The next round...

I moved on from that experience quickly, still full of hope that the next boy would be my prince charming...
Little did I know that the next set up would be an exercise in regression back to the good old days of punjabi matrimony when the fathers and their respective entourages met and sealed the deal.

So, I woke up one Sunday morning and went downstairs to find my dad and some male relatives dressed rather smartly, just about to leave the house. I didn't think much of it but enquired further and discovered that they were going to view a potential boy for me. I was a bit surprised by this modus operandi, after all it was the 21st century. Anyway, they returned a few hours later with a brown envelope, in which there were some professional photographs of the boy. My dad was seemingly bowled over by him: he was apparently tall, good-looking, well spoken, his dad was nice and they owned lots of land in India. What more could a girl want?
Looking at his photograph it was absolutely clear to me that beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder but my dad had decided that this potential alliance should be pursued further.
A couple of weeks later, again on a Sunday, I was told to dress in a nice suit because some visitors were coming. The visitors being the boy and his parents. I was reluctant but went along with it. The time came and I heard a knock at the front door so I hotfooted it to the kitchen and made myself look busy like a good indian girl should. The boy's mother walked in and looked me up and down.
I could hear laughter coming from the front room so my dad was obviously doing a good job entertaining the boy and his dad. Some time later I was told to go into the dining room, about a minute later the boy entered. We had an awkward conversation and there was no chemistry.
I knew that saying no to this boy would be difficult because of the time and energy already invested and my dad's excitement at the prospect of this match. But I did it, this experience made me realise that my potential marriage should be about me and my partner first and foremost, its not a political treaty to be signed by the heads of both families. Too much third-party involvement in the early stages only leads to higher expectations and more pressure. No more 'tea parties' for me.