The irony of life-one of them

Ramu went to school so happy on that day. The day to follow was Deepavali. He could not hide his happiness to anyone. He was so ecstatic, to say the least, when he thought of umpteen numbers of crackers, bought by his father, which would be reduced to ashes on Deepavali morning.

Ramu was the only son to his parents, Shanthi and Shekar . Both of them were very rich and so it goes without saying that he was born with a silver spoon. He was studying in second standard and obviously at that age, due to the fear of crackers though he was not going to burst any, he was contend to see his father doing the favours.

With much rejoice, he went to his class and met his class mate Balu who happened to be his best friend. Balu was living in a small house exactly opposite to a big bungalow in which Ramu was living. Ramu told Balu all stories about the costliest dresses that he would be wearing and also the amount of crackers which he would enjoy seeing his father lighting. Balu was from a middle class family and obviously his parents could not spend much on Deepavali for him. His father was an accountant in a very small concern and he earns hardly Rs.6000/- pm and his mother was a housewife. So, when Ramu was showing his family’s prowess in spending lavishly, Balu could only remain as a mute listener as he could not boast about his own Deepavali’s preparations.

Shanthi and Shekar wanted to spend Deepavali eve somewhere outside. When Ramu went to school, they had a mutual agreement of going to a Cinema Hall in a big shopping hall. Though the tickets were very costly it was just as good as a “tip” that they would give to a waiter in a hotel. The Cinema halls had many screens. Shanthi was a lover of romantic movies where as Shekar was an aspirant of action movies. Soon, the disagreement started. Both of them were very fastidious in their approach and eventually one of them had to yield and this time it was Shanthi who relented first. She, almost reluctantly, sat with her husband to watch the movie. She did not like one bit of the movie and during the interval she wanted to teach her better half a lesson.

The interval arrived and both of them went to buy some chat items to satiate their hunger a bit. It was only a ten minutes break and her husband was much involved in the film. Knowing this, she decided to exploit this situation to retaliate. There was a big queue in getting one of the food items and she asked her husband to buy it. Her husband knew full well if he went on for buying it then the chances of him watching the film from where it was stopped for the interval, would be bleak. So, he told her that she might opt for some other items where the queue was not that much. But, she was quite adamant this time and she had told him as to how generous was she in relinquishing her interest in watching the film of her choice. Shekar had to relent now.

In the end, his worse fears came true. By the time he bought that food item he already missed ten minutes in the second half.  He was furious. He was rushing to see the film and at that time one of her wife’s friends interrupted. Her name was Sheela and soon Shanthi and she were involved in a conversation while Shekar wanted to go inside the cinema hall desperately. But, Shanthi found it as a chance to spoil her husband’s party in a quest of vengeance. Sheela, who was her college mate, showed her a beautiful saree in lavender colour which attracted the latter.

Shanthi was awe struck by it and she asked her where she got it. Sheela said that she got the thing in the same mall in an expensive cloth store and she also told her that there was one more saree of that kind which seemed vulnerable to be bought as many ladies had their eyes glued upon it. Hearing it, Shanthi could not control her avaricious quest. She was no more in need of any movie. She dug deep to ensure that her husband could not watch the movie anymore.

Infront of her wife’s friend, Shekar found it not proper to quarrel but all along he cursed his wife in his mind as they went to the cloth store. There she bought a saree and so uncontrollable she was that she bought one more saree which was double the cost of the lavender coloured one. Thus, Shekar’s wish of watching the movie was totally spoiled and he wore a grim look as he saw the people coming out smiling happily from the cinema hall after having enjoyed the movie thoroughly.

He starred at her and started complaining her of her adamancy which prevented him from enjoying a nice movie of his choice. Then the quarrel erupted huge between the man and his wife and people who passed by stood for some time watching it. This came as an insult to Shekar and with a whisker he fled the scene and even before his wife join with him he took his car and went home. Shanthi was left all alone. She was infuriarated so much and she thought of going home and continue the quarrel. She took an auto and reached home.

Same day, Balu’s parents also thought of watching a movie. They, belonging to a middle class family, could not afford much and so they went to a small cinema hall, located a few kilometers from their home, in a cycle. They did not have any options to choose or quarrel between them as that cinema hall had only one screen and like it or not they needed to see it and so they did. Since they go very rarely to such cinemas, they bought the costliest ticket of that cinema hall from whatever money they had carried and returned home happily with satisfying mind with only ten rupees balance in their hand.

The next day morning, there was fire crackers sound heard all over the streets in which Ramu and Balu lived. Balu’s father delighted him with whatever little fire works he had bought for his son. In Ramu’s house there were only sounds of quarrel between Shanthi and Shekar. Ramu’s dream of a rocking Diwali came to a stand still. The fight that took place in the Cinema hall continued between the couple and with tears Ramu came out of the house watching other neighbours including his best friend Balu firing crackers.