Simple Pleasures

Wednesday..just another day in a busy week, routine..usual..mundane..
Waking up, rushing around breathless getting ready and driving exactly 1 hour to work..On the road,
whiling away the time looking at the morning commuters..Ladies starting their days with coffee and
makeup and men on their phones talking or typing away and coffee too, but still managing to get to
work without a fender bender..Those skills amaze me..7 years of driving and even without them i get
into fender benders..

i get to my office and work away like a robot..Stopping now and then listening to my Boss's do's and
Dont's..sometimes even wondering if i am in the right profession..Armed with that thought in mind I
browse through the classified again..5 mins into it, i give up..Giving myself a prep talk, "Hello self.. i'm
sure u like ur job..so quit playing around and get to work" I comply..

And what do i know, its evening and time to leave..driving the same 1 hour home and meeting a
different set of faces and expression on the way...No makeup or compact mirrors this time..but phones
in every hand..almost every hand..Sometimes i even see a smiling face..a rare occurrence for a weekday
evening, unless it is a friday..Maybe he or she had a good day at work..good for them..I also see
people with ‘to do list’ running through their minds.. Dad’s mind on things to pick up on the way home
milk, egg, bread and Mom’s mind on what to do once she gets home Soccer practise, homework and
dinner..Singles??hmm not sure..Its been forever since I was one..

Getting home and after a few much needed hugs and kisses, a booster for the rest of the day.. time
to cook away..Dinner needs to be on the table by 7pm..unspoken rule of the house..one more hour
disappears with homework and projects..finally dinner time..praises and criticism flows alike on the
table..i take them with smiles and frowns and cleaning up time..

When all is done..it is my time to rest finally..my me time..I am tired and drained and dont have
anymore smiles to give away, just want to curl up and sleep..
i go to the basement to unwind and that is when i hear happy welcoming squeals and squeaks..Just
when i thought i was out of smiles for that day, a big one blooms from deep inside..i smile and also
laugh, a rare thing for me at 10 pm on a weekday..The squeals are from my little guinea pigs..Actually
my daughter’s guinea pigs..Cupcake and Brownie..I go to look at them and there they are waiting for
me, carrying their chubby little bottoms and standing on their hind limbs..If only they could speak, they
would have said Welcome home..just looking at them..the days exhaustion all goes away like it was
never there..Their little faces, so expressive..asking me why i dint come earlier to see them and they
missed me..
hey, no harm in a little imagination rite? their tiny noses twitch waiting for their snack..I stay
there for a while, feeding them their favorite snack and when they are busy eating, i slip away with a
happy smile plastered on my face and feeling renewed and revitalized.

I am ready to start another day and go through the same routine just so I can go back to the basement
and hear them squeak welcome home..

And so begins a Fairy Tale!!

The pleasure of being home on vacation, far away from College and its hostel..Not having to sit through another dreaded chemistry or grammar lesson..or having to be at the mercy of the so called edible cuisines of Mr.Boominathan, our chief cook.. no more tedious ‘lights out at 9pm’ rules..Ahh the bliss of being home..

It was in one such sunny vacation morning, the chain of fairy tale events began to unwind.. Halfway through the day I woke up, with the bright sun shining in my eye.. Half blinded by it, I stumbled out of bed and into the living room, there I heard my parents discussing about Marriage and me...the vacation bliss came to a temporary stop...that cannot be I told myself, we don’t belong together in a sentence..not yet..I’m not old enough to be exiled into marriage, I whined to myself.. and what about college and the boring chemistry lessons and who will be Mr.Boominathan’s test subject? hmm.. Maybe I was not hearing them right.. I consoled myself..Making a note to check my hearing I flop on the couch next to mom..

Had a good sleep? She asked..Yea mom, but I would like to curl up for some more time I tell her..Ok u do that (red flags go up immediately, mom is never ok with more curling up when half the day is gone already) We need to ask u something, she says..We would like for you to marry Buggy boo( Mom calls him by his real legal name, unlike me)..What do u say?’..

