We desis are serious about our mangoes. And to prove that statement here is a news item fresh from my hometown Pune.

Now I admit I am a mango snob – no Mexican impostors for me -it has to be Ratnagiri apoos or nothing .True that after one bad experience with south-of-border mangoes – I did not taste mangoes for 7 years till the President decreed that Indian mangoes did not need visas ( though Indians still do). True also – per family lore- that I held the mango-eating record for consuming the most number of mangoes one sultry summer afternoon ( which resulted in spectacular gastric distress).But I could never, ever imagine disrupting a wedding ceremony over mangoes. (link)

A trivial demand — that ‘aamras’ (mango pulp) be served in the marriage-hall — was sufficient for a wedding to be called off in Pune recently.

Believe it or not – the groom’s family decided not to go ahead with the scheduled marriage because the bride’s family demurred from fulfilling the sudden demand for “aamras” ( mango pulp) to be served as part of the wedding feast.

Just before the ceremony could begin, the Botaljis ( editor’s note: groom’s family) demanded that their relatives be served ‘aamras’. The Bhises(ed: bride’s family) expressed their inability to do so, saying that the menu for the occasion had been decided by both sides a long time back and that ‘aamras’ was not to be on the fare. They said it was too late to arrange for the ‘aamras’ now.

One thing led to another, matters escalated and :

The Botaljis walked out of the marriage-hall even as the Bhises made repeated pleas against the cancellation of the wedding.

As if that is not sad enough:

…..both the Botaljis and Bhises are well-to-do families. While the girl’s father is a manager with a leading bank, the boy is working at the Film and Television Institute of India

.There is really no excuse for such atrocious behavior from ostensibly educated folks. Actually, there is no excuse for this kind of behavior from anyone. Sad that mangoes are the latest entry to the long list of items that can cause weddings to be called off at the last minute!

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