Being Proposed to...

One of my cousins - whom I didn't recognise from this story, by the way - was madly in love with his girlfriend, but not yet ready to commit. She, being a sensible woman, threw him out. Shortly before her 24th birthday. And in the few days that he was in the doghouse, S realised he would do anything for her, including the big M. So he turned up on her 24th birthday, with a bouquet of 24 red roses. And 24 gifts, one for each hour of the day/ years she had been on earth/ whatever. And proposed on bended knee. She took her time figuring out what to say to this change-able man. And he pleads romantically, "Hurry up and say yes. My knees are killing me!" Eventually she figured that even if he was hopeless, he was her hopeless and so they did get together for the happy-ever-after.

After a romantic story like that in the family, naturally I expected a lot. I'd had my share of proposals, including a crazy one from a boyfriend back in college( now a dear friend) who took me to JNU one day and said, a propos of nothing ( ha ha no pun intended) - 5 years from now, I'll bring you back here and propose to you. I ran like a hare - no way could I commit to 5 years ahead when still in college.

Anyway, A and I had had this on-again, off-again relationship for quite some time. He proposed quite a few times, but I was never ready because of a variety of reasons. Finally I decided that this was THE man and told him I was ready. A kept waiting to propose in some super-romantic way and I got a little impatient because I wanted to tell my parents and get the all-hell-breaking-loose part over with. Finally one day as we parked the car under a tree in the parking lot behind office ( no naughty thoughts - we were back from a client meeting), I said, "Hurry up and propose!" And A said, "Uh...so will you marry me?" He didn't even have a ring ready - and till date I don't have an engagement ring. I did get him one later but he dropped it down a drain in France.

So much for romantic proposals. Humph!