“It's your life, it's your wish.” she curtly cut my call off.
“Ahh.. these ladies ! Even God fails to count their moves, I am only an ordinary mortal” I murmured as I placed the phone back on the cradle. After a long time, my old friend had dropped at our town on Official assignment. So, I called my wife, Arpana, to inform that I would return home little late in the evening as I was to go to the Club from Office with my friend.
So , two friends spent a beautiful evening, sipped few drinks , minced words with nuts till it was 10 PM and the time for the bar to close.
Coming home back, I met rather an indifferent wife at the door, quickly moving away without any pleasantries. Our son Hrishi was already at bed which was unusual at 10 PM. Only after my repeated call, he whispered - Papa, Mama is very angry.
By now I was little peeved.
" Am I not entitled an evening alone with my friend ? Doesn't she catch up with her own friends ? Have I ever shown such attitude! “
Dinner was laid and I found her best crockeries resting on the table with my favorite cuisines. Normally , we eat simple dinner and make up the calories in breakfast and lunch. The seductive look and odour of the cuisines tinkered my taste buds hard enough to make me gulp the flowing saliva in my watery mouth.
Something was utterly wrong ! We kept on eating dinner silently till Arpana broke the stillness - Still you don't remember what it is today !!
Ah…. I cursed myself. It was our Wedding Anniversary and how could I forget !! That was the reason she was hooked to the phone all the time in the morning answering to calls and not even a single family member wished me to remind that it was our Anniversary ! I knew it was a trick she hatched to see if I remembered our day taking advantage of me being out of my mobile at Office as I worked inside the Refinery where mobiles were barred.
“OK. I shall make it up in October in your birthday” I made a vow.
Days and months passed by. I was busy in a late evening meeting at Office, when I received a call from Hrishi.
“Papa… Can you bring a B’day cake for Mama while you come home ? Don't you remember ?”
Oh… Goodness gracious ! I almost goofed up once more. It was 17th October and Arpana's B’day. It was already 7:30 pm with an unfinished agenda at Office while at Digboi most of the shops close by 8 in the evening.
While I assured Hrishi, I remembered the day (Papa remembers all) and all I wanted was to surprise her in the evening ! I hurriedly called at the lone baker's shop to order a B’day cake.
By the time, I finished my Office and collected the cake, it was almost 9 O’clock. I enquired at nearby stationary shop , still open, whether they had any B’day gift. They had nothing much of a collection except that masterpiece.
It was indeed a surprise for Arpana as she was planning for a repeat of the last Anniversary to remind me how careless I was for my family while each and every other man was such wonderful devoted husband !
As she opened the wrapper, her excitement and curiosity turned into disappointment followed by sarcasm and laughter. The Bone China tea set with a pot was smiling at and wished her a Happy B’day.
“ A tea set for use of the entire family !!!! This has to be the most unromantic gift ever a husband brought for his wife . This is my destiny. Tell me, you again forgot my day and this is the only stuff you got in New Market at this hour. ”
Hrishi was still confused and trying hard to understand whether his Mama was happy or annoyed to receive the gift which he made sure to write his name as well in the attached gift card just below the “ Best Wishes” tag line.
“ It's the best gift I thought off after so many days and you call it unromantic ! ” I said.
“ In the weekend afternoons, we will sit outside seeing the beautiful Digboi skyline, seeing the birds fly home, seeing the Sun sets in the horizon , engrossed in each other's eyes while the tea brews in this pot. Doesn't that sound romantic ???” I was in my elements to woo a lady.
My words had magic. We had a happy celebration thereafter including a dinner invitation to my friend next day.
Arpana still wonders my choice of gift on that B’day and till date keeps on enquiring about it. I didn't tell her the background story. So, while she reads this Sunday post, which she often does, she will find on her own. Come 3rd of July and we will be another year older as a couple. While I have traits of a vagabond at heart making her life difficult at times, I am required to be precise , calculative and methodical as a professional. Life has been a constant tussle between the two facets of the same person.
In the last 14 years, I have only words of gratitude to Arpana for everything, endless sacrifices she made , for bearing my forgetfulness and above all making this wild feral domesticated to remember important dates !
