The Grass is greener depending on what time you look...

Hubby dear is leaving tomorrow for the US for 4 loooong months, and yours truly, has taken the day off from work to help him with the shopping and packing, and of course, intending to spend some quality time together before he leaves.

Over a lovey dovey breakfast -
"I really need to go to office for a while sonu. I have a couple of meetings to attend & then I am free. I will meet you directly at the mall so that we can quickly finish off shopping come back home & pack!"
There, that explains the extra special, early morning sweet nothings! Though apprehensive and cynical about the whole “plan”, I keep my peace not wanting to start the day on a wrong note and agree to meet him at the mall in a couple of hours.

An hour and a half after I reach the mall -
"I'll be just a little longer. Got a little more work to finish! U start off, I’ll be there."
This, after the umpteenth phone call. I am stranded in the men's section of a popular store. Confused and dazed, I look around.. What do I "start off" with? Its already 2:30 pm, and there is a ton of work to do. As panic sets in I look to my hastily scribbled shopping list for help. "Formal Shirts" it screams. Fine, Shirts it is then. I move to the shirts section, checking on the price tags, the displays and the brands, and, while I am at it, checking out a couple of cute guys in the vicinity. Ahem...
Anyways, after an hour of sleepily browsing through shirts in a zillion shades of blue, I give up. As I contemplate whether to hop, skip and jump over to the more interesting and inviting ladies section, my phone rings...

"Okay, I am leaving from office. I will be there in a jiffy!"
As I brace myself for another long "jiffy", I find that I have strayed into the men’s inner wear section. Hey, that rings a bell. I consult my shopping list, and yes, we need to pick up stuff from here too. Chalo, lets "start off" with this. At least I will have something to show for the two hours I spent walking around the store.
As I wonder how limited a choice men have when it comes to this category of clothing, I slowly become aware of a volley of uncomfortable coughs and clearing of throats behind me. I turn around to find a whole congregation of men, staring at me, with expressions varying from curiosity, amusement, amazement and even, irritation on their faces. "Excuse me! You are blocking my way!!" says the short, bespectacled, indignant guy who seems to be the most irritated of the lot; as if I ventured into someplace I was not supposed to, as if I had violated the sanctity of that section, exclusively set up for the male clan.
I mutter a half hearted "Sorry Dude!!" under my breath and as I walk away, I remember all the old jokes and the laughs I have had at the expense of "Moti, married Aunty-types out shopping for their husbands". I strain my ears to catch any such laughter at my expense from the gang of men gathered there. Thankfully I hear none...

But not before I realize how life always comes full circle. From childhood thru adolescence to adulthood, we experience and in most cases, actually enjoy exactly the same feelings, emotions and stages of life that we have frowned upon or ridiculed or criticized sometime in the past. I remember watching “Gone with the Wind” for the first time and wrinkling my nose in disgust at Rhett Butler kissing Scarlett O’ Hara. A couple of years later, I happened to watch it again at an all girls, sleep over party, and I remember the whole lot of us swooning over the passionate and soulful kiss…

“Sorry I am late .. I had so much work and the traffic…”
Sigh… Rhett Butler will have to wait as I turn around indignantly to look at my truant, now apologetic hubby, trying his best to give me the sheepish, lopsided grin that he knows very well, is guaranteed to let him get away with most of his mischief. Sighing, I find myself warming up to that smile and I can feel the married (though, mind you, not moti... OKAY, maybe just a little) aunty-type take over now.
I smile at him & hear myself say “U nut.. Come on.. There is a lot of work to be done!!!”
Life has never been better, Touchwood!!!
Everything else will just have to wait….