18-12-2018, 06:24 PM
(This post was last modified: 19-01-2019, 02:02 PM by Ramesh_Rocky.)
And so the portrait painting started. He always came over in the afternoons when I was hardly home. A couple of times he came over on weekends too, and he and Shilpa were in the studio while I watched TV or napped. The social ties between us improved a lot too. He would come over for dinner or tea, and sometimes invite us over to his house. Shilpa and Balram uncle seemed to have a pretty good rapport.
I would check out the portrait every day, and it seemed to be coming along very well. It looked good.... well as good as a subject matter like Balram uncle could be painted. Finally, a couple of weeks later, the painting was done. It was submitted, displayed in the 2-day exhibition, and Shilpa got her course completion certificate with the grade A. And Shilpa decided to take a month long break from painting.
So far so good, right?
Now we come to an afternoon a week or so after the exhibition. I had gone on a sales call very close to my house, and by the time it got done, it was 1 pm. As I was driving back, I realized I was very hungry, so I decided to head home for lunch and then go back to the office. I thought of calling up Shilpa, but the security officer in our city had become very strict in fining drivers who talk on the phone while driving, so I decided to just send her a short SMS instead - "cmng home fr lnch 2day". After I sent the SMS, I realized I was just five minutes away from home, and if Shilpa was taking a nap as she often did in the afternoons, there was a good chance I'd reach home before she even read it.
I got home, and parked the car on the street instead of inside our garage, since I would have to leave after lunch anyway. Locked the car, grabbed my lunchbox, and walked towards my house. I opened the gate, walked to the door, and unlocked it using my key and stepped inside. I thought of calling out Shilpa, but the house was silent, so I assumed she might be taking a nap. I coed the door quietly, and walked to the kitchen, to warm my lunch.
As I stood there, I heard a sound of feet approaching and some voices. I was about to walk out of the kitchen when suddenly,
"Okay, go now, please." I heard Shilpa say in a worried voice "Arun can get home any minute."
I heard that and instinctively moved sideways, behind the wall, so I was not visible. Who was she telling to go and why was she worried about my getting home, was the question that popped into my head.
"Yes, I am going, but you owe me!" that was Balram uncle's voice, I realized.
"Yes, ok, fine. Go now! I beg you!" Shilpa said in a pleading voice. I heard the door open.
"Balram!!!" she suddenly said in a raised voice and I thought to myself - just Balram? No Balram uncle? At this point I could not help myself and I strode out of the kitchen. I saw them and they saw me. I don't know which one of us was more shocked and alarmed.
Here's what I saw. My wife was standing at the door, wearing just a t-shirt and shorts. Balram uncle was at the door, dressed in a shirt and knee-length shorts, one foot outside, one foot inside, and both his hands on my wife's boobs. As I walked out their eyes turned to me, and got as big as saucers.
"What's going on?" I said in a raised voice and started advancing towards them.
Balram uncle immediately took his hands off Shilpa's chest and walked away, or should I say ran, towards the gate. I ran to the door and shouted,
"Wait, you son of a bitch!", but he was already running down the street. For a moment I contemplated running after him, catching him and beating the shit out of him. But that's when I felt Shilpa's hand on my shoulder.
"Arun." she said in a trembling voice.
I turned around, furious and looked at her,
"What??" I yelled.
"Arun, please.... I am sorry... just calm down." she said.
"Calm down? Calm down??" I yelled, shaking her hand off my shoulder. "What the fuck was happening here? What is this? How..."
I fell silent, feeling my rage overcome me. Shilpa looked at me with tears in her eyes and tried to hug me. I pushed her away, and yelled again,
"Answer me!"
"Please Arun, close the door. The neighbors..." she said.
I banged the door shut very loudly and glowered at her. I now noticed something else. The outline of her boobs and her nipples was visible through her t-shirt. She was not wearing a bra! She noticed me noticing, and immediately folded her hands in front of her boobs, as if it was any use now. I was still shaking with anger, just standing there.
"Arun, please... sit down. Calm down. I'll tell you everything." she said, pulling me towards the couch.
I walked with her and sat down on the couch. Again, she tried to hug me, but I pushed her away.
"Alright, I want to know..." I started talking when suddenly, my cellphone started ringing. Out of habit I took it out of my pocket and immediately answered it,
"Hello." I said, suddenly wishing that I had just ignored it and let it go to voicemail.
"Arun, this is Shastri from BTL Systems. We just met a few minutes ago? I think we can finalize the whole deal today." the voice from the other end said.
"OK...." I said, still a bit dazed.
"Yes, I just have a couple of clarifications about your proposal. If you have it with you, could you turn to page 9?" he said.
For a moment I considered making some excuse and hanging up. But the sales guy in me realized the importance of this call. This was an account I had been trying to win over for almost two years. And finally I was about to succeed. Maybe I should talk to him.
