Writing by Idrees Awan

Wife: “But exactly at 5 o’clock, after precisely 55 minutes, I used to bring a glass of water to the door, and there you were.”

Husband: “Yes, I worked for 30 years, but still couldn’t understand whether I came home because you brought water or you brought water because I came home.”

Wife: “Yes, and remember, before you retired and didn’t have diabetes, I used to make your favorite kheer. Then you would say that the thought of having kheer struck you in the afternoon and if you could have it, it would be delightful.”

Husband: “Indeed, when leaving the office, I would think, come home and see that you’ve made the same.”

Wife: “And when you read two lines of poetry by putting your eyes in mine…”

Husband: “Yes, and you lowered your eyelids shyly. I understood that I got the reward of my poetry!”

Wife: “And yes, once while making tea, my hand got slightly burnt. On that same evening, you took out a tube of Burnol from your pocket and said, ‘Put this in the almirah.'”

Husband: “Yes, just yesterday, I saw that the tube was finished. Don’t know when we might need it again. Thinking that, I brought a new tube!”

Wife: “You used to say, today after the office, let’s watch a movie and also have dinner outside.”

Husband: “And when you came, wearing the same color dress as I had imagined.”

Then, coming close, the wife held her husband’s hand and said, “Yes, in our time, there were no mobile phones, but… we were both there!”

Wife: “Today our son and daughter-in-law are together, but… there are no conversations, only WhatsApp. There’s no tagging, only likes. No chemistry, only comments. No sweet teasing, only forwarded friendliness. No attachment… no comment. They don’t want children, they want PubG, Candy Crush Saga, Temple Run, and Subway Surfers.”

Husband: “Leave all these things… now we are on vibrate mode. Our batteries also have only one stick left… Hey, where are you going?”