  A few days back, 'K', one of my friends suddenly offered me to join for the dinner by saying "thoda bolayacha aahe" (want to speak his mind). This was very unlikely of K who is very happy-go-lucky kind of a person and always doing all sorts of pranks. So I was stunned when he seriously said that. But to look like a good friend (and acting like an ideal confidant) I did not enquired much and went to nearby cafe with him. After all rituals like deciding on our food, the ice broke. K started speaking his mind. K: "Today I am going to tell you a story....Do you know that I and "YZ" are seeing each other for quite some days? " I: "No" (trying to create an air of surprise, though all our common friends were aware of it). Hearing these words K smiled and started to make a clean breast of. K: "You know it's a very good relation, khup open aahe...." I: "Mhanje? " Looking dumb (as I always look and partly am, in such matters) So he started describing (their) concept of open relation.
K: "She knows everything.... Ti khup hushar aahe aare. Tila sagla kahi mahit aahe. I was worried, while I was onsite I used to go to pubs and all. I used to smoke a lot and booze like anything. but you know "YZ" accepted it so easily. kasa seventh heaven madhe aasalyasarkha vatata aare (I being a mortal, was just looking for waiter instead of thinking of heaven, while K continued) And you know she is very frank.
She told me all about herself" I: "Mhanje? " (actually I wanted to say what's big about it. ) K: "Tu jara mad aahes" (I: Thank you -- monologue) Now becoming serious again he said, K: "Hmmmm.... But there are still a few problems...." (Though I could not suppress my laughter I was successful in maintaining my philosophers look) so I decided to preach something. I: "Sagala illusion asata aare" (such sentences have no meaning actually but are handy at such times) I: "Like?
" K: "YZ says she has a career. And she is very brazen about it. She wants to go to US. So we will have to share responsibilities. I have already started learning all household work as well. " I: "True. " (Ohh god what a funny notion, going to US is all about career? - again a monologue) For next few minutes I was just imagining K doing household work, cleaning the laundry and changing nappies and YZ making stern business decisions for the enterprise called 'home'. I could not but laugh. K asked foolishly "Why? what happened? " I: "No. Nothing. By the way who proposed, I mean, if you are comfortable to share ..." K: "YZ only.
She said she has chosen the guy who she likes more than a guy who likes her more. " I could not decipher this theory of relativity and just ignored this as a hurdle of an arcane subject. But as I was told by elders that one should ask questions instead of in fear of looking dumb, however dumb the question may seem, I asked K: "But I suppose she also occasionally boozes..." K: "Hey man kuthalya jagat rahato aapan? You are a complete bourgeois. This is 21 century man. Have ever been in love? " I: "No" K:"Then fall in love. You need to be emotionally mature to understand this. " I: "Oye gapp yaar, hya majanu lokankadun kahihi aikava lagata" (monologue) Finally the waiter came to my rescue and served the dinner. Next half an hour I was giving random responses to K like "really", "Hmmm", "ok", "what next" or (dumb) "mhanje? " And after dinner, I could burp freely as I was not in love and had no compulsion to practice etiquettes or understand the " Rules ".
Good news is K is marrying. On a "shubh-muhurat", avoiding all obstacles posed by celestial bodies called navagrahas and avoiding Kumbha. His parents are satisfied that their son and daughter-in-law are very successful, affluent, talented and not to forget "saral valanache" civilians of modern society. They have confirmed it looking into their kundalis et all. K yesterday called me and said thank you. He seemed very happy. And so I am, for learning a few more definitions like 'open relation', 'career', 'bourgeois' and "21 century". Still I have a question, foolish though "Kuthalya jagat rahato aapan? " Ciao, 
