She Was Pretty!

Sitting in front of the mirror, she retouched her make up for the thousandth time. Her perfectly contoured face and hours of grooming lessons had given her enough confidence to face the day. Silently she was chanting the mantras learnt in her meditation classes to calm down the tsunami of thoughts that were wreaking havoc in her mind.

Her inner monologue got interrupted by a knock on her door. Looking at her lovingly, her mother mouthed "It's time". She took a long deep breath and got up with extreme caution so as not to disarrange the pleats on her super expensive designer gown and calmly made her way to the living room.

Walking down the stairs she saw her suitor who along with his mother was scrutinising her each step. Suddenly she could feel her confidence seeping from the cracks of her inner wall. She heard them whispering amongst themselves and then there was an awkward silence. She looked up and saw the disappointed look on the guy's face who didn't even try to hide his ridicule. She then glanced at her parents who reassured a smile that soothed her embarrassed soul for some time.

As a university topper, she had faced many interviews but none of them ever disintegrated her self respect like these sessions. This time the guy was an investment banker who had converted millions of dollars to billions. His parents gloated about how they have rejected several girls whom they found unsuitable to his repute. Sitting there she felt petty and not pretty. She resented their condescending cordiality towards her parents. She was enraged and wanted to throw this money-grubbing family out of her house but alas, she wasn't that brave.

Finally, the agonizing meeting came to an end with an evident outcome. This was her 7th rejection and all because she was a person with short stature, bluntly put she was a little person, a dwarf. Quietly she went into her room and closed the door, and after some time, her room light went off.

A few days later, she was again sitting in front of the mirror simply admiring her make up. It was just another day.