The Marriage Counsellor

I’ve played many roles in my life but never that of a marriage counsellor – until last evening. I invited some local friends for dinner. They are a couple running an ironing business – Kumaran and Soumya. Their charges are very reasonable; in fact I don’t know how they survive with these rates.

Soumya is from Tamil Nadu and speaks Malayalam with a liberal admixture of Tamil. Kumaran is a Trivandrum local. Theirs was a ‘love marriage’ they had told me (as opposed to an ‘arranged’ one which was the norm in their time.) They’re in their forties.

A few weeks ago, Kumaran had taken me around Vellayani on his motorbike. I got to know him well. Soumya has always been efficient with the ironing, mostly delivering them home at 8 and 9 in the evening. She once said to me she would do anything for us because she could make out my wife and I are a couple who loved and respected each other. She was already in my good books.

As I would be leaving Trivandrum in a few days, I
wanted to say thanks to this friendly, hardworking couple. Moreover – no, I should say above all if I’m honest – I had made too much food. I was going away for the weekend. I had to finish it all. I needed guests.

They turned up at around 9:45 PM. The bickering started as soon as they walked through the door. Soumya complained bitterly about Kumaran and after listening quietly to her complaints, he said, more to himself than to me,

“In 27 years, she has ruined my life.”

I didn’t know what to say as I sat there watching the two of them verbally mauling each other.

Then I remembered something. I told Soumya,

“You know when he took me around the other day on his motorbike, we discussed many things. But not once did he speak ill of you. He only said nice things.”

I saw her eyes soften. She looked at her husband as if reconsidering him, like taking another look at something she planned to throw away. Soumya went quiet and studied her hands in deep thought. I could almost hear the churn of her mind.

I probably made a small difference. They certainly didn’t quarrel during the meal. Maybe there’s another career waiting for me?