A bride hunt at Sukhna’s promenade

I grew up in Sector 5, Chandigarh, a stone’s throw away from the iconic Sukhna Lake. There are so many fond memories of visiting the lake during my childhood but one memory in particular is unforgettable. I was still in school in Class XI. A friend, who lived close-by, would often cycle over on weekend evenings, and we would go for walk or a run on the lake’s promenade.

On one such evening, as we were walking along the bustling promenade teeming with evening joggers and families on a weekend outing, we were stopped by a woman in her late fifties or early sixties. She looked directly at me, and straightforward asked me if I was married yet. I exchanged confused glances with my friend and told her I was still in school.

As we were about to walk away, she stopped me again and with an anxious expression, blurted out that she was desperately looking for a wife for her son, and if I was interested to meet him she would be so relieved.

My eyes widened in shock as I looked around for my friend when I saw that she had walked away because she couldn’t control her laughter. “I am only 17, aunty. Sorry, and good luck to you,” I blurted out and ran to join my friend. We doubled down with laughter, still stunned by what had just transpired. Meanwhile, the aunty had walked away, visibly disappointed with her failed attempts to procure a daughter-in-law.

This memory comes rushing back every time someone mentions about Sukhna Lake.

Shaira Sahgal Mohan, Kuala Lumpur