ROWS VERSUS ROSE

Sumit and Deena realized that they were constantly bickering or having a royal fight. The reason? Silly ones like she earning more than him. Well,she couldn’t help it, both had applied for new jobs and she just happened to be lucky . Or rather at the right place at the right time!!! It was not because she was better qualified or more smart, she was just plain lucky. But he the macho male just couldn’t take it.

It all began when her present to him on their fifth anniv was more expensive than his! He had made a face and accepted it in a lack lustre way. And to think she had picked up a Blackberry for him.  He had coveted it for so long. She thought he would be elated but found him deflated. It had dampened her mood too. These males, when would they grow up? Always the spoilt boy. Always a loser .Self created loser. Somewhere in their psyche they feel they should be the provider and caretaker, the one who wielded the proverbial rod. Pah.

 Well, she wouldn’t try to play down her personality to accommodate his ego, the bloated ego.He had applied for another job which would pay more but did that matter? Not to her anyway. But maybe his mood swings would stop. He had even ordered her not to inform anyone in the family that she was drawing more than him. Arre, what cheek the fact that she was proud of her capabilities just didn’t count, hello, I also have some feelings in case you haven’t noticed.

Their home dynamics also took a turn for the worse.He would be cold in bed , pretend to be asleep …. Other days he would wait patiently till she finished cleansing her skin and brushing her hair.

There was no need for him to suffer any complexes at all . He seemed to have forgotten the fact that they loved each other .A few rupees more or less couldn’t change that. This wouldn’t do. She looked at him from the corner of her eye. His eyes were closed and he was in pretend mode. She giggled suddenly. Other days she was the pretender. ‘not today darling, I have a headache!’

But he would not let her sleep, he would kiss her silly and finally his passion would arouse her and they would end up making love. As she remembered, her heart thudded . She decided to seduce him. She dabbed his  fav  perfume and put on her sexiest nightie . She slipped between the sheets her body warm and welcoming. To her shock he pushed her rudely away.

She flared up,

 “ What’s the matter, Sumi”?  She asked.

 “I never thought that you would be so narrow minded. Does it really matter?”

 He was on the defensive and refused to  accept that it was because she earned more.

“ Tell me then why are you acting like this ? Does our earning power decide our life and love?”

 He looked discomfited but not cool.

 “Well… you know”,  he parried.

“ Know what Sumit, tellme ? she pleaded.

“Your financial independence has made you arrogant and you think you are a super woman,” he lashed out.

It was so unexpected that she didn’t know what to say. Was this the same Sumit who had been head over heels in love with her? She turned over and slept trying her best to control her tears.

 Next morning both were on silent mode but busy in  their minds. Sumit hated himself but didn’t know why he was behaving like this . He loved her , knew she was a darling and not arrogant or a show off. In fact she had not told anyone about the state of affairs. She had not made him feel bad in any way. It was he who felt small, impotent and depressed. He felt he was the butt of ridicule of his peer group, he felt his masculinity questioned…..he felt low.  It was nothing to do with her. Deena was always the traditional homemaker , she juggled both fronts with ease , his mother loved her more than him then what was eating into him?

 Before leaving Dina shot at him,

 “You come to a decision today , either I quit my job or we call it quits. I can’t go on like this. I want my positive, self confident, happy husband not the negative, irritable, depressed stranger that you have become.”

Sumit nodded . He also wanted the old Sumit back. But life was not letting him be the same. He remembered their last anniversary. They had gone to Singapore, he on a tour, she accompanying him. They had literally freaked out there. He smiled. The sharks at Sentosa had scared Deena and she had clutched him hard. He had engulfed her in his strong arms feeling extremely protective . “I am here na, baby, don’t worry”, he had murmured.  Was he the same Sumit .? he sighed. His friend prodded him,

 “Hey wassa matter? You look gloomy.”

 “I feel gloomy da,” he said .

 The phone rang. It was Deena. His heart leapt.She was cold.

“You know Sumit, there is a rose plant in our balcony?”

He shook his head to clear it what was she saying? She continued.

“The rose plant needs watering everyday. I have a plan. If we want our marriage to survive you and I will see to it that the plant flourishes.”

“How”? asked Sumit amused.

 “By nourishing it, silly. If it blooms so will our marriage , if it dies we part”

.  “Is this some comedy show”? asked Sumit. 

 “No, I am dead serious”. she said and disconnected.

  The rose plant bloomed.

 Deena watered it as usual but she noticed that  Sumit was watering it too. Once they crashed into each other and their mugs of water dropped with a splash .Each looked sheepishly at a point above each other’s  heads..

proud to ask.

 As soon as she returned she rushed to it. It wasn’t in its place. Her heart sank. It had died and Sumit had thrown it. She sat down with a plop on the ground. So that was it .Their marriage of five years was over, kaput. Finito. She would move out. The male ego had won.

 She sighed and stood up. It was still early. It would be better if she packed and got ready. She would have to inform her parents of course.

 She went into the kitchen and listlessly cooked. All her dreams, no, all their dreams of a happy life, a house,  children,  he wanted a girl with her eyes… he had said, now nothing everything down the drain, no, down the brain was more apt…. for a few pennies more.

She heard the front door .It was Sumit.He smiled at her, a huge smile. Glad the marriage was over,she thought rudely.

 “Hey, what is with the long face?”he asked.

 She just nodded and set the table. After dinner they retired early. She wanted to broach the subject but decided to wait till morning.

 To her surprise, she slept soundly.It was some funny noises that woke her suddenly. She looked at the watch, it was around five. Someone was walking in the terrace. Who was in the terrace at this time? It was the distinct noise of the terrace door. She turned over and saw that Sumit wasn’t in his side of the bed, it must be him in the terrace but why, in this godforsaken hour? Grumbling to herself she got up and climbed the stairs calling his name as she did so. No answer.

Peeping out, she dimly saw a figure in the misty, morning light.

 “Sumit?”  She called .As her vision cleared she saw Sumit watering a plant. She looked again. Her heart did a somersault. It was the rose plant. And it had a beautiful rose in it.  A lovely red rose. Her throat constricted and her heart plummeted. Sumit  turned round and saw her. He held out his arms. Like a homing pigeon she went into them . They held each other and wept.

“The weather changed and the rose needed sunlight”, he explained.

“Don’t we all?”, she murmured. The petals of the rose quivered in the balmy dawn. And as they watched the sun came out in all its glory spreading its warmth and melting all feelings of animosity and inequality.