Tall Tale 1

I am a bachelor, aged 28 years. I am working in a fairly good Commercial company in one of the major cities in India, as a Sales Executive.

I always was in awe of the big, tall policewomen from my youth.

Don't know why…but possibly because they were generally bigger and taller than me.

You see I'm a small guy 5 feet 3 inches in height. Not very healthy too, just 58 kgs in weight.

 I seriously was very fascinated by tall policewomen all along. In fact, at one time, I was planning an interview with a few policewomen and planned to write an article or a story on the data collected. I could tell them that I'm a freelance journalist and I'm writing a series of articles for an important newspaper about the life, struggles and problems of policewomen. That way, I will get an excuse to meet and talk to different policewomen. I had a long list of questions typed ready. I had made a set of photocopies of the questionnaires. But the problem was how to ask those questions. I just cannot start a conversation with a policewoman on duty somewhere and ask her questions. I was just not getting the right opportunity.

My office was in the heart of the city in the main business centre, where the city's police headquarters was also located. One day I was working till 8 pm in the office. When I reached the bus stand, it was already quite empty, the office rush was over by then. I spotted a tall lady waiting for a bus. I knew her by face to be one of the policewomen, who generally are on duty near the police headquarters. I thought that I had got the opportunity that day. Unfortunately, I was not carrying the questionnaire sheets with me at that time. But still, more or less, I remembered the questions. So I went and stood beside her. This lady was very tall, but not very heavily built. She had an athletic, strong-looking physique. I think she got the job just because of her magnificent height. I couldn't guess her age, I'm very bad at this, anything possibly between 30 and 40.

As it is, I had this soft corner for tall women. So it was even more exciting at the prospect of initiating a conversation with this very tall policewoman. So I started, "Excuse me, madam, are you with the police department, I think I have seen you on duty ?"

She looked down to meet my eye level from her tall height, with a quizzical expression and said, "Yes ?"

 I saw that my head just barely crossed her shoulders only, she was so much taller than me. Looking down, I checked and found that she was wearing a flat soled shoe, no heels at all.

I didn't know how to get to the point, so I said, "Actually, I just wanted to know something from you...how does one get a job in the police department ?"

She smiled for the first time, "You won't get a job in the police, you are too short. What is your height ?"

I didn't know why I was answering her question. Actually, I was supposed to do the asking. But just to continue the conversation, I said, "5 feet 3 inches".

She almost laughed out loud, but checked herself, thinking that it might be rude. She said, "With your height and build, you wouldn't get a job even in the Policewomen's team also. All our girls are taller than you. Why don't you try for other jobs? How far have you studied ?"

This was certainly not the way I planned my interview. Anyways, I said, "I have done B.Tech in Electrical engineering."

"Ohh! So you are educated enough. See, young man, the police department is not supposed to be your line, because of your physical build. We need tall, strong men and women. You must try where you can use your educational qualification." She continued in a helpful manner.

"Wait, I'll tell you what to do, you seem to be a nice guy." She was advising me now.

Then this policewoman asks me, "You are at this bus stop, where will you go ?" I told her my destination. She said, "I am also going in the same direction, but a little farther from you. Good, we can discuss it on the bus also."

"Madam, I want to tell you something." I thought it is better to tell her that I have a good job before it is too late. But she stopped me. "Wait, a bus is coming, let's get on the bus, then we'll talk. You get on first, I'll come behind you." Now she was even becoming protective of me because she was so much taller.

 We got onto the bus… it was more or less empty. We got a seat side by side. She told me to get inside, as she prefers the aisle seat for her long legs. Once seated, I thought I should compliment her for her height and from then on control the conversation. Up till now, she has not allowed me to talk.

Even sitting beside her, my head was still under her chin level. I said, "I must say, you have got a fantastic height."

She said, "What fantastic? You are saying fantastic because you are short. With my height, my parents can't find a boy for my marriage !"

I said, "But there are some tall men too."

She said, "All tall men are not of marriageable standard. And most are already married. Also, all tall men and especially their families don't want a bride as tall as me."

I said, "Yes, I understand your problem."

