27-01-2022, 05:14 PM
Shehla's forced separation from hubby leads her astray......
Introduction: Kalpana and Kapil are a happily married couple, but after a decade or so, the earlier thrill and excitement is missing from their marriage. To inject some spice, Kapil tries to find (without success) suitable couples to swap partners with and also instigates Kalpana to be open to advances by other men. Being a faithful wife, Kalpana vehemently rejects his suggestions. Nevertheless, the seed of an idea has been planted in her mind and on one fateful day she succumbs to the charms of her powerful boss, Shyam Belekar ("Sir"), a senior executive in Trident Corp.
As her affair with "Sir" progresses, she finds herself unable to extricate herself, losing all control to "Sir". Kinky Kapil is conflicted about his wife's affair with her boss. Initially, he is turned on by the idea of another man enjoying his wife and this fires up his libido. However, as the affair progresses and she loses control over it, he suffers bouts of anger, jealousy and guilt, creating a serious rift between the spouses. To bring their relationship on an even keel, Kalpana reluctantly allows Kapil to have a short term relationship with another woman.
***
Shehla:
Shehla had been transferred to Trident's Mumbai office from their Gurgaon branch, sometime before Kalpana had started working there. She was one of the Trident staffers assigned to work on a new marketing project. Kalpana and Shehla had been thrown together on the new assignment and they had soon struck up an easy friendship.
Both were from north India and spoke Hindi / Urdu, in an office where English was the official language and most others were not native Hindi speakers. Compared to other girls who were in their early twenties, Shehla was closer to Kalpana's age. Besides, both were married, unlike the younger girls who were mostly single. Their friendship had gradually become stronger, and they were soon sharing confidences about their lives and families.
Shehla was around thirty. She was about five foot seven (tall for an Indian woman), had a slim, athletic build and was reasonably well endowed with womanly attributes. She had regular features and knew how to use light makeup to make the most of them. She was always smartly attired and was partial to salwar suits, only occasionally wearing western outfits or saris. Her clothes were well fitting though modestly cut.
Shehla usually covered her long, thick, lustrous hair with a scarf. She had a husky, well-modulated voice and a cultured accent, both in Hindi / Urdu and in English. She was a reserved person and only rarely would her brilliant white teeth be displayed in a dazzling smile.
Although Shehla by nature had a sunny temperament, in the recent past Kalpana had noticed that she had become a bit withdrawn and remote.
"What's with you Shehla? You don't seem to be your usual self!" Kalpana had probed a bit.
"Oh! It's nothing, really. The usual womanly problems..." Shehla had responded non-committally, hinting perhaps at that time of the month. Kalpana had let the matter rest. But Shehla's mood hadn't improved even a couple of weeks later. If anything, she had become even more remote and withdrawn. So, one day Kalpana had invited Shehla to have a cup of coffee with her.
"Han toh batao Shehla, kya baat hai?"
"So tell me Shehla, what's the matter?" Kalpana had queried as they settled down in a coffee shop.
Shehla had told her about her husband's job. He was an executive in an international bank. He had been transferred from Gurgaon to his bank's office in the Gulf a while ago. After taking unpaid leave and spending a few months with her hubby, Shehla had decided to return to India.
It had made sense to re-locate from Gurgaon to Mumbai along with her five year old daughter, so that she could live with her mother. Shehla's father had passed away recently and her mother was very happy to welcome her daughter and granddaughter to come and live with her. Trident had readily acceded to her request for a transfer from Gurgaon to Mumbai.
"That's how I came to Mumbai! I and my daughter are with my Mom now. And thank god I've met you! You are such a lovely friend, almost like an elder sister! Shehla had concluded.
"Lekin Kalpana Didi, sach bataun toh mujhe merey shauhar ki bahut yaad aati hai!"
"But to tell you the truth, Kalpana Didi (elder sister), I really miss my husband!" Shehla had continued after a long pause.
"Achha, to yeh baat hai! Kitne din huey unse mil ke?"
"Oh I see! When did you last meet him?"
"Koi chheh mahine huey."
"About six months ago."