What was that noise, like a transformer exploding? Was it a distant thunder or was that my beating heart? I grew very still.. Did I hear marry Buggy Boo?? Without a minute’s hesitation I say yes..oh yes I will..I dint need to think..if it was with Buggy boo, I was ready to go to hell and back.. So what about college? I hear a voice in my head..What about it, do u have a problem with my decision? I threaten the responsible voice of mine and that marks the end of college talk..The thought of marriage and buggy boo still having not penetrated my stunned mind I go back for more snoozing.. I dream about buggy boo, sugar and spice and everything nice..It was the best sleep I’ve ever had..

Now Let me tell you about Buggy boo..I’ve had a crush on him for as long as I can remember, straight out of diapers I think.. we knew each other from childhood..Growing up, he metamorphosed from the most adorable boy to the most ruggedly handsome looking man ever..oooh….He has these adorable dimples and a killer smile..you’d find the most dazzling sparkle in his eyes..A broken tooth in the front and a missing canine..something to die for..So cute..always with a 5 o clock shadow or a French beard on his square jaw, giving him the bad boy look.. And his cologne.. Wicked cool.. (How did I know, I used to sneak up on him just for a sniff..)yumm! my own chocolate cream soldier....The best part is yet to come people..Did I tell you, he is also smart, kind and the most gentle person I’ve ever know..Ruggedly handsome outside and a perfect teddy bear material inside..Do you blame me for the powerful crush I had on him for ages..And now, do I want to be Mrs Boo they ask..I must be crazy to say no..Rite?? So, even before mom finished her question, I tell her, yes..oh yes I am ready to go into exile with Buggy Boo..

But then things get a little hazy, remember i went for some more curling up time..I wake up from my slumber after an hour and I’m not sure if mom really asked me to marry Buggy Boo or was it all just a colorful dream..How do I ask mom, what if it was my crush getting the better of me..Hmm..questions..questions..I decide to tip toe into the dining area and eaves drop..I was hoping to solve this mystery..It was eminent that I solve it before I go insane. and how did mom know about my crush? Was she telepathic? My god that is scary I say..

Maybe I was tip toeing wearing tap shoes, because mom called out to me even before I reached the door..How does she do that..These mom’s they seem to know everything..

I walk in trying hard not to show my anticipation..Expressionless, mom takes her time to serve hot idlys and sambar..I play around with my food a little, trying to eat, I knew for certain that I was going to choke on those hot rice batter mounds called idlys..Maybe mom heard my screams for mercy.. finally she brings up the Boo subject again..she asks me if I am really ok with marrying Buggy Boo..So it was not a dream..It was real..OH MY GOD! I AM GOING TO BE MRS BUGGY BOO!!

Am I blushing??furiously I think and what more.. I’m afraid I’m going to throw up, the relief is so immense. i dint realize I was holding my breath until then..Breakfast was a bad idea I tell u..Taking in my pale skin and sick look mom is concerned..No harm done she says..You can always say no…

Good god in heaven, Buggy Boo seem to be slipping right through my fingers that very minute and I’ll be darned if I let that happen..Taking a deep breath and pushing down the piece of idly that was stuck in my wind pipe, I manage to squeak that I do want to marry him..It is a miracle that my legs dint do a tap dance all around the house..and a bigger miracle that I dint die blushing or choking on steaming hot idlys..

Mom had been a source of surprises the whole morning..Alsa! And she was not done yet..She had a final deadly surprise up her sleeve..Just when I was planning to dance away into the sunset, she says..Now G, we wait for buggy to let us know his decision..

I do a double take..what Buggy hasn’t decided yet? My mind goes into over drive..All sorts of questions..Most of it negativity itself..What if he says no..What if he thinks my head is too big or ears are too tiny..Will he want me to dance or sing..I can dance and sing alrite, that is if he is willing to wear a blind fold and ear plugs for his own safety..But will he agree to a blind fold..Was he thinking about me and my big head now?? I go back to analyze the one liners we had spoken over the years....

 Hi G, Says Boo, which grade r u in now, 10^th grade?’ ‘Oh no’ I say..i am in  college, my first year..oh really..ok..’..
What kind of analysis can I make with this one liner.. maybe that I looked forever young to Boo, I mean think about it..forever 10^th grade??hmm.. It is a good sign, yes? or maybe..Buggy’s eye sight needs testing..I chide myself for even doubting those sparkly eyes and move on..