She said, "Of course, I don't have any issue with marrying a guy who is a little shorter than me. He should only have to be good and have a decent job. By the way, what is your age ?"

"I am 28," I said.

She said, "Ohh I'm 30. I thought you were much younger than me. That's possible because you look so much smaller to me. You seem to be a good guy. I only wished you had a proper job."

At that moment, I wasn't sure whether I should tell her the truth or not.

The girl continued, "Do you have any steady girlfriend, whom you plan to marry ?"

I said, "No."

She said, "See, I'm 5 feet 11 inches, meaning 8 inches taller than you. But height is nothing. It's God-given. Like God has given me, so I have it, but you don't. It is not to my credit that I'm so tall. We should not bother about such petty differences. If a man can be taller than his wife, what is wrong with the wife being taller than the man ?" It was as if she was consoling me because I was short. She continued, "The only problem is that you don't have a job. That is also not so much of a problem. You will definitely find one with your qualifications. Anyways, I have a job for now. So not so much of an issue. And I'm just 2 years older than you, nowadays this is not a problem."  What was this, was she already prospecting me as her possible suitor?

This wasn't the way I thought the interview should be going. I was only hoping that my destination would come quickly.

She was engrossed in her own thoughts, "Can you meet me tomorrow at the bus stop at the same time as today? You see, that is the time I get off from my duties. I'll talk to some senior officers and try to get you a job. You know senior Police officers have a lot of contacts."

I thought, now it was going too far. She is now planning to find me a job through her senior officers.

I had to intervene and make my point, "I have been trying to say something to you for some time, but you are not giving me a chance."

She looked surprised, "What ?" she said.

I said, "Actually I have a good job as a Sales Executive in a major company. I just wanted to start a conversation with you and I didn't know what to say, so...." I was at a loss of words to complete the sentence.

I thought she would get angry with me. Instead, she looked very pleased and obviously flattered. She said, "You wanted to just speak to me? Does that mean you like me? In which Company do you work? Where exactly is your office?" She rattled off quite a few questions altogether.

I had to give the name and location of my office. I knew I was getting myself into a jam, but I had no other alternative.

She was so excited, she caught my hand in hers and said, "Promise me that you will meet me tomorrow at the bus stop. By the way, I don't even know your name. My name is Madhumita."

I had to tell her my name, "I'm Sumit", I said. She held onto my hand. I found that her palm was so big, that it had totally engulfed my hand. She was now looking at my face intently. I looked at her. She was not beautiful in the strictest sense but had a nice Nordic face with high cheekbones. She was not fair, but her skin was smooth. A pleasing face overall. She was not letting go of my hand and had pulled my hand on her lap. 

My stoppage had come, so I had to get off. She exchanged mobile numbers and made me promise that I'll meet her the next day.

The next day I had to stay back in the office till 8 pm, although I didn't have so much work. That day, she purposely left a few buses, so that she could talk to me for a longer time, standing at the bus stop. She was purposely standing very close to me, facing me, with her one hand resting on my shoulder. It was odd how I had to crane my neck upwards to meet her eyes. The top of my head just barely crossed her shoulder level, she was so much taller than me.

She asked for full details about my family. I told her that my father had retired from a private company job and my mother was a housewife. We have our own ancestral home and I have a younger sister, who was just married.  About her family, she said that she was the youngest child of her parents, who were both alive. She has two elder brothers who owned a small garment shop. Both her brothers are married.

She kept on mentioning that she was very glad that I wanted to just talk to her and had, therefore, asked her about a police job. So I could not even tell her about my interview plan for policewomen. But I told her that it is not possible for me to stay back so late in the office every day. People in the office would want to know why. So it was negotiated between us that at least one day in a week if possible two, I'll meet her at the bus stand in the evenings after 8 pm. And then we could meet on Sundays for a long time during the daytime.

She asked me, "Do you think that the fact that I'm 2 years older than you and me being so much taller than you, would be a problem with your parents ?"

I did not reply directly, but said, "Listen Madhumita, don't you think you are rushing things a little too fast? We met only yesterday and that too for not even an hour. You only said that since you are not getting a suitable guy taller than you, or at least your height, you can marry a guy a little shorter than you. But I'm 8 inches shorter. See, I barely come up to your shoulder level. Won't you be ashamed to move around with me amongst your relatives and friends, with me looking like a small boy beside you ?"

