Some Short Tales

Unromantic

"Happy Anniversary di!", Shama's excited squeal almost pierced my ears. I chuckled in understanding. God bless us who have been tolerating her hyper excited self ever since she was born and God bless Arvind, her boyfriend who had been tolerating her since four years now.

"Ha, shout even louder. Let the world hear you, okay?", I tried to playfully reprimand her.

"Diii, come on, stop patronizing me. At least say thank you.", she whined.

"Thank you Shama ji.", my sarcastic self uttered.

"Soooo, what's the plan today huh? Romantic date with jiju, long drive, weekend getaway.", she teased me and as much as I knew her, this little idiot must be wiggling her eyebrows.

(jiju - brother in law)

"Why, you want to join us?"

"Diii, so shameless you are.", she squealed yet again.

"But seriously, like it's your first anniversary, so you guys must have planned something special.", she said in a much human tone now.

"Hmm, not really sure. I am working from home today and being a Friday, I will mostly logoff by 4. Your jiju however, I am not sure of. Let's see.", I was indeed unaware of the time Viren would come home. He's been having a busy month in his law firm and I understand it.

"Whatttt di? Come on guys, first anniversary.", I could practically visualize her flailing her arms around in exasperation and Arvind attempting to calm her down. Such a dramatic being.

"Ha, I know, but our work.", I tried to reason with her.

"What type of a wife are you di? Your husband's being so unromantic and you are supporting him? Oh god, how will I ever become a maasi?"

(maasi - maternal aunt)

"My goodness Shama, you shameless girl.", I said with widened eyes. This girl literally has no filter.

"By the way. I am disconnecting the call now, we have a date today. See ya. Unromantic wife of an even more unromantic husband."

Before I could retort, she had cut the call and left me in a myriad of thoughts.

Viren and I had an arranged marriage. It's not that my parents weren't the open minded types, because they have whole heartedly accepted Arvind. But I was not the relationship types. I had always been invested in studies and research and work and all of what came alongside that, dating and all had never been in my radar. So when I turned 28, papa asked me to meet this guy who's a good lawyer. Viren was 33, I was 28 and we literally had the same notions about dating - no interest. He hadn't dated a single girl until. We met four or five times and I found him decent, loyal and an actually good person generally. Lo and behold, we were engaged. And within a month of the engagement, married. Even during the courtship period, we were more keen on knowing each other rather than the grand romantic gestures.

He generally did not speak much whereas I love to speak with those who I consider to be my comfort zone. Despite of Viren's monosyllabic answers mostly, he had grown up on me and I found comfort in his presence. He was on his way to become my comfort zone.

Despite of me not really dating, I always had a romantic idea of a partner - the bollywood style romance at times. Viren was nowhere near those ideas of mine, he just wasn't carved that way - and I accepted that. After all, that's how a relationship is. We accept a person who's not completely as per our dreams and make a wonderful bond with communication and affection. Viren and I were on our way to this.

But Shama's words, they forced me to think now. Think about if how we were was alright.

Just when the clock struck twelve, I woke him up. He was dead tired and I had half a mind to not do so, but then again - our first anniversary.