Clash of the Egos

'Marriage.. the one big step, a lifetime commitment and to whom?' thought Nirmala, she thought of all the good things that she had in her own house and was saddened by the fact that she would have to leave them all behind, and not expect to call them her own anymore. But Nirmala was not the only one who was sad.. so was her father Udaybanulal, reasons were different though. While his daughter wept over breaking ties with her maika.. her father fretted over the cost of her marriage.. day by day the costs were increasing, breaking the borders of a planned budget.

Udaybanulal, after speaking to his sons about whether to use ghee or oil in sweets, hurried into his room to calculate how much more money would be spent on the ghee.. he went to his account books and brooded over them, a while after mumbling numbers, started perspiring and and started all over again... this can't be happening he wondered aloud.. I am already past 15,000 rupees, when I had actually kept 10,000 rupees aside for the marriage, and the costs seem to be increasing without limit.. what do I do oh Lord! ...

'Why don't you stop everything.. enough has been spent on her already, we dont want to spend all money on her alone, we will get done with the marriage with what we have now.. no need for anything else'... said a voice from behind Udaybanulal.. It wasn't Lord answering his question.. it was just his wife Kalyani.. and he starts to argue with her as to why this marriage should be grandiose.. Its afterall the question of status.. and ones 'nose' in the biradri... argument goes on and becomes a full fledged war of egos... I have always wondered why petty things always end up being major issues for break up.. I have seen couples break up over issues as petty as why the boyfriend does not shut close the toilet seat.. and stuff like why the girlfriend does not watch action movies... hmm I think its the 'E' word! the dreaded one!!

But back to Udaybanulal and Kalyani.. they argued until each said to the other 'get out of the house'.. well actually in the end the husband says it to the wife.. and she walks out in a huff... but then she melts at once when her last son comes running and says .. mom where did you go.. please put me to sleep... Ah Mother's love.. don't mom's really dote on their kids! so she abandons her idea of leaving the house and carries her darling son to bed..

But in the room Udaybanulal.. apparently has a greater problem than the budget going out of hand..no prizes to guess.. its the evil ego again playing games with his mind... he thinks to himself.. 'what do these people think.. they know everything.. they can handle everything.. well, I should make them realize, how important I am' and in fury, in rage, in a moment of madness he arises from his chair and looks at the clock, its close to midnight.. he grabs his walking stick and thinks.. 'If I go missing for two days .. then she will know who the master is.. she wont know how to manage anything, let alone money.. then let me see what she does! I will happily spend two days in Ramlal's house (conviniently in the neighboring village) and be back to see fear and agony dancing on their faces' . He chuckled to himself and set out to the bus stand in the pitch darkness of the lonely night!

So.. what do you think? Did he do the right thing? Does ones ego cover the eyes so much that they can't see that at the end of the day its all petty, can't they hear above the din of their own voices? Can't they pause and think for a moment? And all for what?