By The Ladies Finger

Every year it has become a game of sorts to brace ourselves for the sensory and cerebral assault of Women’s Day ads and Mother’s Day ads. Now we will admit that a Horlicks ad for Mother’s Day from a couple years ago made us bawl like babies from senti but mostly we just cry from embarrassment. Coz who made these ads! For us, this year’s toxic watch Mother’s Day super hit winner was Fabelle chocolates. But maybe we were wrong? Someone explain what’s going on here.

The ad features a young man in a fancy restaurant texting his date. As their last exchange of texts (he tells his date that his place is better than hers for after-dinner meeting) finishes his date arrives.

A (presumably) hot and sultry expression crosses the young man’s face. Lillete Dubey sits down in front of him.

And here is the obviously thrilling twist that the ad’s creators were waiting to give us. The date is his mother. Dubey playfully swats him and says obviously that his place is better because she cleaned it. Friends, in case you were still speculating about the incest-adjacent nature of the plot, forget that. Focus on the fact that his mommy has to clean this dude’s flat. The day before Mother’s Day too. Why does he have his own place? Why is he buying his mother chocolate instead of doing a round of jhadoo-pocha? This Mother’s Day, chocolate boy, get thee to a Home Science course, as Sushma Swaraj suggested.

Last year we complained that there was too much crying in Mother’s Day ads and very few sons. We are truly sorry we complained. Please bring back the crying and the daughters.