‘Yes, yes,’ continued her mother, ‘so many things Mrs Sriskandaraja had prepared—there was chicken curry, fried rice, cutlets, salad, vegetables and two desserts. What a lot of money they must have spent. We must really be grateful to them all.’

‘Aunty, the father was a nice man, but oh the lady … very dominating. Husband was silent most of the time.’

‘Yes, yes, the mother talked and talked,’ said Meena, ‘all about her family, about how great they were—their high connections, professors here, judges there, mathematicians, priests, bishops, all brilliant intellectuals—and have you read this book, and have you read that book, and I have read all these books, and what do you think of Nehru’s letters from prison to his daughter?’

‘She said she was a teacher, Menaka Aunty. No wonder she talked so much. Her son must be perfect according to her.’

‘Oh dear,’ Meena kept on saying, ‘I can relax now. I was scared that she would ask me whether I had read all those big books. I think she wanted to show off how clever and well read she is.’

‘But Aunty, the father seemed a nice man. A bit scared of the wife, I think. He kept looking at me all the time. He couldn’t get a word in … before they left, Aunty, he gave me a wink and said, “We’ll be seeing you soon.”’

Some time elapsed before Menaka met Sulo and her mother again. ‘So what happened to the proposal, Meena?’ she asked.

‘Didn’t Sulo tell you? The whole thing fell through. The young man wrote and said he wasn’t prepared to accept the proposal. And what a lovely photograph we had sent. Sulo in her graduate gown. Mrs Sriskandaraja said she didn’t look natural in it, like a painted doll, and as for that fellow—what a disappointment. He was certainly not in his twenties. Must be in his late thirties. Not at all good-looking also—balding, thick-lensed spectacles.’

‘Teeth also projecting, Aunty,’ Sulo said. ‘Short also.’

‘And funny thing,’ said Meena, ‘the photograph they sent was strange. Sister is embracing the brother. Why should the sister hug him like that?’

‘What to do now? Rosie Aunty is getting angry with me. She is saying that she won’t do anything more for this girl. See, will you, Menaka, others are dying to marry, no? Rosie Aunty is saying, ‘After this you all find a husband for Sulo. All the good matches I am bringing and she is refusing all.”’

But no one really gave up. Menaka met them again, mother and daughter. Proposals were still coming in. Meena pulled out a letter from her handbag.

‘See this, will you, the mother has written such a nice letter. Son is in Canada. We knew him when he was a little boy—look at the photograph also.’