"Oh! Yeh to kaafi lamba arsa hua. Woh kab lautne waale hain chhutti par?"
"Oh! That's a really long time. When is he returning on vacation?"
"Woh kaam mein itne uljhe hue hain ki unhe itne mein chhutti milne ki koi ummeed nahi hai!"
"He is so preoccupied with work that he sees no possibility to get a vacation anytime soon!" Shehla's eyes were downcast and her voice trembled.
"Toh tum kyon nahi chali jaati unke paas, kuchh dinon ke liye?"
"Why don't you go visit him for a few days?"
"Kya bataun Didi, yeh sab itna aasan hota toh mein kab ki chali jaati!"
"Didi if it was that simple, I'd have done it long ago!"
Shehla had barely succeeded in suppressing a sob. Kalpana's heart had gone out to her. She'd moved next to Shehla and hugged her. Shehla had hugged her back and broken into tears, sobbing her heart out while Kalpana had comforted her...
"Unse phone par baat toh hoti hi hogi?"
"You must be talking to him on the phone?"
"Ji! Hafte mein kam se kam teen chaar bar."
"Yes! At least three or four times a week."
"Lekin Didi, sirf baat cheet se dil nahi bharta."
"But Didi, talking over the phone is just not enough!" Shehla had looked down again after quickly glancing at Kalpana.
Kalpana had immediately understood what Shehla was hinting at. Although she had never had to face prolonged separation from her hubby, she could easily imagine how hard it could be for a married woman to endure it. Over the next hour and half, slowly and haltingly, Shehla had narrated her travails. She'd described how she stayed awake for hours on end, her body's unsatisfied hunger not allowing her to fall asleep; how she got angry and frustrated when she saw couples chatting, laughing, flirting...
Shehla was desperate for male company. But she knew very well that she couldn't afford to have an affair either with colleagues in the office or with neighbours or acquaintances. So in her desperation, she'd joined several online dating platforms to seek out someone to have a short term relationship with. She'd been shocked and stunned by the responses she'd received.
"Didi, you cannot imagine the unbelievably vulgar replies I received, with photographs that would put a pornographic magazine to shame!"
"Oh god! I hope you didn't give out any photos or personal details!" Kalpana had whispered.
"No, of course not! I may be desperate but I'm not stupid!"
"Thank god!"
"I don't think I'll ever find a man this way either. I think I'm just going to go crazy!" Shehla had whispered.
"Na, na, Shehla. Hausla mat haaro. Zaroor koi raasta nikal aayega!"
"No, no, Shehla. Don't give up hope. I'm sure you'll find a way!" Kalpana had comforted her.
"Tumhare shauhar ka iss barey mein kya khyal hai?"
"What does your husband have to say about this?"
"Hum dono ek doosre ko bahut chahte hain. Aur woh meri pareshani samajhte hain. Agar unke bas mein hota to woh kabke laut aaye hote. Lekin woh itni buri tarah ulajh gaye hain ke yeh namumkin hai. Pehle unhon ne mujhe koi vibrator sarikhi cheez istemal karne ka sujhav diya. Lekin mujhe usse koi sukoon nahi mil paya. Phir unhon ne hi mujhe kaha ki ho sakey toh kissi ko doondh le temporary rishte ke liye..."
"We love each other and he understands my problem. If he could, he'd have returned long ago. But he's so badly entangled, that's just not possible. He first told me to use a vibrator but I could not find any satisfaction with that. So, in fact it's he who suggested that I could try to find somebody for a short term..." Shehla had hinted that her hubby was caught in some kind of a trap.
"Didi, shaadi ke pehle maine kabhi nahi socha tha ke mujhe jismani rishton ki itni latt lag jayegi! Agar maine shaadi ki hi nahi hoti to iss sabse mein bach jati..."
"Didi, before I got married I'd never thought that I would get so addicted to bodily pleasures. I'd have been saved all my troubles if I hadn't married at all!" Shehla had concluded with a sad shake of her head.
"Arri pagli! Yeh kya keh rahi hai tu? Tujhe ek achha sa pati mila hai, ek khubsoorat si bachchi bhi. In dono ka tumhe zindagi bhar saath rahega. Abhi ke problems zaroor jaldi hi mit jayenge. Hausla rakho!"
