Opinion | Columnists
Oh! when will he not feel blue?
He is humming a tune as he rummages through his wardrobe. He picks a powder-blue shirt and, to go with it, a navy blue tie, with pin-striped trousers.
- By Mehmudah Rehman, Special to Gulf News
- Published: 23:50 October 14, 2008
He is humming a tune as he rummages through his wardrobe. He picks a powder-blue shirt and, to go with it, a navy blue tie, with pin-striped trousers. "Well," he says looking askance at me.
"Perfect," I mumble. Next day, he pulls out a blue-and-white striped shirt with a blue silk tie and I have no choice but to agree that the combination couldn't have been better.
The whole week he found different shades of blue to wear to work. His favourite is a designer creation (blue of course!) which he reserves for special occasions and which I have always wanted to get rid of.
As our wedding anniversary drew closer, an ingenious plan began to form in my mind. In normal circumstances, I somehow manage to wiggle the subject of anniversaries into nearly every conversation a few days before the date. This year would be different. I would not remind him. And behind his back I bought the perfect anniversary gift for him - gorgeous (and notoriously expensive) cuff-links.
With only three days to go, I tried to make sure that the man had, indeed forgotten about the big day. I looked around in his closet and found nothing that could pass off as a gift for me. So I assumed he had forgotten and I decided to give myself a present - from him!
Fingers crossed
With relish I opened the door of his wardrobe and decided to give the powder blue shirt to the maid's brother and the blue-and-white striped shirt to the watchman; the special one went to the gardener. I crossed my fingers and hoped that he wouldn't notice, at least not for another three days.
When I presented him the cuff-links, he was genuinely surprised, staring at them open-mouthed. Putting the second part of my plan into action, I said, "It's alright. I already know you forgot about the anniversary. But there is a way you can make it up to me. You know how that shirt of yours (the favourite one) bothers me? And that worn-out powder blue shirt? And that annoying blue-and-white striped shirt you bought ages ago? The least you could do is give them to some deserving person," I continued, sounding like a martyr.
I expected him to give in to my demand without question and then offer to do the phasing out for him - but I was in for a big surprise.
Smiling all through, he pulled out an exquisite, delicate gold necklace from his pocket, and tenderly clasped it around my neck. I tried to look delighted as my heart sank. "Don't you like it? Is something wrong?" he asked as he noticed the colour drain from my face.
I had started babbling about how the maid's brother, the gardener and the watchman had all specifically requested me for blue shirts when he interposed: "You gave my shirts away, didn't you?" I nodded. After a long silence, he spoke: "It's okay."
There are only a few times in one's life when one feels deeply sorry and as much as the colour blue had begun to irritate me, I apologised. Magnanimously, he forgave me, and indeed, promised not to wear so much blue - lest I be spurred to more generous deeds.
Back to square one
Cut to a chic men's store at a swanky mall. I spot a cream-coloured shirt and envision how classy it would look on him with a coffee-brown tie. I notice him eyeing a sky-blue shirt with a sparkle in his eyes.
"How about this?" we say at exactly the same time, holding up our respective choices. He is doubtless thinking about the old favourite I handed over to the gardener and gives me "The Look" and I return the favour. For us, it's back to square one!
Mehmudah Rehman is a Dubai-based, freelance writer.
More from Columnists
More from Opinions
Opinion Editor's choice
-
Threat of German amnesia
By Joschka Fischer, Special to Gulf News
Rarely has the country been as isolated as it is now. Hardly anyone understands its dogmatic austerity policy, which goes against all experience
-
Moral implication of America's security mindset
By Gordon Robison, Special to Gulf News
After a decade in which torture became official government policy, America’s moral standing when it comes to looking at other governments’ human rights failings is much-diminished
-
Europe's salvation lies in euro's demise
By Bruce Anderson
A return to national currencies is the only hope, but it won’t be easy or cost-free
Your turn
