"Honey, if your sister's marriage is confirmed, then we'll anyway go to the wedding! Why do you need to be there when the boy's family comes to see your sister? We don't even know if the marriage proposal is going to work out or not!" exclaimed Arun when his Pooja told him the reason why she wants to go to India.
"I need to tell her not to ASSUME anything. I can't let her do the same mistake I did", Pooja told herself. She didn't say anything to Arun though, just gave a cold and intense stare. Arun got the message.
A week later, as Pooja settled in her seat in the flight she remembered Arun saying, "Whatsapp me once you boarded the flight. I'll leave the airport only after I see your message" while dropping her off at the check-in counter. She did message him, saw the double grey tick marks on her message but they never turned blue. As the flight took off through the clouds, her thoughts pondered around her first meeting with Arun 6 years back...
................................................................................................................
Pooja had already seen Arun's photo in the matrimonial and developed a liking. Her parents were impressed by his job in US, qualification and family background. So when Arun and his family came over to meet them, it was considered more of a formality than any real decision making process. Pooja was nervous and curious nevertheless. She thought of all things that she could ask him to know about him.
When they finally met, it was all about her parents going gaga over their daughter's hospitality to people and adaptability to different situations while the boy's parents were bragging about how rich alliances were coming their way. Sometimes they took turns in marketing their respective kids, but mostly it was all of them talking at the same time! Amidst all this excessive self-flattery, the mediator for the alliance found an opportune time to make them all say "deal". Pooja almost wouldn't have had the opportunity to talk to Arun privately if not for her aged but pragmatic grandma who reminded others to let the boy and girl talk to each other.
Arun didn't ask too many questions - yes, he liked Pooja but he didn't know what questions to ask to decide she is the right person for him. So Pooja did all the asking and Arun tried to be as truthful as possible.
"I thought it would be great to know more about you... tell me more about your hobbies, something you love to do".
"Oh yes, always helps to know about the other person. Mmm... I do indulge in a variety of things. I love reading, I spend a lot of time reading! Then, I really enjoy driving my Mustang. It's a cool beast. I feel great when I spend my time in cooking. And yeah, I do lot of photography..."
"Wow" she thought..."Isn't that really impressive? This guy is going to be super fun with his versatile tastes!". She then asked, "How about your habits? Smoking... drinking..?"
"Well, I just want to be true to you upfront. Yes, I do have alcohol but not like everyday... say, when it rains... that's when I feel like having a drink. I smoke too, but only when I'm stuck and have to think hard to make a decision"
"These occasional things should be ok" she thought. And then asked, "Did you have any affairs?"
"You see Pooja, I really enjoy the company of girls. Not that I had any affairs, but yeah I do enjoy their company a lot"
"Which means he's going to enjoy my company" thought Pooja. Very pleased and mighty impressed, Pooja blushed as she nodded to her parents.
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3 months after their meeting and 1 month after their marriage, Arun and Pooja started their life together in a cozy flat in Seattle. Pooja was all excited to embark on a journey she had been dreaming about for the past 3 months.
She spent a lot of time zeroing in on the best gift for Arun's birthday. She presented him a box gift wrapped. Curious as to what is inside this heavy thing, Arun tore open the wrap to find some champion reading stuff - Kane and Abel, Macbeth, Fountainhead, Gone with the wind etc. He smiled wryly, "Woah.. this is some serious library stuff! What am I supposed to do with these?"
Perplexed, Pooja asked, "didn't you say you enjoy reading? I thought you'd love this collection!"
"Ya I do enjoy reading but not these heavy duty stuff! I like reading sports articles on ESPN.com, films gossips on santabanta.com and generic stuff on rediff.com and so on"
Background sound of 2 cars crashing
"Honey, I feel lazy today. Why don't you pamper me with your culinary skills", winked Pooja still in the bed. "Sure dear, I love to cook" Arun offered and left to the kitchen. He carefully measured one and a half cup of rice, with clinical precision added three cups of water and switched on the electric rice cooker. With a gleaming pride on his face, he called out to Pooja. Out she came expecting some special stuff only to find boiled white rice served in two plates. "You like it with pickle or yoghurt?" asked Arun.
"You're cooking for the first time for your wife, and for all the hype you've given this is what you cook?"
"Well, I cooked what I knew..."
"What? Rice is what you know to "cook"? Didn't you say you really feel great when you cook?"
"Oh yeah, I do feel great now... I didn't lie! Half cup of water more or less, the rice wouldn't have been the same!"
Sound of mirror shattered to pieces by a stone
"Arun, I've been waiting for the long weekend. Shall we go for a drive this July 4th?"
"Sure, let's do it". And Arun took her from Seattle ALL THE WAY to Redmond (a mere 30 minutes drive).
"Is this what you call a drive? Didn't you say you enjoy driving your Mustang?"
"Oh yes, I did enjoy the drive! It was fun, this beast... isn't it? Hear that sound!"
Lightning thunderstorm
"Honey, I wanna put some pics on Orkut for my friends... step out with your camera and show me your photography talent"
"Yes, let's kill it"
"Where is your camera?"
"It's the one on my phone" said Arun earnestly pulling out his Nokia flip phone from his pockets.
"This is what you use for your 'photography'?"
That Doppler effect of the train zooming past
"If Arun thinks he loves and enjoys reading, driving, cooking etc. IN THIS WAY, then he probably thinks he enjoys the company of women by merely looking at their pictures on wall or seeing them from a distance" thought Pooja. But on this front though, Arun has exceeded her expectations - he commutes to work with female colleagues, surrounded at work by them, talks a lot on phone with lady friends and his Orkut friends list is full of women!
Pathos playing in the background
"Arun, what shall I cook? Peas or eggplant?"
"Let me think" and out comes a cigarette to think about it as if it's a seriously thoughtful decision to make!
"Arun, what do I wear? Green or Pink?"
"Let me think" and this calls for another cigarette!
"Ice cream or milkshake?"
"Let me think"
Volcano building up to burst
And by the way, it didn't take long for Pooja to realize it rains almost every other day in Seattle... the ambience that Arun thinks as ideal for a drink!
Whenever they get into an argument about her expectations on him based on what he said in their first meeting, Arun would shoot back saying he didn't lie! "Well, that's called perspective!"
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"Wow sis! So glad to have at this time! Gautham's parents preponed the meeting and we met yesterday" said an elated Sraddha as she received Pooja at the airport.
"What?? You've already talked to him? So what do you make of the boy?" asked Pooja as they walked towards the car.
"He seems to be super cool.. handsome too..." said Sraddha adding, "I'm really amazed by the wide range of his interests sister... he loves reading, good at music, enjoys cooking and photography! I'm gonna rock Facebook with some cool pics after marriage too!"
Pooja stopped walking. "Does he drink or smoke?"
"Occassionally, like when it rains or when he needs to think deeply"
