In my childhood , I was nicknamed Kaka . Among the few friends who know this , I refer to my wife as Kaki and most appropriately so as she fits into the image of Kaki, made popular by Kaka Hatharsi , the Hasya-kavi Shiromani of years gone by.
Some days back was my wife's birthday and she turned …...... ( oh, leave it to imagination - if she happens to read it she may find a whip to lash at me again for being politically incorrect.) Like always, my problem was whether to wish her a happy birthday or not.. Saying “ Happy birthday ” seemed too formal and banal ; moreover I do not ever expect her to say “thank you “, she being my be(i)tter half or to borrow a term three -fourth of me. So when we encountered each other in the morning – it is always an encounter - it was a gentle caress on her face that I dared . Going any further would have evoked the most expected response as “ Kuchh toh khayaal ( meaning sharam) karo, ab toh aapkey bachchey bhi bachchey nahin rahe ” which would have been enough to floor me , overconscious as I am of being past my prime. Even otherwise , Kaki is unsparing and has a knack of catching words mid-air and throwing them back with more force and vigour, in common parlance byaj sahit.
We , poor husbands have to be more wary even while showing genuine love and concern in these days of women empowerment, not to face any situation summed up by who else but Ghalib :
Dhaul dhappa us saraapaa naaz ka sheva na tha
Hum hi kar baithey the' Ghalib pesh dasti ek din.
I wonder if this happens to all of us with more than quarter of a century of married life behind !
Some days back was my wife's birthday and she turned …...... ( oh, leave it to imagination - if she happens to read it she may find a whip to lash at me again for being politically incorrect.) Like always, my problem was whether to wish her a happy birthday or not.. Saying “ Happy birthday ” seemed too formal and banal ; moreover I do not ever expect her to say “thank you “, she being my be(i)tter half or to borrow a term three -fourth of me. So when we encountered each other in the morning – it is always an encounter - it was a gentle caress on her face that I dared . Going any further would have evoked the most expected response as “ Kuchh toh khayaal ( meaning sharam) karo, ab toh aapkey bachchey bhi bachchey nahin rahe ” which would have been enough to floor me , overconscious as I am of being past my prime. Even otherwise , Kaki is unsparing and has a knack of catching words mid-air and throwing them back with more force and vigour, in common parlance byaj sahit.
We , poor husbands have to be more wary even while showing genuine love and concern in these days of women empowerment, not to face any situation summed up by who else but Ghalib :
Dhaul dhappa us saraapaa naaz ka sheva na tha
Hum hi kar baithey the' Ghalib pesh dasti ek din.
I wonder if this happens to all of us with more than quarter of a century of married life behind !
Ha Ha Ha .. I was sure it was coming... the reference to KAKI... Good one sir.. Your musings always make me smile. And it made little more than that.
ReplyDeleteBut remember my shair ;
Faqat hum hi ko na sazayen milin,
Gham ki aur bhi kathayen milin.
Male dominates the society and one female dominates that male.
WAH WAH ! It sends me into state of hilarity. Kudos to U ! But sir I am not able to see or read your previous writeup on Tea. I tried a lot, but the post only sows title and then the text belongs to other post ( abhi to main jawan hun). what is the actual problem. I don't want to miss that one.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot for your appreciation and encouragement, Bali ji . I have sent you my previous write up by e-mail. You are also doing very well . Keep up the good work and the spirit !
ReplyDelete