Jamai 2.0

[Miss Ruhnke]

Iknew for sure my mother regarded such occasions as shameless show of money, not love and would never even think of treating him on such a day, let alone buying him gifts or inviting him home. For me too, a quiet love talk was more important.Yet, when my husband revealed that even his office might have a half-day closure with all the jamai babus leaving early or bunking work to visit their in-laws and be treated to sumptuous meals on a scorching summer noon, I decided to treat him myself. My shy life partner blushed at the idea of his wife pampering him to a five-star jamai shashthi thali at any hotel, most of which organised special menus for the eclectic and rich sasuri to treat her son-in-law to an exorbitantly high-priced meal. I convinced him after a little bit of coaxing.

Little did we know the very first and very last Jamai Shashthi of our life would throw up hilarious circumstances. The minute we sat down in that luxurious dining hall and ordered the Jamai thali that had almost everything from fish to mutton to prawn and cakes, to sweets to rabri and mangoes, the waiter looked shell-shocked. Being a five-star facility he was taught to be polite and thus stopped short of asking who was the jamai and who the mother-in-law. In our 20s, we looked like mere college kids in our T-shirts and trousers. Yes, we forgot to deck ourselves in saree and kurta, and kept gazing at the rows of jamai and sasuri pairs with wives and extended families seated all around in their typical Bong outfits of saree and dhoti.

As I almost choked, trying to suppress my laughter at seeing another jamai trying to pick bones of Ilish maach with his fork and failing miserably, I realised I had eaten very little and hardly paid attention to the man who was supposed to be pampered. But this husband of mine by then had finished what little he felt like eating, for he is always on a strict diet and had called the waiter for the bill. And as I was busy choosing from the dessert platter (considering my sweet tooth, I wanted to have all), my smart husband had already paid. I protested vehemently, so much so that I attracted a few curt glances from some sasuris who for sure felt my husband was treating his mistress to a sumptuous dinner. Else does a husband treat his wife on Jamai Shashthi!

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