No rushing in

Media reports say that Sir Salman Rushdie has been stopped in his tracks. No, not the literary track which even the Iranian religious dictator Ayatollah Khomeini couldn’t do. It is the matrimonial track I am talking about. SSR’s two sons, we are told, have asked him not to marry, again of course.

It is not that the celebrated author is a much married father. For a man of his repute four marriages need not be the end of the matrimonial road. But his two sons think otherwise. Both unmarried, the duo think four is enough and sufficient for their father. Neither keen on seeing a fifth Mrs. Rushdie they, in a friendly advice to their father, have told him, Bas karo, Papa, though not in as many words. But their message is loud and clear: no more exchange of rings.

And lo! Sir Salman seems to have graciously heeded the advice. And there has been no breaking news yet of the celebrated author falling in love again. Sir Salman can of course afford another wife; he has enough reputation and wealth after all and patience too to try out another matrimonial alliance. Talking of patience who can forget the matrimonial exploits of another celebrity here. Heard of Elizabeth Taylor, the Cleopatra of Hollywood? This celluloid beauty queen had seven husbands after marrying eight times. No, I have not got the figures wrong. It is seven husbands from eight marriages. But how? Well sir, she married the same person twice. And that lucky (?) chap was none another than Sir Richard Burton, another Hollywood celebrity.

Elizabeth of course had fallen in love with Burton and nobody need to know why because love, as we all know, is after all blind. Granted that love is blind but what about divorce? That also seems to be blind, at least for outsiders like us, because we do not know why she walked out on him.

Anyhow, after trying out six more husbands Liz realised that Burton was worth another try and he too was willing for another fling with his old flame. We do not know if they fell in love again but got married anyhow. Not many risk another marriage with the same partner but scripts in Hollywood are different. And the result was that Elizabeth became Mrs. Burton again. Burton did not become Mr. Taylor of course.

We don’t know whether Rushdie’s matrimonial plans are halted permanently. It is a man’s prerogative to marry as many times as the law permits or as many girls willing to tie the knot. But his sons think differently and have shown the red signal and the Rushdie express has been stopped for now. The fifth Mrs Rushdie has to wait till the signal turns green.