On this and that side of Marriage

I

“My son, he deserves a good girl,” says the man.

“No girl would ever deserve him, you old man,” says the woman, looking through the windows at a crow pecking another one atop a cypress tree.

“This frequent rumor,” the man continues. “He must be looking for a lifelong partner now.”

“Sources say, she is a Bumthap,” the woman says, still looking out, the two crows have shifted to a fig tree, a few steps away from the cypress. “I am worried, what kind of a trap his wife has set for him.”

Dorji’s parents talk in a far away village of Trashigang.

II

“Our daughter has the beauty and qualification,” says a man in his late forties, his mouth stuffed with doma. “I am worried what kind of husband she has in store for her.”

“If all those gossips carry any weight,” reciprocates his wife, you can sense nervousness in her tone. “She is staying with a Sharchokpa guy.”

“Hopefully, this guy’s parents are nice,” wishes the man.

“And I hope the boy’s marriage is not arranged during his childhood,” prays the wife.

Chuki’s parents talk, in a remote village of Bumthang.

III

And in Thimphu

“I don’t know whether your parents will accept me,” says the boy, holding her close to his heart.

“No worry darling, my parents are good people,” she holds him tight, never wanting him to let go. “But … what about yours? I am scared sa.”

“I don’t know if I can meet their expectations…” he is hesitant.

“I won’t worry about that,” interrupts Chuki. “What can I do if your parents think me unfit to be their daughter-in-law, huh?”

“I won’t worry about that,” says Dorji. The two lovers disappear in the piles of cozy blankets, giggling.