“Wake up! Come on wake up! It’s 6 am already. We are late!”.
He was waking her up. He tried to pull the soft comforter she was so fond of and which she loved to be wrapped in when she slept. But he only managed to pull away half of it, she had locked the other half around her legs and was peacefully asleep.
He looked at the clock, it said 5.30 am. He looked at her again and the only thing he could think of was the origin of the phrase “sleeping like a baby”.
He smiled to himself, bent down and gently kissed her lips, twice. He liked doing that, watching her sleep and kissing her innocent face, so pure, so pristine. He liked to love and admire her when she didn’t seem to notice. He was like that. He couldn't express much in words. Her calm and pretty face always made him go weak in his knees. He liked her child like ways. He liked it when she woke him up in the middle of the night just to kiss him and cuddle up to him. He liked it when she wrestled with him over the blanket. He liked it when she would ask him to stay up and talk to her till late in the night and would doze off in his arms within minutes.
No reaction. Not even a flicker. Even after trying to wake her up for the third time. “Well, that is expected”, he thought and while admiring her child like face, he imagined his unborn princess.
Even though they hadn’t thought of starting a family yet but his heart skipped a beat by the mere thought of having a daughter. Sometimes he wondered, how could fathers having baby girls leave home every morning to go to work. How could they manage not to have their sunshine in front of them every moment. He remembered how he used to become restless upon not finding his sister in the house, who was 8 years younger to him and the apple of his eye. She was his angel, just like his daughter would be.
In that single moment, he had visited the past, the present and the future. That is how nature has empowered the human mind and the heart. It will fly you to the moon and back if you put it the savage garden way!
While he was lost in his thoughts, the love of his life, his soul mate, went back inside her shell, the so loved pink soft comforter. “You love your sleep more than me don't you”, he said loud enough for her to hear with mischief in his voice and pulled the comforter off her with gentle force.
She moaned for a moment, braced her legs towards her stomach and pulled the pillow over her head. He looked at her again and admired her curves. He did that sometimes.
She was still the same like he had always known her. So beautiful, so care free, so calm. He bent down to peep inside the pillow and noticed a drop drooling from the corners of her lips and he fell in love with her again for the umpteenth time.
“I am going out to get the newspaper and milk. You better be up by then”, he said with a firmer voice now, while opening the window to let the sunrays in, and left the room with the comforter in his hand, which he kept on the couch on his way out. He knew the only thing that was good enough to wake her up was the lack of warmth. “Yes, I love my sleep” She murmured from under the pillow. He came back with the milk bottle and the newspapers in about ten minutes and found her still in bed but sitting, in her pyjamas and a white tee that had "love" written on it, with legs crossed, eyes closed and some hair falling on her pretty face. She looked awesome.
"Why do you have to wake up so early even on Saturdays?", she complained with a frowning face and with her eyes still closed. “And I am cold and I want you, or the comforter”, she demanded but with a puppy face.
“Because we go for swimming on Saturdays” he said, he paused and said again “and there are many other things that we have to do today, and No! you are not going to get any of those, not me, not the comforter so better open your eyes and get up”.
She waited in the same position for a minute, hoping for him to shut the window and leave, so that she could sleep for just fiiveeee more minutes. But she knew too well that he was standing there and would not leave until she got down from the bed.
Just like he knew too well that the moment he left the room, she would want to draw the curtain on the window and go to sleep again. “It’s your turn to make tea”, she took the last chance. Eyes still closed. “Wake me up after that”.
“No, today is Saturday. And Saturdays and Sundays are yours”, he replied back with extra energy in his voice. “Why is it Saturday today”, she finally opened her eyes, got down from the bed a little upset about being woken up so early, and took the milk bottle from his hand on her way to the kitchen. He headed towards the balcony with the newspaper.
He loved the early morning breeze and the warm sun. She hated it. Simply because it was "early" in the morning. The only thing she loved about morning was the "morning tea". She loved having tea. It was her favourite beverage. He just drank it to give her company and see her smile with content.
“Let’s go for a movie tonight. Check for the new releases”, she shouted from the kitchen where she was preparing tea for both of them. “So”?, she looked at him with a question mark on her face while keeping the tea tray on the bamboo cane table. He looked up and saw her expressions. She had always been so expressive with her face and pitches of her voice. There was no way she could have ever failed to put her point. He smiled as if he remembered something from the past. She still had the question mark expression on her face. She clearly wanted to know about the movie.
Saturdays were their movie days, The tradition which they had carried on since their college days. They used to watch a movie every weekend. No matter how bad or boring it was. This is one of those interests which they shared, even though their choices for movies were different. “Yes, there is one action, one romantic comedy and one biopic” he informed. “And why do you eat these spicy snacks in the morning, How many times have I told you that they are not good for your stomach” he added.
“Because I love to eat them, and they are not as spicy as you are, and I love to eat you too” she replied back with a naughty grin and a wink. “Alright, the biopic is boring, actions are meaningless, so let's book two tickets for the romantic comedy, the actor in it is so cute”, she declared while taking the newspaper from his hands and handing him his cup of sugar lemon green tea. He wanted to say something more about her habit of eating spicy snacks, but he let go.
