"They are too big," he says, in almost a mumble, staring at the carpet, as he rubs his palms.
"What, what happened? " the mother says. The words sound tired, but fatigue had never never stopped her from also being irritable.
"The girl's teeth are too big. She looks like a little girl. Unn, like Marichman. The teeth are too big, yes, " he says, partly convincing himself.
"That will not matter. The girl's is pretty, and she has a good job, and she will work her way up, and you also had things to talk to her with. With a girl like that, what are big teeth going to do? " she says.
"No, no, it will matter. The teeth are too big and she has a very bony face. She looks like a skeleton. She looked like she does diets all the time, and did you see the color of lipstick? That was the ghinlagdo pink. Her face looks so triangular," he says, his growing confidence now showing in his voice.
"Listen, she is an ambitious and educated girl, and she will do well with the NGO's. You won't find anyone like her again. We can keep looking more girls, but they'll all have some fault or other. Maybe someone will be too short for you, or someone could be too tall, or too fat, or too modern. She is a brilliant girl, and she studied in America, so you two will have things to talk about. If you want to go abroad for Masters or Phd, she will definitely get good jobs wherever you are. Things like family, and money they have, and their history, and the looks-- they are all temporary. But this girl has charms, and she is intelligent, and with her you can be stable," the mother explains, patiently, logically, knowing she is right in this one.
"Yes, but her teeth are too big, and they show. She looks like a rabbit, like the small girl who lives next door. What will people think about me? I want to keep looking more girls -- I understand everything you said, but I will compromise later on. She has too big teeth, and I can't live with it," he says. He is breathing faster, and he can feel the hear the thumping of his heart.
"So tell me, what kind of girl do you want? You want an educated girl, she is educated. You want an attractive girl, she is beautiful. She is intelligent. She works hard. She has ambitions about her professional career. What is it then, that you want in a girl? Tell me now, and I'll look for exactly what you ask," the mother says. There's unexpected calmness in the air-- as if things aren't as serious as circumstances would have one believe.
"Thikka ko keti. The girl who is just right. I don't want too hifi girl-- I just want a girl who's studied, and who's attractive, and who has brains, just the right amount k. This girl is really nice, but her teeth are too big. It won't work, please understand. Bujhnu na," he pleads his mother to understand him for the second time.
"So what is the most important thing for you? Is it the looks that matter? Because this girl is very pretty, and smart too, and I don't want to let her go-- I'll talk to Shanta about her son's marriage. He's probably just about her age, but this girl will do great things. We should keep him. So tell me what matters the most to you-- is it brains, or looks, or should she have stayed in the US, or should she be a greencard, what do you want? Explain it to me," she says, with a hint of exhaustion in her voice.
"The girl's teeth are too big. All I want is an educated girl who works, and it would be nice if she could cook. She should be attractive too, but not have teeth like this girl's. Her teeth are like Jacky's,"
he says, his confidence growing.
"I have told you-- if you have such specific choice, you should find a girl for yourself. We have even ignored your grandparent's wishes for the same-girl caste, and you can marry any Nepali girl you want. We just want you to get married by this year, so your cousins can get their turn. Marry whoever you want to, and if you cant find a girl, we'll find one for you, and you have to marry who we tell you to," the mother says, ending the conversation.
And so a very interesting story ends, and a sad one begins.