Ten years and still getting to know each other
My wife, Malathi, and I recently celebrated our 10th anniversary. Yes, it’s been a whole decade since we got married, a whole decade since we stood in front of family and friends, looked into each other’s eyes and thought, “Who is this person?”
We hardly knew each other back then, having met through a matrimonial ad on the internet. But after spending 10 years together and producing three children, one thing is clear: we still don’t know each other.
If we knew each other, she wouldn’t get annoyed whenever she finds me on the couch on a Sunday afternoon, as though I have any control whatsoever over the schedule of the National Football League.
If we knew each other, I wouldn’t have waited patiently for her outside the clothing store in the mall—I would have rented a tow truck with a hook and chain to pull her out.
Despite not knowing each other, we’ve somehow managed to stay married for 10 years. That may not seem like a long time to some of our friends—a few have been married 25 years or more—but for Malathi and me, it’s amazing that we’re still together and even more amazing that we still occasionally talk to each other.
In fact, you’ll be glad to know that we spoke to each other just last month. I said, “Our anniversary is coming up. How do you want to celebrate it?” And she said, “I’d like to try the new Japanese restaurant in town. Do you want me to bring something home for you?” (That’s what I love about her—she’s so thoughtful.)
Actually, Malathi and I talk to each other quite a lot—whenever the kids let us. The kids are 4, 6 and 8, and at any given time one of them is speaking, one of them is singing and one of them is screaming. It’s hard to have a conversation when they’re around, especially since they don’t like to see Mommy and Daddy getting too affectionate. We usually have to speak in code—a special code that develops naturally during a marriage. Whenever Malathi wants to say “I love you,” she says, “Are you watching that stupid football game again?” And whenever I want to say “I love you,” I say, “How many pairs of shoes do you need anyway?” The kids don’t realize it, but we’re a very romantic couple.
Our relationship has evolved and matured over the years. We’re even able to communicate without saying a word to each other. For example, if I’m on the couch watching a football game and a pumpkin lands on my head, I know that Malathi needs help in the kitchen.
All relationships change over time, and it’s important to adapt to the changes. Just look at what I’ve adapted to from “then” to “now.”
Then: Leaves romantic “I need you like I need food and water” note on the dining table.
Now: Leaves frantic “I need you to buy some food and water” note on the dining table.
Then: Offers to make tea in the evening.
Now: Shouts “Where’s my tea?” while checking Facebook.
Then: Gives compliments such as “You’re so sweet! Take a bow.”
Now: Gives advice such as “You’re so sweaty! Take a bath.”
Then: Finishes my sentences without thinking.
Now: Finishes my sandwiches without thinking.
Actually, the last one isn’t completely true. She still occasionally finishes my sentences. Just the other day, I said, “How many pairs of shoes ...” and she said, “would my husband like to dodge on a Sunday afternoon?”
That’s a special code, of course.
She means the world to me, too.
DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN?
1. The editor-in-chief of India Today blamed jet lag and “inputs” from his staff for plagiarizing an article on Rajinikanth.
2. Singer Katy Perry and comedian Russell Brand got married in a Hindu ceremony in Delhi.
3. During his visit to India, President Obama met with Arundhati Roy to discuss Kashmir.
4. Playboy released three “erotic yoga” DVDs, triggering an objection from Hindu activist Rajan Zed.
5. Mumbai University dropped Rohinton Mistry’s book Such a Long Journey from its curriculum after Shiv Sena objected to its portrayal of the group.
(1, 2, 4 and 5 really happened)
COW TOWN’S MUSLIM MAYOR
Every now and then, a political candidate pulls off a major upset, stunning the experts and confounding the pollsters. Such was the case in Calgary, Canada, where Naheed Nenshi, the son of Indian immigrants (via Tanzania), was recently elected mayor. Polls in September had him entrenched in third place, but the Harvard-educated Nenshi used social media and a grassroots campaign to surge past his opponents and become the first Muslim mayor of a major Canadian city. Days after the election, people were still scratching their heads and getting used to saying “Mayor Naheed Nenshi.”
As Gillian Steward wrote in the Toronto Star, “No one could quite believe that a conservative cow town like Calgary had chosen a young (38), brown, very smart Muslim man to represent them at city hall.”
THE BILL CLINTON PLATTER
There’s no better advertisement for a restaurant than a visit from former President Bill Clinton, who’s known to appreciate good food. Just ask anyone at Bukhara, an upscale restaurant at the ITC Maurya Hotel in New Delhi, which has twice catered to Clinton’s appetite. As reported in the New York Times, the restaurant now offers the Bill Clinton Platter, “an aromatic spread of mixed meats, lentils and oven-baked bread” that costs Rs. 5,000.
Clinton’s favorite table in the middle of the restaurant is also in demand. “People come in all the time and ask for that table,” Avinash Deshmukh, a manager at the hotel, told the Times. “The strange thing is we’ve never advertised the fact that Mr. Clinton has eaten here. Everybody just seems to know that when they walk in the door.”
DESI FUN ONLINE
O’bhangra
http://tinyurl.com/2f4srqf
Michelle Obama dances with Indian children
Conan in India
http://tinyurl.com/24v667t
An extended cut of Conan O’Brien’s excellent American Express commercial
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge.
[Comments? Contributions? We would love to hear from you about Chai Time. If you have contributions, please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips and more.]Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
