Kishore sat down on the worn out bench in the park. For 40 years now, every Saturday he and Pushpa would come to park, go for a stroll and then sit down on the bench. Watching children play, teens holding hands and vendors selling small eats.
'Do you want groundnuts?' Kishore asked Pushpa.
'I want Kulfi today.' She told Kishore.
'Kulfi? No no. No sugar for you. The doctor has said strictly said no.' Kishore insisted.
'Doctor has said no. But I want Kulfi.'
'Ayyoo... you and your sweet tooth. When will you listen to you doctor?'
'Never' she laughed.
'Fine. Ok. But we'll share.'
Kishore got up from the bench, walking slowly towards the kulfi guy. He bought one pista kulfi for his wife. He unwrapped the kulfi with his trembling hands.
'Shall I?' asked Pushpa
'No. No.' Kishore announced
'Here... eat and give me one half. Don't eat it fully.'
'Ok' Pushpa smiled and knew she wouldn't share it.
'It's getting really hot these days.' Kishore said, as he wiped away the sweat off Pushpa's forehead.
'Enough, Kishore. What if people see?' Pushpa said shying away.
'My wife is sweating, who else will wipe her forehead? That kulfi fellow huh?' Kishore asked authoritatively.
'You give me that kerchief, I will wipe it myself. Still thinking you are a young chap.'
'Ya, I'm young only.'
'Ayyooo, tell that to your 4 grandchildren.' Pushpa laughed
'Pushpa, where is my Kulfi?'
'I finished it.'
'What?'
'It was too small.' Pushpa smiled like a naughtly imp
'Too small? You are only behaving like a small girl. Still thinking you are the Pushpa sitting in our college canteen and eating ice creams.'
'How much ice cream I used to eat no, Kishore?'
'Ya, all my pocket money I used to spend on your ice creams only.'
'Hee hee hee.' Pushpa laughed
Pushpa and Kishore were married for 40 years. They had 2 lovely children and 4 grandchildren. They were a happy middle class family, content with everything in life. They had a home filled with love and their hearts were filled with peace.
A young couple sat beside Kishore and Pushpa on the adjacent bench. The boy was asking if the girl wanted something to eat. To which she just shrugged her shoulders and said 'Just shut up. Don't try to butter me.'
'I'm not trying to butter you.'
'You first say sorry for what you did.'
'I didn't do anything wrong.'
'You came 1 hour late and we missed the movie. So say sorry.'
'I told you I had to attend the special class in maths. I already flunked last semester.'
'I don't care. I DON'T CARE. SAY SORRY' she started shouting.
Kishore and Pushpa stayed silent. They didn't want to intrude. Every couple should know how to sort issues between themselves. It's best a stranger stays away from giving his opinion unless asked for.
'SAY SORRY. SAY SORRY. SAY SORRY.'
The girl kept screaming on top of her voice. It was good that the park was crowded and her voice was drained in the sounds of children playing, swings swaying, adults laughing at the laughter club. But to Kishore and Pushpa, this noise was unbearable. But they stayed calm. Ignoring the old couple, the boy and girl continued their fight.
Kishore turned and looked at Pushpa. A little smirk on his face. He wrote in her notebook, 'Thank goodness, Pushpa, that we cannot speak. I wouldn't have known how to handle this kind of screaming.'
In reply to which Pushpa wrote, 'I'm sure you would become deaf also!'
To which both of them laughed loudly. Audible only to their hearts. They both got up and slowly walked back.
Thankful and content.
'Do you want groundnuts?' Kishore asked Pushpa.
'I want Kulfi today.' She told Kishore.
'Kulfi? No no. No sugar for you. The doctor has said strictly said no.' Kishore insisted.
'Doctor has said no. But I want Kulfi.'
'Ayyoo... you and your sweet tooth. When will you listen to you doctor?'
'Never' she laughed.
'Fine. Ok. But we'll share.'
Kishore got up from the bench, walking slowly towards the kulfi guy. He bought one pista kulfi for his wife. He unwrapped the kulfi with his trembling hands.
'Shall I?' asked Pushpa
'No. No.' Kishore announced
'Here... eat and give me one half. Don't eat it fully.'
'Ok' Pushpa smiled and knew she wouldn't share it.
'It's getting really hot these days.' Kishore said, as he wiped away the sweat off Pushpa's forehead.
'Enough, Kishore. What if people see?' Pushpa said shying away.
'My wife is sweating, who else will wipe her forehead? That kulfi fellow huh?' Kishore asked authoritatively.
'You give me that kerchief, I will wipe it myself. Still thinking you are a young chap.'
'Ya, I'm young only.'
'Ayyooo, tell that to your 4 grandchildren.' Pushpa laughed
'Pushpa, where is my Kulfi?'
'I finished it.'
'What?'
'It was too small.' Pushpa smiled like a naughtly imp
'Too small? You are only behaving like a small girl. Still thinking you are the Pushpa sitting in our college canteen and eating ice creams.'
'How much ice cream I used to eat no, Kishore?'
'Ya, all my pocket money I used to spend on your ice creams only.'
'Hee hee hee.' Pushpa laughed
Pushpa and Kishore were married for 40 years. They had 2 lovely children and 4 grandchildren. They were a happy middle class family, content with everything in life. They had a home filled with love and their hearts were filled with peace.
A young couple sat beside Kishore and Pushpa on the adjacent bench. The boy was asking if the girl wanted something to eat. To which she just shrugged her shoulders and said 'Just shut up. Don't try to butter me.'
'I'm not trying to butter you.'
'You first say sorry for what you did.'
'I didn't do anything wrong.'
'You came 1 hour late and we missed the movie. So say sorry.'
'I told you I had to attend the special class in maths. I already flunked last semester.'
'I don't care. I DON'T CARE. SAY SORRY' she started shouting.
Kishore and Pushpa stayed silent. They didn't want to intrude. Every couple should know how to sort issues between themselves. It's best a stranger stays away from giving his opinion unless asked for.
'SAY SORRY. SAY SORRY. SAY SORRY.'
The girl kept screaming on top of her voice. It was good that the park was crowded and her voice was drained in the sounds of children playing, swings swaying, adults laughing at the laughter club. But to Kishore and Pushpa, this noise was unbearable. But they stayed calm. Ignoring the old couple, the boy and girl continued their fight.
Kishore turned and looked at Pushpa. A little smirk on his face. He wrote in her notebook, 'Thank goodness, Pushpa, that we cannot speak. I wouldn't have known how to handle this kind of screaming.'
In reply to which Pushpa wrote, 'I'm sure you would become deaf also!'
To which both of them laughed loudly. Audible only to their hearts. They both got up and slowly walked back.
Thankful and content.
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