"Yes, Mr. Shastri, just a minute, it is in the next room. Please stay on the line." I said and got up from the couch. Shot Shilpa a dirty look, and went to the kitchen where I had left my bag. I took out a copy of the proposal, and started referring to where Shastri wanted me to look. Then there were other clarifications and some negotiations. The whole call lasted about 20 minutes. By the time it got done, Shastri was convinced and was going to fax the order to my office.
I would check out the portrait every day, and it seemed to be coming along very well. It looked good.... well as good as a subject matter like Balram uncle could be painted. Finally, a couple of weeks later, the painting was done. It was submitted, displayed in the 2-day exhibition, and Shilpa got her course completion certificate with the grade A. And Shilpa decided to take a month long break from painting.
So far so good, right?
Now we come to an afternoon a week or so after the exhibition. I had gone on a sales call very close to my house, and by the time it got done, it was 1 pm. As I was driving back, I realized I was very hungry, so I decided to head home for lunch and then go back to the office. I thought of calling up Shilpa, but the security officer in our city had become very strict in fining drivers who talk on the phone while driving, so I decided to just send her a short SMS instead - "cmng home fr lnch 2day". After I sent the SMS, I realized I was just five minutes away from home, and if Shilpa was taking a nap as she often did in the afternoons, there was a good chance I'd reach home before she even read it.
I got home, and parked the car on the street instead of inside our garage, since I would have to leave after lunch anyway. Locked the car, grabbed my lunchbox, and walked towards my house. I opened the gate, walked to the door, and unlocked it using my key and stepped inside. I thought of calling out Shilpa, but the house was silent, so I assumed she might be taking a nap. I coed the door quietly, and walked to the kitchen, to warm my lunch.
As I stood there, I heard a sound of feet approaching and some voices. I was about to walk out of the kitchen when suddenly,
"Okay, go now, please." I heard Shilpa say in a worried voice "Arun can get home any minute."
I heard that and instinctively moved sideways, behind the wall, so I was not visible. Who was she telling to go and why was she worried about my getting home, was the question that popped into my head.
"Yes, I am going, but you owe me!" that was Balram uncle's voice, I realized.
"Yes, ok, fine. Go now! I beg you!" Shilpa said in a pleading voice. I heard the door open.
"Balram!!!" she suddenly said in a raised voice and I thought to myself - just Balram? No Balram uncle? At this point I could not help myself and I strode out of the kitchen. I saw them and they saw me. I don't know which one of us was more shocked and alarmed.
Here's what I saw. My wife was standing at the door, wearing just a t-shirt and shorts. Balram uncle was at the door, dressed in a shirt and knee-length shorts, one foot outside, one foot inside, and both his hands on my wife's boobs. As I walked out their eyes turned to me, and got as big as saucers.
"What's going on?" I said in a raised voice and started advancing towards them.
Balram uncle immediately took his hands off Shilpa's chest and walked away, or should I say ran, towards the gate. I ran to the door and shouted,
"Wait, you son of a bitch!", but he was already running down the street. For a moment I contemplated running after him, catching him and beating the shit out of him. But that's when I felt Shilpa's hand on my shoulder.
"Arun." she said in a trembling voice.
I turned around, furious and looked at her,
"What??" I yelled.
"Arun, please.... I am sorry... just calm down." she said.
"Calm down? Calm down??" I yelled, shaking her hand off my shoulder. "What the fuck was happening here? What is this? How..."
I fell silent, feeling my rage overcome me. Shilpa looked at me with tears in her eyes and tried to hug me. I pushed her away, and yelled again,
"Answer me!"
"Please Arun, close the door. The neighbors..." she said.
I banged the door shut very loudly and glowered at her. I now noticed something else. The outline of her boobs and her nipples was visible through her t-shirt. She was not wearing a bra! She noticed me noticing, and immediately folded her hands in front of her boobs, as if it was any use now. I was still shaking with anger, just standing there.
"Arun, please... sit down. Calm down. I'll tell you everything." she said, pulling me towards the couch.
I walked with her and sat down on the couch. Again, she tried to hug me, but I pushed her away.
"Alright, I want to know..." I started talking when suddenly, my cellphone started ringing. Out of habit I took it out of my pocket and immediately answered it,
"Hello." I said, suddenly wishing that I had just ignored it and let it go to voicemail.
"Arun, this is Shastri from BTL Systems. We just met a few minutes ago? I think we can finalize the whole deal today." the voice from the other end said.
"OK...." I said, still a bit dazed.
"Yes, I just have a couple of clarifications about your proposal. If you have it with you, could you turn to page 9?" he said.
For a moment I considered making some excuse and hanging up. But the sales guy in me realized the importance of this call. This was an account I had been trying to win over for almost two years. And finally I was about to succeed. Maybe I should talk to him.
"Yes, Mr. Shastri, just a minute, it is in the next room. Please stay on the line." I said and got up from the couch. Shot Shilpa a dirty look, and went to the kitchen where I had left my bag. I took out a copy of the proposal, and started referring to where Shastri wanted me to look. Then there were other clarifications and some negotiations. The whole call lasted about 20 minutes. By the time it got done, Shastri was convinced and was going to fax the order to my office.
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