40. His Plans Fell Flat at the In-Laws’

After the wedding, Ashu arrived at his in-laws’ house full of excitement. He had imagined being treated like royalty. But the moment he stepped through the door, his brother-in-law made a face and said, “Oh, brother-in-law is here… so who’s going to make the tea now?”

Ashu forced a smile and walked inside. His mother-in-law warmly asked, “Have you eaten, or are you still wandering around hungry?”

Ashu thought, Now things are going my way. He replied sweetly, “Mom, I’d love to eat food cooked by you.”

She smiled and said, “Of course. Just help me chop the vegetables first.”

Ashu started cutting vegetables, but the potatoes looked as if they had survived a mountain expedition. From behind, his brother-in-law joked, “After marriage, a man gets promoted to the kitchen too!”

At the dining table, Ashu eagerly picked up a piece of bread. The first bite was overloaded with salt. The second was so spicy that tears streamed down his face. His mother-in-law commented calmly, “These days, one should eat less salt anyway.”

At night, Ashu was given a mattress in the drawing room. He had expected to sleep like a king, but instead a battalion of mosquitoes declared war. When he turned the fan to full speed, the power went out. He muttered, “Looks like they’ve decided to test the son-in-law properly.”

The next morning, his brother-in-law said, “Let’s go to the market today.” Ashu felt hopeful again. But at the market, his brother-in-law bought five kilos of vegetables and ten kilos of fruit. Ashu asked softly, “Who is all this for?”

With a grin, came the reply, “For the family—and you’ll pay the bill, dear brother-in-law.”
By the third day, Ashu decided it was time to head home. He told his wife, “It seems my plans have fallen flat at your parents’ place.”
She laughed and said, “Don’t worry. Here, it’s not the food that needs to be softened—it’s your love.”

Ashu smiled and thought to himself, “Maybe my plans didn’t work out here, but at least love is simmering nicely.”

And with that, he began waiting for the next holiday—perhaps better prepared this time.