Great work ‘A.` You guessed it right…Rekha gifted me a beer mug for my birthday.
I wonder why she did it. As soon as I opened the gift I shouted in excitement: “Hey! It`s a beer mug!”
Rekha censured me: “Now, don`t you get too excited. You are not getting any extra beer than you have been having till now.” (And that`s a measly one bottle a month).
“Can I at least have a beer today?” I ask.
“You can open a beer bottle today…have half of it and you can have the other half next Saturday, on my mother`s birthday. I am planning on a small celebration.”
I did not tell Rekha that in one week`s time beer would turn to donkey`s piss.
“If I can`t drink beer, why did you gift me a beer mug?” I ask. I am terribly upset…but if I show any emotion she would realize that I did not like the gift and get upset and then cry (which doesn`t bother me)…and then not make dinner (which bothers me). So, I maintain my cool.
“Sheela, my colleague, accompanied me to the ceramic exhibition in Temple Towers – the place from where I got you this beer mug.”
“Ok, so….” I prompt her.
“While we were searching for a gift, Sheela said her husband maintained a mini-bar at their house,” Rekha said.
“Ok so….”
“How could I let her know that we don`t have a mini-bar at home? So I also let out a hint that you were also a true connoisseur and maintained a mini-bar at home.”
“Ok so….”
“Then she suggested that I get a peg-measure…you know the small container like thing that the really finicky drinkers use to measure their drinks…that one….”
“Ok so…” I was losing my patience…but who has ever lost it in front of his wife?
“The peg-measure was just too small…and I knew it would be of no use to both you and me. In order not to make her suspicious I bought a beer mug.”
Rekha gave me that triumphant smile of hers. The one I had found cute, before marriage.
“But won`t we be wasting it if I don`t take beer regularly?” I ask with a glint of hope in my eyes. I knew I had cornered her…she just had to give in.
“No…I have already decided to keep pepper in one of the beer mugs and dry fruits in the other.” She said.
Before I could say anything she added: “And yes…can you help me set up a mini bar at home….just a temporary one will do….Sheela is coming this weekend.”
God….these women!