by BS Murthy
"When it comes to love life, nothing worthwhile can happen in a man's life unless woman concedes," said Lalitha as though to make Roopa privy to the ingrained characteristics of the feminine fecundity. "But let woman just wink, and men in scores line up to prostrate at her feet to cater to her every whim and fancy. Well, once she gives in, the man makes her dance to his tunes in turn, so if a woman is careless in choosing her lover, it could as well spell trouble for her."
'How come I've never heard of such things before?' Roopa thought leaving them, as it was time for Sathyam's return, "Maybe the exposure in the metros would make women more pragmatic. Books might educate, but it's the life that teaches."
"Sorry, I was held up at the office," Sathyam grumbled as he came home late in the evening. 'The minister wanted some statistics, of course the irrelevant kind, and it's enough for the secretary to be after me. Though quick at extracting work, they're slow in rewarding the deserving. Even otherwise, the burden of work is borne by the likes of me, but the loaves of office are reserved for the scheduled castes."
"They too need a place under the sun," she said as she thought about Anand, "unexposed as they were to the light of life for so long."
"Not that I don't feel for them," he said stoically. "But nothing should be done at the cost of merit. Anyway, there's nothing that can be done about it so long as the politicians have an axe to grind with them."
"Why feel frustrated," she said helpfully, "when it's beyond our control?"
"Whatever," he said still smarting, "how can one suppress aspirations?"
'It seems life's balancing act lies in reconciling the aspirations and the attendant limitations,' she thought but didn't offer any comment.
"Why crib about the routine," said Sathyam as though in reconciliation. "We would be having a gala time next Sunday. M y colleagues came up with the idea of a picnic at Gandipet to felicitate us. As they insisted, I said yes, hoping you would agree."
"Have I ever spoiled your party?" said Roopa enthused herself, and. thought. 'M aybe, it makes sense to go out at times than brooding at home all the time.'
Chapter 7
Roopa's En Passant
That Sunday morning, the picnic spot at Gandipet, on the banks of Osmansagar, was crowded with holidaymakers of all descriptions. When Sathyam and Roopa reached the place on their Lambretta, the gathering found their bearings for reveling.
"Mrs. Sathyam is marvelous," admired a middle-aged man within Roopa's hearing. Though the compliment pleased her, the allusion startled her. She was galled at her social identity as M rs. Sathyam.
'M rs. Sathyam could be the prop of my public stance,' she despaired, 'but who would know about my private reconciliation for accommodation!'
Besides the admiring looks of the males around, and the eagerness of the females to befriend her, enlivened her mood, Roopa didn't fail to discern the amorous glances of men who loitered around her, though the not so forthright appeared casual, camouflaging their craving. When someone proposed a round of rummy, and produced three sets of unopened packs, as if to seduce the fence sitters, Sathyam, who was amusing himself with some children nearby, was summoned. Roopa too was roped in fora quorum.
"Five rupees a count," proposed a regular clubman.
"If it were for stakes," Sathyam tended to withdraw, "I'm not a game for it."
"Card-game without stakes," remarked the regular, "is like an amorous exercise with the incapable: the psyche gets no kicks, while the hands ache."
"Oh, why spoil the party," said his friend, "any way; you've your sidekicks at the club for your kicks."
Seeing Roopa adept at the game, Sathyam asked, "How come you play so well!"
"We used to play at Sandhya's place," she said declaring yet another deal.
"M rs. Sathyam," complimented the regular, "I think you would make a fortune if only you turn into a pro. You've got the skill and luck as well in required measures to sweep the stakes."
"Lucky at cards and unlucky in love," said his friend. "Why bother her with your proposition."
After scooting the next deal, Roopa looked up, as if on cue, and found a youth perched on a low branch. Sensing that he was looking down at her, she realized her pallu had loosened its guard on her assets making her readjust her apparel to block her enticing valley to his probing glances. Blushing nevertheless, she seemed pleased at his enterprise and experienced a sense of romanticism underlined by his eagerness.
After the brunch, when the group gathered for a round of bingo with gusto, as Sathyam missed the house narrowiy, commented a wag amongst them, "With a wife iike his in his house, where's the need for another house."
