What happens when a social butterfly stops thinking of weighty issues such as kitty parties, spas and diamond studs and instead takes on the onerous task of finding a suitable wife for a die-vorced cousin?
When a Lahori begum, tricked into making a promise to her Aunty Pussy (her Mummy's twice-removed cousin sister), is forced into taking a breather from fashion and gossip and parties and lends a helping hand in ‘girl hunting'?
First, she establishes the ground rules: the right girl must have the right ‘bagground', i.e. ‘have same to same money and know the same people and went to same places' as her cousin Jonkers.
Just as she does with her Oxen husband; her Oxford-educated Janoo. Having established the ground rules, the Butterfly sets off on a Wodehousian romp — with Jonkers in tow — through Pakistani high society. Having run the gamut of corrupt politician's weddings, dens of drug smugglers and all manner of GTs (get-togethers), meeting girls who are gay or rude or both, evading scheming mummies and gold-digging daughters, the Butterfly finds herself on the horns of a dilemma.
Final choice
Un-aided and un-abetted, Jonkers has found a girl for himself. Brave, feisty and loving, Jonker's choice turns out to be a far cry from the rich-fair-beautiful society girl from a ‘good' family they have been scouting for.
Initially, the Butterfly doesn't quite know what to make of this middle-class, independent working girl who, to make matters worse, is neither fair-skinned nor pretty in the conventional sense.
However, faced with Jonker's love and respect for his working-class lady love, the Butterfly surprises us with her wisdom and courage. The air-head, it turns out, has a heart of gold.
In Mohsin's hands, the story of Jonker's search for a bride becomes a modern-day bildungsroman.
And the Butterfly — for all her ‘tabahi' costumes, her coloured contact lenses, her malapropisms, her Gucci bags and Prada shoes — an unlikely heroine of our times.
Tender Hooks; Moni Mohsin, Random House India, Rs 199