How long would it be before I know..oh the torture..the sweet sweet torture..When did the 24 hours a day change into 72 hours a day??Why are the days so long and the nights longer..I dream every day for the next 3 days..My dreams are all varied..Happy ones, disappointing ones and in complete ones..By the third day, I am even dreaming of spanking Buggy Boo for making me wait so long..I woke up apologizing and hoping Hermes the messenger God doesn’t deliver this particular dream to Boo.. I dint want to take a chance, just in case the spanking image spoils my chances of being mrs.Buggy Boo..I am In such a nervous state that every ring of the phone makes me jump sky high..

Mom must have known about my jumpy nerves, she lets me have second servings of ice cream and I got to have dessert before breakfast and lunch, I dint have to clean up or even dress up..I was basically a Hobo roaming around in my room in rags all day long..

It is the fourth day and still Boo is silent that was until 11 Am..The phone rang and I jumped up, almost hitting the roof..Do I dare make threats toward buggy? Maybe..i’ll give it one more day before I start, I tell myself..Mom is on the phone..1/2 hour later she walking into my room..Can It be?? OMG!! Can It really be? She want me to pick up after myself and no more second servings of ice cream or dessert before lunch, she says with a broad smile..that could mean only one thing..Buggy Boo came through at last..

Congratulations!!mom says..u are going to be Mrs.Buggy..My poor heart has had enough excitement, it stops beating for a minute or two..i had to give it a hard punch to get it pumping again..Am I going to faint with relief..i hope not..The image of a pumpkin being dropped unceremoniously stops me from fainting..I grin and blush ..I am on top of the world, soaring..smiling and laughing..i screeched and hollered..in a nut shell..look up the word ecstatic in a dictionary and u’ll find my name with a smiley face next to it..How many people get to marry their crushes? I know it is every girl’s dream..and mine just came true..A fairy tale begining..

Just as I was dancing in the moon, mom brings me crashing back to reality..So honey, she says..now that u know the verdict, please go take a shower..3 days is long enough to go without a shower, even if it was for your Buggy boo..What are u talking about mom, I asked, looking at myself in the mirror for the first time in 3 days..

Lets just say a Hobo would have won the title Miss clean, if she had competed with me.. For someone who likes to take more than a showers a day, 3 days without it is unthinkable..Oh..all that I do for Buggy..
I thank the gods that I dint speak to Boo over the phone, I would have scared him off..The stench was strong, it would have travelled over the phone and no I dint smell like spring or roses..My parents must really love me, to put up with the not so rosy smell for 3 days..Pheww..
I spent the next few hours in the shower..scrub a dub dub…3 hours later I ended up smelling like spring and roses..i was Smiling and laughing..blushing and singing all the while....

10 years later I’m still smiling and laughing, blushing and singing..just like I imagined, life with Buggy Boo is a fairy tale come true, a pleasurable exile!!

And true to my promise, I still give him a teeny weeny bit of grief for the 3 days of sweet torture..What took him so long I ask? After all it took me less than 3 seconds to say I Do!!

Fun and Frolick..

I love a good movie..But sitting glued to the tv for more than 1 hour is a challenge....Bollywood movies, I love them, they are pure entertainment and loads of fun and they go on forever..But I have my quirks too and watching a 3 ½ hours long movie is one of them..So I got my very big bowl of popcorn, and a cozy blanket and i am ready to roll with the waves of emotions, sentiments and the dramas of the Knight in shining armor and his beautiful Damsel..

The opening scene kicks off with our hero fixing a few faulty leaks..Unimpressive u might think..But the buildup was so huge that it seemed like he just saved the world and all its inhabitants from drowning..After a few predictable dialogues to the audience in general, everyone, and I mean everyone jumps up to dance and singing a very colorful song..wow!! Made me wonder very quickly, What would my boss say if I sprang up from my chair in the middle of a rather important meeting and burst into a song and a dance..Hmm..Not a pretty picture I tell u..Both the dance and the pink slip I would be receiving for it..What surprised me was the number of people that appeared in the dance all of a sudden..Where did they all come from? Did they fall from the sky or sprout like mushrooms from the ground??Either way I was subliming with the fantasy and fun..

