Dirt Tracks by Vivek Wilson

Author:Vivek Wilson [Wilson, Vivek]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9788184757088
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2013-02-08T00:00:00+00:00

A few weeks later, on a Saturday, my mother invited Sapna, Swathi and Jacob for a grand dinner, and she wouldn’t accept no for an answer. Siddharth could not join us because he was away on business. So Jacob, Sapna, Swathi, Rupa and I were on the terrace, waiting. The conversation was a bit strained. It was a relief actually, when Mother called us for dinner.

Dinner was slightly better, with everyone talking to the group. During dinner, Sapna brought up the topic of a Hindu classmate who was marrying a Muslim against her parents’ wishes. Her parents had completely disowned her, even getting an obituary printed in the local paper. She wondered how some parents could be extremely irrational when it came to inter-caste or inter-religion marriages.

‘I mean, I know they grew up in a world where caste and religion were very important, but they shouldn’t be shoving that down our throats, should they?’ Sapna asked.

I shrugged. ‘Caste and religion weren’t just important to the previous generation. It was more like an identity, like a family name. They were stuck with that identity, so they forced themselves to feel proud about it. Now, when a guy or girl with a completely different social identity intrudes into their life, their pride doesn’t allow it.’

‘That’s my man,’ Sapna grinned. ‘A psychologist without a couch.’

They all laughed while I sputtered. ‘I am not trying to do a psych analysis. This just seems logical. A hundred years from now, caste or religion won’t matter. And the people, who think it is important, won’t matter themselves.’

‘But that’s the point. This doesn’t matter to most people our age. Arranged marriages are not always successful,’ Rupa said.

‘Neither are love marriages,’ Jacob said, breaking his silence. ‘Whichever type of marriage it is, it can always succeed or fail. It depends on how well the guy and the girl are willing to adjust, actually.’

Rupa spoke up. ‘OK, so you two tell me. If you fell for a girl who’s not from your own religion, what would you do to make your parents accept her? Shiv Anna?’

I looked up in surprise. ‘I don’t think I have to answer that. I wanted someone who can be a very close friend, not just some woman living in my house. Lucky me, I got her,’ I finished, pointing at Sapna.

Sapna wriggled in delight and Jacob grinned. His grin slipped off when Rupa turned to him. ‘What about you, Jacob Anna?’

Jacob looked startled. ‘What was the question again?’

Rupa grinned impishly. ‘I asked,’ she repeated, ‘what would you do if you fell in love with a Hindu? Would you ask her to convert before marriage?’

Jacob thought about it. I looked around casually, and I realized that there was a lot of interest in his answer. Rupa was watching him with open curiosity. Sapna was doing the same with amusement. But Swathi had a look on her face that seemed … almost expectant. Finally, Jacob spoke.

‘If I care enough about a girl to want to marry her, it’s because I love her.

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