Dream of a family man

Sweet Life

Vinayak was struggling to get up that early in the morning. The project, as usual, was critical, and he had a long night the day before. But, he had no luxury to hit the snooze button one more time. So, he got up and walked down three floors from his old apartment to get groceries. He heard the shower as he walked back home.

Tea and bread toast was on the dining table before the wife was out from the shower. As the wife walked out of the bathroom, Vinayak went in with a towel on his shoulder. About to close the door, he shouted, "breakfast on the table". A game of stick cricket on his mobile sitting on the commode. And a shower after, he was out of the bathroom with a towel to his waist. He walked straight into the pooja room, quickly lit on the Deepam and an Agarbathi. 

A few minutes later, he walked into the kitchen, hoping his wife had cooked the lunch. Well, it had been 3653 days from the day of marriage she cooked lunch for them to take to the office. How can today be any different? By the way, they just celebrated the 10th anniversary of their marriage three days ago. Vinayak kept some rice in the rice cooker. Then went on to chop some vegetables haphazardly to make some curry. He picked up the pressure cooker and dropped some dal to cook.

Thirty minutes later, he walked into the bedroom for a change of dress. It was time to drop the kid at school. 

"How many times do I have to tell you to wake up early?" the mother was shouting. "I will not get enough time to get you ready, and in every parent-teacher meet, your teacher gives me feedback in a sarcastic tone", continued the mother.

"Okay, she looks fine, and she is only seven. Don't make it a big thing", commented Vinayak, trying to pacify his wife.

"Your comments are useless. You don't understand any of this, don't speak anything. Drop her at school and come back quickly we need to go to the office", ordered Vinayak's wife.

As Vinayak and his daughter walked out for school, his wife continued, "Why can't you be of use and make her sleep early. You work late and she waits for you all night. Completely useless. Now I will not have enough time to get ready for office."

The wife and husband were in the car heading to the office. Vinayak took out a rose and kept it near the god's photo on the dashboard. 

"This you remember, well. But nothing for the wife," said Vinayak's wife

"I brought you a bunch of roses yesterday only."

"Yeah, brought me stupid flowers. I asked you for the iPhone, can't you buy me one? All the ladies in the apartment have an iPhone, not me."

"You only asked for this phone. I brought you this last year", replied Vinayak.

"You have to tell me that a new iPhone is coming, please wait. I don't know all that. You have to buy me one, now."

"We don't have money now, spent all on the anniversary gift, the necklace." 

"Useless", said his wife before getting out of the car to head into her office.

Reality

There was a rooster sound, which disturbed Vinayak. With heavy eyes, he turned around at the ringing phone. It was the morning alarm. He stopped the alarm, got up and walked to the door. The groceries, milk, and bread were at the door. He picked them up, sanitized the boxes and walked into the kitchen to make some tea and toast when the phone started ringing. It was his friend.

"I had a sweet dream that there was no COVID", said Vinayak narrating the dream to his friend over the phone.

"Where is the COVID in the dream?"

"My wife went to the office, meant no COVID, and no work-from-home."

"Okay. How is that a sweet dream?"

"My wife went to the office."