Blackcurrant tub for the night

‘I did not eat since last lunch.’ Abhi, the wife said looking at the phone.

‘Oh. Why??’ Aadhi, the husband was surprised to know that.

‘Because you did not talk to me well. So I am sad and did not eat.’ She made a frowny face.

‘What?’ He made a confused face.

‘Okay, kidding. You ate outside the last 2 times, I did not cook and, You did not bring me any food. That is why.’

‘Oh my god, how would I know that? You did not eat anything?’

‘I had biscuits and juice. I emptied all the snacks. Don’t have anything to eat now.’

‘Okay, let's go out now and have lunch.’ He stood up. ‘Get up!’

‘Five minutes. Not hungry.’ She kept looking at the phone.

These guys are married for the last two months and things are going decently to this day. They got into the car. Aadhi was in the driving seat.

‘Okay… What do you wanna eat? Something simpler nearby or Biryani…Buffet… Continental… Chinese…’ Aadhi was scrolling.

‘Somewhere longer. Some buffet is good. I need to talk about something with you.’

‘Something! Hmm???’ Adhi thought no something ends up being good news. He looked up a hotel with good ratings and offer on the buffet that is 25 kilometers away. ‘Okay, Talk.’

‘You sleep talk.’ Abhi told. Aadhi was mildly shocked by that. He was silent for a few seconds.

‘Huh… Yes. I have been working on that. Don’t worry. A bit stressed these days I thing.’

‘Hmm mm.’

‘Am I mumbling and making you not sleep?’

‘You won’t mumble. You talk crystal clear.’

‘Oh my god.’ Aadhi remembered the doctor saying, ‘The more clear you sleep talk, the more problems you will get in your life.’ It is a genetic gift that Aadhi got.

‘I freaked out the first day. Then I wanted to know you. So I decided to record every day.’

‘What? You record! Is it like in the paranormal movies where the ghost stands near sleeping people and keeps looking at them for hours?’

‘No.’

‘You have recorders recording the whole night and you pick the parts based on volume thickness in the audio file?’

‘Yea!’

‘Oh, That is less creepy.’ Aadhi smiled at Abhi. Abhi smiled back. ‘Oh, you are smiling. So, I did not talk about things that are offensive and controversial.’

‘No…’ She looked at him. ’ You are a good man.’ Abhi smiled.

‘Oh, HaHa (fake laugh) Thank you.’

‘And… Also, you reply back if I ask questions.’ Abhi smiled squeezing her eyes.

Aadhi saw vertigo swirling in front of his eyes. He pulled down the car and halted.

‘Abhi!!! It was you!!!’

‘What?’

‘I am wondering all these days why I keep talking to my wife in dreams every day!!!’

‘Hehe’

‘I can’t believe this. You asked me… Oh my god. A hell lot of things.’, He had an alarmed look in his eyes. ‘God! You know everything about me!’

‘Almost!!!’ She said with a charming face and smiled squeezing her eyes.

Aadhi kept quiet. There prevailed some silence in the stopped car for a while.

‘But… It is not fair at all... Then how do I know about you!’

‘You don’t have that luxury big boy. I’m a bit starving now. Start the car or buy me ice cream there.’ She pointed out an ice cream shop.

‘No. We will have it after the buffet. You won’t eat buffet if you eat ice cream now.’

‘No! I will. I want now. Go buy. Black current or nothing!’ — - ‘Hmm… Not really. But not strawberry, chocolate, vanilla or that poisonous green Pista! Or litchi.’ — - ‘Or… Okay, forget it. I hate ice creams now. Let's go eat lunch!’ — — ‘Or… quickly just go and look if they have black current?’ Aadhi stood outside the car looking helpless. ‘What??? Go!’ She showed both her hands towards the shop.

Aadhi came back with two cups of the required flavor.

‘Niceee…’ She got her cup of ice cream with a welcoming face. ‘Hmmm, it's very good! Have!’

‘I’m a bit worried. It feels like you are not respecting me.’ He looked worried.

‘What??? No!!!’ She told with a concerned face eating ice cream on one side of her mouth. She has a sensitive tooth on the other side.

‘I don’t know.’ He started having his. ‘My mother treats my father with lots of respect. You and me... It is very different.’ — ‘Whatever… How's that tooth?’

Abhi stopped eating. Turned to him and said. ‘In your sleep talk, You said your favorite flavor is black currant. That is why I asked you to get that.’ with a sincere face.

‘Really?’ Aadhi was surprised to know that.

‘Yes.’ She finished her cup and looked into his. ’Don’t finish that. Keep half for me. Mine is empty. See.’

‘No. We will buy a big black currant tub for movie night when we come back after lunch. Okay?’

‘No!!! I will lose interest later. I want it now.’ She pulled the ice cream from his hands. ‘I hope you brushed your teeth today.’

‘No. I did not. Give back.’

‘Oh, It is okay.’ — ‘Hmm… Your contamination has reduced 10% of the flavor by the way.’ — ‘Huh… No 20%’

‘That’s unbelievable!’ He started the car. ‘What is for the movie night today?’

‘You said you want to watch The Notebook.’

‘I said that?’

‘Hmm mm. You also said that is your favorite movie.’, She finished the next cup.

‘Favorite movie! I did not even know a movie with that name exists!’ — ‘Hmm… so you are making these things up! Mmm…’ Aadhi had a small Eureka expression.

‘Oh… Hehe… You found out ah?’ — — ‘Look, a chai shop!!! You love GINGER TEAAAA!!!’ She showed a shop on the other side of the road.

‘Do… Not… bring your hands in front of my eyes when I’m driving. Got it?’

‘But… the ginger tea though!!! The shop is going…’ She held the steering wheel.

‘Do not touch my steering when I’m driving!!! God!!!’

Aadhi took the next U-Turn to the chai shop. They had teas and too many spicy mutton samosas, Canceled the buffet plan and turned back.

‘Blackcurrant tub?’ She asked while getting into the car.

‘Hmm? You still have space after all these?’

‘No... For night!’

‘Oh…’ Car moved for a kilometer or so.

‘Blackcurrant tub??? I think I’ve got some space now…’ She said with an analyzing face.

‘Seriously? Wait for it no? The shop has to come right?’

‘Okay okay.’ She put up a waiting face.

‘So, The Notebook it is. Huh? I thought of us watching END GAME again. What do you think?’ Aadhi asked. He has already watched it enough times. But the portal scene gets him every time. He got happy tears the first time (and every other time). He was reliving the scene again with a proud Captain America face. Then a redruM-styled mockery voice interrupted.

‘Meh… Superman… Spiderman… underwear over the pant… Pure childi…ish! What are you? five?’ — ‘Ah! Look, Blackcurrant!!!’

Aadhi shook his head, ‘Unbelievable creature.’

***