“Yeah, as if romantic comedies are so meaningful”, he retorted and looked at her cup of milk tea with no sugar. She made a fake smile face and said "Yes, my love. Now book them." and kissed his cheek.
******
“What would you like for lunch?” She enquired while checking capsicums in greengrocer’s shop on their way back from sports club. “Anything”. He answered while checking his phone. She gave him a frustrated look and this time, directed her question to the green grocer with a smile. “Do you have ‘anything’? My husband only wants to eat ‘anything’. I don’t know if there is some food called anything. Do you know about it”. The grocer was confused and blank. She turned again towards him and said, “See they don’t have ‘anything’ so what else do you want to eat except anything”? Emphasizing on the word anything each time.
This happened with him often. He saw the red warning sign blink in his head and spoke instantly, “capsicum and potatoes will do”. And then pretended to be deaf for another 15 minutes during which she bought loads of other things which she would cook for him and argued with the shop keeper over prices. Pastas, frozen meat, corn, loaves of bread, other vegetables, sodas, etc.
She was a tough bargainer. In the end, the shopkeeper had to surrender to her bargaining skills and the aura of her charming personality.
“Why do ladies come to the gym as if they are going for some fashion parade”?, she said while unlocking the door. “That girl Maria, she really works hard. She was constantly on the treadmill for 45 minutes. How can she manage that. And I had an argument with Rita in the locker room. I was standing in front of my locker and she pushed me as if she is the only one there who needs all the space. In fact she does need all the space, she is like a baby elephant”.
She kept talking while she opened the door of their home and entered and put all her bags on the dining table in the kitchen. She paused and looked at him. He was removing his shoes. After a few moments of silence, when he realized that acknowledgement is needed, he said “yes, I agree with you, that Rita is mean”.
She smiled because she knew that even if he didn’t know who Maria and Rita were, he was listening to her. “Ok, you can do some house cleaning and get a shower and I can prepare the lunch meanwhile ” she continued. “And I will bake brownies for you today, I know you love them” “Good, just call me if you need any help in the kitchen” he said and kissed her, which she didn’t seem to notice. He liked that. He finished the cleaning and other chores and she finished the cooking almost at the same time.
He was putting the clothes in the washing machine when she entered. “The lunch is ready, and I know you don’t like to eat before having a bath, so let’s go get a shower together if you are done” she whispered in his ear while putting her arms around his neck.
“Of course, and that way we can save water too” he replied back while holding her from the waist.
******
“Why did you cook so many things, you should have cooked something simple and fast, you get yourself stressed unnecessarily”, he said while looking at the table full of dishes. Most of them his favourites, some of them hers. She loved to cook and to cherish the meal.
Even if they were just two souls in the house, she cooked as if she was to host guests for lunch or dinner. She made sure she cooked well and arranged it nicely on the table with desserts and something to drink. She managed that often, even with her hectic professional life.
Weekend lunches were always special with her around. “Because I love to cook for you and I know, how much you love to eat”, she replied with a smile. “After lunch, you get some sleep and I will do the dishes”, he said. This was their mutual understanding. She cooked and he cleaned. She helped him clean the table, and moved towards the bedroom, but not before kissing him. He could see, her eyes were sleepy and droopy after swimming, shopping, cooking and eating. He entered the kitchen to do the dishes.
*************
“What are you doing”?, she asked from the doorway of the room which he had turned in to a study. After waking up and not finding him in the bed, she knew he will be in his study room. “Nothing, just clearing some bills and answering some emails”, he replied. “Did you get a good sleep?” he asked. “Yes, I slept well, for nearly 2 hours I guess. You know how much I love to sleep", she said with a lazy smile. "Come in the living room if you are done, I am making tea”, she answered and yawned at the same time.
He shut down his laptop and followed her. He was flipping the news channels when she entered with the tea and brownies. They both enjoyed the evening tea time together. In fact they enjoyed every time together.
“They telecast the same thing again and again, nothing new on these channels except bad and negative news. Let’s watch some comedy shows, I love them”, she said while putting down the tray. He was also fed up with these new channels now. He picked the remote and changed the channel to a comedy show. They both knew that no was going to watch or pay attention to the TV, but it gave them a feeling of someone else's presence in the house. They needed it sometimes. “I am confused”, she said while sipping tea. He could see a confused look on her face. She was so expressive, he wondered again. “Over what?”, he asked while he bit into a piece of brownie with his mouth. It was very tasty. He admired it silently. “Sofia, who works in my office, has her birthday on Monday”, she continued. “What should I give her? A handmade birthday card or a hand painted t-shirt?
You know how much I love to give personalized, handmade things to people”. She was good at arts. As far as he remembered, he had always seen her painting. She used to complete his drawing assignments in school too. He still wore t-shirts painted by her.
