Marriage

Marriage
Mai Dallala woke up at her usual time and raised herself off the bed with difficulty. She searched under the wooden cot she slept on for her slippers and after finding them went up on the roof to feed her chickens. Mian Ji had not awoken yet and she planned to get all of this work finished as quickly as possible, so that she could concentrate on making breakfast. Feeding chickens wasn’t as easy as it used to be so many years ago. She found running after them painful and exhausting, and going down the stairs again towards the small, suffocating kitchen just reminded her that she was getting old.
She sat peeling potatoes for the curry when she heard Mian Ji shuffling his feet towards the garden. The small garden was the most important part of the house for her husband. After his retirement from his post as a clerk, he spent most of his waking moments crooning to the jasmine and bela plants he so lovingly planted. Mai Dallala quickly cleaned up the potato peels and walked towards her kitchen.
It was a very ordinary Saturday for the husband and wife. The only change in their lives came when their daughter, now somewhat happily married, would visit them. Meanwhile, they moved on in their slow leisurely pace to wherever it was time was leading them.
While laying the curry and bread in front of Mian Ji, Mai Dallala casually opened the newspaper and searched through the gossip columns. When she saw Mian Ji looking for his paper, she quickly folded it and handed it to him so that he could read while he ate. She watched him break off a piece of the bread and dip it into the curry before mentioning the small notice she had read on the back pages.
“Listen.” She softly said.
“ Humph.”
“ There’s a flower show in the park nearby. The entrance is free.”
“Humph?”
“ It would be a change.”
“ Humph” he replied and nodded his head. After 30 years of marriage, Mai Dallala had learned what the various Humphs Mian Ji used throughout his conversation meant. Throughout breakfast they remained silent. An occasional Humph from Mian Ji would signify an important piece of news.
After breakfast Mai Dallala put on her best clothes and wore her hair in a loose bun on the back of her head. It was very rare that they ever went out. The prices of everything had risen so much that they couldn’t afford entertainment anymore. She smiled to herself as she recalled how much they used to go out when they were newly married. Life changes so.
The route towards the park took longer than it had a year ago. They took time watching young children play cricket with much older boys and Mai Dallala couldn’t help being amused when she saw young girls with tight pigtails sneak peeks through their windows at the young sportsmen. How many times had she done that in her youth?
They walked along, occasionally stopping to admire a plant or two until they reached the park. They were unfazed by the big, beautiful cars standing in the parking lot, after all, what use were they to them now? Mian Ji’s excitement knew no bounds when he saw the rows of gardenias and chrysanthemums that lined the park. Talking feverishly on the various species found in the country, he pointed out all the rare plants to Mai Dallala like a child showing off his toys. She had very rarely seen him so happy.
“ I asked you to buy the yellow one, why do you always have to make the same mistake?” screamed a female voice near them
“ I didn’t listen, ok? You pointed out each flower you saw. How was I to know which one you wanted?” the man with her tried to defend himself.
“ You never listen. It’s always the same. It’s like talking to a wall. You never pay attention to me” she went on, oblivious to the strange gestures she was receiving from her surroundings. The man though, noticed them acutely.
“ Will you stop shouting like an illiterate? You always make a scene in front of everyone!”
This made his wife even angrier and she screamed various abuses before bursting out in tears and running towards their car. Her husband looked away when he saw her leaving and proceeded to make his way among the exhibits. Mai Dallala couldn’t help wondering how long they had been married. Not very long, it seemed. She noticed Mian Ji had taken no interest in the conversation and had been busily stroking the petals of a hydrangea.
They had been planning to leave when Mai Dallala saw the man who had the argument walk towards the car. He opened the door and sat down next to his wife. She smiled when she saw them talk and laugh as if nothing had happened, and watched them drive out of the park happily, knowing that for the moment everything was perfect.
She turned and saw Mian Ji looking in the same direction she had. They both smiled at each other and walked towards their small two-room house in the back alleys of their city. Thirty years they had spent together, and they were looking forward to spending thirty more.