"Don't be silly! You have a wonderful husband and a beautiful daughter too! They'll be with you for a lifetime while your present problems will go away soon. Don't lose hope!" Kalpana had comforted her.
Shehla's heart to heart talk with Kalpana had lifted a great burden off her shoulders. She felt much more relaxed and positive now, although there had been no material change in her circumstances. Then one day Kalpana had a brainwave.
"Shehla, agley weekend ko hamari Society ka Annual Social Gathering hai. Tum bhi aao aur tumhari maa aur bachchi ko bhi leti lao. Bada maza aayega. Tumhara dil bhi bahal jayega!"
"Shehla, our Society is having its Annual Social Gathering next weekend. Please do come and bring your mother and daughter too! It'll be great fun. It'll also distract your mind!" Kalpana invited Shehla to cheer her up.
Shehla was grateful for the invitation. She knew she could use any occasion to distract her mind from her current problems and a social gathering with lots of young children having noisy fun seemed to be just the thing she needed. After some hesitation, Shehla accepted the invitation and asked what she could bring to contribute to the gathering but Kalpana cheerfully told her to just bring her sweet self...
***
"Aao, aao Shehla, welcome! Hamara ghar dhoondhne mein koi dikkat toh nahi hui?"
"Welcome, Shehla! I hope you had no problem finding our house?" Kalpana gave her friend a cheerful welcome.
"Absolutely no problem!"
It was just past noon on a Saturday. The residential society's social gathering was scheduled to start at 4:30 in the evening, but Kalpana had invited her friend early, so that they could have lunch together.
"Aur yeh kya? Tumhari ma aur beti kahan hain?"
"And where are your mom and daughter?"
"Ji, wey dono meri khala ke yahan gaye hain. Unki nati ki salgirah hai aur meri beti ko unke yahan bachchon ke saath khelne mein bahut maza aata hai."
"Both of them have gone to my aunt's place. Her granddaughter is celebrating her birthday and my daughter loves to play with children there."
"Oh! It would've been great fun if they too could've come! I hope they'll be able to come another time." Kalpana was a bit disappointed.
"Ji, mein lana chahti thi, lekin salgirah ka program pehle se hi tay ho chuka tha."
"I wanted to bring them along, but the birthday program had already been fixed a while ago."
She then introduced Shehla to her mother in law and her kids. Kapil walked in just as they had settled down with cold drinks.
"Yeh hain merey pati, Kapil. Aur Kapil, yeh hai meri colleague aur acchhi saheli, Shehla!"
"This is my husband, Kapil. And Kapil, this is my colleague and good friend, Shehla!" Kalpana did the introductions and they greeted each other with smiles and nods. They all made small talk while sipping cold drinks. Soon, Kalpana, her mother in law and Shehla retreated to the kitchen to put finishing touches on the food and set the table, while Kapil relaxed in the living room watching TV and the kids played in their room.
"Kapilji, aaiye. Khana taiyar hai!"
"Come, Kapilji. Lunch is ready!" Shehla came out and called him.
(Author's note: "ji" is a suffix formally added to a person's name to express respect.)
"OK!"
When Kalpana had introduced them, they hadn't been able to really gauge each other, since other people were present. Now that they were by themselves if only for a few seconds, they took the opportunity to size each other up.
Kapil quickly took in Shehla's appearance. Her complexion was smooth and fair and her face was bereft of makeup, other than a thin eyeliner and pale lip gloss. She looks much younger than her age; she could easily pass off as a college student, he thought.
Her tall, trim frame was clad in a simple but smart salwar kameez outfit. The kameez was front opening with buttons running down to the waist. It was made of off-white muslin and had elbow length sleeves. The neck opening was modestly sized. Dainty embroidered flowers decorated the neck and framed the line of buttons. The salwar and the dupatta were in matching, colourful print.
