Oh Shit... I am MARRIED...!!

5 years back from now…

I woke up at 8:00 am. I had a major headache. It was Monday, and I was late for the office. “Oh shit..!” - That were the first two words I spoke. I sprang out of my bed and rushed to the bathroom with the favorite piece of my newspaper –Delhi Times. Let’s see what my sun-sign says today – “Cancer - Be pro-active at work. Drive safely and take care of your stomach.” Wow..!! What a start. I had to be proactive, but I was late. I had to reach office soon, but the newspaper had already warned me about driving fast. I any ways hasted out of my house and got into my car. The tires were not punchered. The petrol tank was full. Thank Gawd..! Finally something had started going right..!!

9:30 am. I am driving for my office, and I am still 3 kms away from my office. Stuck in every day’s traffic jam, I got a little time to think about myself. Yesterday was an AOWSUM party. Friends, fun, the IPL match and the love of my life – my bottle of Budweiser beer - what more could I ask for. After completion of my MBA, I had been enjoying my bachelor life to the fullest. Short holiday trips, long sleeping hours and moderate work life, I had it all.

I finally reached the office on time. It was 10:15 am. Though, the office starts at 10:00 am, but thanks to the FLEXIBLE HR Policies, 15 minutes late was still not late enough. I got to my seat and turned on my laptop. Opened the internet explorer, and updated my status on Facebook – In Hangover after the hangout.

That’s me. That’s how my life was flowing, until I met her…

4 years back from now…

I woke up at 8:00 am. I had a major headache. It was Monday. I had chatted with her the entire night. Life was so pleasant ever since she stepped in. Her cute voice sounded really seductive at night. That kiss on the phone was like the fragrance of first raindrop on dry soil. Disha - her name sounded like music to my ears.

I was still thinking about her, when I heard – Pehla nasha, pehla khumaar... I smiled – wow, life does have background music – Oh shit..!! That’s my cell phone…!! “Happy realization” – I told myself. It was an unknown number. I any ways picked up. A beautiful voice said – “Namashkar, this is a pre-recorded voiceover. Your mobile bill has exceeded assigned credit limit. We request you to kindly make an interim payment to enjoy uninterrupted services. Thank you”. (Call disconnected).

I was not bothered. Although, half of my salary was now spent on weekends with her, and my phone bills had shot up, I was still happy. Last month, I had missed paying my bank installment for the education loan that I had taken. But there was something, which was still driving me.

I got up from the bed. Got ready, and reached my office. I logged into my PC and thought of updating my status to Disha (Sorry “Facebook”).

She was lucky. Still in a sleepy tone, she softly said “hello”.

Mela baby uth gaya..?? I asked.

Yaa…

Chalo, I have reached the office. You sleep for another while. We slept really late yesterday na. Take care chwweetu..!!

Hmm… She said and smiled. I said bye and disconnected my call.

My day at the office started on a very normal mode. Making checklist of pending issues, reading the un-read mails, making a few phone calls, taking follow-ups, blah, blah, blah…

I had just started to get busy, when my boss came in. He seemed in a bad mood today. I wished him good morning. Without replying, he went into his cabin and shut the door.

Someone had rightly said some good things about work life. Always remember the three rules – and my friends added some comments on those blissful quotations

1. Your salary will always be less. (when you have a girlfriend)
2. Your job will always suck (when you stay awake late night talking to her)
3. Your boss will always be a bastard (@#$%^& is born like that)

Life went on and on and on, until one day...

3 years back from now…

I woke up at 8:00 am. I had a major headache. Yes, it was Monday.

“Let’s get married”. Those were the words which did not let me sleep the entire night..!!

Marriage?? What crap..!! I wanted to get married, but, I could just not make up my mind. I still thought I was too young and irresponsible. I was managing my expenses well. I had a good job, with a good designation. I was a responsible son, but getting married was all together a different ball game..! I had no concrete reason to say no. But I did not have the guts to say yes. I just did not have an answer.

She belonged to a Brahmin family. I was born a Baniya. We both got along well, irrespective of our caste and cultures, but our families had made up their mind to serve the role of villains in our love story.

Between all those long melodramatic family arguments, Disha was neutral. She would marry someone else, if her parents did not agree. But, she had already told her parents that marrying someone except me was going to be life time compromise.

My mom’s emotional atyachaar was at its peak. She wanted me to get married ASAP. I do not know why, but she had decided upon a deadline. Papa said – Gupta Sahab is ready to give Rs. 10 Lac in dowry and a grand marriage party at JayPee Palace (grand finale to the end of my so called left-over bachelor life) if I agreed to marry his daughter. It was a great offer. Rs. 10 Lac was more than what I could have earned in another 1 and a half year..!

Had I not been in love, I would have accepted the offer, but someone has rightly said, love is blind. Well, it sure did make me blind, dump & deaf. I gracefully said no to those 10 lac rupees. Though, I did have the fear, that I would have to sell my Honda city and drive a Honda activa if my parents did not agree to the marriage. But I was un-moved. And so was my future father in law.

