it’s been long since i watched a movie with my sister, and lajja, which was showing in one of the theatres here at thane seemed irresistable even for my chittis (aunts)!

getting an aunt or your mom to watch a movie (be it the afternoon or evening show) with you can be quite a task, with them throwing all alarm-ringed original excuses like these:
“oh i haven’t washed the clothes yet”
“i have yet to cook, and guddu will be home anytime now”
“i’m fasting today beta”
“guddu’s having his exams tomorrow”
“uncle has to leave late for office, and i just prepared breakfast”… and so on.

actually, they would be equally interested in a movie; just that sometimes it makes them feel guilty if they rush off to watch a movie in the middle of the day, and without their husbands or children. however, if the movie is funny, interesting or woman-oriented, things can get much simpler for you. which is how it was for me…

with 30 minutes left for the movie to begin, i called up one of my aunt and told her to get ready quickly. “amma and chitti are coming too,” i lied. next, i called up another aunt, and lied again. with just 10 minutes left for the movie to begin, my sister and i left to book tickets at the movie hall. fortunately for us, there was no winding queue at the counter, partly because the movie had already begun! waiting with our eyes peeled for their auto, we finally spotted the three of them, and signalled them to rush indoors.

we’d missed 30 minutes of the movie, but it was an engrossing one. lajja (shame) revolves around one character, who, claustrophobic due to her dominating husband, runs away from home. during her journey, she comes across four other women caught in their individual struggles for their identity, and finds her own in the end.

it was only after the movie that we got a good look at each other, and all of us had a good laugh. in spite of their excuses, the two chittis and my mom had managed to make it for the movie, their hair tied up simply in a knot and sarees not-ironed. amid allegations that i’m going to spoil them during my little vacation at home before i get married, we left for our homes smiling.

it takes so little to make them happy, i thought, satisfied that my little prank had given them the break they always shy away from.

the ladies even admitted that when they awoke this morning they did not know what was in store for them.