Shehla had worn a slip under the translucent kameez, to preserve her modesty. The shadow of her black lace bra could be discerned through the layers of clothing. Although the loosely dbangd dupatta hid the contours of her bosom, he guessed that she was reasonably well endowed. She had a flat belly, flaring hips but no love handles. Altogether, she had the mature figure of a woman who'd borne a child, yet it was slim and svelte due to the combined contribution of her genes, her regular workouts and her moderate, healthy diet.
Shehla didn't wear a bindi on her wide forehead, in keeping with the norm of her faith. Departing from her usual practice, she had worn her long, thick, lustrous black hair in a single plait that reached almost to her waist. Although she might not rate as a great beauty, she was quite attractive in an understated way, Kapil acknowledged to himself.
Like most women, Shehla too had an in-born faculty for quickly sizing up men. Without conscious thought, she did a quick take. She noted his tall, slim frame, his quick, energetic movements, his humorous eyes hiding behind a pair of spectacles, his confident stance. She had earlier noted approvingly his quick wit, ready laughter and the way he'd glanced possessively at his wife Kalpana every once in a while. She now noted the flicker of interest in his eyes as he looked at her. She was used to getting that from men, but coming from Kapil, she was flattered. "H'm! Nice!" She concluded.
There was relaxed banter as they all sat around the dining table and ate lunch. Both Kapil and Shehla were quite used to interacting with members of the opposite gender in their work environment and there was no awkwardness between them. They all laughed aloud as Kapil regaled them with jokes and they enjoyed the kids' antics. After a thoroughly enjoyable lunch, Kapil retired to his bedroom to catch a nap while the women tidied up the dining table and then set to work to prepare for the evening revelries.
The women of the society had divided up between themselves the job of making evening refreshments. Kalpana had been given the responsibility of making lime sherbet. Kapil had already procured a large quantity of limes and a big icebox full of ice cubes. The women set about squeezing lime juice and making sugar syrup. A large drum of cold lime sherbet was soon ready, after a lot of tasting and balancing of sweet, sour and salty flavours. Plenty of lime juice, sugar syrup and ice was left over, just in case additional sherbet was needed. Soon, all of them headed downstairs to the society's clubhouse.
There was cheerful chaos and confusion as kids ran around chasing each other and the members of the managing committee bustled around to make sure that everything was as it was supposed to be. The chairman of the society called out over the public address system and announced the official start of the annual social gathering, after a short speech. Along with other ladies Kalpana got busy organizing various games and races for the kids. Her lime sherbet was a great hit with the crowd, particularly with the kids, who were thirsty with all the games and races they were participating in and soon, it was running low.
"Shehla, kya tum please aur sherbet bana ke laogi?
"Shehla, can you please make more sherbet?" Kalpana was in the middle of refereeing a three legged race. Shehla immediately agreed. Kalpana gave a shout to Kapil, asking him to accompany Shehla to unlock their apartment and also to help her haul down the full drum of sherbet. His little five year old daughter spotted them just as Kapil and Shehla set off towards their apartment.
"Papa mai bhi aati hoon. Mujhe bathroom jana hai!"
"Papa I'm coming too! I have to use the bathroom!"
"Han, han bitiya. Tum bhi chalo hamare saath!"
"Yes, child. Come with us!" The girl skipped along, holding her father's hand.
Shehla got busy in the kitchen, fixing up another batch of lime sherbet.
"Papa, aao!"
"Papa, come!" The girl called out from the bathroom, after she'd finished her job. With practiced ease, Kapil helped his daughter to wash and clean up and put on her knickers. As their set ritual demanded, they both made great whooshing sounds as she flushed the toilet. She then happily scampered away, eager to re-join her playmates downstairs, but not before collecting two sloppy kisses from Papa.
"Wah, Jijaji! Aap sachmuch apne bachchon ka bahut achcha khyal rakh sakte hain!"
"Wow, Jijaji! You really know how to take care of your kids!" Shehla was impressed.
"Han! Yeh sab to karna hi padta hai, bachche hone par!"
"Yes! You have to do these things, once you have kids!" He said deprecatingly. Kapil was pleased with the compliment. He also noted that Shehla had addressed him as Jijaji (brother in law, treating Kalpana as her adoptive elder sister) instead of the more formal Kapilji.
