A day of chats, it looks today.
‘Mama, namaskaram, aaseervaadam pannunkol’
‘Namaskaram, deerghasumangali bhava’
‘How do you know that I’m a sumangali?’
‘You called me ‘mAma’ ; so you should be a ‘mAmi’
‘If I’m unmarried?’
‘Still my blessings hold’
‘If I don’t want to marry?’
‘Still my blessings hold. Mangalam is auspiciousness. You will have it for long’
‘I’m your FB friend mama’
‘I know that. That was how you could chat with me’
‘I’m not like your other friends’
‘I know that too’
‘How, how?’
‘No one has told me what you said just now. So, you are different from others’
‘Thanks, uncle’
‘From mama to uncle?’
‘Yes, you don’t seems to be as old as I thought . Can I ask you something?!
‘Please go ahead, madam’
‘Mami to madam?!
‘You seems to be the daughter and not a mother. Go ahead with your question’
‘Thanks again. Are you really a bad character as you depict about about yourself?’
‘When did I do that ?’
‘Mostly. Your stories, poses with wine bottles, your jokes’
‘You consider those bad?’
‘Not bad, but I don’t like those’
‘If those are bad, I’m bad’
‘But you don’t look that bad’
‘I’m not that bad’
‘So you are not very good too?’
‘What is very good?’
‘Look like an elderly Brahmin, spiritual, matured, deal with topics which usualły people of your age talk about etc, etc’
‘I don’t have that elderly, matured, scholarly, spiritual look?’
‘No says my husband. He doesn’t like you’
‘I know that’
‘How do you know? He hasn’t told that to anyone except me! How did you come to know about it? Are you really the Mahamuni of Baltimore?’
‘Your husband is talking to me on phone’
‘Please, please don’t tell him that I told you about his dislike for you’
‘No need. He has told me his opinion about me’
‘What is that?’
‘I have a matured, spiritual, scholarly look!’
‘But, he told a lie to me?’
‘Don’t get emotional. All husbands tell one or two lies to their sweet hearts everyday’
‘You too?’
‘Pappa, I’m like any other man!’
‘Pappa!’
‘You seems to be ignorant of the basic knowledge a wife should possess’
‘Who is the best wife, according to you, mama?’
‘The woman who loves her husband best’
‘And no other qualities?’
‘All other qualities will automatically come. If a married couple love, sincerely love each other, all other attributes will automatically join them. Deficiency if any, will vanish or will be forgiven in due course . Love covers everything’
‘You talk like a saintly, matured, scholarly person. But shall I tell you one thing: your thinking is outdated. How can a woman love her husband if he is a good- for- nothing man? And how can love be unconditional? How can love cover deep deficiencies ?
Be reasonable uncle. You belong to two centuries behind in thinking and four centuries behind in your looks ‘
‘So, poor score for me?’
‘No, you are good for a chat till the cooker whistles thrice’
‘Your cooker has done its job?’
‘That is my husband’s look out . He does my entire kitchen work’
‘And you love him, sincerely?
‘I love him madly. The husband knowing cooking is free from any deficiencies ‘
‘That is the current century’s theory ?’
‘Of course. Bye. Gd dy oldie!’