"I wanted to know..," she hesitated, moving her hair sideways and caressing her Egyptian necklace thoughtfully.
I looked up at her face instantly as she placed the tea cups on the centre-table.
"What you want to know?" I was curious.
She leaned across and looked me in the eye. "Whom do you love -- the most in this world..?"
It was a weekend. I was lazed on the sofa, reading a book. Through the window, the 4th Ring Road off Salmiya was a street of calm on a warm Friday afternoon.
‘In moments like this’ hymned through our apartment.
"She is my heart...my sweet -- dear, dear heart!" I smiled.
The color of her face changed instantly. She stopped humming the next hymn that played, 'Singing, I love you Lord.'
She slowly put her cup on the table, tossed her hair behind the ears, and returned her gaze back on me.
I looked deeply into her big, fat eyes. "She is sweeter than you are....much sweeter.."
Her breath caught a gloat in her throat as she smiled.
"I think we're in love," I said. "And you know what, she likes me a lot..”
"Answer my question..!!" She exclaimed.
"What's the question!"
Her eyes popped up. Before she could say something else, I grabbed the car keys, lifted my little child Angel up in arms and said, “Come-on.. Let’s get going.. ..the City Centre.. ”
===
"Amazing!"
"Incredible!"
"Praise God!"
"You must be so much in love with each other!"
These are some of the 'amazing' comments that I have received in our 2 years of marriage -- perhaps for the 'amazing' achievement of always walking hand in hand with my wife.
Many women including my lovely wife, place considerable importance on certain days each year, which include birthdays, wedding anniversaries, etc.
They look forward with great expectation to flowers, gifts and in our case, a chance to leave our daughter with my mother-in-law while we slip off to do something more interesting than changing diapers.
No doubt, it is a wonderful, magical time that rules our senses and our lives.
Many men, myself included, struggle to remember these days exist and just cannot imagine some strange expectations.
The days I actually wait each month and year are the weekends, Champions League football, India batting first when I am home, and of course the vacation holidays.
Most of my friends though, wait for a new dance in town, or a party, while others look forward to only celebrating Christmas or their village feast.
Since my wife now 'managers' our home, we usually compromise by going out for dinner on most of the special occasions while exchanging thoughtful notes on the phone throughout the day when we are at work.
This time, however, with enough encouragement, I may even go against my better judgment of buying her a rose, by purchasing a bouquet of flowers instead.
Husbandly duties aside, I have begun to view anniversaries as yet another commercial conspiracy to part me from my hard-earned money. Between the jewellers and the florists, it’s one day of the year that always seems more expensive than necessary.
Am always thinking if it is worth.
WHY????
Just 2 years of marriage and we have started differing in our opinion. Not that we did not differ earlier. Now we differ more often.
Ofcourse, my communiqué with her before marriage and after has helped much to boost my vocabulary.. and after marriage!!! Don’t ask..!
On the political front, she is not Goan, Kuwaiti, BJP, Congress or a Communist – she is a sort of an atheist.
She doesn’t 'believe' in politics at all, although she observes and practices Gandhian policies – no violence, truth, democracy and equality. No wonder, all this while she expected me to chip in with equal-rights in household work specially in the kitchen utility.
I am more of a congressman, been like that ever since I fell in love with Priyanka Gandhi. It is another story though.
On the geographical front, we are tied up with our views between Sanquelim (North Goa), her birthplace, and Navelim (Central Goa), my home.
When she talks of the high literacy rate in Sanquelim, I talk about the great development of Goa by Navelkars. If we were to make a movie on our discussions from the two villages, we would probably win the National Award for best dialogues.
On the sociology front, I have a generous lead. She believes high population is the reason why India is a superpower today. I say if India were not as populated, we would have been a supreme power by now.
Sticking to her stand, she says she wants to have 4 kids - two boys and two girls. Wonder if I can download them from the internet.
On the Economic front, she takes a lead by far. Any amount of persuasion, not to mention my knowledge in Economics, doesn't seem to hold water with her. Now, I have realized that whatever a husband does, he can never regain his freedom of thought and speech.
Last week all my Goan football mates went out for a barbeque on the beach.... I, the 'dutiful' gent that I am, called her to tell I was heading there after office to have some fun for a couple of hours but ended up driving back after she ordered me straight home.
If you are a bachelor, you might think I am not man enough. But the beauty is, nobody is.
The other day, we were at Centre Point when she stopped in front of a pink pull over (sweater, for the common folks).
On the pretext of feeling the cloth, I checked the price and it said a whopping KD49.900/-.
"I am not going to buy that," I told myself. Not long back, me and my bachelor friends together did not exceed KD49.900 expenditure a month. How could I commit this crime?
"Can we buy this please?.. It is already October and very soon it will be winter in Kuwait," she was at her pleading best.
"But dear.. KD49/- for a sweater?" I protested. "I could get you a similar one from the Salmiya Centre for just KD10/- maybe, including the fuel cost to go there."
She looked at me, and then let out a sigh. She then turned towards the Indian salesman and said, "Bhaiyya, mere husband ko thoda batao -- the specialty of the wool used."
The salesman didn't need a second invitation. Pity, he was being my wife’s knight in shining armor while I was being looked at as a villain.
"Sir, this is a special sweater. This special wool used here comes from special sheep from New Zealand."
"Yeah? I thought only Kiwis came from New Zealand," I said further. The wool definitely seemed special.
"Yes Sir, it is worth for babhi.."
I couldn't help say, "Yes I agree."
I turned to my infant Angel, and tried to amuse her with my face-expressions.
Before I could blink, the sweater was in my wife's trolley!
It is for this reason that I never let go of my wife's hand when we go out. The moment I let go, she grabs a shopping trolley...
"Amazing!"
"Incredible!"
"Praise God!"