Contd....
Introduction: Kalpana and Kapil are a happily married couple, but after a decade or so, the earlier thrill and excitement is missing from their marriage. To inject some spice, Kapil tries to find (without success) suitable couples to swap partners with and also instigates Kalpana to be open to advances by other men. Being a faithful wife, Kalpana vehemently rejects his suggestions. Nevertheless, the seed of an idea has been planted in her mind and on one fateful day she succumbs to the charms of her powerful boss, Shyam Belekar ("Sir"), a senior executive in Trident Corp.
As her affair with "Sir" progresses, she finds herself unable to extricate herself, losing all control to "Sir". Kinky Kapil is conflicted about his wife's affair with her boss. Initially, he is turned on by the idea of another man enjoying his wife and this fires up his libido. However, as the affair progresses and she loses control over it, he suffers bouts of anger, jealousy and guilt, creating a serious rift between the spouses. To bring their relationship on an even keel, Kalpana reluctantly allows Kapil to have a short term relationship with another woman.
***
Shehla:
Shehla had been transferred to Trident's Mumbai office from their Gurgaon branch, sometime before Kalpana had started working there. She was one of the Trident staffers assigned to work on a new marketing project. Kalpana and Shehla had been thrown together on the new assignment and they had soon struck up an easy friendship.
Both were from north India and spoke Hindi / Urdu, in an office where English was the official language and most others were not native Hindi speakers. Compared to other girls who were in their early twenties, Shehla was closer to Kalpana's age. Besides, both were married, unlike the younger girls who were mostly single. Their friendship had gradually become stronger, and they were soon sharing confidences about their lives and families.
Shehla was around thirty. She was about five foot seven (tall for an Indian woman), had a slim, athletic build and was reasonably well endowed with womanly attributes. She had regular features and knew how to use light makeup to make the most of them. She was always smartly attired and was partial to salwar suits, only occasionally wearing western outfits or saris. Her clothes were well fitting though modestly cut.
Shehla usually covered her long, thick, lustrous hair with a scarf. She had a husky, well-modulated voice and a cultured accent, both in Hindi / Urdu and in English. She was a reserved person and only rarely would her brilliant white teeth be displayed in a dazzling smile.
Although Shehla by nature had a sunny temperament, in the recent past Kalpana had noticed that she had become a bit withdrawn and remote.
"What's with you Shehla? You don't seem to be your usual self!" Kalpana had probed a bit.
"Oh! It's nothing, really. The usual womanly problems..." Shehla had responded non-committally, hinting perhaps at that time of the month. Kalpana had let the matter rest. But Shehla's mood hadn't improved even a couple of weeks later. If anything, she had become even more remote and withdrawn. So, one day Kalpana had invited Shehla to have a cup of coffee with her.
"Han toh batao Shehla, kya baat hai?"
"So tell me Shehla, what's the matter?" Kalpana had queried as they settled down in a coffee shop.
Shehla had told her about her husband's job. He was an executive in an international bank. He had been transferred from Gurgaon to his bank's office in the Gulf a while ago. After taking unpaid leave and spending a few months with her hubby, Shehla had decided to return to India.
It had made sense to re-locate from Gurgaon to Mumbai along with her five year old daughter, so that she could live with her mother. Shehla's father had passed away recently and her mother was very happy to welcome her daughter and granddaughter to come and live with her. Trident had readily acceded to her request for a transfer from Gurgaon to Mumbai.
"That's how I came to Mumbai! I and my daughter are with my Mom now. And thank god I've met you! You are such a lovely friend, almost like an elder sister! Shehla had concluded.
"Lekin Kalpana Didi, sach bataun toh mujhe merey shauhar ki bahut yaad aati hai!"
"But to tell you the truth, Kalpana Didi (elder sister), I really miss my husband!" Shehla had continued after a long pause.
"Achha, to yeh baat hai! Kitne din huey unse mil ke?"
"Oh I see! When did you last meet him?"
"Koi chheh mahine huey."
"About six months ago."
"Oh! Yeh to kaafi lamba arsa hua. Woh kab lautne waale hain chhutti par?"
