Simple Things

She smiled.

I clicked. We got a photograph with bundles of memories attached to it. When we developed it, we both fell in love with the photograph. I wanted to keep the copy.

"Why? You don't plan on keeping it in the middle of a James Hadley Chase novel. Do you?" She knew.
"That's what a boy is supposed to do. Correct me." I was surprised.
"Paul, be original." She smiled again.
"You mean I should hand it over to you?" I knew what she meant.
She nodded. "You get another copy for your Chase." Pausing a brief second, she added "and get another copy of that Chase. It stinks."

What can I say to a girl who hates James Hadley Chase and Charles Dickens in the same way?

"Why? Both write. Don't they?"
"Yes they do. But..."
"I hate books. OK? And I hate my photo serving you as a bookmark."
"Can I keep you as my screensaver??"
"Save your screen before I smash it."

She hated books. She loved cheese. She wanted to go dancing. She liked to travel. And she wanted to be a kid always. I understood her. I thought I did.

So I "did". She "did" and the Father pronounced us man and wife.

The photo was lost. We did not take it seriously. She could always smile and I could always click and we could always quarrel but the thought that we could do all these anytime we wanted, was good enough for us.

"How can you hide the fact that you liked Govinda this much?"
"Well, thought it was insignificant."
"Insignificant? I would have shouted - "I don't"- at the top of my voice in the church had I known about this particular trait of yours!"

Govinda hence was history.

The TV was another important thing in my life. When we were free, we watched TV. We watched the boy meeting the world. We loved the Stevens who got even with each other. We became friends. And we silently watched the WTC bombings.

"OK. I admit I am afraid."
"What are you afraid of?"
"Duh! The aftermath of this attack."
"What can you do? If someone shoots you, it is your destiny. Now cheer up."
Her lap was so inviting. I rested my head there. She didn't mind. But she didn't react either. I wanted to hug her. So I hugged her. She didn't protest. But she didn't hug me back either.

I was confused. I started reading Couplehood.

She knew there was something wrong. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing." I said flipping the channel over to Disney.
"You are unconventionally calm today."
"May be."
"Tell me."

I told her. She looked at me in a strange way. "Stop watching too many movies. You are living in a movie or in a book. Real life is different. Stop acting like a normal husband. Be what you are. If your colleague rests his head on his wife's lap and both enjoy it, fine! Good for them. We need not follow them. Why should we? Why can't we be just like ourselves? Just the fact that we are now married should not change us. I want to be like what I have always been. I know you have also been enjoying your life. Let us continue. Let us not succumb to the pressure of holy matrimony and become a dumb telugu movie pair."

I nodded. She smiled. I clicked. We got a photograph bundled with a lot of memories. I wanted to treasure it. "Not in a Chase novel." She cautioned me. I agreed. I bought a Sheldon instead.

The End.