"You sure don't believe in love or trust?" Rhea's mom was sounding just a little on the edge.
"Well those things are luxury Naina, don't waste time in believing unreliable fantasies!" Rhea's dad said flippantly. She wondered what had made her parents to have this dated conversation so early on a beautiful Sunday morning.
"I can prove it to you," said Naina, argumentatively, "I married you because I loved you and I trusted you."
"And I was not a great catch? Haven't you seen my degrees? I was studying in the IIM when we first met." Anil countered, making a blunder he regretted immediately.
"And I? Was I doing home science? I was in IIM too. So you thought I was a good catch? Or you thought I joined the IIM to just find a good catch? Don't start your naive chauvinistic argument Amit, I know you find it hard to lose. But you are wrong today. There is love and there is trust and it is real. And please don't annoy me ever again with that 'Good catch' line. It is so typical and empty, you can't even convince yourself with it." Naina went on a tirade. She knew she was winning this argument and she wanted to clinch it and end it both at the same time.
Amit silently walked away. Rhea wondered what just happened. What was all this argument about and why did it end so abruptly? Rhea knew her parents picked up odd topics to argue over and fought each other like high school debaters, using lame examples to win the argument. It was rather cute. But usually it was about economy, politics or science. They were always in agreement over emotional subjects. They were both practical and diplomatic.
But today was different... What had changed since she slept last night? Had some meteorite stuck the neighbours and spared her home, she peeped out of the windows to check, but they were all where they were last night. Were they filing for divorce? No, that one she would know. Did they fight last night? Was one of them being unfaithful? No no no. Rhea knew her parents to be far more sensible.
A little later, Rhea's dad found her in her room. "Hey kid can I talk to you?" Of course he could, parents didn't need permission from their kids to speak to them. He was supposed to just knock her on her head gently, as he always did, and say what he had to say. Not ask for permission.
"Well, you see, I cannot understand why you would need me to meet this new friend of your's whats his name?" Rhea noticed a faint stammer in his voice.She ignored it.
"Ankit, for the nth time dad!" Rhea became irritated. She wondered why it was so important for her that her dad should remember Ankit's name! "what's up with you dad? You don't forget names! And why would you wonder about why I want him to meet you? I bring all my friends home! he is my friend too!" Rhea ended defiantly.
"This is different, I am not sure about it." Amit interjected! "I thought there were still a few years to go for this." He said a little hesitantly.
"Not again," Naina was standing at Rhea's door, hands on hips, "what is up with you Amit." Just let this be. Don't confuse Rhea.
Relieved at the timely intervention, Rhea shouted, "can you guys please excuse me, I have homework to do."
Amit reluctantly walked away, Naina walked in to hug and a kiss her daughter, way too big and warm a hug and way too gentle a kiss, and said, "remember what I have always said to you, love and trust are the most important things in life, just follow your heart and you will never regret your decisions."
Rhea turned to see her mother fade away from her room. All of a sudden she had grown up. She couldn't believe it, she had just had an adult conversation with her parents. It was a little awkward, but she could see that there was a large space created for her in her home that day, which she would learn to call her personal space.
"Well those things are luxury Naina, don't waste time in believing unreliable fantasies!" Rhea's dad said flippantly. She wondered what had made her parents to have this dated conversation so early on a beautiful Sunday morning.
"I can prove it to you," said Naina, argumentatively, "I married you because I loved you and I trusted you."
"And I was not a great catch? Haven't you seen my degrees? I was studying in the IIM when we first met." Anil countered, making a blunder he regretted immediately.
"And I? Was I doing home science? I was in IIM too. So you thought I was a good catch? Or you thought I joined the IIM to just find a good catch? Don't start your naive chauvinistic argument Amit, I know you find it hard to lose. But you are wrong today. There is love and there is trust and it is real. And please don't annoy me ever again with that 'Good catch' line. It is so typical and empty, you can't even convince yourself with it." Naina went on a tirade. She knew she was winning this argument and she wanted to clinch it and end it both at the same time.
Amit silently walked away. Rhea wondered what just happened. What was all this argument about and why did it end so abruptly? Rhea knew her parents picked up odd topics to argue over and fought each other like high school debaters, using lame examples to win the argument. It was rather cute. But usually it was about economy, politics or science. They were always in agreement over emotional subjects. They were both practical and diplomatic.
But today was different... What had changed since she slept last night? Had some meteorite stuck the neighbours and spared her home, she peeped out of the windows to check, but they were all where they were last night. Were they filing for divorce? No, that one she would know. Did they fight last night? Was one of them being unfaithful? No no no. Rhea knew her parents to be far more sensible.
A little later, Rhea's dad found her in her room. "Hey kid can I talk to you?" Of course he could, parents didn't need permission from their kids to speak to them. He was supposed to just knock her on her head gently, as he always did, and say what he had to say. Not ask for permission.
"Well, you see, I cannot understand why you would need me to meet this new friend of your's whats his name?" Rhea noticed a faint stammer in his voice.She ignored it.
"Ankit, for the nth time dad!" Rhea became irritated. She wondered why it was so important for her that her dad should remember Ankit's name! "what's up with you dad? You don't forget names! And why would you wonder about why I want him to meet you? I bring all my friends home! he is my friend too!" Rhea ended defiantly.
"This is different, I am not sure about it." Amit interjected! "I thought there were still a few years to go for this." He said a little hesitantly.
"Not again," Naina was standing at Rhea's door, hands on hips, "what is up with you Amit." Just let this be. Don't confuse Rhea.
Relieved at the timely intervention, Rhea shouted, "can you guys please excuse me, I have homework to do."
Amit reluctantly walked away, Naina walked in to hug and a kiss her daughter, way too big and warm a hug and way too gentle a kiss, and said, "remember what I have always said to you, love and trust are the most important things in life, just follow your heart and you will never regret your decisions."
Rhea turned to see her mother fade away from her room. All of a sudden she had grown up. She couldn't believe it, she had just had an adult conversation with her parents. It was a little awkward, but she could see that there was a large space created for her in her home that day, which she would learn to call her personal space.
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