Adjustment reversal...Part - IV

For a couple of months Shruti did not miss anything, but soon she was missing the fun of being surrounded by people.

Suraj grew restless too and decided to invite Shruti’s parents. Shruti’s parents obliged too.

Suraj waited in anticipation and on the day of their arrival Suraj had taken a day off from work to spend the day with his in-laws.

The grand day arrived and Shruti’s parents made their entry into the house.

After refreshing themselves, they asked Suraj when they had to ‘assemble’ for food. Suraj was taken aback and turned towards Shruti. Shruti suppressed her smile and translated her parents’ question to Suraj.

“Whenever you folks feel hungry you can eat!” Suraj replied with a straight face. Shruti turned towards her father and the look on his face said it all!

Shruti was determined to have fun!

“Do you call your husband by his name?” Shruti’s father wanted to know. Suraj was about to reply but Shruti gestured him to keep quiet.

“Appa, I am following your advice and adapting to my in-laws tradition. Suraj likes to be called by his name and I, as a good wife would, am fulfilling my husband’s wishes,” it was Shruti’s turn to keep a straight face and Suraj excused himself to the other room before bursting out in uncontrollable laughter!

During dinner time, Shruti’s father wanted the entire household to eat together. Suraj began protesting, but his father intervened and told Suraj that his father-in-law was right about maintaining a family dinner time.

“At least one meal should bring the entire family to the same table!!” he concluded.

“Appa, did I hear you say something?” Suraj was astonished!

“Yes,” said Shruti’s father-in-law who seldom spoke. He never opined and simply followed instructions from the safe bounds of the shell that he had confined himself into, after his wife’s death.

Suraj was happy to hear his father opening to the world outside. He obeyed his father-in-law’s wish and ate with the rest of the family.

Shruti’s father chatted with her husband on varied topics and they found out that they had a lot of common interests.

Meanwhile Shruti had a bitter argument with her mother on a certain recipe that Shruti had learnt from Suraj’s grandmother. The name of the dish was 'Poricha kuzhambu'. The preparation style varied greatly between the two families and Shruti told her mother that the manner in which it was prepared by Suraj's grandmother tasted better!

A difference in recipe was where the first argument began...

All hell broke loose! The first argument between a mother and a married daughter begins thus!