague of yours," Singer persisted.
A pregnant pause.
"Just too bad. But then, it will never happen."
Though the conversation drifted to other topics, I could not help but muse over the fact that Mamma's boy Mallu thought we females joined work only to entice the male for marriage. I bet myself an ice cream that day because my intuition said that Mr. Stuck Up Kid was going to marry a female colleague of his quite contrary to his own beliefs.
At times, it takes ages to prove oneself in a male dominated world. With stuck up men like Mallu, I realized then that it would need more than a decade to change such thoughts.
