13-05-2019, 03:44 PM
Archana's stomach tightened at this outrageous request. For a moment she thought her son might be joking — but only for a moment. She could see in his face that he was deadly serious.
"But, Ravi. He's only 18! It would be illegal for me to give him alcohol. Also, don't you think he should be spending time with girls his own age?"
"Mom, are you kidding? You give me wine and beer all the time. ... And I've told you before that Deepak and I aren't interested in girls our age."
"Well, I'm just saying that I don't think it's a very good idea to send me over there tonight with his folks out of town."
Archana's inability to stand up for herself was evident to both of them. This was about all the resistance that Archana was ever able to muster whenever her son wanted something she disagreed with. She would always try to reason with him, but she eventually let him have his way in the end. Having been through this routine many times, Ravi knew he would get what he wanted if he simply asserted his authority.
"Are you telling me you won't do this for me?" His tone was icy and intimidating and his words had the desired effect as his mother quickly backed down.
"Of course not, sweetheart. I just wanted you to think about the circumstances ... about how it would look to the neighbors."
"The neighbors? ... Are you crazy? Nobody's doing surveillance on us. Besides, what would be so scandalous about you simply walking over to the s?"
"I know, honey. You're right. ... I was just trying to make a point."
"Well, you made your point and now we're done talking. You'd better go get ready. I told him you'd be there by 7."
That was it. End of discussion. Now all that remained were the terms of her surrender.
"Sweetheart, is it ok if I just wear jeans and a sweatshirt?"
Ravi looked at his mother with exasperation. "Jesus, Mom! ... I told you — it's a date night! ... I swear half the time you don't pay attention to me when I'm talking to you. Absolutely not. Jeans and a sweatshirt are not acceptable. Go do your hair and makeup and put some effort into it for once. ... Then put on something nice for him."
"W-what should I wear?" she asked meekly.
"A dress or a skirt. Something short and tight would be good. With high heels and nylons, ok?"
Archana was unnerved and bewildered, but she held her tongue and simply nodded her assent, leaving the room to do as he asked. Walking down the hall to her bedroom, she pondered whether there might yet be some way out of the dilemma, but she could sense her son was fixated on having her go through with this "date night" notion.
The whole situation was surreal. It seemed only yesterday the two boys were running around the house wearing bath towels for capes and playing Superman. Then, almost overnight, they had turned into these surly, lustful teenage demons hopped up on hormones and downing beer by the six pack in the basement.
With a mixture of butterflies and dread, she sat down at her vanity to do her hair. Looking in the mirror, she saw a very stressed woman looking back at her. "Well, everybody complains that you never go out," she mumbled wryly to her reflection, trying to force a weak smile.
She pinned her hair into a french twist that accentuated her long neck and began applying makeup with the idea of keeping the look simple and understated. However, before she finished Ravi came into the room bringing some Cosmo and Glamour magazines flagged with post-it notes. Without exception, the models in all the photographs he liked wore heavy mascara and eye shadow, giving them a pronounced dramatically sultry appearance that he wanted Archana to emulate. He also insisted that she put on false eyelashes to exaggerate the effect and he chose a deep red lipstick for her as the coup de grace.
When she finally finished doing her makeup the final result was stunning.
"But, Ravi. He's only 18! It would be illegal for me to give him alcohol. Also, don't you think he should be spending time with girls his own age?"
"Mom, are you kidding? You give me wine and beer all the time. ... And I've told you before that Deepak and I aren't interested in girls our age."
"Well, I'm just saying that I don't think it's a very good idea to send me over there tonight with his folks out of town."
Archana's inability to stand up for herself was evident to both of them. This was about all the resistance that Archana was ever able to muster whenever her son wanted something she disagreed with. She would always try to reason with him, but she eventually let him have his way in the end. Having been through this routine many times, Ravi knew he would get what he wanted if he simply asserted his authority.
"Are you telling me you won't do this for me?" His tone was icy and intimidating and his words had the desired effect as his mother quickly backed down.
"Of course not, sweetheart. I just wanted you to think about the circumstances ... about how it would look to the neighbors."
"The neighbors? ... Are you crazy? Nobody's doing surveillance on us. Besides, what would be so scandalous about you simply walking over to the s?"
"I know, honey. You're right. ... I was just trying to make a point."
"Well, you made your point and now we're done talking. You'd better go get ready. I told him you'd be there by 7."
That was it. End of discussion. Now all that remained were the terms of her surrender.
"Sweetheart, is it ok if I just wear jeans and a sweatshirt?"
Ravi looked at his mother with exasperation. "Jesus, Mom! ... I told you — it's a date night! ... I swear half the time you don't pay attention to me when I'm talking to you. Absolutely not. Jeans and a sweatshirt are not acceptable. Go do your hair and makeup and put some effort into it for once. ... Then put on something nice for him."
"W-what should I wear?" she asked meekly.
"A dress or a skirt. Something short and tight would be good. With high heels and nylons, ok?"
Archana was unnerved and bewildered, but she held her tongue and simply nodded her assent, leaving the room to do as he asked. Walking down the hall to her bedroom, she pondered whether there might yet be some way out of the dilemma, but she could sense her son was fixated on having her go through with this "date night" notion.
The whole situation was surreal. It seemed only yesterday the two boys were running around the house wearing bath towels for capes and playing Superman. Then, almost overnight, they had turned into these surly, lustful teenage demons hopped up on hormones and downing beer by the six pack in the basement.
With a mixture of butterflies and dread, she sat down at her vanity to do her hair. Looking in the mirror, she saw a very stressed woman looking back at her. "Well, everybody complains that you never go out," she mumbled wryly to her reflection, trying to force a weak smile.
She pinned her hair into a french twist that accentuated her long neck and began applying makeup with the idea of keeping the look simple and understated. However, before she finished Ravi came into the room bringing some Cosmo and Glamour magazines flagged with post-it notes. Without exception, the models in all the photographs he liked wore heavy mascara and eye shadow, giving them a pronounced dramatically sultry appearance that he wanted Archana to emulate. He also insisted that she put on false eyelashes to exaggerate the effect and he chose a deep red lipstick for her as the coup de grace.
When she finally finished doing her makeup the final result was stunning.
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