Bland Reprisal I - My Story Which Appeared in Womans Era

The Bland Reprisal

A Short Story By Varalotti Rengasamy

Vasu was famished, to say the least. While leaving for office in the morning he did not have time for a proper breakfast. He had just taken some corn flakes and milk. The lunch was no better; given the year-end pressures and a seemingly impossible target, he had time enough only for a couple of bland cheese sandwiches.And now while sitting in the dining table eagerly waiting for a square meal for his supper, Vasu was all expectations. His wife Malathi was a terrific cook. She had been regularly contributing recipes to a lot of magazines. But more importantly whatever she cooked, even a simple fare like roti and sabji, used to be delicious beyond words.

And Malathi was a very considerate wife. She knew very well that the only meal that Vasu had time to relish was the supper. So Vasu thought Malathi would have prepared a terrific supper which he was quite eager to devour.

Vasu had just turned forty and Malathi thirty five. They had a daughter who was in school. Their marriage was not surely very great; but nor was it bad. Occasionally they had their arguments and small fights; but on the whole the marriage was on a very solid foundation. Malathi never used to talk much; nor would she talk back to her husband when they were arguing. But she had a way of driving home her points more by her actions than by her words.

“Vasu, five more minutes” – Malathi shouted from the kitchen. Vasu shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

Then he remembered. My God! I have almost forgotten my evening prayers.

Vasu rushed out of the dining room. He spent the next fifteen minutes in a detailed prayer ritual.

Meanwhile Malathi had come out of the kitchen with food trays in her hand. She looked around for Vasu and saw him engrossed in his daily evening ritual. She had a mischievous smile on her lips.

Vasu had come under the spell of a local Baba recently. Vasu spent most of the week-ends at the Babaji’s place and he claimed he had been learning something new, and something very real compared to the ephemeral learnings of the ways of the world.

Vasu was in the process of changing his life-style. The daily morning and evening prayers were a few of the changes.

At last Vasu was in the dining table again after a gap of fifteen minutes, even more hungry, and even more eager to look into the day’s menu.

Malathi served him cold rice – just plain white rice. Then placed a cup of curd near him. The side dish was some mutter – some local greens cooked with very little salt and far from spicy. Well, it was the blandest fare, Vasu had ever taken since his marriage about 12 years ago.“Is that all, Malu?”

“Yes.” The reply was colder than the rice served. For a moment it appeared as if Vasu’s anger got the better of him; but soon he remembered the Baba’s advice.
“Beta, never ever get angry in life.And when you find it difficult to resist the temptation recite the name of God or your teacher a dozen times. The anger will melt away.”
Vasu religiously applied the trick. The anger was very real; but the melting away was not so. Looked like he just deferred the expression of anger to a future, more opportune occasion. Vasu ate the bland food. His hunger was quenched; nothing more could be said about that kind of food.
With a look of self-righteous, holier-than-thou religiousness about his face Vasu left the dining room and went to bed. Malathi did not speak a word.

The next evening. Vasu was once again eagerly waiting for a spicy, sumptuous supper.
‘Malathi might have been very tired yesterday. She might have cleaned the house or might have done the whole week’s washing. That should have exhausted her leaving no energy to cook as she might have wanted to.’

Vasu consoled himself. He had finished the prayer ritual and was waiting for the food, when the previous day’s menu was repeated item by item or rather blow by blow. First the ice-cold plain white rice, followed by a helping or two of curds and the bland greens cooked with far less salt and spices than required.

This time Vasu’s anger was so much that it took as much as 108 repetitions of his master’s name to win over the anger.

The same drama continued for the rest of the week. Vasu was terribly angry with his wife on one side and at the same time he was puzzled with his wife’s behaviour. The bland fare was something that Vasu could not digest. (pun unintended)

Sunday came. Vasu loved Sundays because he used to skip break-fast on Sundays and go for a very heavy brunch in the mid-morning.

Continued...in the next message

As he was idling with the magazine sections of the morning newspapers, Vasu thought that Malathi might not have been well throughout the week. Poor soul! She has been working all day in the house. She had fired the domestic help last month, as the girl was caught stealing from the house.

For whatever culinary assaults inflicted on him throughout the week, Malathi was going to more than compensate today, Vasu thought. He built up such good thoughts constantly in the same way his master had advised him. This building up would lead to the thoughts materialising in the real world, the Baba had predicted.

He was waiting before a large empty plate. Malathi came with the same disarming smile and served him the same cold plain rice that was served throughout the week. That was the last straw on the camel’s back.

Vasu could not contain his anger – Baba’s advice and Baba’s techniques notwithstanding. Repetition of God’s names, of his master’s name could not hold the floodgates of anger any longer.

“What the hell are you thinking Malu? I have been giving my life to control my anger throughout the week; but this is the limit. Cold rice and curds for seven days in a row! I thought you would come around at least on Sunday and cook something good and tasty.

“But again the same old rice and curds. Do you think I have lost all my sense of taste and smell? Do you think that I am such an

insensitive, insentient person, having no feelings or emotions that I will swallow anything you serve? I care a damn for your food and your cooking. Remember, Malathi, I don’t depend on you for my food. If I throw money at the right place I can eat to my heart’s content. You and your food!”

