Weekend

The first weekend of December was unexpectedly a lot of fun.

After throwing a surprise birthday party for my friend, I thought the weekend fun ended on Friday evening. However the next day, my flat mate let me know that she had unexpectedly won a prize but in order to collect it, she would have to produce her 'husband' along with herself (Don't bother asking why).

I called up my friend Matt, asking for his help which he readily offered. So my flat mate gave in our names to the organizer of the prize distribution.

"It seems there would be some sort of presentation. I hope you don't mind going for it?" my flat mate asked me.

"Nah," I replied, thinking of a short ceremony where I could flit in, grab the prize and run out.

Matt later called me saying that he couldn't make it, and another friend San would come instead. San and I met at Forum around 7. I was confident that the whole affair wouldn't take longer than 15 minutes or so. Boy was I wrong.

"What would your names be?" the receptionist asked me.

"Umm, Matt & I," thinking of the names that we had given for registration that afternoon.

"Right, I'll let them know that Mr & Mrs Matt have arrived," the receptionist replied back.

"Uh-oh", I thought, having a bad feeling about all of this.

Another man ushered us into a big room where small tables and chairs were lined up. Many tables were already occupied, but we managed to get seats. The man told us that our 'agent' would be along soon.

San looked at me. "What am I supposed to be doing again?" he asked."Umm, let's just pretend that we're married ok?" I whispered back. "Thanks for being such a good sport by the way."

The agent came to our table. Let's call him TA (The Agent... Man, can I get more original than this? :D ). TA launches into a saga where the prizes we were supposed to collect on behalf of my flatmat were really sponsored by a chain of country clubs and vacations. He talked about the huge promotional offer that the club was having that weekend and he launched into its details.

"Where was your honeymoon, Mr Matt?" TA asked San. I semi-choked.

"We didn't have one," San glibly replied back.

Thinking of us as the typical Indian couple, TA kept asking San about all the money aspects of a vacation and financial matters in general. I was asked "What are your interests apart from the kitchen?" He was obviously expecting something feminine like flower arrangement and interior decoration. I answered back with "Trekking and some adventure sports."

TA was unfazed and launched into another set of features that this offer had... And I was seriously half-sleeping when I realised that we had been sitting for at least an hour.

San was too busy talking about his abilities to sleep for days at a stretch (answer to "What do you like to do on a holiday, Mr Matt?) and explaining why he hated riding a bike despite the fact that he had a helmet with him at that moment. He was having fun bluffing, I'll grant you that. :)

"So how long have you been married?" TA asked.

"We're not yet married. We're just engaged," says San.

TA apologizes, "Gosh I'm sorry! And I asked about your honeymoon and everything!!"

Towards the end of the presentation, the agent asked "So what do you think of this offer?"

"It's great", we both chimed back.

"So you can sign up!"

"Ummm..." Think, think, think!!

I turned towards San and ask him as sweetly as a wife-to-be should ask, "Matt, can we afford this?"

"I don't know", he replies back, putting on a glum face.

TA thankfully gives us some time alone to think. "What on earth are we going to do?" I
whisper furiously, trying to hold back my laughter. "Think of something! We need to get out of here!!" San says back.

The agent comes back after 10 minutes and asks "So, what is your final decision?"

"Listen," I start, "We came here to get our friends' prizes... We didn't realise that there would be such a great offer going on. But the thing is, we need all the money we have right now. Our finances are poor. We're planning the wedding for next year.. You understand, right?"

"But this day and age, we have EMIs and credit cards.."

"Which I don't have", I reply sadly. And it's *yes* the sad truth.

"And I don't believe in," San says. Which is again, the sad truth (San used his credit card a bit too freely back in college :) ).

"Oh," the agent says. "Well then, if your decision is sure..."

"Which it is," I reply back quickly.

"Then we'll hand over your gifts now." TA says, and we all stand up to *FINALLY* get those darn gifts.

We fill up forms which contain our present addresses. The agent scrutinzes them and asks, "You don't live together?"

"We're not yet married you know!" I huff back indignantly, drawing the picture of a very prim and proper couple.

"Right," TA says.

San and I finally make our way out of the room. "It was great fun," San says..

"Yeah I know! Lying through our teeth!!" I say back.

"We should have been more creative and invented more stories.." We both laughed and we parted ways, me promising him a dinner treat for all his trouble.

:)