The Invisible Gifts

“What’s your gift to your Love?” asked a few.  I smiled silently.  “Hey, come on, it’s your wedding anniversary and we want you to present a gift to your wife” a few more joined the group.  I suddenly laughed louder and wondered – “Oh, the whole world seems to be worried of me! That’s cool!”

Annoyed, a few stared at me and retorted – “It’s customary.  You must present a gift to her”.  Wind whistled.  Trees and plants waved happily.  Flowers smiled – “Happy Anniversary”.  May be, I could only feel the happiness of the Nature while others seemed to be curiously waiting for my reply.  I plucked a pretty yellow rose and said – “Freedom is the gift to my darling”.

“Freedom?” everyone screamed.  “What the hell are you talking about?” A few grumbled.  Parrots and mynahs flapped their wings and looked at me.  Butterflies were busy fluttering in the rose garden.  With my usual smile, I said – “Yes, freedom is my gift to her and freedom is her gift to me”.  Everyone seemed to be quite confused and annoyed.

“Ask yourself whether you enjoy freedom after your marriage?  Or, can you assure me that you have given freedom to your wife after marriage?” my questions banged the ears of all.  “Oh, you are getting into some philosophies” opined somebody.  “Of course, not.  Life is just real and if you live realistically then it might look lighter.  People very often complicate their life by making even simpler things to complicated ones” I continued specifically and sternly – “The best gift to her is my attitude of not considering her as my private property.  And, she too doesn’t consider me as her private property.  Each individual before tying the wedding knot had his or her own world.  And that world consisted of people, things, incidents, wishes, desires, dreams and many more.  Unfortunately, people after marriage start thinking the other party as the private property”

Pin drop silence prevailed for a while.  A frog from the nearby well croaked.  I laughed and said – “We talk about a progressive world but fact is that the minds are like frogs in the well.  Possessiveness, selfishness, enslaving attitude and despotism often spoil the relations.  What’s the meaning of celebrating a wedding anniversary once in a year when you are not celebrating your life all the other days?  I celebrate each and every day in my life with my partner and the reason is just simple that she remains as a great friend even after decades of marriage.  And, I remain as her best friend to whom she can open up anything and everything under the sky.  Most of the marriages lose the beauty after a few years just due to the simple reason that they forget to live but just stay together to accomplish their targets in life.  Friendship and love disappear in the process of meeting the targets.  The priority becomes showing-off in the public that they are the best couples but unfortunately they end up asking themselves what for they are together”.

“Freedom is precious” suddenly somebody murmured.  Slowly, more and more people started nodding their heads – “Yes, freedom is precious.  And, that’s the one thing what we loose or what we curtail”.

A cuckoo from the nearby tamarind tree sang melodiously.  Pretty white doves flapped around the garden.  “Peace of mind is the biggest gift what you can possess and give to your life partner” I continued – “My marriage has not snatched anybody or anything from my Past.  And, I too assured the same to her.  There are many things that happen in our life beyond our control.  But, certainly there are plenty of things under our control which should not have been complicated to quench our ego.  Remove ego and bring in a smile of togetherness.  Throw away possessiveness and bring in acceptance.  Kick off selfishness and bring in selfless compassion.  Keep your love as unconditional.  No love can carry beauty and truth in the long run if mixed with conditions and barricades.  Regardless of conditions, my life partner remains as my precious friend and vice versa.  So, the decades of togetherness still possess the beauty of an amazing relationship that equals to a true friendship”

I heaved a long sigh.  The wind flew gently.  I walked happily to my home, my paradise.  The yellow rose in my hand smiled enchantingly.  “Yes, freedom is precious.  Unconditional love and true friendship together make the married life beautiful, elegant, worthy, simpler and romantic forever” I could hear the murmur of the crowd behind me.

“Oh, I need to rush.  She is eagerly waiting for me” I said to myself!!!

MURALY TV