Aunt Witty

The incident I am about to relate happened last week......

“I love the dress she is wearing. I wish I could get one like it, will take months of pocket money saving to buy one. Have a look at her nude peek toes, they are gorgeous, aren’t they?” I said looking at a model posing on the front page of a fashion journal.

“Months of pocket money saving? It isn’t that dazzling to cost so much” my aunt said having a look and then returning to the book she was reading.
’Who will cry after you die’ by ‘Robin Sharma’, Aunt Witty is a fervent reader. She likes reading inspirational biographies, autobiographies and books on self-help. I guess that it is one of the sources of her fantastic knowledge about human nature in addition to being a sociologist.

“Come on aunt it is a designer outfit.”

“So who is asking you to buy an original darling? You will get an identical in any of the showrooms at a much lower prize.”

” I took that into consideration aunt.” I said giving her a bereft look. “It is rightly said –‘Money can buy anything’.” I sighed.
My aunt was about to give me a lecture on my statement when the phone rang right in time.

”I have some arrangements to make. Will you help me dear?” she said putting down the receiver.

“Arrangements? For what?” I interrogated.

“We have guests to serve at dinner tonight. Your uncle’s friend, Mr.Singh...”

“From America” I exclaimed interrupting her in between.

”....yes, he has come with his family to visit India after a long time and since he is here in Lucknow so your uncle thought of inviting him over dinner. After all they have been close childhood friends.” she said making her way to the kitchen.

“He is the same Mr. Singh who runs several food joints and motels in America, right?” I asked following her.

”Yes”.

”Lucky, well-heeled people! but he was to come for a visit next month, isn’t it? ” I asked.

“Change in plan may be, but I am more than glad that they are coming tonight.” aunt replied with a smirk, pretty excitedly.

“Aunt I know that you love to serve and entertain guests, but I guess you didn’t prefer ‘spur of the moment’ preparations and here I see you highly enthusiastic about running around the world to make preparations for welcoming the guests tonight. We only have few hours in hand.” I asked in suspicion.

”You’ll soon know why.” she replied with yet another smirk.

The table was all set for our guests of honour.

My aunt’s favourite set of crockery had been festooned on the dining table along with scented napkins and a bunch of red roses which I had placed at the centre of the table in a emerald green flower vase.
She had prepared a number of Indian dishes from all four corners in India – Chola bhatura from the north, Punjab, Dhokla from the east, Gujrat, Dosa from South and the dessert Roshogulla from the west, Bengal. Everything was well prepared and the kitchen smelled of mouth relishing food.

The awaited guests arrived at around 7 o’clock in the evening escorted by my uncle.

Our guests included Mr.Singh, his wife, their elder daughter Keya who was about my age and their younger son Vivaan.

My aunt welcomed them by applying crimson tika on their forehead is the Indian tradition. We Indians believe that guests are a form of god, so we take it as a privilege to be able to serve guests. We put in our heart and soul when we do it.

“Aunty keep it small, it won’t go with the dress I am wearing you see.” Keya said trying to maintain the calmness in her tone, but I only knew how calm she was.
We teenagers understand each other so well. We are way to particular when it comes to fashion and style. There are a few things that we just can’t stand - pimples, acne, hair fall, blackheads,dark circles, fashion disasters, a passe closet (our closet gets out dated a few weeks after a shopping spree......), In fact there are many more things that I would not like to mention at the moment otherwise I’ll get carried away and forget what I am supposed to be doing.

After a session of hugs, compliments and greetings we ushered them to the living room. My aunt and I went to the kitchen to get some drinks while my uncle entertained the guests.

“They are nice people” my aunt remarked.

“Ya!” I replied in reluctance being not so sure about it.

“ I like the colour and design of the outfit Keya is wearing, but what’s up with Mrs.Singh. She seems to dressed for an award function rather than a dinner party. Her frilly black gown does not suit the event. She should hire a stylist; after all she is ‘RICH’!” I remarked emphasizing the word ‘rich’.

”Mr.Singh seems to have a football size belly, watch out aunt, I hope you have prepared enough food!” I said laughing.

Aunt again passed me a smirk and handed me a tray of chilled soda and soft drink glasses.

When we reached the living room we could see that the guests were having a nice time.

We offered them drinks. I noticed that Mrs.Singh had yet not taken off the sun glares she was wearing. Though it had appeared to me as a bad idea to wear sun glares at that hour of the day, I had thought maybe she has a habit of wearing them when she is out in open. But who wears sun glasses inside a closed room.

“Mrs.Singh you can remove the glares if you wish to, the lights in hear aren’t that hurting.” my aunt requested with a warm smile, almost reading my mind.