Vasu threw his plate laden with cold rice and walked out of the dining hall. Soon a stunned Malathi heard the sound of Vasu’s motorcycle screeching out of the gate in full throttle.

Vasu had more than a square meal in his favourite restaurant and returned home in a lighter mood, his mouth full of pan. He did not want to see Malathi now. He quitely slipped into their bedroom, but was accosted by his wife there.

“Welcome, my dearest husband, welcome. Have you had spicy, tasty food to your heart’s content? Now, come again; what did you say? ’Do you think that I am such an insensitive, insentient person, having no feelings or emotions that I will swallow anything you serve?’

“And now it is my turn to repeat the same words to you. Do you remember what did you tell me last week? You said, ‘I have become a disciple of the local Baba. The Baba has forbidden any sexual relationship after the husband had crossed forty. So from now on, we will be just friends Malathi. There will be no sex.’

“And you went to sleep in the drawing room.

“Did you ever think how this will affect me? You and your Baba think that wives are just insensitive sex toys, to be used when necessary and thrown away after the use. Did it ever occur to you to ask me about my views on the sexual restraint? It didn’t.

“Because you thought that I am incapable of having sexual desires myself. You thought I was just a block of wood to be used when necessary and dumped after the use. You thought that I won’t have any feelings or sexual desires of my own.

“I wanted to make you understand your chauvinistic attitude towards sex. That’s why I enacted this bland food drama. Once you found that you could not stand such an insipid food even for 7 days, you went out for spicy food.

“Similarly if I am denied my rightful food in matters of sex, can I opt for outside food?”

Vasu was shocked to the roots.

When he hugged his wife in a conciliatory manner, it appeared as if the sexual restraints preached by the local Baba were about to be thrown to winds.

Hello Sridhar,

That was something different.

For people who believe in Baba's, thats the only way to teach them a lesson. I was all smiles at the way Malathi handled the situation..

Its also funny as to how some unknown Baba can get all the attention of Vasu and pull him out of his routine suddenly- he wouldn't have followed any of the poojas or rituals if his own family or friends would've recommended.

Instead of creating a ruckus, Malathi quietly handling the situation shows her to be a matured, understanding, responsible adult with a strong mind (her emotional intelligence is great).

Though the story is named as Bland Retaliation - Malathi had all the spice up her sleeve.

Thanks a lot, Meena for reading the story immediately after the positng and your comments. Thanks again for the nice words that though the food was bland the story was spicy.
regards,
sridhar

Sridhar,

I am in awe of ur empathy for women and their feelings. Its not possible for most of the men to even come anywhere near..haha. Everytime i read ur story its like, u understand us more than we do ourselves and this story is a fine example of the same.

Thanks a million for sharing a story which is not just a story, but a lesson to both men and women who will face such situations in life . May not be solely because of a baba but other reasons as well.

Ur stories are more like moral stories for the adult world.


I know u will continue with the great work, but i request u to continue sharing them with us too.

Prathi, that was a nice reply, one that every writer would always dream of getting. At times I used to wonder whether I am imposing on the members of this site by posting whatever I write. I have even thought of stopping my postss for a while b'coz I don't want to load too much of my stuff for you all to read. But your words (that you enjoyed the story and love reading more) have dispelled my doubts and have encouraged me to do more.

To understand the problems of women you don't require a genius;(in fact genius is an impediment in that direction) you require empathy to view things from a woman's angle. And when I took that angle the view was amazing. I got hooked on to this genre. May be writing for magazines like Womans Era sharpened these views. May be having many well-meaning women friends helped.

Please don't keep me on a high pedestal because I write like this. I am just an average person and an ordinary husband, which fact my wife would happily vouchsafe. For, no man is a hero to his wife, and far less to his daughter. They often accuse me that I don't listen to them. I cant say they are fully wrong.

I am now sure that God has made me to write to bring smiles on the faces of women like you, and understanding in their minds.
Thanks for the stimulating reply, Prathi,
sridhar

Dear Sridhar



That’s again a very good short story. Its a good lesson for men who decide few things on themselves without even taking a second opinion of their wife. The relationship between husband and wife is such a sensitive one and this relationship is purely based on the love and respect that is given to each other. Unfortunately, most of the men do love their better halves, but fail to realize to take the opinions of their better half when it comes to certain vital decisions to be taken and both the opinions are equally important. Though it’s not intentional many times, it really hurts!



Sridhar, your short stories are really interesting as you bring about the certain sensitive aspects pertaining to relationships...especially between a husband and a wife. Good Work...Keep it Up!



Regards



Lakshmi Vinoth

Hello Sridhar,

I read this only today. It is a sensitive story narrated with the right force. I am forvever following one Baba or other. This story gives rise to much introspection.

Thanks for proving that women are always right.

regards
Vidya

This story is very special as it got me a special cash award from Vikatan - Muthirai Kuttikathai. Rs.3000.
It's applicable to men and women. But I chose the male character because then it will have a lot of attraction. ha ha.
As to proving women right, please visit the thread I posted today along with the help of my good friend Ramji.
sridhar

Dear Sridhar,

I rated this story 5 star, so it is double muthirai. It is a very good story.

And yes, I saw the pps and found it awful again. I also posted a mssg abt Chokkar for you.

cheers
Vidya