Gifting a little happiness.............

A couple of years ago, my hubby was offered a special fare trip on the Superstar Libra, the luxury yacht, by one of the people that we publish a bulletin for. Of course I was ecstatic. Always wanted to spend a night on a ship and when this was offered at such a good price, the temptation was a little too much. Not that those few thousands were any less, but what the heck, it was a once in a lifetime experience and hubby and I have never really splurged like this on ourselves.

So hubby kept on asking the gentleman as to when he could make the payment and he kept on postponing saying, “Baad mein batata hun, kya jaldi hain” and this went on for some times and finally, what happens, we are gifted this trip! Wow!

“Too good to be true”, I thought. But well it was a fact and what was more it was close to my hubby’s birthday too!

So finally on 12^th November 2005, evening 5.00 we boarded the liner from the Green Gate at Ballard Pier.

Wow! Now this was what we call luxury! It was pure bliss and for the first time we had gone out for a night leaving our two kids behind with their grandparents.

Waiting for the ship to leave a few hours later, I told my hubby, “Look I love my children very much, but tonight I want to forget everything and just be with you. Like the time we were dating?” And he agreed.

We enjoyed all the experiences that the liner had to offer. Enjoyed the several course meals on offer, the various shows performed by exceptionally talented artistes.

Finally, we lounged on the upper deck, under the sky, surrounded by the dark sea around us, in the middle of absolutely nowhere. And yes, we struck the famous Titanic pose too! So what if this wasn't the TItanic and we were not Leonardo Di Caprio and Kate Winslet! We were us and that was all that mattered!!

Next day we played a game of scrabble on the upper deck and I was thrilled. Its my only favourite game next to chaupath or chausar (ya the same game that was played in the Mahabharata).

Next day I narrated the wonderful experience to my mum and could see her eyes twinkling with excitement. I knew what was going on in her mind. My dad had made his bucks the hard honest way and since they had to go through many hardships in their lives, my folks were and are very careful with their money. Today they are reasonably well to do but, if it meant spending ten grand for a night’s experience, I knew left to themselves, they were never going to do it. And my parents are already on the other side of sixty.

The look on mum’s face never left me, and I was determined to send them and I kept on thinking of ways to make them go. I cajoled her that this was a once in a lifetime experience, don’t be kanjoos with the money. I think you should spend the money, it will be worth the experience, I went on and on……And I could see the cartwheels turning in her mind, but finally she said no.

Just then it struck me, what the heck was I doing?Was I not earning? Did I not have enough money in my savings account to send them on this trip? But I did not want to use my husband’s money, Not that he would have denied me. I was too proud to do that. It had to be my own money.

I made all the necessary enquiries and concocted a plausible yarn about being gifted another trip aboard the luxury liner and hoped that she would believe my story since it had happened once earlier also.

Well, fortunately she bought my story and I called up the agency and they sent somebody and I made the payment. The trip was on. They were going aboard the Superstar Libra.

I felt very happy. I had done it! I had thought about my parents for once. And also the fact that I had been able to do something for them with my own money. For me it was money well spent. And I was also glad that they would really be able to enjoy it since they thought it was a gift. Well, it was in a way! MY GIFT! The first ever!!

My brother though smelt something fishy and he confronted me and after several denials I admitted but told him to shut up. He was in two minds. Finally I got him to agree.

The D-day arrived on 1^st April 2006, my dad’s birthday. And I could feel their excitement, especially my mum’s. Dad is cool. Nothing bothers or makes a difference to him. But to mum it meant a lot and that meant a lot to me.