Mackerels & mangoes

He walked in with 6 mackerels and a bagful of mangoes. I was mighty happy. He told me first about the mangoes. Yummy juicy nice smelling golden drops that went straight to the topmost shelf of the refrigerator. And then slowly, he mentioned that the mackerels needed to be put in the freezer. The eyeless, faceless fish went next to the packet of frozen peas and a half open, half eaten family pack of vanilla ice cream. Something that the vegetarian in me decided to write off as an eager oversight.


The day went by without the mention of either. Quite an eventful day I must say. One of the most memorable arguments took place. Inspired from Anna Karenina’s opening lines I would like to think ‘all disagreements are alike, all makeups are unique in their own way’. And what a makeup that was! Drinks. A lovely lunch at the golf course. Drinks again. An indulgent siesta.


In the evening he wanted the fish fried, for dinner. All six of them! I asked him to keep one aside for our pet cat. It was a task, getting one fish out of his clutch.


As I sat down thinking what I was going to eat, he got me my packet of mangoes. Nicely chilled delicious bunch they were. I had seven of them. One after the other, no pause.


We sat and watched some TV. Lazy, full stomachs have a voracious appetite for all nonsense on television. Am glad we never met the dimwit who misled the world into 'dining like a pauper'. 5 mackerels and 7 large mangoes duly polished off in a single meal by two people. We both had such contented faces by the end of it.


We were drunk on food.


I wondered if this was what marriage was all about. Two people who liked totally opposite things. Sitting and enjoying a life, full of such assorted permutations wherein what you like might be the last thing your partner wants. But each so happy for the other. Two distinct lives, shared so beautifully that they seem like one.


Thank you Lord for the Mackerels & mangoes in the fridge!