Adultery The Possession

[Henry]

Soma didn't go to school today. Although Santu's body was no longer feverish, she remained to be with her son. She did not send Antu to school either.

Around 10 o'clock, Antu came back from the ground floor and said cheerfully---- Mom, the new watchman is not here, Dawa Uncle is here again.
Soma smiled softly. Santu was eating biscuits dipped in milk. He said---you know so late? I found out yesterday.

Subir called home before leaving office. Said---How is Santu?
----Oh! A trouble happened yesterday. Santu's fever came at midnight; 102!
----Then!
---Then what else? There was no medicine at home. Who will go to buy medicine at night? It's raining outside. Finally I went to Mitra da's house. There is no medicine also in their house either.
---There should be medicine at home!
---It has expired.
---What do you do?

Soma smiled shyly. She said---That is a surprise. Mitra da's wife said to tell the watchman. In the morning Antu said a new watchman had arrived. I don't know him, what can I do? At the end, I went to the watchman's room... But fortunately Dawa Ji is back!


Subir was surprised! His chest shook when he heard the news that Dawa Sherpa had returned. Soma repeated---What would have happened if the man had not been there. Dawa ji immediately went and bought medicine. Then after one hour son's fever decreased a little.
---How are he now?
---No fever now. But I took leave to take care of him.
Subir smiled softly and said---Luckily your boyfriend came at the right time.

Soma said with a shy smile---Dhat! But what do you know, the man really came in the form of God yesterday. In spite of we wanted to drive away such human people.
---He was not less to blame for that. He will propose to the owner's wife in whose house he will work. Subir loughed loud saying this.

Soma's fair face turned red with embarrassment. She said---It may have been mistakenly because it may be he is a lonely man.
Subir said now seriously----Hmm.
Soma understanding Subir's seriousness and said---What happened, are you jealous again?
---Someone will offer love to my beautiful wife, I will not be jealous of her lover? Is it possible? Are you in love now darling?

---Love in old age? When do you go to the office?
---I haven't gone out yet. The car is late.

Subir's car came just after Soma hung up. He got into the car to go to the office and lit a cigarette. He started thinking to himself, this Dawa and Soma's equation is getting very complicated day by day. Any day can take a turn, then what will he do? Will his partner of seventeen years, lover of four years before marriage, wife and son's mom's extramarital affair, Will he accept it then?

Dawaji came at around eleven in the morning. Talking to Santu asked---Santu Babu how are you now?
---I'm fine Dawa uncle.
Antu said---Dawa Uncle, where have you gone for so long?
Dawa smiled and said---I was at a friend's house.
---We were very upset, Dawa Uncle. because you were gone. Santu said.

Dawa ji said---I know both of you were upset. I was also sad that I could not be with you. I brought something for you. I will give you to my room.

Soma was listening to them while working in the kitchen. She came out and said in a soft voice---I will make tea, Dawa ji?

Dawa Sherpa did not reply. Soma went to the kitchen to make tea. When she came to bring tea, Dawa was gone. Soma asked Santu---Where did your Dawa uncle go?

---He went to his room. Antu is also gone with him.
Antu came back after a while. He said---Mom, Dawa uncle has brought a bat for us. Will I take that?

Santu-Antu does not take anythings without their mom's permission if someone else gives them as a gift. Soma said---Take it. Before that, tell your Dawa uncle that the tea is getting cold.


Aantu returned with a bat but Dawa Ji did not come. Soma realizes that the Dawa Sherpa has become arrogant. She herself appeared in his room with a cup of tea. She said---Didn't you drink the tea?
Dawa remained unanswered. Soma smiled softly. She said---I left the tea. Drink it if you want, throw it away if you don't.


A Rabindra sangeet is heard from far away. Soma hums and sings with this song while cooking---"Sakhi, Bhavana Kahere bole. Sakhi, Jatna Kahere bole./Tomra je bolo Divasa-Rajni 'bhalobasa' 'bhalobasa'—/Sakhi, bhalobasa kahare koy! Se ki kebol e jatonamoy."

Once Soma learned music. She learned Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Geeti from her Jethamoshai (elder uncle). The old man died untimely. He had no successor. So he loved Soma very much.
After a long time, Soma remembered her Jethamoshai. Her Jethamshai was an intellectual type. He used to say "Love has no age, no limit, no class, no death, love is born in the subconscious, after that consciousness creates its material needs".

Today Soma said to Subir Does anyone fall in love at her forty years mature age? Soma thought to herself that she really fell in love at the age of forty? Then she became shy. Is she falls in love with a Gurkha man who is just a low class uneducated watchman? In this case, ahe remembers Jethamoshai's quote very much.


She was thinking to take a bath after finishing cooking, when the bell rang again. Soma herself went and opened the door. Mr. Mitra entered and said---Soma, how is Santu? This morning your boudi said your son have fever. You went to our flat at night to get medicine.

Soma said---Yes Mitra da. I was in danger yesterday night. But by the grace of God, Santu is fine now. No more fever.
---Then you gave the medicine?
----Yes. If we did not have a watchman at night, we would be in great danger. he went and brought medicine.

Mitra Da smiled and said---So I said, you know the man wrongly. There is no reliable person like him. Do you know that the mountain people, moreover, have a strong body and can work hard. No matter how much I convinced him, he was not agreeing to join the work again. Finally Agarwal offered to raise his salary, but he refused. The day before yesterday, he told me that his mother was ill. Some money should be sent. Then I said, I can pay, but he have to join the work again. He was forced to agree. Moreover, how many days are possible the poor people will spend their days without work in this city of Calcutta.

Mitra da left. Soma entered the bathroom. She Uncovered the upper part of her body and started looking at herself in the mirror. The breasts are slightly sagging, Why not hang even a little? Because Santu-Antu breastfeed these two till one and a half to two years. But still quite big and stuffy. The nipples and erola are reddish brown. Now Dawa's bite marks are gone. Soma pulled the soft and little belly fat in her hand. She is already fair, her whole body is even more fair. Her skin is still smooth. But how many creams are used by women nowadays to keep theur skin smooth. Soma does not use much except soap, oil. Use that little moisturizer in winter and that's all. Her hair is also in thick shield. That's why she keeps most of the times in braids (beni) or buns (khopa). She lifted the red tip (bindi) from her head and put it on the mirror. Then she turned on the shower. The water flowed down the valleys, ditches and plateaus of her soft womanly body like a torrential river.


The evening was completely different today. She took her sons for a walk in the near park. This park was built by the corporation on a few acres of land, but it remains unsupervised And a little abandoned. There is a pond ahead. Some children's game of various swings. Most of the place of there are bushes and vandals. Soma has came here before with Santu and Antu in many times. Sometimes Subir also came.

How many small fishes are moving here and there in the water of the pond. A water snake caught a small fish in its mouth. Seeing that, Antu threw a stone.
Santu said to his brother--Why are you hitting them? Have you read the ecosystem of the pond?
---Yes. I read that small fishes eat plankton. Big fishes eat small fishes. And snakes, birds catch and eat big fishes.
----Then by throwing rocks you are hurting the ecosystem. Santu gave wisdom to his younger brother.

To be continued...