Christmas brings with it, my husband happiest and delightful memories of the past. Though born in a Hindu family in Kottayam, my childhood and to some extent, my  adulthood was spent in a predominantly Christian localtiy ,surrounded by very friendly, helpful Christian neighbors Naturally, we all celebrated Onam and Christmas with equal enthusiasm.

As a child, on Christmas Day, I  looked forward to the non-vegetarian specialities ,generously supplied by my kindly neighbors . At night, I joined the frolicking ,carol singers ,who sing and   go around collecting money for chartiy . 

Looking back,I wonder how the love, sense of justice and fairplay, kindness   and compassion gave way to communalism, barriers of caste and religion, which   in turn, degraded God's own coutnry to the present State where the crime rate is at its highest.

tSrangely, the caste-ridden Kerala dragged me out of my cocooned life, to get a job in a universtiy in another State……..

Away from home, It ransgressed the 'Love- laws of our socitey,'who should  love whom',I fell in love with a Naval Officer who belonged not only to a different caste but a different State and religion .And strangely this violation of 'law' on my part was revealed during my vacationing at home for Christmas, that too from a telegram.

Those days an occasional telegrams were meant to convey death and in the sleepy town in Kottayam , the post man's arrival, screaming ' Telegram' telegram ,that too at night ,was quite alarming. My panic- stricken mother, imagining the dreadful news of her critically ill elder sister, gave the telegram to my uncle to read it aloud.And my uncle fumbled through the telegram', 'Jesus was born for the mankind but you were born just for me Merry Christmas I am in hell during this festive season where are you love   Krish 'After that, real hell broke lose and I had to flee from my hometown to the saftey of my work place during that Christmas After my marriage , my husband made up for the lost fun of that Christmas till a decade ago .by not only celebrating but also giving me gifts on Christmas. What is more, he picked up most unexpected gifts which he guessed that I secretly wished. 

Even when we were on a shoestring budget, ,my husband  brought some inexpensive but matching  jewelry or accessory for me.

Once, ,we were celebrating Christmas in Sydney ,Darling Harbor, Krish surprised me with a pair of Emerald ear rings .Flabbergasted by the expensive gift,I almost shrieked in disbelief,

'why did you spend so much money for this Emerald, that too when I am  well past that age to adorn such precious rings' He laughed and said ,' you remember,  long ,long ago ,you told me that your birthstone is 'Emerald' and added , ' but who can afford Emerald  anyway?' .Now I can afford and bought it for you' On another Christmas ,my husband got a swing- cot done, specially  designed from his vivid imagination of my favorite  wide, wooden cot ,hanging on massive, iron chains in my ancestral home I could not help shedding tears of joy and gratitude for his unparalleled love .Later, for years ,that cot was used for my slurping  the steaming hot morning coffee, sitting beside him,   looking at the twittering birds from the nearby ' Gulmohar't ree. 

Last time ,my husband surprised ,no actually shocked by his most unusual gift . 

That Christmas, he was in the Andamans and did not announce his ship's arriving in  Madras . Generally,I used to pick him up ,but this time , I did not hear from him.

Late that night , a  deafening sound of a Van woke me up and to my surprise, I saw my husband jumping out of the Van with endearingly calling,' com'on Lakshmi ,come out darling ,meet your mom'and to me, excitedly, 'come soon and see what I brought you for Christmas' 

I could not believe my eyes when I saw a bleating lamb emerging out of the van .As though answering my unasked question, my husband said, ' you always used to tell me that your childhood memories are hopelessly linked up with a lamb,'Lakshmi' and how you used to play with it .I got it from Andamans with much difficutly,You like her what a velvtey, white  coat!!   Is n't she a beatuy? '

Hugging the frightened Lakshmi closely , I said' Wish I were 0 Henry to write a story ' Gift of Krish' instead of his famous short story 'The Gift of the Magi' Tasting the cake, and caressing Lakshmi, i went on to narrate the Biblical background of the three wise men inventing the art of giving Christmas gifts to Jesus ,Gold ,Frankincense  and myrrh And how  O.Henry immortalized the love of the poor couple in his famous story,  ,The Gift of the Magi' potrraying  a poor young couple, Della and Jim ,who parted with  their prized possessions  for buying Christmas presents for each other .Della sold  her lustrous,  attractive  curls to get money for a strap for her husband's expensive watch while he sold his watch to get combs for his wife's lovely hair…..

I might have brought out at least a glimpse of the glory of love and the sacrifices behind, but did not add, what I should have, 'I love you ,you are one in a million and our love is eternal'….

But, now, believe  me ,   not a single day passes without thanking  ,the magnitude of my husband's love and sacrifices Perhaps it is apt to quote the Bible here 'You are my beloved son, with  whom I am well pleased'