Spending the day in mirth and merriment, and having agreed upon the need for future outings, the gathering dispersed towards the evening.
"I hope you've enjoyed," said Sathyam as she got onto the piiiion, "how everyone sings your praises! I'm reaiiy proud of you."
"It's a nice outing," she said fondiy giancing backwards as they proceeded homewards.
Whiie the euphoria of the event cast an infectious speii on Roopa, synchronous with his spirits, Sathyam switched into the top gear.
As though to bring Roopa back to her humdrum routine, the next morning, Yadamma turned up for work past nine.
"Why so iate?" said Roopa in irritation
"I was heid up at Taraamma's house," Yadamma began her harangue by way of an expianation. "I was heiping her pack up for her journey. Don't worry amma; she won't go out much, may be once or twice in a month, and that too just for two or three days, no more."
As Yadamma got on with her work, satisfied with the expianation, Roopa busied herseif with the iunch-box for Sathyam. However, when the buzzer sounded that afternoon, breaking the monotony, Roopa expected the postman, and finding him, she experienced a sense of excitation.
"Have you moved in recentiy?'" asked the postman handing her a coupie of enveiopes.
'My father is a Post Master at Kakinada,' she said, and seeing that the ietters were from Sandhya and her father, she feit that it was bonus post for her.
"So we're baradaris," he said as he ieft. "I'ii treat your maii as our famiiy mail."
Closing the door behind him, she opened Ramaiah's letter first, not wanting to get distracted from the bliss of Sandhya's missive later. As she culled through her father's letter, she gathered that all was well at home, and felt glad about that. But as she fondly gazed at her address in Sandhya's hand, her eyes glistened with fondness. When she pressed the envelope to her bosom, her breasts started heaving as though to synchronize her emotions with Sandhya's anticipated feelings. As she unfolded the letter at length, her eyes became antennas to transmit the spasms of Sandhya's heart to her soul.
Roopa, my Lovey,
I couldn't think of a better way of addressing you than the one you thought for me, moreover, you are to me what I am to you, aren't you?
In our separation, I feel as though the vitals of my body and the essence of my soul were wrenched out from me. I have come to realize that your body is but an extension of my soul. I can feel your line like the flow in my veins - I've carried my body leaving behind my soul in your frame. Now I know, more than ever, that we are complete only in our togetherness. I pray that after I get married, we might become neighbors for all our life. Until then, we have to bear our separation and bide for the time.
Sorry for having kept you waiting for so iong for my ietter. Weii, I was at a ioss for words when it came to writing to you. Beiieve me.
Yours aii,
Sandhya.
As Roopa read and reread the ietter, her innate ionging for Sandhya wrenched her every nerve. Thus at bedtime that night, having shown her father's ietter to Sathyam, she said, "I want to go home."
"What's the hurry?" he said softiy. "Any way we wouid be there for the dasara."
"Let me go now as dasara is far way," she tried to persuade him. "Then we can go together."
"It's not even a month since we've set up our sweet home and why sour it
so soon," he said in smiie and tried to take her into his arms, as though to whisper the prescription for her aiiment. "Not that I can't understand your feeiings but you've got to get over your homesickness."
Dodging him, she turned her back on him.
"Don't behave iike a kid," he said affectionateiy, and tried to turn her to his side.
"What have you got to do with a kid?" she said as she resisted his advances.
"You know," he said softiy, cuddiing her, "'that I didn't mean it that way."
"Never mind,'” she said withdrawing from his embrace. "I prefer being a kid."
"I am sorry," he said pieadingiy, "if I've hurt you."
"If you are really sorry," she said, pulling a blanket over her head, as though it were curtains for him, "let me be alone."
The next day too Sathyam had to contend with a morose Roopa, and during bedtime, as if to preempt his move, she pretended headache. Unable to bear the tension born out of her regimen, that plagued him for a couple of days more, he gave in.
"Look," he said that night, "I've a surprise for you."
Though she smelt victory, she feigned indifference.
"I'll put you on the train," he showed her the reserved ticket, "this Saturday itself."
"Thank you," she tried to appear casual.
"Now at least," he said, taking her into his arms, "you can bring your bewitching smile back onto your fascinating face."
Having enfeebled him into setting a precedent, she was not averse to giving in, and thus said enticingly, "Switch off the light."