2 years back from now…

I woke up at 8:00 am. Yes, it was Monday. I slept late and I obviously had a headache, but I have a mixed feeling this morning.

I open my eyes slowly. She was lying in front of me. Her pink lips were still smiling out of happiness. Those 2 curled strands of hair on her forehead were telling me to tease her. Her beautiful eyelashes were closed, playing hide & seek with me. The blush on her cute chubby cheeks announced that I was about to become a father. She told me last night that she was pregnant.

It was the best feeling I had ever felt. My marriage was a very normal event. Close friends, some relatives and selected guests. Very few people were invited. We finally got married. This good news would get our families close now. But I was happy. I was a father. I and Disha were giving birth to a new life. Oh my God… I am so excited. I am nervous. I am about to become a father…!!

Dad would be promoted to become Dadaji. Mom would be Daadi. There would be someone to call me papa. Wow.!! I am so happy. I am so blessed. I wanna cry..!! Oh man..!! Its AOWSUM..!

It’s a new excitement. Can’t wait to tell everyone. I slowly get up from the bed silently. I will make the bed tea today. I will wake up every one at home. I will get them to the dining table. I will give them the great news, and then get wake up Disha, and give her a surprise. No no.. wait.. It’s her day too. Let her do this. I’ll make the tea. I will invite her to the dining table, and let her announce this. Yes. 10 on 10. That’s a perfect plan. Oh my God. Mai PAPA ban gaya..!!

1 year back from now…

I woke up at 8:00 am. It was Monday. My headache was obvious. Experts say, if your headache doesn’t cure for 3 years, you should definitely see a doctor.  But my case was different. My cute little angle baby could not sleep the entire night. She was crying. I was trying to make her smile so that I could see her two little teeth, which had just grown up.

My wife had slept the entire night. She had worked the entire day. So it was my turn to take care of the baby. But I had worked too. She must have made the baby to sleep in the day – I thought to myself.

The moment I came back from my office, she started nagging. How can she manage to talk so much every day, I wondered. Someone told me, that a man speaks approximately 25,000 words every day, while a woman speaks 30,000 words. But the problem starts when husband comes from work after finishing his 25,000 words and then wife starts her 30,000 words.

The maid was on leave. And I was acting as the house maid entire night. I was feeling like a bachelor. But this feeling was not good at all. She was pregnant and then, she had just delivered a baby. So there was no action between us. Life had become miserable. So we had a fight. Baby was also my responsibility. So I had to stay awake.

Yesterday Night, We had a fight…

I was lying on the bed looking at the fan. She was facing her back towards me. I could hear her sobbing. My 4 years of love life seemed at a stake. I had given so much for this. I had given away my bachelorhood. I gave away my social life. I gave away my nights.

No alcohol. No holiday trips. And even no sex for 1 year. I was carrying this for so long. She did not say anything. And this silence was killing me. I wanted to talk. But my ego was keeping me away from taking an initiative from talking to her.

She turned around and looked at me. “Sorry” she said, “but I have come a long way with you as well. Kunaal, I love you. You have given me too much, and truly, I accepted whatever I got from you.

When we got into the relationship, you gave me your possessiveness. Before our marriage, while you partied with your friends late night, I was sitting at home, waiting for your call. I just wanted you not to drink and drive. While you were sleeping drunk at your friends place, I was sleeping alone. But I still love you.

I stayed awake, talking to you all nights, because it made you happy. I accepted the time, when you slept while talking to me. I loved exchanging the same flavor of ice-cream with you, because you thought that it would get us closer. I love you.

Getting married was not an easy decision for me either. But if I had not got married with you, my parents would have got me married to someone else. I just did not want to lose you ever. I do not regret leaving my parents. I do not regret leaving my culture. I love your parents. I love your family. And I love you.

After marriage, you gave me a new man. It was the new you. No gifts, no compliments and no spark. But I accepted you.

When we were in a relationship, I gave you my virginity. You could still pretend to look like a bachelor, but I would never look like a virgin again. This was something I would never get back. But you gave me so much love, that I felt blessed every time you hugged me.

I was pregnant, not by choice, but by destiny. Had a choice been given, would have you chosen to get pregnant?” I was mum. She continued “but I loved that feeling of being a mother. I love you. And I love my child, because it came from you.

I love you. And I want you in my life. I am qualified. I am capable. I am independent. But I still want you in my life. I don’t need you because I am dependent on you. But I need you because you make me complete.”

Oh Shit, what have I done…! That’s all what I could think. I was sure I would have a headache again tomorrow morning. I did not have anything to say in turn. I know, when she wakes up in the morning, everything between us would be fine. But I am thankful that I married her. I love her. But oh shit..!! I am not a bachelor any more.