Engage-men-t

 ‘I just saw your post on X. Congratulations on your engagement’, read the text from her ex. She had posted a cryptic video indicating she was hitched. Very few had read through the text accompanying it and understood the underlying message. She preferred it that way too. As expected, very few had reverted with gushing messages, asking for details. 

She was surprised though that her ex had gone through and got the message too. She hadn’t expected him to watch it at all, nor him deciphering it.  “Thanks”, she sent the reply.  The phone buzzed immediately. He had called instead of responding to the text. She answered hesitatingly. Not because there was any remnant of animosity post breakup but she hated phone calls during the weekend. 

He straightaway began shooting questions.

“What happened to Sat that you were dating earlier?” 

“Well, we didn’t find time for each other.  I guess we weren’t meant to be!”

“How did you zero in on Om then?”

She took a long pause, and her mind ran through the past few years before she responded. 

“You there?”

“Yeah. Was thinking for a bit. Jogging my memory”. 

“Jogged enough to tell me?”

“Here you go! I dated Min.  He turned out to be possessive, controlling, and when things turned bad, he even stalked. I had to go through hell”. 

“Sad…”

“Then there was Ris. He was too smitten to do anything beyond seeing me. I didn’t want that adulation. After that, there was Po. He wanted to go back to his roots, and find a girl from his community to settle down”. 

“Wow!”

“Sat and I tired each other out, I guess just by playing the waiting game. Every man has been a lesson..”

“Gosh, you dated so many guys back to back?” 

“The princess possibly kissed hundreds of frogs before finding her prince, including you”

“Hey, I wasn’t that bad”

“I know you weren’t. But that’s beside the point. I alone know though how it is date guys, break up and find courage enough to date again”. 

“Sorry I asked. Didn’t mean to hurt you”. 

“I know. Your question helped me understand why I chose what at each point of time. And, also get ready to be slut-shamed, called a maneater, and so on”. 

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself”. 

“I am not. I am matter of factly stating what the world calls a woman vis-à-vis a man”. 

The phone went quiet.