Chapter 33: Old Man and His Wife

Haari’s frustration was evident as he stared at the old man. “What? But why did I do something wrong?”

The old man looked genuinely confused. “What? But why did I do something wrong?”

Haari's face tightened with irritation. “Wrong? Just what did you do right to be in the show? You broke all the rules from the beginning! You were talking about things that weren’t even in the script.”

The old man was defensive. “You told me that all I have to do is talk about food, and that’s what I was doing the whole time. So why are you firing me?”

Haari’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, we said you had to talk about food, but the things you were talking about weren’t related to the food. If you were talking about the food, then tell me what’s so special about your recipe that you were so desperate to share with those college girls.”

The old man’s face fell. “Oh, so you heard that?”

Haari crossed his arms. “Yeah, I did. We’re done here. You don’t have to come from tomorrow.”

The old man looked dejected. “Okay, okay. I won’t come tomorrow, but I have one last request.”

Haari raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

The old man’s eyes softened with nostalgia. “I just want to meet those girls one last time.”

Haari’s curiosity was piqued. “And why is that?”

The old man’s voice grew wistful. “It’s been so long since I prepared a tiffin for someone. Could you let me fill those girls’ tiffins one last time?”

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Just then, the old man’s wife appeared at the door, her voice ringing out. “Honey, you didn’t close the shop yet?”

The old man turned, startled. “Uh? What are you doing here, and what’s with all this packing? Are you planning to go somewhere?”

His wife smiled warmly. “Yeah, on a trip.”

The old man’s eyebrows shot up. “Trip? With who?”

His wife’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “With you, of course.”

The old man was taken aback. “Me? But where is that coming from all of a sudden?”

His wife explained, “Didn’t you say a long time ago that you wanted to visit Russia?”

The old man hesitated. “Umm, yeah, but that was years ago.”

His wife’s smile widened. “Guess what? Yesterday, when I was out shopping, there was a challenge at the mall, and the winner could get a free tour ticket to Russia. I gave it my all and won the challenge just for you, honey.”

The old man’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Whaaaat? But why didn’t you tell me that yesterday?”

His wife chuckled. “I wanted to give you a surprise, so I kept it a secret for a while.”

The old man was overwhelmed. “Okay, but don’t you think we’re too old to go on a trip right now?”

Haari, watching the exchange, interjected. “You are.”

His wife’s tone was firm yet gentle. “Didn’t you say that dreams never get old no matter how time passes?”

The old man shook his head. “I said those things to impress you at the time. Why are you taking them so seriously?”

Haari, with a smirk, added, “Old man, I’m pretty sure you’ll find lots of empty tiffins over there. Why don’t you go and open your stall there?”

The old man’s wife was puzzled. “Empty tiffins?”

The old man sighed, his shoulders slumping. “But I have enough tiffins here to fill…”

His wife cut him off with a reassuring smile. “And you’ll have new ones to fill there. Besides, it’s an adventure, and it’s never too late for a new chapter.”

The old man’s resolve softened. “Well, I suppose it could be an interesting experience. But still, why couldn’t you have told me earlier?”

His wife took his hand gently. “Because I wanted it to be a surprise, and sometimes the best surprises come when you least expect them.”

Haari watched the old man’s expression change from frustration to acceptance. “Looks like you’ve got a new journey ahead. I hope it turns out to be as fulfilling as you hope.”

To be continue.......