Since life has turned chaotic FOR DEMOCRATS in USA THANKS to Donald Trump tariff, it looks regular respondents turned busy to cope with spiraling price of products ex India. This could be one of the reasons for poor response from members who seemed to be dormant here. Here the befitting story (copied from net thanks to author) to match the saree centre image posted above. For a month now, Radhika had been persistent with her husband, Sumesh. The poor guy would return home exhausted from the office, and before he could even get a glass of water, the "royal decrees" would begin. "Are you listening, or have you gone deaf? It’s my brother's wedding!" Radhika declared. "I need a heavy lehenga for the wedding procession, a yellow saree for the Haldi, a green one for the Mehendi, and something new for the farewell (Vidai). I’ve decided to wear an old saree for the Sangeet, see? I’ve even tried to cut down your expenses this time. So, when are we going? I need to get the blouses stitched, the sarees ready, and find matching accessories." Sumesh sighed deeply. "You’re going to leave me penniless! We still have to buy clothes for the kids. I’m not even buying anything for myself—I’ve been wearing the same worn-out coat for ten years to every wedding, whether it's an engagement or a reception. And you have so many yellow and green sarees already, why don't you just wear those?" "They are all two years old!" Radhika snapped. "I have photos in every single one of them. Everyone will recognize them. Don't make me lose face in front of my relatives!" Sumesh tried to use logic. "Radhika, what kind of talk is this? If they recognize the saree, will they kick you out of the wedding? Or will they sentence you to life in prison?" "Don't push me!" Radhika glared. "He is my only brother. I am the sister-in-law; I need to stand out the most. And yes, we need a lehenga for Chutki and a 'warm suit' for Shibbu. It won’t be too expensive—both should come under ten thousand rupees." "Ten thousand?!" Sumesh was stunned. "In our time, only grown-ups wore suits. We used to just wear our school trousers and shoes, get our sweaters washed by mother, and we were ready for any wedding, be it an uncle’s or a cousin’s. People have gone crazy these days... and my 'Madam' is leading the pack." He kept grumbling, thinking about the looming expenses. Radhika threw the final punch: "If you couldn't afford the expenses of a wife and children, why did you marry me? You used to talk so big over the phone back then... where is all that talk now?" Defeated, Sumesh gave in. "Fine, my lady! Let’s go this evening. Otherwise, instead of dinner, I’ll have to fill my stomach with your constant bickering every day after work." By evening, Radhika, Sumesh, and the kids were standing at the 'Suresh Chand Mahesh Chand' clothing store. Radhika and the children were beaming with joy, while poor Sumesh stood there with his arms folded, watching his annual budget collapse. After this, he still had to pay the "matching centers" and the shoe store owners. The money Sumesh had saved for his insurance policy was now diverted to this "urgent" cause. Even in his sleep, poor Sumesh began to see himself standing at the shop counter. ******* This is the reality of almost every private-sector employee and middle-class family—where the pressure of social status often outweighs the bank balance.