Now comes the important part..Introduction of our Damsel..Just looking at the pretty face, waking up at 6 am without a hair out of place and full makeup, made me think, maybe I should go to bed with some lip gloss at least, if not the full foundation makeup and all..Hmm..Would that make Hubby’s eyes wide as saucers looking at me in the morning and will he start his day with infatuated glazed eyes, undying love in his heart and a song on his lips....hmm No..i don’t think so, the minute the alarm shrieks in its unrelenting voice, he runs breathless trying to get ready with panic and not songs in his hearts and murmuring I hope I wont be late for work today..So no time to notice the makeup or perfect hair do’s and get his eyes all dazed with infatuation..oooh! the relief..No need for lip gloss after all..

The part I love the most in every movie is finally here..The meeting of the Knight and the Damsel..I swear I see fireworks and drum rolls when they first set eyes on each other..I always love it when they fall for each other at the very first sight..ahh..how romantic..And what do u know, the knight really walks away with love in his heart and a song on his lips..

Time to introduce the comedians and the rest of the family..Mostly the Knight’s sidekicks..It is always amusing to watch the funny guys...But here is what I find a little hard to understand..The families are perfection itself, both the hero’s and damsel’s..Everyone is happy and are loving and considerate to one and another..Basically they are all saints..But hold on ..if this is the case where are the villains I ponder..

45 mins of overly affectionate family dialogues and romance makes me squirm a little and yearn for the villain..I hope all this lovey dovey stuff would come to an end soon, when the director decides to introduce the villain..

And boom..the director must have seen me squirming..he decides to introduce the villain..the families are not perfect after all..There u have it..the villain..the black sheep of the family..The damsel’s own uncle makes a terribly stunning entrance.. ooh!! the terror..and am loving it..finally something other than fun and frolick..

(Author’s note: I am all for romance, trust me..But 1 hour of lovey dovey emotions and sentiments, it makes even the most romantic soul beg for some mischief..)

The villain being introduced, the movie makes way for the love affair..The Knight’s courting of the damsel is elaborate and she plays her part admirably, waltzing around with his heart before giving into his undying love..And like mushrooms, dancers sprout and there u have another duet with the Knight and the blushing Damsel..

Just when everything seems roses and peaches and when my behind was starting to complain, a little squabble between the hero and the villain’s minions takes place..The knight had to be introduced to the villain somehow..What better way than a quarrel..

The knight flexes all his muscle power and before u know it..dishoom..dishooms are heard and after loads of damage to the street vendors, all the evil minions are down on their back, clutching their knee caps..Something here doesn’t make sense to me..It is said sound travels fast, but how is it that I hear dishooms even before the knight’s fist makes contact with the minion’s knee cap??A mystery I tell u..But  without a worry in the world the hero escorts the highly impressed damsel to where ever she wants to go..

Do I anticipate another song??My god..i am a genius.. this time there was no mushroom spouting routines..It is the Damsel all by herself in her bath tub..With bubbles, sponge and a few rose petals, she is mooning away about the love of her life..Cute..But not cute enough to have me still and calm my whining back..

Just when I am contemplating on filling up my big bowl of popcorn for the second time, i hear a distressed voice from somewhere..I pull myself out of the fantasy and shake myself awake..The source of the distressed voice is my husband..I dint even notice he was there, working on his computer pounding at the keyboard..

What movie are you watching G, I think I’m drowning in their emotions and sentiments..he says..Even the furious key board pounding could not stop, the sugary syrupy dialogues from entering his brain, I think..i did feel sorry for him..

I flash him my million dollar smile and tell him..few more minutes, it will be done..No harm in a few white lies you see..a hour, few minutes all the same..well almost..So I go back to the movie..

Now that the secret liaison of the knight and damsel is no longer a secret, time to bring in the family’s issue to the open..The oppositions are strong on the damsel’s side..Somehow the hero’s side are happy with this whole setup..The damsel is under lock and key..Family’s order..time for another slow sad song..The girl in her own bed room, asking the moon to convey a message to her lover and the guy in a paddy field doing the same with the wind..

Time for me to wonder again.. doesn’t the moon and the wind have anything better to do, other than act as messengers..hmm..Maybe we lose a little of our reality/practicality brain cells when we’re in  love..Hello..i call to the voice in my head..'stop wondering and watch the movie, will ya....'