Every decorative item in the house was hand made by her. Her gifts and presents were the most admired ones amongst friends and family. “Yes I know”, he replied, “if she is a very good friend then paint a t-shirt, if not, then go for a card”. “She is a nice girl, she smiled, "I will paint her a t-shirt, she said. "I have a pink plain t-shirt, I think I will paint tulips on it. I love tulips, you know that. This tea is so good, I love it” she said all of it in one breathe and with a sparkle in her eyes. He smiled at her habit of talking about two things simultaneously.
“Yes I know how much you love tulips and tea” he said with an amused smile. He could see by the look on her face that she was really cherishing her tea. She cherished everything. She cherished life. Always full of ideas to have fun and celebrate. There was no dull and quiet moment when she was around. And he always had a reason to smile. He was reading a novel sitting on the couch while she was completely indulged in her work, delicately dipping the brush in the color and moving it on the cloth.
She was very creative and a fabulous artist. He couldn't draw but knew how to admire and appreciate a good work of art. He sat there and wondered, that even after being poles apart in their likes and dislikes for everything, except few like painting, they were happy with each other and had stayed in a relationship for so long. And besides everything else they were best friends!
May be the reason for their happiness was that they completed each other. They fulfilled each other’s void of interests with their own passion. They respected each other’s likes and dislikes. They argued but never fought. Their silent treatment never lasted for more than 10 minutes because they couldn't stay without talking to each other longer than that. He depended on her for certain things, and she on him, for others. When he said something, she listened and when she said, he listened. They compensated for one another’s lack of knowledge, and interests.
She loved to be under his umbrella of securities and logics. He loved to be wrapped with her love and passion for life. He was lost in his novel when, “What do you think of my tulips?”, she asked while playfully spreading the t-shirt over his book. “They are beautiful, really awesome", he replied and somehow admired the colorful tulips more in his heart than he could in words.
He had always been a man of few words. Never been expressive. She had been complaining about it for the last 15 years. He knew that he was not going to change his habit. She knew that too. He knew that she would never stop complaining about it. She knew that too. “All right, stop reading now that I have finished painting. Let’s go for a walk. And you know what? You should write more often or play music. It has been so long that you have not written or composed anything. What would you like for dinner tonight?” In a single moment she had demanded, instructed and thrown a question at him. “Don’t bother about dinner, we will eat out after the movie”, he answered . She seemed to be pleased. She kissed him happily on his cheek.
*******
“Let’s walk home, the weather is nice and it’s not very far”, he told her as they came out of the restaurant after having dinner. “OK, and can I hop on to you if I feel tired my honeybuns?”. She said with a baby face and naughty grin.
He turned around too used to her antics and said, "No .. now lets walk" he smiled in his head They started walking, discussing about the movie, music in general, cinema in today's times, theatre they missed recently, food they love, restaurants they haven't tried and have to visit, politics, religion, traffic, pollution, city, relatives and about many other useful and useless things.
They were never short of topics to discuss, never short of events, people and ideas to talk about. It seemed like they could talk and listen to each other for infinity and never get bored or tired. At some instances, he described and she understood. At some instances, she described and he understood. At some instances, they both described and they both understood. At some instances, they both described and no one understood.
It had always been like that for them. “Time flies when you are with the person you love”, she said as they stood in front of their home. “Time also stands still when you are with the person you love”, he said as he opened the door for her. They both had different angles and perspectives to see things. They never matched.
Many a times they tried to convince each other to see things according to their own views. Sometimes they succeeded, sometimes they did not. But the difference in their approach in understanding the world had never been greater than their approach in understanding each other as individuals. At the end, it was a win win situation for both.
“Do you want to eat or drink something?”, she asked while slipping in to her pajamas. “No, I am good, but you drink a glass of milk before going to bed”, he replied back. “We are 30 years old”, she said while unfolding the blanket as he entered the room, after locking the main door and checking all the electric switches and stove. “And we have known each other for last 26 years. We have been friends for a good 18 years, best friends for 16, in love for the last 12 years and now married for 1 year. We have practically spent all our life together. Isn’t it a grand story to tell our kids”, she said with a smile and dreamy eyes.
“Yes it is”, he smiled back, and continued further for 2 minutes about understanding, compensating, complimenting and few other philosophical reasons behind their togetherness, and finally asked while lying down on the bed, “What do you think the reason behind the success of our story”?
“I love you, I have always loved you since childhood and I will always love you till I die. There is no other reason for me” She replied with the most honest eyes he had ever seen and a simple smile on her face. Like she didn't have to think at all. Like the answer ran in her veins. It was an instant reply.
He looked into her eyes and felt guilty. He wondered why he had to be so logical and rational about a simple thing like love. “She has far better understanding of love than me”, he thought, and fell in love with her all over again. “It’s late, let’s go to bed. We have to wake up early tomorrow”, he said, removing his eyes from hers. “Do you really want to sleep so early”? , she whispered in his ears as she rested her body over his. “No, I don’t. And you know that I won’t”, he whispered back.
“But still we will wake up early in the morning”, he added as he embraced and kissed her good night on her forehead. "I don't know why is it so important to wake up early" she whispered while snuggling into him,almost dozing in his arms. He looked at her drooping eyes and her innocent face and smiled to himself. "Good night my angel" he said and slept.
__END__
