“Excuse me, I’m here to meet Nisha”, Mahesh Shah said with a slight flutter in his voice. Used to making and breaking deals with total suave, control and assertiveness, he wasn’t his usual self today. This was probably the first time that the ball was not in his court. In fact, this tennis match was a two-sided game where a rejection from the other could lead to a game set match in a single go.
“Mr Shah, you may go in now” the receptionist said, pointing towards a door that read Miss. Nisha Karamchandani.
Mahesh walked towards the door and stopped just before opening it. Adjusting his coat and tie he checked himself in the vague reflection off the door. Using his fingers as the teeth of a comb he put the few strands of hair in place that had violated their Line of Control and disrupted the parting of his hair. Clearing his throat, he turned the door knob and spoke, “Nisha, may I come in?”
With a smile on her face, Nisha replied, “Mr Shah, please come in.”
Extending her hand forward, she welcomed him and asked him to be comfortable by pointing to the seat that lay before her. After the exchange of pleasantries she said, “Mr Shah, welcome to IndiaMatrimony.com”.
“Thanks, but please call me Mahesh.” Nisha smiled in acknowledgement.
“So Mr Shah, I’m sorry Mahesh, let’s get started.”
“Yup, let’s start”.
Going through the file that contained the set of questionnaires Mahesh had filled and brought along, Nisha gauged the person Mahesh Shah was, and the kind of girl he would be interested in. When she was almost done, she realized one thing. In all the cases she had handled, this would be, if not the toughest, one of the toughest.
Mahesh was not a usual client. He was different, better said, very different. He had topped every exam he took, went only to the best schools and institutions and stood out from the rest in every way. He was tall, smart, good looking; a fabulous singer and loved horse-riding. He had his own business, and that too, just like his academics was among the best. In other words, Mahesh was perfect in every way. Getting a girl that matched all these qualities would be a find. Still, hoping for something different Nisha asked, “Mahesh, what kind of girl would you want?”
She held her breath as Mahesh opened his mouth to speak. “Just like me, perfect in every way.” Mahesh said with pride and a smile on his face. “We should be able to connect. She should understand me, even without any exchange of words. No matter what the topic of discussion, she should be able to contribute. She should love only the best of things and places and be a class apart. She should be able to do everything and be the best at it. In short, perfect.”
Nisha waited patiently for Mahesh’s impromptu speech to end. At one point, she wondered why she had asked the question.
Read the complete story in State of the Heart.