The song or the wind must have given the hero a boost..The very next day with all the courage he can muster and oh he did muster quite a bit of courage alrite, he goes to the damsel’s house to threaten or if he had to, even plead with them to release her..A string of magic words were spoken to the parents and 5 mins later the parents regret the very thought of grounding their rebellious daughter..

And then I heard a voice..G…G…so what do u say? What?? Oh..yes it was my distressed hubby speaking..what were u saying? I asked..He gives me a shocked look, so u were not listening to a word I said now? And god knows I read the list of ingredients for the recipe..ingredients? recipe? What are u talking about? I ask, puzzled..OMG! He mouths before saying..I was asking how about we make fish and chips for dinner..Remember we had the cod fillet? oh yea! I say..so do we have everything we need to make it? I ask..With a big sigh he replies..that is what I was asking u..Oh..sorry..am listening go on I say..Cayenne pepper, all purpose flour, sea salt, I will die without u, I cannot go on this way, black pepper, baking soda, why wont u take me with you, I love you, beer,lime juice ..

What??? Wait a minute..What was happening..then I realize..oh….the movie..the damsel was lamenting her woes to her lover..i knock myself on the head and force my ears to listen to the love of my life and go through the list..Once I confirm the things I have in the zoo I call my kitchen, we decide to go and buy the rest, but not before the movie was done..

'Do u have to sit through the whole movie? he asks.. my head hurts with all the hundred and one things taking place at once'..I feel sorry for him..i really do..but with just 45 mins more..come on..i need to know how the movie ends, as if it was not predictable enough..But still I watch away..

Finally time for the big villain to emerge..News travels fast through the gossip grape vine..The uncle knows the family is planning to give away the damsel to the knight..ooo!! some harsh words are being spoken and few heads being chopped..one being the messenger’s..

(See..it is never good to gossip..lesson learnt..)

With his big blades and gun in his big jeep or fancy car, the villain finally is ready to act his part..He abducts the damsel..The knight is in pain and rage..He promises his concerned and her wailing parents that he will come back with her..Final scene, in the villains fort..The hero has one small switch blade..The villain’s fort is being protected by 30 body builders types and maybe 15 not so bodybuilder type men..

'Hey, maybe I should knock down a few beers and make my ears sound proof, hubby ponders .. maybe one beers is a good idea hun.. the movie will be done anytime now..Almost there..almost..' I tell him..My behind and back are almost numb too..It was screaming to be released from the couch..U stay right there, just 20 more minutes, I console my numb body..

Back to our villain.. in goes striding the Knight, a whack here and a whack there..guards are dropping like flies..And all this with a switch blade and a killer expression on his face..Finally he is face to face with the villain..Time to face your maker says the Knight..No more games says the villain..if the damsel is not to be mine, she gets to be no ones.. he hollers..With a deadly laugh the villain pulls the Damsel in front of him like a shield..

The damsel, who just got promoted to the damsel in distress, screams her pretty head off..I would think if she is more quite, the knight could concentrate on an escape with our lives intact plan..But no..she is still screaming..May be it was a good thing too, because the villain’s ears must have bled with all the high pitch screeching, his grip is a little loose and she wiggles her way out..And that is when the trusted switch blade makes its star exit, right into the villain’s chest ..With a villainous cry, the bad boy goes down like a sack of potatoes..What next, the hugging and smooching of the knight and Damsel, minus the distress..A big bye to all the audience with big smiles and waves..

What a movie..With a big smile on my lips I exit from the director’s fantasy world and into reality, not fully though.. I give the good news to hubby, who is already up and ready to shop for the missing ingredients..With overly sentimental dialogues still ringing in our ears we shop. back home the beer batter is ready.. the huge fillet of cod is cooked to perfection..The chips are done and we are all set to eat..
One bite of the fish and I realize the damage the movie did to hubby....The poor guy was so over loaded with the drama, that rather than knocking a few beer to get tipsy and sound proof his ears, he had gotten the cod fillet tipsy...

But just to let him know how much I appreciated his patience, I never complained and ate up.. I got a little tipsy in the process, but with the movie’s love at first sight scene running in slow motion through my head..the tipsy me was more than happy to join them in their fun and frolick …