With Love, Christina!

At last on that day, you will get celebrity like treatment. Everybody will look up to you. They will take photo with you. And most importantly, you will be spending your many year’s spending at one go. 

Yes of course, on your wedding day!

“Mama, I don’t want to get married. My bank balance is just Rs 10,000”

I didn’t have to think much to say that. There wasn’t any better reason not to get married. Mama almost laughed as I told this. Its said that, women don’t like revealing their age and men their bank balance. Mama didn’t expect me being open about it. But she swallowed laugh, not to hurt her son’s ego.

“So what is your plan?. Who is going to carry your legacy?”

Mom skillfully put the question before me. Every mom knows the art of framing perfect sentence, to push their children forward. They don’t let you relax after making a statement. They will always make you think ahead.

“I mean..I don’t want to invest big amount on my wedding. Just exchanging a garland and register marraging would be enough. Infact that would be awesome……Then we will have Biriyani from nearby hotel. I would rather donate that saved amount to cancer treatment hospital……..or some thing like that.” 

Mama didn't say anything. There was pause for a moment.

Then I said “Howz the idea, mama?”

That’s the toughest idea any Indian mom could accept. There was a mild shock in her face. Responsibility towards society is fine. But she would also have to answer all neighbors and relative’s questions. They are also part of society.

“Why there wasn’t any marriage ceremony?.”

“ We want to see the bride officially!” etc. All the questions for which she would struggle to answer, just like ministers, when they address press after a scam. Only difference would be they can’t ask for her resignation.

Although I wish she could answer them like this,

“Get lost! You people mind your own business…..”

“ Go have your own life!. Please let us alone”

“Oh!. Papa will come now. I have to prepare food for him…. In the mean while you go get your garland ready”, she said.

There was a beautiful smile on her face when she said that. She tactfully escaped from conversation. I had an awkward expression as reaction. She giggled and walked towards kitchen. I stood there watching her. Its very hard to match her coolness. She has a terrific sense of humor and wisdom. Some times feel mothers are angels sent down by God to look after us. Otherwise how could they have such amazing wisdom to carry the civilization forward, considering only a limited exposure they get from outside world.

All that world give them is troubles. They have been bearing us even before we were born!. And for all the care she took of us in her womb, all we give back is blame for all our mistakes.

“I don’t want that poor dress”

“Where is my shoes?”

“Today I don’t want rice!”

Natural state of motherhood is sacrifice and unconditional love. They would silently listen to our arguments and commands.

“How was your day?”

At the end of day, they would come and ask.

Mom might be still thinking on what ever I told her earlier. I slowly peeped in to kitchen. Mom was cutting vegetables.

“Oh I wished, if there was some one to help you”

Mom looked at me hearing my voice. I gave a faded smile, as I moved forward to sit on table across her.

“Why sir?”, she said as she continued her work.

“Am I not doing the job well?. That you have to appoint additional labour?”. She looked at me. I didn’t look at her. As I told earlier, its very difficult to match with her sense of humor.

“No additional labour required. I will help you”. Better stop talking and start doing.

I jumped down from table and leaned on kitchen table to take another knife. Mom looked at me. I didn’t look at her face. I took one of the Onion in my hands to chop it. Mom was still staring at me. I didn’t bother to face her.

“Hello looser!”, she called me teasingly. That made me laugh. I looked at her.

“Sir you do your job, I will do my job”, she said in her funny requesting tone. It was a cute expression on her face. She smiled beautifully. I looked at her like joker. I left the knife back. It gave me pleasure to be a joker, when I could bring smile on her face like that. I kissed on her cheeks. she accepted my love, like a mother bird taking her child under her wings. I was the small bird, still seeking little pillow to put heads down. There is no better meditation than spending time with your innocent mother. You don't have to go to 

mountain to meditate or become a yoga. All needed is to take a nap on your mother's lap.

“Go!. Let me make curry.….Am coming…..”

“… Want to talk to you!”, she said

“Ok Mama!”, I said. ‘Mama’ is the most compassionate word that comes to your lips.

I walked to the guest room. TV was on. I sat on the sofa wondering what she would want to talk to me. It could be something like.

“After certain stage of life, you will feel, there is a boundary for every relationship. You will need someone for ever, to share your life!”

My mobile phone pinged. I checked the unread message in my Inbox.

“I Love you.

Miss you,

Yours Loving,

Christina”

Women are beautiful, no matter from where they came from. Weather from Adam's rib or Mars or Venus. They make our life beautiful. How they love and miss us. As some one said, behind every successful man there will be a women. Infact you are double blessed, if it is two women. Do not misunderstand!. I meant mother and wife.

But wife is not a easy choice to make. You can’t find women of your life, just like go shopping a sandals or phone. Once brought we can't return it as well. Wives come without warranty, unlike products. We have to be 100 percent precise.

There is a famous quote from Robert frost, “A mother takes 20 years to make Man of her boy and another women make fool of him in twenty minutes!”

Of course its nice to have a girl friend like Christina. But when it come to wife, you prefer homely, traditional girl that your parents select for you. Its like looking for spicy chilly chicken, when we go outside and at home preferring traditional coconut mixed chicken curry!. Men will be Men, as said in some deodorant Ad.

Oh! God!. Just imagine my parent’s reaction, when I tell them that, I am marrying Christina. Imagine Christina kissing me in front of mom. That thought itself sent shiver down my spine. I don’t have guts to tell them. It will be better to break Christina’s heart than mom’s heart. As per Robert Frost’s quote, It will take life time for mom to recover from that shock. Christina will be ‘ok’ after twenty minutes!.

Well, jokes apart, Where is my sweet Mom?. She would have framed perfect sentence to tell me, by now. There was a silence in kitchen. All the chance, that she would come any minute. It was time to take the next step. As usual, turning points of our life happens in an unexpected moment. I didn’t knew my moment was waiting around the corner.

As all I did was to keep Christina’s photo along with my wallet on table. And quickly moved to next room, to watch my mom’s reaction. It was time to display my sense of humor to mama. Time to match her wisdom. Photo was kept in such a way that it would attract my mom’s attention straight away.

She came from kitchen. There was a tired expression on her face. Ofcourse that expression will change as she come across her daughter in law’s smiling face. She took the photo in her hands.

On the photo caption was “With Love, Christina”