One Small Desire

Preetham and his wife Seema were returning home after her first day out in many months. To make the drive home pleasant, Preetham turned on the radio. The presenter's voice filled the air, "In MUSIC, M stands for Melody. If you take M it will make U SIC(K)." Preetham liked to hear this weekly program on classical music. The presenter continued, "Speaking on Ragas, AdI Raaga was created by Lord Shiva himself when he got fascinated by the beauty of Devi Parvathi...."
Seema didn't like the idea of her husband listening to some silly program when she was present there and immediately muted the volume. Preetham objected, "Come on. Its an informative one..." and increased the volume. The presenter was explaining a hymn, "Adi Shankarachaya composed this hymn... Here he says of How Lord Vishnu who had this whole universe under the control of his eyes had lost himself to the stealthy glance of Devi Laxmi..."
Seema just switched off the radio, "How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being! Even the Gods praise their wives and write poems for them. You have not done anything like that for me..." Preetham smiled, "But You never liked poetry...!" Thats when Seema decided, "Okay! I don't ask you for a epic poem nor something like a bollywood song with anthras and mukdas. All I ask from you is some good romantic lines. If you compose them, I will put the music back."

It was a testing time for Preetham. He very well knew that 'to satisfy the hunger for love is much harder than to satisfy the hunger for bread. But Preetham was quick enough to belt out some romantic lines, "I have seen a thousand girls before I saw you...." Seema quickly stopped him in the middle, "What is this! You were ogling at girls!" Preetha smiled, "Listen completely... I have seen a thousand girls before I saw you. Once I saw you, then I have seen none."
Seema was wise enough not to accept this one, "This Reminds me of my young days when Shammi Kapoor came on television and sang something like this and I always thought he was singing for me, 'Yuh tho humne laakh haseena dekhi... tumsa nahin dekha'" And turned to her two months old daughter Prerana, "Your dad is trying to cheat!"

Preetham was ready with another, "Okay! There is another and this time I will say it in Hindi itself. Maa se maine Pyar ka matlab samjha...." Again Seema interrupted, "Why pull mother in law into this one? Can't you keep her out of it..." Preetham corrected her, "Let me finish it.... Maa se maine Pyar ka matlab samjha... Tumse maine Pyar ka Saakshathkar kiya.... Aur Prerana se maine Pyar ko roop diya...."
Seema liked it this time, "Beautiful! But with three generations in one song, this qualifies to be a family song." and turning to her daughter, "When you grow a little old and when we take you out to some mela etc and when you get lost, just remember this song and sing it aloud. We will easily find you out...."

Preetham racked his brain, but nothing came to his mind. And for a moment, he took his eyes off the road and looked at the skies above, "Oh God! You helped me fulfill all her big desires even before she could ask for it. Now, when she is asking for simple lines of romance, you betray me?..." Seema asked him to focus on the road, "God is everywhere. Concentrate on the road." Preetham brought the vehicle to a halt, "God says that you are special for me and words cannot describe how special you are to me and lines cannot say even the tenth of your importance in my life. In this world of lies, you seem to be the only truth that I know..."

Seema smiled, "That seems pretty good. I am satisfied. Let me pass you this time..." and turning to her daughter, "You father needs to be rewarded..." and with the soft hands of her daughter, Seema had the radio turned on only to hear the presenter say, "With that composition of Thyagaraja we come to the end of this week's program...." Seema just blurted out a 'Oops!' and quickly covered her daughter's eyes with her hands, "You better not watch your romantic father's angry face"