"Oh! That's a really long time. When is he returning on vacation?"
"Woh kaam mein itne uljhe hue hain ki unhe itne mein chhutti milne ki koi ummeed nahi hai!"
"He is so preoccupied with work that he sees no possibility to get a vacation anytime soon!" Shehla's eyes were downcast and her voice trembled.
"Toh tum kyon nahi chali jaati unke paas, kuchh dinon ke liye?"
"Why don't you go visit him for a few days?"
"Kya bataun Didi, yeh sab itna aasan hota toh mein kab ki chali jaati!"
"Didi if it was that simple, I'd have done it long ago!"
Shehla had barely succeeded in suppressing a sob. Kalpana's heart had gone out to her. She'd moved next to Shehla and hugged her. Shehla had hugged her back and broken into tears, sobbing her heart out while Kalpana had comforted her...
"Unse phone par baat toh hoti hi hogi?"
"You must be talking to him on the phone?"
"Ji! Hafte mein kam se kam teen chaar bar."
"Yes! At least three or four times a week."
"Lekin Didi, sirf baat cheet se dil nahi bharta."
"But Didi, talking over the phone is just not enough!" Shehla had looked down again after quickly glancing at Kalpana.
Kalpana had immediately understood what Shehla was hinting at. Although she had never had to face prolonged separation from her hubby, she could easily imagine how hard it could be for a married woman to endure it. Over the next hour and half, slowly and haltingly, Shehla had narrated her travails. She'd described how she stayed awake for hours on end, her body's unsatisfied hunger not allowing her to fall asleep; how she got angry and frustrated when she saw couples chatting, laughing, flirting...
Shehla was desperate for male company. But she knew very well that she couldn't afford to have an affair either with colleagues in the office or with neighbours or acquaintances. So in her desperation, she'd joined several online dating platforms to seek out someone to have a short term relationship with. She'd been shocked and stunned by the responses she'd received.
"Didi, you cannot imagine the unbelievably vulgar replies I received, with photographs that would put a pornographic magazine to shame!"
"Oh god! I hope you didn't give out any photos or personal details!" Kalpana had whispered.
"No, of course not! I may be desperate but I'm not stupid!"
"Thank god!"
"I don't think I'll ever find a man this way either. I think I'm just going to go crazy!" Shehla had whispered.
"Na, na, Shehla. Hausla mat haaro. Zaroor koi raasta nikal aayega!"
"No, no, Shehla. Don't give up hope. I'm sure you'll find a way!" Kalpana had comforted her.
"Tumhare shauhar ka iss barey mein kya khyal hai?"
"What does your husband have to say about this?"
"Hum dono ek doosre ko bahut chahte hain. Aur woh meri pareshani samajhte hain. Agar unke bas mein hota to woh kabke laut aaye hote. Lekin woh itni buri tarah ulajh gaye hain ke yeh namumkin hai. Pehle unhon ne mujhe koi vibrator sarikhi cheez istemal karne ka sujhav diya. Lekin mujhe usse koi sukoon nahi mil paya. Phir unhon ne hi mujhe kaha ki ho sakey toh kissi ko doondh le temporary rishte ke liye..."
"We love each other and he understands my problem. If he could, he'd have returned long ago. But he's so badly entangled, that's just not possible. He first told me to use a vibrator but I could not find any satisfaction with that. So, in fact it's he who suggested that I could try to find somebody for a short term..." Shehla had hinted that her hubby was caught in some kind of a trap.
"Didi, shaadi ke pehle maine kabhi nahi socha tha ke mujhe jismani rishton ki itni latt lag jayegi! Agar maine shaadi ki hi nahi hoti to iss sabse mein bach jati..."
"Didi, before I got married I'd never thought that I would get so addicted to bodily pleasures. I'd have been saved all my troubles if I hadn't married at all!" Shehla had concluded with a sad shake of her head.
"Arri pagli! Yeh kya keh rahi hai tu? Tujhe ek achha sa pati mila hai, ek khubsoorat si bachchi bhi. In dono ka tumhe zindagi bhar saath rahega. Abhi ke problems zaroor jaldi hi mit jayenge. Hausla rakho!"