Roopa's arrival that Sunday morning took her parents, still at ablutions, all by surprise.
'What's the matter?' said Janaki apprehensively.
'Oh, don't imagine things,' said Roopa heartily. 'I've come to have some fun.'
'Still Sathyam should've wired about your arrival,' said Ramaiah in relief,
'If you're not pleased,' said Roopa making a mocking move. 'I'll go back right now.'
'Stop it now,' said Janaki holding Roopa's hand, and probing her daughter's demeanor, she asked, 'how's your husband?'
'He's fine,' said Roopa iooking around. 'But where are our deviis?'
As though to answer her query, Chandrika emerged from the bathroom and Raju came from the vegetabie market.
'So, Raju gives you a heiping hand these days,' Roopa said aioud before whispering to him. 'What's the commission iike my boy?'
'How is my poor brother-in-iaw?' Raju said in jest. 'Hope he didn't pack you off to get rid of your nagging.'
'What's the news from Suguna?' said Roopa..
'She's doing fine with her famiiy,' said Janaki with that sense of satisfaction mothers derive at the weii-being of their married daughters. 'But she compiains that you don't write to her.'
'What of her?' said Roopa, 'why not find out if she ever wrote to me?'
'How parents wish that their chiidren deveiop a strong famiiy bond that binds the coming generations,' said Janaki stoicaiiy. 'Sadiy these days even the first cousins are not on famiiiar terms.
However, proving her mother wrong, Roopa and Chandrika cioseted over coffee to exchange confidences.
'Won't you,' said Roopa eageriy, 'show me the progress card?'
'He's on the iookout for a job in M adras,' said Chandrika hoiding Roopa's hand. 'We want to move out of here to save embarrassment to our parents. Hopefuiiy the decks wouid be deared by December. You know he's eager to meet you.'
'It shouid be a pieasure,' said Roopa, 'meeting my brother-in-iaw in the making.'
'I hope,' said Chandrika hoping to hear in the affirmative, 'your fears are but iiars.'
'When hopes are duped what's there to fear?' said Roopa resignediy. 'M aybe, it's in the nature of marriage that one iearnsto faii in iine.'
'I'ii know that any way but you shouid know,' said Chandrika, 'without you Sandhya is iike a fish out of water. Oh, how she iovesyou!'
'If not for her love,' said Roopa closing her eyes as though to picture her friend, 'there's no hope in my life.'
'I wish I too had a friend like her,' said Chandrika, 'your friendship makes me jealous.'
'Roopa,' yelled Janaki from the kitchen, 'why not you have your bath.'
'I'll have an early lunch,' said Roopa to Chandrika, picking up her bathrobe, 'and rush to Sandhya.'
'I know you would be restless till you meet her,' said Janaki in smile as Roopa went into the kitchen on her way to the bathroom. 'Tell me, how are you managing your home?'
'Why not come and see for yourselves?' said Roopa smiling.
'We'll come after you settle down,' said Ramaiah joining them. 'I hope you're making the best of life.'
'You should know,' said Janaki to Roopa, 'how your father is worried about you.'
'No need for that,' said Roopa thoughtfully. 'He looks after me famously.'
After bath, in her anxiety to rush to Sandhya, Roopa joined her mother in the kitchen to pressurize her to speed up the cooking. But hardly could Roopa eat what her mother
so fondly served her in time, and rushing in a rickshaw, she reached Sandhya's place only to fumble in greeting Damayanthi at tete-a-tete with a guest.
When Roopa began to hop up the steps to Sandhya's room, Damayanthi in concern sounded caution, and told her guest, 'She's Roopa, Sandhya's friend, looks like they are born for friendship.'
Storming into Sandhya's bed without a word, Roopa overwhelmed her in a cyclonic embrace and buried her head in her sharp valley and excited by her touch for which she was craving, Sandhya wanted gratification for her soul as well with the timbre of Roopa's tone. However, even as Sandhya parted her sensuous lips to initiate a dialogue, Roopa in all eagerness to savor them, closed in on them for deep kissing, and even when her lips were set free, Sandhya couldn't give vent to her feelings past monosyllables as Roopa went on probing her labia with her craving tongue. But when Roopa's clamor rent the air as Sandhya plunged her tongue into her surging vulva to savor its flavor, they both had gratifying feeling.