Albeit she didn’t like the idea but still she removed them on my aunt’s request.
And there we could see her dark circles which appeared like craters on the moon. So prominent that her heavy makeup also failed to cover them.

“I am having a bad sleep since months. I have been too busy you see, there are so many things to look after. Social gatherings, kitties, late night parties, lunches and brunches, events organizing, looking after the family and so on. I am short of time.” She explained evaluating the expressions on our face and tracing the direction of our eyes which were busy staring at her dark circles. Almost immediately we recomposed ourselves realising that she was feeling uncomfortable.

“Oh yes, even I have gone through it many at times” aunt said in agreement.

My uncle and Mr.Singh amused us by their childhood stories telling us how they used to hang out together with other friends and were always out to some mischief.

“It’s dinner time!” my aunt exclaimed looking at the wall clock .

We guided the guests to the dining area. I went to the kitchen to help my aunt with the food.

”Aunt did you see her dark circles? She was looking like a female phantom out for revenge.” I chuckled.
” Poor Mrs. Singh seems to be an extremely busy lady.” I remarked.

“That’s not a problem ‘After all she is rich” my aunt said quoting my sentence and giving me a sarcastic smile. I was dumbstruck.

At the dining table we were all seated enjoying the delicious food my aunt had prepared.

“I should serve you these cholas, my wife makes the best cholas in the world.” My uncle remarked excitedly as he lifted the bowl to serve Mr.Singh.

”No, don’t serve him this, he has been forbidden from eating oily food owing to his high blood pressure and cholesterol.” Mrs.Singh exclaimed.

“A bit of oil will do no harm I believe.” My aunt said looking a bit worried.

”If I had known it, I would have prepared something else for Mr.Singh, because all these dishes are a bit oily. Never mind I can make a good vegetable salad for him in minutes.”
My aunt returned with the vegetable salad along with some fruits.

“Thank you so much for taking the trouble and I am sorry that I can’t enjoy these dishes.” Mr.Singh said with a tone full of gratitude and apology.

”Not a problem at all.” said my aunt.

“How are your studies going on Keya dear?” my aunt asked.

“All good” she replied in a dry tone.

”She needs to pay more attention to her studies and stay away from distractions. She is most of the time out with her friends.” Mrs.Singh said.

”She is a ‘Distracted soul..’!“ Vivaan remarked in a musical tone and abruptly stopped on getting a ‘ I am gonna kill you’ look from his elder sister.

“Come on mom, I do study. I can’t be a book worm studying all the time.” Keya remarked defending herself.

”Not entirely her fault. We don’t get time to look after the kids in the way we should, as parents. At times I think that I should put them in a boarding school so that they are away from all the distractions and can focus on their academics.” remarked Mr.Singh in reply of which he received an agitated gape from his children.

“I guess all of us our done with the food. Should I get the dessert?”

“Yes of course!” my uncle said excitedly.
He gets excited about anything and everything possible even about the least exciting things. A few days back he was watching a repeat telecast of a cricket match, the batsman hit a six and my uncle jumped and shouted so loudly in excitement that he almost broke the crystal ball gifted by my grandmother to my aunt.

And my aunt came in rushing from the garden thinking my uncle was in a problem. This time his excitement was justified as he was meeting his friend after a long time.

”Come I’ll help you” Mrs.Singh proposed.

"It’s very sweet of you.”

Within a few minutes both of the ladies returned laughing and talking about something. Mrs. Singh took her seat while my aunt served the sweet dish.

“Roshogulla! my favourite” Mr.Singh exclaimed.
He was about to put it in his mouth when Mrs.Singh shrieked “How could I forget, doctor had advised you to avoid sweet for a few months till the sugar level in your blood comes down to normal.”
Poor Mr.Singh. All he could do was to look at the Roshogulla like a kid looking at a candy with eyes full of fondness.

“Is there anything this man can possibly eat?” I whispered to my aunt in irritation.

“I don’t know but that’s not a problem after all he is rich!” replied my aunt with a triumph look on her face.

A realization had just dawned upon me.

After the dinner was over we greeted them with mementoes and bid them a warm goodbye. Mr and Mrs.Singh invited us to visit America on our vacation and stay at their place.

“So how was the dinner party dear?” asked my aunt. I looked her smiling face and both of us burst out laughing.

“Did you develop any change in your views?”she interrogated.

“Yes, I did” was my reply.

"See dear, money is no doubt an important commodity but it can only buy you materialistic possessions. It can buy you clothes but not style, it can buy you a bed but not sleep, it can buy you food but not appetite, it can buy you medicines but not health.
So all an all ‘Money can’t buy everything’.”