The inlaws have been awake for most of the night. They have been watching NDTV on iPad following the Indian election results.

This morning at 7 am, they were still crouched against the iPad. And were constantly discussing something. So, I made coffee for all of us and came and sat down with them. Following their conversations, I realized something. They had very little real interest in the grand spectacle of the world’s largest democracy’s seminal moment of change of guard!

All they cared about is “What is happening to Didi’s party”? Didi, for the West Bengal (or for that matter any Bengal)-y challenged, is the affectionate name for Mamata Banerjee – the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Who, not unlike what is happening in India today, came to power two and a half years back after uprooting a party that was in power in West Bengal for multiple decades.

So, I asked them how much they cared about Congress versus BJP versus AAP at the Center. My father in law at least tried to show some interest – “Kono party onek din thaka bhalo na” (**nobody should be in power for too long**). My mother in law, in a perfect tribute to the old adage “all politics is local”, completely brushed me off – “taatey aamar ki eshe gelo” (**what is that to me?**) 🙂

As they kept discussing “Didi’s party”, I also realized something else. A lot of Bengali singers and actors have stood for elections this year. I had no idea that Bappi Lahiri (think of him as the Bengali version of Chris Christie with far more skills in copying other people’s tunes), Babul Supriyo, Munmun Sen, Soumitro Roy, Sandya Roy and such are political figures now. No wonder there is so much drama in West Bengal politics!

Since my mother in law would not pay any attention to me, I decided to push my luck. “Mamata-di ki korechhe aaj porjonto? Opposition-e chellano aar desh chalano alaada bepar”. Now, before I translate this, let me tell you – I have nary an idea about what is going on in West Bengal. I certainly cannot name you one more politician in West Bengal other than Didi. Armed with that near total ignorance, I took a potshot “What has she done till today? Shouting at the top of your voice while in Opposition is very different from running a country”.

My father in law knew me all too well. He just smiled and refused to take the bait. My mother in law? Not so much!! Like the normally docile garden snake that our lawn mower guy spotted and cornered on our street a couple of days back hissed and fought back in defense, my mother in law immediately raised her hood errr…. head and hit back. “Tomra sobjanta to”. (basically calling me know-all).

Then for the next twenty minutes I got a lecture on all the misdeeds of the previous government that held absolute power for multiple decades and how they had completely corrupted the system. And how it took somebody like Didi to fight back and “throw them into the Bay of Bengal”. “Ki sahos dekh onar” (**what courage she has**)

Which is interesting. For all the courage of Mamata-di she was projecting, my mother in law – who, in a rich irony, has the same name Mamata – has been cooped up inside our house for two days straight because of reports of a garden snake that our lawn mower guy spotted on our street 🙂

Second cup of coffee, anyone? 🙂

Today, Sharmila took my inlaws to the ultimate Mecca for all Indians who come to this country – that sanctum sanctorum that has to be paid its due visit if you are worth any Indian gene you might have. And no, I am not talking about Niagara Falls – that place is so overrun with Indians that I am sure they have declared it some kind of Union Territory of India or something. I am talking about our good old neighborhood COSTCO!!!

One round of walk up and down a couple of Costco aisles and my mother in law promptly canceled her evening walk for the day!!!! 🙂 She was devastated by the fact that you cannot buy one or two items – you have to buy twenty packets at a time (or so it seems to me).

But she was certainly pleased to be not the only person wearing a saree among a crowd!!!

Nikita singing the national anthem with her chorus group at the Turner Stadium before the Braves-Cubs game!!

The inlaws at Atlanta Braves baseball game. He has already asked me “Where is the boundary”? 🙂

*cricket guys will get this*

A couple of days back, I was making coffee for Sharmila and the inlaws and observed something. First, as a background, my FIL has great intellectual curiosity and has the most open mind to learning new things among my parents and the inlaws. And he is the eldest of them all!

I had set the milk carton down to fix Sharmila’s coffee. My FIL read up everything written on the carton box and then pointed the part that I have attached a photo of explaining to my MIL – “Taar maaney je goru-ke antibiotic khaoano hoini emon gorur dudh tomay deyoa hochhey”. And added “Aar amader deshey to sokaley uthei bachhagulo duto antibiotic kheye nay” 🙂

Roughly speaking, it means – he explained to my MIL that the milk you are being given comes from only those cows who have not been administered antibiotics. And then added that, back in Bengal, kids wake up in the morning and first thing they do is take a couple of antibiotics 🙂

It is funny only if you realize the culture in Bengal. (Not sure if this is true for the rest of India). In Bengal, everybody over 12 years is a self-declared doctor. Given that almost all medicine is over the counter, people gorge themselves on medicine (the knowledge of which is gained thru crowdsourcing with their friends) at the slightest sign of the oncoming of an ailment. Especially “Thanda laaga”. Or “ombol” for that matter 🙂 (common cold and indigestion).

It would not have been this funny to me had it not been the morning call to my brother where he talked about his elder son having dripping nose. “School jaabey?”, I asked. (“Will he go to school?”). He responded “Hnah! sokaley ekta antibiotic charge korey diyechhi”. I am not even going to bother translating that 😉

For the first time, my MIL has been able to shake off her jet lag. She came into the kitchen early at 6 am as Sharmila and I were sipping coffee and chatting softly. The first thing MIL did was start complaining about “Kaal-ke tor baba khub-se tenechhe” meaning, “last night your dad (referring to FIL) had too much to drink”. For the first time this trip, she woke up before FIL. And she immediately started complaining that he is sleeping too much. And that alcohol is to be blamed 🙂

Sharmila, of course, had to protest (not sure why she cannot just hang back and observe and have fun)! First thing she pointed out was that MIL slept for a solid four hours the previous evening. Maybe that is why she got up early. MIL’s response was classic  – FIL slept even more the previous evening. Sharmila pointed out that the three of us were in the backyard for a clear two hours before MIL strolled in the last evening. MIL claimed that she was lying down most of the time – not sleeping. And in any case, FIL went to sleep before her. Further, she pointed out that FIL was snoring and sleeping uncontrollably due to all the drinks we three had last evening.

Sharmila missed another golden chance. Instead of baiting her mother a little longer, she blurted out – “But dad did not even have anything to drink last night. Rajib gave him some wine. But I had to have it since he did not touch it”. MIL looked at her for some time, decided that she was indeed telling the truth and finally settled down with her cup of tea. The “gojgoj kora” had stopped 🙂

And in all this commotion of arguments and counterarguments between mother and daughter, my FIL woke up and walked into the kitchen half sleepy wondering what the heck was happening 🙂

It is awesome fun to watch this family from a distance 🙂

In American culture, I am told by my American friends that “relaxing ” and “inlaws” are rarely found in the same sentence 🙂

Relaxing on a Sunday afternoon by the pool with some old “Anurodher Asar” Bengali songs with my inlaws…

So far we are 3 for 11 in terms of recognizing the old singers. My mother in law is blaming the sound speakers for that 🙂

That is my father in law. He heard from his daughter that we get deer in our property. Ever since early morning, he has been sitting by the window with tea waiting for one measly little deer to show up… 😉