I Want to Go Grocery Shopping with You

“ Hey, are you busy?”

I sent a quick text before grabbing my wallet and stepping out to walk to the nearby grocery store. Two minutes later, my phone pinged.

“No, I am done with my appointments for today. What’s up?”

Smiling to myself, I opened my contacts and pressed the green button to call him.

Walking slower than usual, even though the summer heat was burning my skin, I listened to his voice a little muffled by the mask he was wearing.

A few minutes later, I entered the store, searching for my favorite snacks, listening to him talk about his day.

“I can’t find my pudding!” I said disappointed that the store had run out of my all-time favorite caramel pudding.

“Why don’t you get flavored yogurt instead? Try the one I like! They have a mango-pineapple mix that tastes weird.” he said, making disgusted sounds over the phone like a child.

“Oh yeah? And which flavor do you like?” I asked, knowing the answer was going to be pineapple.

People walked past me in a hurry, while I stood there discussing yogurt flavors with someone 400 miles away.

“I want to go grocery shopping with you!” I said, giggling at how silly and random that sounded.

“Yeah? I wouldn’t mind at all,” he said, a smile evident in his voice. “When we meet, I want you to try the dessert I like, and I want to try the jalapeno chips you like.”

“Is that what you want to do with our time?” I asked, rolling my eyes at how simple his plan was.

“Yes! Because it’s with you. Ah! The little things in life.”

I could see his face in my mind. A lazy smile on his lips, his eyes crinkling at the corners- his features obscured by the hazmat suit he was wearing.

“So boring,” I said, smiling as I picked up his favorite pineapple-flavored yogurt, walking towards the check-out counter.

Growing up, I was always fascinated by romantic movies and novels. Being a true romantic at heart, I wept, watching Rose let go of Jack’s hand at the end. I’m sure a lot of us did.

I watched Bollywood movies where the actors risked their lives and expressed their love with grand gestures. The one true love for whom you would do anything became a concept I chased.

But my real-life relationship turned out to be nothing like my favorite movies. There was chaos, arguments, toxicity, a loss of feelings, and in the end, cheating.

When my Ex complained about boredom in the relationship, I felt confused. Being an extrovert, he always wanted to go out clubbing and me being an introvert, wanted to spend time at home relaxing. In the end, boring became the reason for us to fall apart.

Over the years, I have heard and given a lot of relationship advice. I have searched for the signs of a true soulmate. One thing I came across was this:

Find someone who you can take grocery shopping and still have a blast with.

To my 22-year-old self, this never made any sense. What does grocery shopping have to do with finding your soulmate? Who even likes to do their groceries? It’s such a boring activity!

Unless you met your soulmate at the store. I don’t know. The Universe works in mysterious ways.

Now, after years, heartbreaks and new love, I understand this statement a lot better.

We all want a grand romance. A love that sweeps you off your feet. A love that others look at with envy. To be that adorable couple walking hand in hand down the street with eyes only for each other.

You can have many grand things in life. But love is not one of them.

You see, love resides in the quietest corners of our world. It is not only in parties and travels, but it is also in a breakfast-in-bed kind of day.

It is not only expensive gifts but also the warmth of his jacket before you realized you were cold.

You see love when his hands find yours in a crowded mall and when he calls you in the middle of a busy day to let you know that he’s thinking of you.

You see love when something trivial reminds you of him, and when he tries to prank you and fails.

These nameless moments make up our grand romance. Because when you think about love, these moments are what come to mind.

We often fail to recognize these moments as love and wonder where the grand gestures and fairy tales went.

For me, love has changed its appearance from Bollywood-style romances to small moments that we fail to notice.

Maybe, wanting to go grocery shopping together is what love is. It is wanting to do the most mundane things and enjoying them because it is with that person.

Maybe eating chips and yogurt together is love.