When Pushpa hit the bed after finishing her nightly chores in the kitchen she was puzzled to see Badri searching for something. “What are you looking for?” she asked. “The camera. I kept it in the bedroom.” She shot up like a jack in the box. “Camera in the bedroom? My god. Is a camera watching the two of us?”

Badri burst into laughter. “Don’t be silly. But I can’t blame you for your vigilance. Listen, ours is a respectable residence and not an ashram. I bought a new digital to capture our crawling Nandu. Not sure where I kept it. By the way, I rang your mobile twice this morning. Why didn’t you answer?” “May be I was having a bath.”

“Pushpa, can’t you take it to the bathroom? Ours is as big as a tennis court. You can keep it on the shelf, away from the shower spray.” “No way, Badri. The cheeky thing is bound to ring when I’m under the shower. And with no specs on, if I press a wrong button it may take a picture of me.”

Badri smiled broadly. “C’mon! Yours is a basic model. It can’t click.” Pushpa yawned. “But, Badri why should a cellphone carry a camera? Does a camera carry a cellphone? Why invent such things and invite trouble? And please, don’t ask me to open your mail when you are on your tours. I see several unmentionable things in your spam mail... Are you asking for such items?”

“No. God knows who sends them. Don’t worry I am getting a blackberry. I can access my e mail from anywhere.” She yawned again. “Badri, it was high time that we change our TV. Can we shop for a special model that will suit my needs?” “Special model? Which one?”

“The one that will have the husband-lock, like a child-lock, so I can scramble the channels or programmes I don’t want you to watch on the sly when I am asleep or away... What is that? Is that the camera you were searching? Looks sleek. Badri, hope its eye is closed. And not focusing on us? Shove it at the bottom of the suit case. Can’t take chances with these fancy contraptions. Now let’s go to sleep. It’s almost eleven.”