"Don't be silly! You have a wonderful husband and a beautiful daughter too! They'll be with you for a lifetime while your present problems will go away soon. Don't lose hope!" Kalpana had comforted her.
Shehla's heart to heart talk with Kalpana had lifted a great burden off her shoulders. She felt much more relaxed and positive now, although there had been no material change in her circumstances. Then one day Kalpana had a brainwave.
"Shehla, agley weekend ko hamari Society ka Annual Social Gathering hai. Tum bhi aao aur tumhari maa aur bachchi ko bhi leti lao. Bada maza aayega. Tumhara dil bhi bahal jayega!"
"Shehla, our Society is having its Annual Social Gathering next weekend. Please do come and bring your mother and daughter too! It'll be great fun. It'll also distract your mind!" Kalpana invited Shehla to cheer her up.
Shehla was grateful for the invitation. She knew she could use any occasion to distract her mind from her current problems and a social gathering with lots of young children having noisy fun seemed to be just the thing she needed. After some hesitation, Shehla accepted the invitation and asked what she could bring to contribute to the gathering but Kalpana cheerfully told her to just bring her sweet self...
***
"Aao, aao Shehla, welcome! Hamara ghar dhoondhne mein koi dikkat toh nahi hui?"
"Welcome, Shehla! I hope you had no problem finding our house?" Kalpana gave her friend a cheerful welcome.
"Absolutely no problem!"
It was just past noon on a Saturday. The residential society's social gathering was scheduled to start at 4:30 in the evening, but Kalpana had invited her friend early, so that they could have lunch together.
"Aur yeh kya? Tumhari ma aur beti kahan hain?"
"And where are your mom and daughter?"
"Ji, wey dono meri khala ke yahan gaye hain. Unki nati ki salgirah hai aur meri beti ko unke yahan bachchon ke saath khelne mein bahut maza aata hai."
"Both of them have gone to my aunt's place. Her granddaughter is celebrating her birthday and my daughter loves to play with children there."
"Oh! It would've been great fun if they too could've come! I hope they'll be able to come another time." Kalpana was a bit disappointed.
"Ji, mein lana chahti thi, lekin salgirah ka program pehle se hi tay ho chuka tha."
"I wanted to bring them along, but the birthday program had already been fixed a while ago."
She then introduced Shehla to her mother in law and her kids. Kapil walked in just as they had settled down with cold drinks.
"Yeh hain merey pati, Kapil. Aur Kapil, yeh hai meri colleague aur acchhi saheli, Shehla!"
"This is my husband, Kapil. And Kapil, this is my colleague and good friend, Shehla!" Kalpana did the introductions and they greeted each other with smiles and nods. They all made small talk while sipping cold drinks. Soon, Kalpana, her mother in law and Shehla retreated to the kitchen to put finishing touches on the food and set the table, while Kapil relaxed in the living room watching TV and the kids played in their room.
"Kapilji, aaiye. Khana taiyar hai!"
"Come, Kapilji. Lunch is ready!" Shehla came out and called him.
(Author's note: "ji" is a suffix formally added to a person's name to express respect.)
"OK!"
When Kalpana had introduced them, they hadn't been able to really gauge each other, since other people were present. Now that they were by themselves if only for a few seconds, they took the opportunity to size each other up.
Kapil quickly took in Shehla's appearance. Her complexion was smooth and fair and her face was bereft of makeup, other than a thin eyeliner and pale lip gloss. She looks much younger than her age; she could easily pass off as a college student, he thought.
Her tall, trim frame was clad in a simple but smart salwar kameez outfit. The kameez was front opening with buttons running down to the waist. It was made of off-white muslin and had elbow length sleeves. The neck opening was modestly sized. Dainty embroidered flowers decorated the neck and framed the line of buttons. The salwar and the dupatta were in matching, colourful print.
