Rajathanthiram - Thank you Jeeves

In one of my rare brainy moments, I wriggled out of a full frontal assault from my parents for my plan to watch Dhoom 2 at 9 AM tomorrow.

Like I may have mentioned before, I got decent tickets only for the 9 AM show tomorrow. Though the tickets were booked in the starting of this week itself, I hadn't told my folks, coz I knew they'd go ballistic.

But I didn't know how else to convey this to them without getting beat. This evening, when I was discussing this with Superthumby, I told him that I would tell my parents that only he had bought the tickets and that I had nothing to do with it, since it was given as FYI to me.

The plan had its merits, but the major problem was this: Next time Superthumby and his wife come home, my mom will ask him about why he booked the tickets for such an early show. Which in turn would put him in trouble with the missus, coz he's told her that inspite of his attempts to steer me away from a 9 AM show, I was adamant to the core and booked the tickets.

After I reached home, I thought I would tell my folks that we were originally trying for a 9 PM show but it turned out to be a 9 AM show. We mistook the AM to be PM. This sounded too flimsy.

At the dinner table, we were talking about this and that and I was searching for the right moment to broach this topic and also the right presentation. And then a flash of brilliance came to me.

I have been re-reading a few Jeeves stories this week and found myself in situations that Wooster finds himself. But Jeeves very often provides uncanny solutions based on what he calls 'the psychology of the individual'.

So knowing my folks' dislike towards me going out too late in the nights, or watching night shows, I put forth a very safeguarded statement: "naan onnu solluvaen, but neenga enna thittuvael" - loosely translates to "I wanna say something that will drive you mad". Dad then asked what the context was and I said that its about something I am going to do tomorrow.

The added advantage of saying things like this was, you give a big build-up and they start wondering if I was planning to elope with some girl in jafferkhanpet. So when I said its about a movie, their relief was quite evident.

Dad then asked if it was a night show and I replied in the negative. Then my mom gave out usual comments on the lines that I was going to have dinner and watch a movie after that and come home by the time our milk-woman drops the aavin packets on Monday morning.

With this expectation being set in their mind, I didnt want to stretch things any further and immediately burst their bubble. I told them that the show was 9 AM. Another VERY HUGE relief sign flashed on the faces and they were like 'as long as it is in the AM its ok'.

I didnt elaborate things any further, coz they might find out what a ridiculous thing it is to watch a movie at 9 AM. So I brought forth another topic for discussion and diverted their attention to that.

So all I can say for now is that, I didnt get shouted at for planning a movie at 9 AM. But I cant say what the reaction will be, post-facto.

Big thanks to you Jeeves.