Madhumita bent forward and brought her face down as much as possible to meet my eyes. "Listen Sumit, I might be way taller and bigger and possibly also stronger than you. But you are much more educated than me. You are much much more successful in your career; in terms of earning and also in terms of your social standing, than me. So, actually, it is you who is much bigger than me in every other worldly sense, than just mere height and weight. So, I would be only too proud to show you off to my relatives and friends."

I was smiling, "I didn't know that you can talk so well." 

She then asked me, "You told me that you wanted to talk to me because you liked me. Can you tell me, what exactly you liked in me since you now say that I'm 8 inches taller than you ?"

I said, smiling, "Exactly that. Your height. I love tall girls, the taller than me, the better. And also your well built, athletic figure…not muscular, but well-toned and very feminine. And your beautiful smooth, dusky skin. And now, I like the way you talk too. You see, just because I'm short, I did not have the courage to even approach a taller girl to be my friend. And now, you, although being so much taller than me, are willing to be my girlfriend. I just cannot believe that this is happening to me."

She was beaming from ear to ear. She said, "I can't even imagine that any boy could like me because of my giraffe-like figure and my dark complexion. It's my bad luck that we are at the bus stand. Otherwise, I definitely would have hugged you."

It was around 9 pm by then. We boarded the next bus which came to the bus stand. The bus was more or less empty. We sat side by side as the previous day, with Madhumita taking the aisle seat. She again took my hand inside her big palm and held it on her lap. My hands vanished inside her huge palm. She asked me, "You didn't answer my question..will your parents object to my being 2 years older and so much taller than you ?"

I thought for a minute, "Frankly speaking, I think they might. Especially my mother. My parents have however given me a free hand to decide on any girl I would want to marry. But since our height difference is a little too much, at first they might not approve."

Her face fell, " So…what will happen? Is there no way they can be convinced ?"

I tried to get out of this question, "But what about your parents? Will they accept me being so much shorter than you? How tall are they? And your brothers? And their wives ?"

She looked at me, now with a thoughtful face, and said, "Well my father and both my brothers are 6 feet and over. Both my brothers' wives are also tall, one is 5'6" and the other is 5'7". My mother is the shortest in our family. She is just 5'5". Now you with your 5'3" will become the shortest member in our family. Mother will only be too happy, now that nobody will be able to call her the shortest." She broke into laughter. 

It really made me think. I said, "But with such a tall family of yours will your parents accept me as their daughter's husband ?"

Madhumita tried to reason with me. "See, for the last few years, my parents and brothers have been trying to find a suitable groom for me. Their efforts have been rendered futile, just because of my odd height. Nobody wants such a tall bride, not even the tall guys. Up to 5'8" is ok. But beyond that, it's difficult to get a husband through an arranged marriage. Love marriage is different."

I said, "So, why don't you try to find a guy yourself."

Madhumita laughed, "Arrey, the men don't even want to stand in front of me. Especially the young guys who I can consider for marriage. They are all in awe of my height and self-consciousness. You are the first man who does not have any inhibitions when talking to me, even though I'm so much taller than you."

She squeezed my hand a little and said, "But apart from your height, that too in comparison to me, you are otherwise a most eligible bachelor. No parents will reject you."

We were getting close to my destination. So I said, "Ok, let's give it some time. We just met yesterday. Let us meet some more. If any feelings develop between us, then we can inform our respective families."

She smiled broadly, a relief in her looks, "But I'll tell my parents that I am seeing a very good guy. Although he is a little younger and much shorter, he likes me for my height only. Let me see how my family reacts."

The next day was Sunday, we both had our duties off. So we decided to meet at around 11 am and spend the day together.

I went home with a strange feeling. I always wanted to have a very tall girlfriend, which I ultimately have now found. But this girl seems to be overeager to get married and is rushing things. That has got me worried. Also whatever I heard about her family, even all the women in her family are taller than me, her mother included. How will I get along if I go to their house…all four women will be towering over me! 

Let's see how our first proper date goes tomorrow….