It is just a peck

Mary confronted me yesterday. – “Hey what is it about this Richard Gere controversy?”

“Huh ..what?” Even though I heard her alright, I bought time scrambling for a reasonable response.

She repeated – “You know the issue about Richard kissing an Indian actress on stage and his arrest warrant and all”

“Oh that. (phooh!) I don’t know what to say, I think it is an issue blown out of proportion by some rabid fundamentalists”

“But isn’t it a court that has issued a warrant” – she pressed on.

“Well. (ahem..) you know there are all kinds of laws in every country, isn’t there is a list of these arcane laws even in US…like “You may not have an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time.” And “It is illegal to ride a bike in a swimming pool”?

“Sure but they are what you said…arcane, but this is not the same, is it?”

“All I am saying is that if you go to a court, the judge has to uphold the law”

“But what about all the corny Bollywood flicks? Doesn’t the Judge watch those?” – she was getting amusement out of my discomfiture.

“I don’t know about that, I think it is just another case of misplaced sensitivities exploited by a handful fanatics.”

Then I remembered the story she told me sometime back when she went to the subcontinent as part of a Christian outreach and their group was harassed in Bombay.
I wanted to avoid the discussion going there as I was already on my defensive so I said –

“Hey, I have to rush to something; I am sure this is nothing but yet another celebrity scandal and if anything has helped Richard Gere in getting some more limelight”

Then I left in a haste.