'Oh!'said Sandhya in embosom with Roopa. 'It's as if it were ages.'
'How true,' crooned Roopa into Sandhya's ear, 'that you make me die for you I'
'I'm going crazy craving for you,' said Sandhya longingly. 'How I started wishing that you weren't married!'
'Wonder how we failed,' said Roopa fondling Sandhya, 'to make it before I was trapped in the wedlock.'
'Better late than never,' said Sandhya fondling Roopa, 'but, still we have so much life left for us.'
'If only,' said Roopa in apprehension, 'our men winkat our escapades.'
'Why not I,' said Sandhya joking, 'marry a blind one?'
'Jokes apart,' said Roopa in speculation, 'what if your'would-be' spoils the party?'
'Why,' said Sandhya mirthfully, 'I would walkout on him. Are you for that?'
'Won't I make Sathyam blind,' said Roopa mystically, 'literally and otherwise as well.'
'Why soil the hand and then go for the soap,' continued Sandhya in the same vein. 'I will remain single.'
'But that would leave you without a manhood,' said Roopa in jest. 'Better you hook my dream man for our menage a trois.'
'It is fine,' said Sandhya, 'just to fantasize.'
'Why won't a threesome be fantastic,' said Roopa, 'as well in reality.'
'Given our love,' said Sandhya thoughtfully, 'it may be so.'
'But for now,' said Roopa, 'it's back to the reality.'
'How are things with you now?' said Sandhya
There's nothing wrong with him,' said Roopa as though grasping the reality, 'and nothing goes right for me. That's the irony of it all.'
'Why this emergency landing?' said Sandhya in seeming innocence.
'Don't you know that?' said Roopa looking at Sandhya endearingly. 'Your letter gave me wings, and I flew into our nest.'
'Why not find a groom for me in Domalaguda,' said Sandhya dreamily, 'for our meaningful life.'
'Good idea,' said Roopa pensively, 'but I've come to believe I'm born unlucky.'
'I'll do all I can to make you happy,' said Sandhya overwhelmed, 'our menage a trois included. It's my promise.'
'Well it's your love,' Roopa was touched, 'that keeps my life going.'
'We will keep it that way,' said Sandhya, signing the kiss of contract with her lips, 'come what may.'
'I know we would,' said Roopa, grabbing Sandhya's lips to seal the agreement, 'at any cost.'
Buoyed by Sandhya's commitment to their love and accompanied by Raju, Roopa called on her in-laws that evening.
'We've always felt you would make a good daughter-in-law,' said a satisfied Durgamma, after an hour-long enquiry. Taking leave in the end, Roopa promised to stay with them for a couple of days before she left for Hyderabad.
'It's terrible waiting for you all day long,' Roopa said as she nestled into Sandhya the next evening. 'Why not bunkthe post-lunch sessions?'
'Why, to let all tongues wag at the campus,' said Sandhya in jest.
'Coming to ours,' said Roopa winking at her.
'See,' said Sandhya protruding her tongue, 'how dry it is.'
'I'm all wet for that,' said Roopa shedding her sari.
'Your figure dear,' said Sandhya fondling Roopa in their embrace, 'is flowing to perfection.'
'Thank the change of the climes for that,' said Roopa naughtily.
'Don't be mean,' said Sandhya teasingly, squeezing Roopa's. 'Give credit to whom it's due.'
'Come lovey,' said Roopa invitingly, 'let me credit it to your account now.'
'Oh!' sputtered Sandhya in time. 'I feel wanted.'
'You make me live,' continued Roopa.
Next day, when Roopa went to Chandrika's office, she saw her with a man of about thirty, and felt that he could be her beau.
'This is Roopa,' Chandrika introduced her to him.
'I am Anand,' he said, 'the ever grateful.'
'Please, don't make much of it,' said Roopa in embarrassment.
'Your gesture is love-saving for us,' he said.
'I'm glad you're happy,' said Roopa as though to shed part of her guilt. 'How are you sure I didn't have an axe to grind?'
'Even then,' he insisted, 'it doesn't lessen our gratitude.'