I spy

Are you someone who's all set to wed, but haven't split with your ex? Or do you have a secret drinking habit that your fiancée's family does not know about?

Look over your shoulder - if you know where to look, you might find a private eye tailing you. Families are increasingly checking out prospective sons- and daughters-in-law by hiring detectives.

Hide and seek
A Bhalla, owner of AB Detectives, says, "Our clients are generally from upper middleclass families. They want to know how much a prospective son or daughter-in-law earns, details about their social status and daily routine. We charge Rs 12,000 per assignment."

Kamran Siddiqui, the director of Royal Detective Agency, adds, "They also want to know about the boy or girl's friend circle; how and where they spend their evenings; if they are in the family business and what their stake is in it? We charge Rs 25,000 for 10-15 days.50 per cent of the money is taken in advance."

Such services are sought throughout the year, but more when the wedding season is just round the corner. Since a lot of matches these days are inter-city, these detectives get calls from across the country.

"People call us even from Bangalore, Lucknow and Allahabad. In most of the cases, we don't even get to meet the clients. All the interaction is done through e-mail," says Siddiqui.

Sex and the city "These days, parents want to know about the sexual orientation of the boy or girl - fearing that he or she might be gay/ lesbian," says Sanjay Singh, Indian Detective Agency."You cannot be 100 per cent sure , but we try to give our clients as much information as possible. We contact family doctors.

"At times, our detectives flirt with the person we are investigating, and if they respond, our work is done."