You can contact Kamaljit at kamaljitmedhi1975@gmail.com
“Ahh.. these ladies ! Even God fails to count their moves, I am only an ordinary mortal” I murmured as I placed the phone back on the cradle. After a long time, my old friend had dropped at our town on Official assignment. So, I called my wife, Arpana, to inform that I would return home little late in the evening as I was to go to the Club from Office with my friend.
So , two friends spent a beautiful evening, sipped few drinks , minced words with nuts till it was 10 PM and the time for the bar to close.
Coming home back, I met rather an indifferent wife at the door, quickly moving away without any pleasantries. Our son Hrishi was already at bed which was unusual at 10 PM. Only after my repeated call, he whispered - Papa, Mama is very angry.
By now I was little peeved.
" Am I not entitled an evening alone with my friend ? Doesn't she catch up with her own friends ? Have I ever shown such attitude! “
Dinner was laid and I found her best crockeries resting on the table with my favorite cuisines. Normally , we eat simple dinner and make up the calories in breakfast and lunch. The seductive look and odour of the cuisines tinkered my taste buds hard enough to make me gulp the flowing saliva in my watery mouth.
Something was utterly wrong ! We kept on eating dinner silently till Arpana broke the stillness - Still you don't remember what it is today !!
Ah…. I cursed myself. It was our Wedding Anniversary and how could I forget !! That was the reason she was hooked to the phone all the time in the morning answering to calls and not even a single family member wished me to remind that it was our Anniversary ! I knew it was a trick she hatched to see if I remembered our day taking advantage of me being out of my mobile at Office as I worked inside the Refinery where mobiles were barred.
“OK. I shall make it up in October in your birthday” I made a vow.
Days and months passed by. I was busy in a late evening meeting at Office, when I received a call from Hrishi.
“Papa… Can you bring a B’day cake for Mama while you come home ? Don't you remember ?”
Oh… Goodness gracious ! I almost goofed up once more. It was 17th October and Arpana's B’day. It was already 7:30 pm with an unfinished agenda at Office while at Digboi most of the shops close by 8 in the evening.
While I assured Hrishi, I remembered the day (Papa remembers all) and all I wanted was to surprise her in the evening ! I hurriedly called at the lone baker's shop to order a B’day cake.
By the time, I finished my Office and collected the cake, it was almost 9 O’clock. I enquired at nearby stationary shop , still open, whether they had any B’day gift. They had nothing much of a collection except that masterpiece.
It was indeed a surprise for Arpana as she was planning for a repeat of the last Anniversary to remind me how careless I was for my family while each and every other man was such wonderful devoted husband !
As she opened the wrapper, her excitement and curiosity turned into disappointment followed by sarcasm and laughter. The Bone China tea set with a pot was smiling at and wished her a Happy B’day.
“ A tea set for use of the entire family !!!! This has to be the most unromantic gift ever a husband brought for his wife . This is my destiny. Tell me, you again forgot my day and this is the only stuff you got in New Market at this hour. ”
Hrishi was still confused and trying hard to understand whether his Mama was happy or annoyed to receive the gift which he made sure to write his name as well in the attached gift card just below the “ Best Wishes” tag line.
“ It's the best gift I thought off after so many days and you call it unromantic ! ” I said.
“ In the weekend afternoons, we will sit outside seeing the beautiful Digboi skyline, seeing the birds fly home, seeing the Sun sets in the horizon , engrossed in each other's eyes while the tea brews in this pot. Doesn't that sound romantic ???” I was in my elements to woo a lady.
My words had magic. We had a happy celebration thereafter including a dinner invitation to my friend next day.
Arpana still wonders my choice of gift on that B’day and till date keeps on enquiring about it. I didn't tell her the background story. So, while she reads this Sunday post, which she often does, she will find on her own. Come 3rd of July and we will be another year older as a couple. While I have traits of a vagabond at heart making her life difficult at times, I am required to be precise , calculative and methodical as a professional. Life has been a constant tussle between the two facets of the same person.
In the last 14 years, I have only words of gratitude to Arpana for everything, endless sacrifices she made , for bearing my forgetfulness and above all making this wild feral domesticated to remember important dates !
You can contact Kamaljit at kamaljitmedhi1975@gmail.com