Shehla had worn a slip under the translucent kameez, to preserve her modesty. The shadow of her black lace bra could be discerned through the layers of clothing. Although the loosely dbangd dupatta hid the contours of her bosom, he guessed that she was reasonably well endowed. She had a flat belly, flaring hips but no love handles. Altogether, she had the mature figure of a woman who'd borne a child, yet it was slim and svelte due to the combined contribution of her genes, her regular workouts and her moderate, healthy diet.
Shehla didn't wear a bindi on her wide forehead, in keeping with the norm of her faith. Departing from her usual practice, she had worn her long, thick, lustrous black hair in a single plait that reached almost to her waist. Although she might not rate as a great beauty, she was quite attractive in an understated way, Kapil acknowledged to himself.
Like most women, Shehla too had an in-born faculty for quickly sizing up men. Without conscious thought, she did a quick take. She noted his tall, slim frame, his quick, energetic movements, his humorous eyes hiding behind a pair of spectacles, his confident stance. She had earlier noted approvingly his quick wit, ready laughter and the way he'd glanced possessively at his wife Kalpana every once in a while. She now noted the flicker of interest in his eyes as he looked at her. She was used to getting that from men, but coming from Kapil, she was flattered. "H'm! Nice!" She concluded.
There was relaxed banter as they all sat around the dining table and ate lunch. Both Kapil and Shehla were quite used to interacting with members of the opposite gender in their work environment and there was no awkwardness between them. They all laughed aloud as Kapil regaled them with jokes and they enjoyed the kids' antics. After a thoroughly enjoyable lunch, Kapil retired to his bedroom to catch a nap while the women tidied up the dining table and then set to work to prepare for the evening revelries.
The women of the society had divided up between themselves the job of making evening refreshments. Kalpana had been given the responsibility of making lime sherbet. Kapil had already procured a large quantity of limes and a big icebox full of ice cubes. The women set about squeezing lime juice and making sugar syrup. A large drum of cold lime sherbet was soon ready, after a lot of tasting and balancing of sweet, sour and salty flavours. Plenty of lime juice, sugar syrup and ice was left over, just in case additional sherbet was needed. Soon, all of them headed downstairs to the society's clubhouse.
There was cheerful chaos and confusion as kids ran around chasing each other and the members of the managing committee bustled around to make sure that everything was as it was supposed to be. The chairman of the society called out over the public address system and announced the official start of the annual social gathering, after a short speech. Along with other ladies Kalpana got busy organizing various games and races for the kids. Her lime sherbet was a great hit with the crowd, particularly with the kids, who were thirsty with all the games and races they were participating in and soon, it was running low.
"Shehla, kya tum please aur sherbet bana ke laogi?
"Shehla, can you please make more sherbet?" Kalpana was in the middle of refereeing a three legged race. Shehla immediately agreed. Kalpana gave a shout to Kapil, asking him to accompany Shehla to unlock their apartment and also to help her haul down the full drum of sherbet. His little five year old daughter spotted them just as Kapil and Shehla set off towards their apartment.
"Papa mai bhi aati hoon. Mujhe bathroom jana hai!"
"Papa I'm coming too! I have to use the bathroom!"
"Han, han bitiya. Tum bhi chalo hamare saath!"
"Yes, child. Come with us!" The girl skipped along, holding her father's hand.
Shehla got busy in the kitchen, fixing up another batch of lime sherbet.
"Papa, aao!"
"Papa, come!" The girl called out from the bathroom, after she'd finished her job. With practiced ease, Kapil helped his daughter to wash and clean up and put on her knickers. As their set ritual demanded, they both made great whooshing sounds as she flushed the toilet. She then happily scampered away, eager to re-join her playmates downstairs, but not before collecting two sloppy kisses from Papa.
"Wah, Jijaji! Aap sachmuch apne bachchon ka bahut achcha khyal rakh sakte hain!"
"Wow, Jijaji! You really know how to take care of your kids!" Shehla was impressed.
"Han! Yeh sab to karna hi padta hai, bachche hone par!"
"Yes! You have to do these things, once you have kids!" He said deprecatingly. Kapil was pleased with the compliment. He also noted that Shehla had addressed him as Jijaji (brother in law, treating Kalpana as her adoptive elder sister) instead of the more formal Kapilji.
Contd....
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