"Why do you love me, Priya?" asks my man. Let's call him Mr.Priyamvada, though we aren't married yet - officially, that is. Its the morning I'm to return home, after visiting him over the weekend. I catch my plane in 3 more hours. I'm still sleepy, have a mug of coffee in my hands - as I watch Mr.P pack my lunch.
He's up early, as early as 5 Am I find out. Two hours before I was up.
"Sleep in, my lady. Once you get home there's nobody to pamper you", he'd said the previous night. And he woke up early to fix my lunch? I'm speechless.
This is not a new love, we've known each other for over a year now - he's not doing this to impress me. Mr.P is by nature a very affectionate man who shows his love by doing things like this. He may not write reams about love (that's my speciality ;) but he'll floor me in all other ways.
There is a bag of freshly baked cookies on the counter. "For Kamala" he says. Little Kamala is off visiting dad and doesn't know I'm meeting Mr.P. I haven't told her yet of this visit - for fear of daylong sulking that she didn't get to see him. We both love him, in our own special ways.
"Why do I love you? Do I have to answer that?"
"Yes"
I watch him throw a bottle of strawberry shake into my lunch bag.
"Because you are a wonderful, kind, caring man. I've seen how good you are with your Sri as well as my Kamala. You are a great person and a wonderful dad..."
He ponders this as I ponder the calorie content of the shake.
"220 calories per serving? And there are two servings in this bottle! Are you crazy my man?"
"Rubbish, Priya. A young mother needs her calories, and there's only 22 of them. Don't look at the zero - it has no value!"
This, from Mr.P the math wizard. He is done packing my lunch; comes and wraps his arms around me.
"So why do you love me?"
"WHAT? I just told you why!"
"Priya, there are lots of kind, caring men and wonderful dads out there. Why me?"
"Because you are a perfect gentleman; you're compassionate and fair-minded."
"There are lots of other men like that"
Sigh. I give up.
"I can't put my finger on something and say this is why I love you, okay? Love is an analog emotion - can't be digitized into the whys and whats", I say hopefully.
We're both engineers, and this statement works - for now anyway. I shower and get ready for the journey; carefully arrange the bag of cookies in my luggage, wrapping them in layers of cloth to prevent breakage.
"Hey, don't put it in too deep - they are meant for you to snack on too, when you get hungry"
Hmmm. Am I in calorie city here, or what?
"Rubbish. 55 calories per cookie!"
55 calories for a white chocolate macadamia cookie the size of my entire palm? Ah, I get it. The missing zero.
"Mr.P, I'm packing this as deep as I can. I ate half a donut this morning and I surely don't need this"
The donut was the ultimate temptation - oozing with chocolate fudge and a white icing decoration on top. Yummy.....and entirely unnecessary.
"Nonsense. Half a donut is 15 calories my dear! A young mother needs that. I know how much you run around with Kamala, you need energy!".
We drive to the airport, talking and making plans for our next meeting. We're both dreading the upcoming goodbye, and trying to find something to look forward to so we can still act "adult" and not like two lovestruck teens - ah, the masks we wear for the world! He walks me right upto the security, our eyes clinging to each other until the inevitable fork that leads to my gate. The gate is just a short way away and I settle down in a chair. The plane is due to board in 10 minutes. I miss Mr.P already. I think about the question of the morning; my mind is clear now and I'm more awake.
Why do I love you, Mr.P? Because you are brilliant, and funny; you laugh at all my outrageous statements. You are a wonderful lover; are sensitive, honest and sincere. I respect you immensely. You're more serious and reserved than me but I like that. You love me for the person I am, and I find our rapport very comforting. The world is brighter and more beautiful with you in it. That's why!
Is that all? my mind asks. Hmmm. I open my bag and start munching on a 55 calorie cookie. I'm not hungry at all, its just something Mr.P last touched..... Priyamvada, you're getting sappy, says the mind. Snap out of it!
Okay. But I'm still thinking about why I love Mr.P. I can't think of a life without him - gosh, that would be bleak, wouldn't it? Sappier - screams the mind. Mind, what's gotten into you today? I just don't want you to break down and cry in a public place, already! Ok, I won't. Sigh.
Now come up with a nice answer to why you love Mr.P, commands mind. Mind, I hate you today, alright? Just let me be! No, I won't...
I take another bite out of my cookie and think - delicious! Ok mind, I love Mr.P because he can make calories shrink like no other man can. That's why I love him. Here's the final equation for you:
Donut: 25 cal
Cookie: 55 cal
My man' s heart: Priceless
Are you satisfied now? A little tacky, but not bad! says mind. The plane starts boarding.
No comments:
Post a Comment