09-02-2023, 04:09 PM
Mansi was surprised when Reena aunty hugged her on that bench. She hugged back, thankful that this woman who was barely an acquaintance many years ago was being so nice and going out of the way to help her.
"I will go tell Duttsahab the good news. He will be very happy. He is very fond of you." Reena said and got up. "Oh, I almost forgot. He said that if you said yes, I should give you this for today."
She held out a sealed envelope. Mansi stared at it for a few seconds before taking it.
"For today?"
"Yes, he was dreading going to this exhibition alone. So many hangers-on trying to mooch something off him. That's why he walked in with you on his arm. This way, he can stay busy and fend off those vultures. And only talk to the ones he wants, like he is doing now. Plus he remembered you like art, so two birds with one stone." Reena said. "It's sealed, so I don't know how much is in it. But knowing him, it will be good."
Mansi sat there with the envelope in her hand as Reena walked off to the other end of the gallery where Dutt was talking seriously to another old man about some business deal. The young housewife was still feeling a little buzzed. Her head was hurting a little. She quickly put the envelope in her purse and sat there, looking at the paintings around her. She saw Reena and Dutt talking a little. And then she put a hand into the purse. She didn't want to openly check out what was in it. But she was curious. So carefully, using her index finger, she opened the seal of the envelope. Then quickly she looked inside. She saw pink notes. With her fingers, she separated them to count. There were five. So five thousand rupees! For just a few hours of attending an art exhibition?
Mansi felt a combination of jubilation and doubt. On the one hand, she was very happy about getting this extra cash. She could just add it to the bank account meant for Pinky's college. On the other hand, it felt weird that she was getting so much money for something so minor. And it was the same amount as that gift card. Was that also meant to be a payment? And for such generous payment, what would she be expected to do? Would he expect her to...
No no, don't be silly, Mansi scolded herself. He is such a gentleman. And an old man. Almost like a father. And plus this was set up by Reena aunty who was so nice. Mansi scolded herself for even thinking any unsavory thoughts. In the meantime, Reena was walking back towards her so she quickly closed the envelope and took her hands out of the purse.
"Okay, I talked to him. He is thrilled. And he is perfectly happy with meeting you next time as a trial run. If after that you don't want to continue this arrangement, that is up to you." she said.
"Thank you so much." Mansi said gratefully.
"One more thing. You found the idea of this arrangement a little...weird and transactional when you first heard it, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, so does Duttsahab, although he looks forward to it. So...in your interactions, please don't make a reference to the fact that you are like his employee. Just be like a friend. When he calls you next time to meet him, think of it like meeting a friend, like you are meeting me. Or else it feels a little sleazy. Does that make sense?"
"Oh okay, I guess that makes sense.
"Great. Okay, I should get going." Reena said picking up her purse.
"You're leaving?"
"Yes. I have so many things lined up back at the hotel. Plus you should get used to spend time with him alone. That is your job from now on."
"True." Mansi nodded.
She looked up and saw Dutt walking back towards them.
"Duttsahab, thank you for this great experience." Reena aunty said gently hugging him and kissing him on a cheek. "But work calls so I have to get going."
"I understand." Dutt smiled.
"Will you drop Mansi off please?"
"Of course." he eagerly nodded. "Shall we continue with the rest of the exhibition, Mansi?"
"Sure."
Reena left after hugging Mansi goodbye and whispering congrats. And then she walked with Dutt towards the next section. A waitress stopped by with a glass of champagne. But Mansi was still feeling a little light headed so she politely declined. Dutt thought about insisting that she have more, but remembered Reena's advice about taking it slow. And the two of them walked from painting to painting with Dutt talking nineteen to the dozen.
Mansi had seen so many high price tags that by now, she stopped even thinking about them. She had truly immersed herself into the exhibition and was really enjoying the whole experience. Most of the drawings were very abstract. And then suddenly they came across one that looked like something out of a comic book. Mansi was surprised and stared at it. It did not seem like art. And yet the price on it said Rs 75,000.
