*”The Saree Pleats Saga: A Tale of Expectations”
By Lokanath Mishra
Nita, a 60-year-old woman, still looked young and beautiful. She was part of a WhatsApp group with her school batchmates, where she recently came across a post that caught her attention. Kalpana, one of her classmates, had shared a photo of her husband helping her with her saree pleats. Nita couldn’t help but think, “Awwww, so cute!” She felt Kalpana was one lucky lady to have such a supportive husband.
As Nita read more about Kalpana’s husband, she discovered that he would often praise Kalpana’s cooking skills, despite her not being the best cook. Nita thought this was sweet and appreciated the way Kalpana’s husband appreciated her.
A few days later, Nita had to attend a wedding and decided to wear a saree. However, she struggled to drape it properly and was having trouble with the pleats. Her husband, a retired doctor, was already dressed and ready. Nita jokingly mentioned Kalpana’s husband helping her with her saree pleats and other tasks, hoping her husband might offer to help her.
But her husband looked at her and said with a laugh, “Why are you telling me this now? Don’t expect such things from me. I’m 60+ and can’t bend down to help you with your saree pleats. Put a pin and come as you are. Who’s going to notice us old folks anyway?” Nita sighed, realizing it was worth a try but knowing her husband wasn’t the type to help with such things.
In the end, Nita’s husband didn’t help her with her saree, but the conversation highlighted the differences in their expectations and roles in their relationship. Nita learned that some things might be too late to change, and you can’t teach an old husband new tricks.
