Prompt: Write something where a color is an important part of the narrative. Can be fiction or nonfiction. Story: The Brahmin Boy
“Don’t get into trouble with women, don’t drink or smoke, and don’t eat meat”. This was the advise that Srinibabu Gonuguntla’s father had given him when he was leaving home for the first time at the age of 22 to pursue a Masters degree in Computer Science from the University of Missouri.
“And be careful of negroes”, his mother had added, “I have heard those blackies don’t have clean habits.”
Srini grinned at the memory, looking at himself in the mirror as he shaved. In his four years here, he hadn’t seen a person darker than himself. The tube of Fair & Lovely that his mother had bought for him before he left (along with three pairs of underwear) poked out of his shaving kit, half-used. He glanced at his watch from the corner of his eye as he trimmed his moustache with care. Two more hours to go till his parents landed, thier first time in the US. Tomorrow was graduation.
-*-
“So thin you’ve become, have one more ragi dosa for dinner, nothing will happen”, his mother fussed over him. His father sat across him, fiddling with his iPad, looking down through his bifocals at the diary below him where he had written down all his passwords.
“What’re you doing, appa”, Srini asked.
His mother switched off the burner, wiped her hands on her saree, and joined them at the table, an unusual sight.
“Come here, appa and I have something to show you, don’t think we don’t know website and Internet and all, and only you are computer scientist.”
Curious, Srini picked up his plate with his fifth dosa on it, and joined them. He stood behind his parents and looked down at the iPad.
The website his father had logged-in to came up. It was a matrimonial posting.
“Brahmin boy, 26 y.o, computer scientist and university topper residing in US of A, wheatish complexion, good habits, seeks 21/22 y.o fair and homely Brahmin girl for an alliance.”
The advertisement went on for a few more lines like this, and as his father scrolled, Srini saw the photos of the girls whose families had responded to the listing.
“Come, sit and see these pretty girls, pick one, after marriage she’ll come and stay with you here and will take care of you well, make you plumpy again, and in two-three years we can come again to US to take care of your children.”
Srini slammed his plate on the table and glowered darkly at them.
“Are you nuts? Have you gone crazy? I haven’t even graduated and you’re planning my marriage, talking of kids? What is wrong with you people?”.
He spun around before they could respond, picked up his car keys, threw on a jacket, and slammed the door behind him.
“See, I told you to not open your iPad while he is eating, poor fellow, he is under too much tension from non-stop work.”
-*-
Srini took another swig of his bourbon and said, “Can you fucking believe it? They’ve put out a matrimonial ad”.
The bar was smoky and dim, the jukebox in the corner piping out “Mannish Boy” by Muddy Waters.
“What’s a matrimonial ad, dude?”, Eric asked, as he passed a half-smoked joint to Srini’s waiting fingers.
“It’s like Tinder for Parents, where parents can find the matches for you”, Mansoor said, reaching out and taking a bite of the half-eaten cheeseburger on Srini’s plate.
“Eww, gross, I’d never let my parents pick the guy I’m going to Netflix and Chill with”, Beth said, and Mansoor laughed as he kissed her, and said, “No, babe, it’s the person you get married to.”
“The question is what are you going to do, when are you going to introduce me to them?”, Srini’s girlfriend asked, massaging the back of his neck.
“They’re going to burst an aneursym when they see your black face, girl”, Beth laughed.
“Well, your skin is lighter than mine, but not the color of milk that my mother wants”, Srini said, and they all laughed. “I’ll introduce you to them tomorrow before the graduation, and then I’ll tell them we’re seeing each other the day after that, you come over for dinner.”
“You make sure you keep your word, sir”, his girlfriend said, as she kissed him on the lips.
-*-
“Why are you still awake?”, Srini asked his mother, as he tumbled into his apartment at 3 am, drunk and high.
“We slept after you left, and then woke up in two hours because of jet-lag”, his mother said, tears in her eyes, “and then I thought I’ll clean your closet, and all bottles of alcohol and cigarette packets there.”
“You were in my closet?”, Srini yelled.
“Yes, before you came to US, everyday I used to arrange your clothes, like that I thought I will do here, and see how you have broken my heart. For this only we didn’t send you to the US, all bad habits.”
“You didn’t send me, amma, I came here on a scholarship”.
“All that is fine, and then I also found photos of you and a black girl. Chee, how can a mother even bear to see such photos, kissing like that in the open. It’s not like we are not modern, but how can you do such a thing, Srini?”
“Well, why did you have to go through my stuff? It’s mine, private! And looking at my photos, goddamn it, I put it there so you guys wont see this stuff before I can speak to you about it.”
“Who is she, Srini, I hope she is not your girlfriend, just some timepass, I hope you are not serious about her. So many fair girls - skin like milk and cream, like jasmine flowers - we have found for you, you just come back after graduation and we’ll go to Tirupati once and sense will return to you, and then you get married and settled down.”
“She’s my girlfriend, amma. We’re going steady, we want to settle down in a year or two. I wanted to introduce her to both of you tomorrow. She has helped me a lot here, helped me settle down, and she really loves me, and I love her too.”
His mothers trickle of tears turned into a stream, “Shameless, talking to your mother about love, looking into my eyes. This is why I didn’t want you to come to this unholy country”, she wailed.
Srini stood there, silent, till the tears quelled and quietened. “What is her name, the witch?”, his mother asked.
“Fatimah”, Srini said, looking down, “her name is Fatimah”.