2011 School Magazine

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Even as they heard the sounds of their beloved son coming home, Deepta and Rakesh glared at the fidgeting young man sitting opposite them as he finally fell silent For the past five minutes, he had spoken of everything from the various Hindu religious texts to the dismissal of several Pakistani cricket players for match-fixing The sole purpose of this expertly researched speech had been to convince Deepta and Rakesh to cease their attempts to break up his relationship with Shaan, but the parents were unimpressed "I do not understand, " complained Deepta to Rakesh, her unhappy voice in stark contrast to her sari's cheerfully bright silver and green. "He is man. How can our son love him? How can our son not love smart, beautiful Indian girl? How can our son ..." The suitor, Sam, breathed a soft sigh of relief as Shaan stepped through the purple beaded curtain separating the living room from the hallway " .. not love Sam?" said Shaan, smiling as he skewed his mother's sentence. A moment later, he was hugging his boyfriend, sympathetically acknowledging his lover's muttered gratitude for Shaan's rescuing him from what Sam ruefully considered "the demon's Iair" A few months ago, Rakesh and Deepta had apparently decided to discourage their son's lover by convincing Sam that the family were members of some hitherto unknown demon-worshipping Hindu sect. Upon Sam's next visit to the house, he had accordingly been confronted by a legion of metallic demon statues lining the hallway - their stomachs enlarged to grotesque proportions, their facial expressions fierce, their weaponry medieval and decidedly sharpish. The terror did not, unfortunately, stop there. Inside the living room, Sam had encountered a massive picture of the goddess Kali. Dancing gleeful Iy atop a man's prone body, the vengeful deity wielded a machete dripping scarlet blood, while, around her neck, she wore a necklace constructed entirely of human skulls However, despite their most ardent endeavours, the parents' machinations ultimately failed. Sam had watched with interest as a be mused Shaan spent a week trying to discover where his parents had managed to acquire such a variety of demon statues or such a large picture of Kali. The final blow to the parents' plans had been Shaan attempting to unCover any remotest connection that his family might have harboured to a demon-worshipping Hindu sect To many, Rakesh and Deepta's horror over their son's unconventional lover was understandable. The parents' main desire had long been to ensure that Shaan's life was more comfortable than their own As a result, they had paid for private tutors during his senior high school years and had watched with uriabated pride when he had gone on to graduate top of his class and become a doctor. To them, this fortunate career choice ensured that their son would have a comfortable and secure economic future Now, Shaan needed a pretty, caring wife. The first step on this road to his subsequent happiness had been the employment of a matchmaker. The woman's delighted face upon receiving a description of Shaan had comforted the parents, assuring them that their son would soon have a wonderful bride. Indeed, within two months, the matchmaker had compiled an Impressive 11st of potential fiancees all requesting Shaan's horoscope and picture. As far as his parents were concerned, Shaan was now destined for a blissful future with a beautiful wife - a future he owed to them. As far as his friends were concerned, however, Shaan had now provided them with prime teasing material

Worrying Iy, though, Shaan had rejected each and every girl they'd shown him. Number One was too short, yet Number Two was too tall. Number Three was too silly, yet Number Four was too smart Number Five put excessive amounts of sugar in his tea and Shaan was adamant that no doctor should ever marry a woman who would place her husband at risk of obesity, diabetes and/or heart disease His doting parents had tolerated this behaviour. Choosing a wife was, after all, a life decision and they appreciated the fact that their only son was giving such serious consideration to his future wife. However, soon, one of their closest friends, Indeed, Deepta's most trusted confidant, had arrived on their doorstep, flourishing a scandalous picture, already sighted by almost every member of the Indian community it was a photograph of Shaan and Sam hidden away in an alcove at the nearby cinema - and they were kissing! The shame. The embarrassment. The fury. Had they not, the parents grieved, tried to be modern parents, allowing Shaan to fool about with his so called 'mates'? Yet was this how he repaid their efforts, their sacrifices? By fraternising in this unseemly manner with a white boy? Some might argue, suggested their more tolerant associates, that the Hindu scriptures themselves did not explicitly condemn homosexuality as a 51n. Deepta and Rakesh did not care. As far as they were concerned, they would not have grandchildren it this union were to occur. This was a 51n. Yes, Sam had suggested adopting, or using a surrogate mother, but would this be a true continuation of their line? Would they be able to pick up the child and declare that its physical characteristics came directly from Deepta, Rakesh or even the bride's parents? Would they be able to say that the nose was clearly inherited from Deepta's mother's mother's brother or that the skin tone was from the bride's father's father's sister? And, what was more worrying, Shaan's needs would simply not be met. He deserved, his mother repeatedly declared, a sweet Indian girl, from a reputable family who could bear children and bring to the family her own unique set of cooking skills and cleaning methods in any case, someone, Deepta insisted mournful Iy, needed to cook Shaan's favourite meal of hoppers, dahl and chicken tikka masala after she was no longer able to do so. Most Importantly, outside of the kitchen, she needed to be able to match Shaan's intelligence, challenge him and keep up with his conversation. Her intellect would best be displayed in her career choice - a doctor, a dentist or, perhaps, a lawyer. Yes, her Shaan certainly deserved something better than some underwear model like Sam! "If I have to leave home to be with the man I love, " Shaan finally stated, jolting his parents with the serious intensity of his tone, "then so be It 1'11 pack now. We'll be living in Sam's penthouse - you know, next to Freehills, that top commercial law firm where he works. " His words seemed to hang ominously in the air Threats to leave his family's abode had never been received well "Law firm?" asked Rakesh "He's a lawyer. I'm surel've ..." "... You never told us he was lawyer! " exclaimed his father "We thought he was an underwear model! He is lawyer! He has Intelligence! Not like those silly girls Aunty showed us. At least he can put up with you. " Deepta put her arm around Sam. "Shaan always brings such tension to me! Come, come, you are never fed, are you?"