Married Strangers

Satish could never understand what was missing in their marriage. He had been married to Karishma for three years now. They never had any major differences. But they often experienced the indifference arising from the growing pressure of having to try hard, perhaps a little too hard, to make each other happy.

It was their wedding anniversary that day.
Karishma spent all morning cooking his favourite palak paneer, the dish she had prepared for him when she entered the kitchen for the first time after their marriage. Ever since that day, it had become the 'star dish' of their relationship. Satish, being the reserved kind, was always taciturn with his compliments. However, Karishma had learned to read his silence and could tell how much he relished the recipe.

On the other side, Satish too had decided to celebrate their anniversary with a romantic gesture. He got a dozen roses home-delivered from one of the best florists in Mumbai. At least now, Karishma would have no reason to believe he didn't pamper her.

However, on returning home that evening, he received a rude shock. Karishma was gone, and so was all her stuff. He tried calling on her cell phone....seven times, until he discovered the note beneath the Tupperware dish laid out on the dining table.

'It's sad because you know so little about me and yet never once bothered to find out,' it read. Below in the same runny scrawl was added, 'I'm allergic to roses.'

Satish sighed. Gazing at the palak paneer in the glass bowl, he smiled wistfully. As he dumped the contents into the bin, he felt a strange sense of relief. He had always hated spinach.

He read Karishma's note again. They couldn't possibly have worked it out even if they wanted to!