I was at Star Briyani in Chennai One road, the table next to me was a guy bragging about how much gold he is getting from his in-laws for his marriage. It brought shame to me.

I don’t really understand women, possibly its okay for them to get money for sex, but that guy was a man. As a man I feel that men should not become prostitutes. Its a shame. We fought the British not to get their wealth, but to stop them from seducing us with their power and wealth. We are men!

In India, male prostitution amounts more than female ones. Female prostitutes usually don’t marry and do it with many males, prostitute males usually get a lump sum amount from the females family and try to be dedicated for them by marrying them. In soul both these female and male prostitutes are the same.

I am a prostitute too :( , yup I usually had a vision of a simple marriage, a calm life. I thought I would marry a girl, i.e we will have a very good understanding, but circumstances made me a prostitute. I should have walked away if I were a pure soul, but I stayed put for my convenience and for the sake of not hurting others.

I thought my engagement would be simple. My family said that it will be in a temple with two families exchanging confirmations of marriage, but it turned out to be different. First there was a expensive suit purchased for me by my wife with my money :(. Okay I thought, she might be intoxicated with the feeling of getting married. There were shoes purchased (with my money). I am in Tamilnadu, a hot country where I see only idiots wear shoes and it sweats. But people do it because copying European culture seems to make them feel secure and superior. Europe is a different region dumbos! Its far far away from the equator, look at the map. Tamilnadu is near the equator. I often wondered why people don’t think, but they don’t.

Even though all was bought, I had a feeling that engagement would be simple. On the day engagement, I was asked to come to a hotel, as soon as I got out of the lift there were photographers shooting me and directing me how I must pose. I was a puppet and not myself. Of-course prostitutes are puppets :( . It was very clear that the lavish expense was just for show off. There were nearly 100 guests, they all ate food while I stood near my wife on the podium could only watch in hunger as they ate and enjoyed. I felt like I was in prison. When I finally came to eat in all hunger, there was almost no food. I left the place hungry and got myself a tandoori in my hotel room.

My marriage was even more lavish. it was all about money and show off than about two hearts understanding each other. My in-laws never really knew even my name. My name on the podium was wrong and none seemed to care about it. The irony was I was marrying a to be doctor in English literature, and they did not know to write my name well.

I think a few days after my marriage, just like a horse is stamped they stamped me as prostitute. My inlaws presented me a gold chain, bracelet, I had a engagement ring too. I am supposed to wear these at every function to show off my status.

We remember Thiruvalluvar not for the gold he wore, we remember Auvaiyaar for the dress she wore, but we remember them. If we ask who was the richest person in the Pandiyas period, none knows. That’s our Tamil culture. We have never valued wealth, we have valued what one stood form what ones ideas were.

When I heard the person speak so proud about his dowry in Star Briyani, my prostitute days flashed before me. I wish I had a pure soul.