"Oh what a lovely reproduction of a classic." Dutt said. "Do you recognize the original that this is based on, Mansi?
"I don't think so." Mansi said nervously. Until now, he had just been speaking and she had been listening. Now suddenly he was asking her questions. She felt very conscious about her ignorance.
"It's a reproduction of Drowning Girl by Roy Lichtenstein. Describe to me what you see please."
"A girl drowning, crying, and saying" she moved closer to read the comic book style speech bubble, "I don't care. I'd rather sink than call Brad for help."
"And what is the painting trying to convey?"
"Despair...frustration..." Mansi guessed.
"Surrender?"
"Yes, surrender."
"And do you see the thinly veiled erotic references?"
"Really?" she stared at the image. She couldn't see any erotic references. She felt a little strange to even hear the word erotic in the context of a comic book
"Look carefully."
"I...have no idea." Mansi shrugged.
"All that white stuff...we assume it is water she is drowning in. But doesn't it look a little like...semen?" Dutt quietly said.
Mansi blushed profusely. She came from an unorthodox family. And never discussed words like semen even with her husband. She saw what Dutt meant though.
"The subtext I see is, she is drowning in semen...which symbolizes that she is being very promiscuous. And maybe she is in trouble because of it. Hence the tears which also look like semen. Or maybe someone came on her face. The mention of the name Brad suggests that he is maybe her boyfriend or husband. But she is angry with him or dissatisfied with him for some reason. So she doesn't care. She would rather drown in this ocean of semen, continue her promiscuous life, than reach out to her man for help."
Dutt stopped talking and was a little impressed with himself. He had thought of the whole thing at the last minute. But it seemed like a great way to casually introduce the subject of sex in their interaction. He saw she was still blushing like the simple shy housewife she was. But he stared at her pointedly as if waiting for her response.
"I guess so." Mansi finally gave in to his stare. And then quickly walked to the next painting.
At that moment, Mansi was so uncomfortable with the topic that she couldn't look at the painting anymore. But days and weeks later, as things progressed, she would often think back to that painting and identify with it and the interpretation Dutt came up with.
---
"I will go tell Duttsahab the good news. He will be very happy. He is very fond of you." Reena said and got up. "Oh, I almost forgot. He said that if you said yes, I should give you this for today."
She held out a sealed envelope. Mansi stared at it for a few seconds before taking it.
"For today?"
"Yes, he was dreading going to this exhibition alone. So many hangers-on trying to mooch something off him. That's why he walked in with you on his arm. This way, he can stay busy and fend off those vultures. And only talk to the ones he wants, like he is doing now. Plus he remembered you like art, so two birds with one stone." Reena said. "It's sealed, so I don't know how much is in it. But knowing him, it will be good."
Mansi sat there with the envelope in her hand as Reena walked off to the other end of the gallery where Dutt was talking seriously to another old man about some business deal. The young housewife was still feeling a little buzzed. Her head was hurting a little. She quickly put the envelope in her purse and sat there, looking at the paintings around her. She saw Reena and Dutt talking a little. And then she put a hand into the purse. She didn't want to openly check out what was in it. But she was curious. So carefully, using her index finger, she opened the seal of the envelope. Then quickly she looked inside. She saw pink notes. With her fingers, she separated them to count. There were five. So five thousand rupees! For just a few hours of attending an art exhibition?
Mansi felt a combination of jubilation and doubt. On the one hand, she was very happy about getting this extra cash. She could just add it to the bank account meant for Pinky's college. On the other hand, it felt weird that she was getting so much money for something so minor. And it was the same amount as that gift card. Was that also meant to be a payment? And for such generous payment, what would she be expected to do? Would he expect her to...
No no, don't be silly, Mansi scolded herself. He is such a gentleman. And an old man. Almost like a father. And plus this was set up by Reena aunty who was so nice. Mansi scolded herself for even thinking any unsavory thoughts. In the meantime, Reena was walking back towards her so she quickly closed the envelope and took her hands out of the purse.
"Okay, I talked to him. He is thrilled. And he is perfectly happy with meeting you next time as a trial run. If after that you don't want to continue this arrangement, that is up to you." she said.
"Thank you so much." Mansi said gratefully.
"One more thing. You found the idea of this arrangement a little...weird and transactional when you first heard it, right?"
"Yes."
"Well, so does Duttsahab, although he looks forward to it. So...in your interactions, please don't make a reference to the fact that you are like his employee. Just be like a friend. When he calls you next time to meet him, think of it like meeting a friend, like you are meeting me. Or else it feels a little sleazy. Does that make sense?"
"Oh okay, I guess that makes sense.
"Great. Okay, I should get going." Reena said picking up her purse.
"You're leaving?"
"Yes. I have so many things lined up back at the hotel. Plus you should get used to spend time with him alone. That is your job from now on."
"True." Mansi nodded.
She looked up and saw Dutt walking back towards them.
"Duttsahab, thank you for this great experience." Reena aunty said gently hugging him and kissing him on a cheek. "But work calls so I have to get going."
"I understand." Dutt smiled.
"Will you drop Mansi off please?"
"Of course." he eagerly nodded. "Shall we continue with the rest of the exhibition, Mansi?"
"Sure."
Reena left after hugging Mansi goodbye and whispering congrats. And then she walked with Dutt towards the next section. A waitress stopped by with a glass of champagne. But Mansi was still feeling a little light headed so she politely declined. Dutt thought about insisting that she have more, but remembered Reena's advice about taking it slow. And the two of them walked from painting to painting with Dutt talking nineteen to the dozen.
Mansi had seen so many high price tags that by now, she stopped even thinking about them. She had truly immersed herself into the exhibition and was really enjoying the whole experience. Most of the drawings were very abstract. And then suddenly they came across one that looked like something out of a comic book. Mansi was surprised and stared at it. It did not seem like art. And yet the price on it said Rs 75,000.
"Oh what a lovely reproduction of a classic." Dutt said. "Do you recognize the original that this is based on, Mansi?
"I don't think so." Mansi said nervously. Until now, he had just been speaking and she had been listening. Now suddenly he was asking her questions. She felt very conscious about her ignorance.
"It's a reproduction of Drowning Girl by Roy Lichtenstein. Describe to me what you see please."
"A girl drowning, crying, and saying" she moved closer to read the comic book style speech bubble, "I don't care. I'd rather sink than call Brad for help."
"And what is the painting trying to convey?"
"Despair...frustration..." Mansi guessed.
"Surrender?"
"Yes, surrender."
"And do you see the thinly veiled erotic references?"
"Really?" she stared at the image. She couldn't see any erotic references. She felt a little strange to even hear the word erotic in the context of a comic book
"Look carefully."
"I...have no idea." Mansi shrugged.
"All that white stuff...we assume it is water she is drowning in. But doesn't it look a little like...semen?" Dutt quietly said.
Mansi blushed profusely. She came from an unorthodox family. And never discussed words like semen even with her husband. She saw what Dutt meant though.
"The subtext I see is, she is drowning in semen...which symbolizes that she is being very promiscuous. And maybe she is in trouble because of it. Hence the tears which also look like semen. Or maybe someone came on her face. The mention of the name Brad suggests that he is maybe her boyfriend or husband. But she is angry with him or dissatisfied with him for some reason. So she doesn't care. She would rather drown in this ocean of semen, continue her promiscuous life, than reach out to her man for help."
Dutt stopped talking and was a little impressed with himself. He had thought of the whole thing at the last minute. But it seemed like a great way to casually introduce the subject of sex in their interaction. He saw she was still blushing like the simple shy housewife she was. But he stared at her pointedly as if waiting for her response.
"I guess so." Mansi finally gave in to his stare. And then quickly walked to the next painting.
At that moment, Mansi was so uncomfortable with the topic that she couldn't look at the painting anymore. But days and weeks later, as things progressed, she would often think back to that painting and identify with it and the interpretation Dutt came up with.
---
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