Adultery Awaited desires - Completed

[Haran000]

3. Habit

The aroma of upma hung heavy in the air as I stepped into the house, a scent that usually triggered an immediate groan. Upma. Weddings, baby showers, any gathering, wherever you go — upma seemed to be the universal, uninspired dish thrown in your face. The very thought of it was enough to curdle my mood. Yet, with my vadhina, Sandhya, now in our lives, things had taken an unexpected turn.

She placed a plate before my aunt Rajamani, and another before me.

I, the master of artfully rearranging grains on my plate, found myself actually gobbling the upma down. The secret? Peanuts. Lots of them. And a generous scattering of onions and coriander. 

Unlike auntie, who portioned ingredients as if rationing during a famine – a stingy four leaves of coriander and not a single peanut – Sandhya had been lavish. For the first time, believe it or not, I actually considered a second serving of upma.

Later, I lay beside auntie Rajamani in the quiet of the room. A rumbling "Grrr" soon filled the silence. Her snoring. Loud. If I woke her, I’d be met with a scolding about disturbing her sleep. 

Fifteen minutes passed, the rhythmic roar making sleep an impossibility. I got up, pacing for a restless five minutes. The thought of my brother’s room, an escape from the cacophony, flickered through my mind, but Sandhya was there. Why should I be between them? I thought, dismissing the idea.

Just then, their door creaked open. Sandhya stood there, her eyes questioning.

"What happened, Hari? Didn't you sleep? Why are you here?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Aunt is snoring, so I haven't slept, Vadhina," I replied the reason.

"Oh, is that so..."

She walked to the water pot, scooping a glass for herself. I remained rooted to the spot, silent, listening. I could hear my brother, Santosh, stirring inside. Sandhya took another glass of water, this time for him, went into their room.

"Aunt is snoring, Hari hasn't slept," I heard her say, "Maybe he'll sleep here?"

"He's used to it," brother Santosh’s voice drifted out, a note of amusement in it. "He'll put his leg on me if he sleeps here. He tosses and turns."

"It's okay, he needs to sleep, right?" Sandhya countered, a hint of steel in her gentle tone.

"Okay," Santosh conceded. "You move to this side, and let him sleep on that side."

The faint jingle of Sandhya's anklets grew closer as she moved towards the door. Feeling a sudden pang of awkwardness, turned, intending to head back to my room.

"Hari..." she called, stopping me. "Come sleep in our room."

"No, Vadhina," I protested, my voice a whisper. "That mattress might not be enough for three."

"It's okay, come," she insisted.

I nodded silently, my heart thrumming with a strange mix of apprehension and excitement, and followed her in. Sandhya shifted to the left side of the mattress, beside my brother, and gestured for me to lie on the right end, next to her.

"Vadhina, I'll get my blanket," I offered.

"No need, I have mine, just lie down," she said, her voice warm.

I lay down next to her, stiff and still as a stone statue.

"Your brother said you put your leg on people while sleeping," she teased, a ripple of laughter in her words.

"I won't, Vadhina," I promised, my voice barely audible.

She chuckled softly.

"Hey, did you eat ice cream today?" Santosh chimed in from his side. "Did you bring any for Vadhina?"

"Yes, Annayya," I replied.

"Don't ask your brother for money in the morning," Sandhya interjected, a playful concern in her voice. "Ask me, okay?"

"You'd also ask Annayya and give it to me, wouldn't you, Vadhina...?" I quipped, a flash of humor sparking my words.

"Ohho... is that so?" she pretended to ponder. "Wait, I'll tell him... Hey, your brother made fun of you this morning."

"What did you say, kid?" Santosh demanded, feigning indignation.

"I didn't make fun of you, Annayya," I defended myself. "Vadhina says I'm making fun even when I tell the truth."

"Ohho... didn’t you laugh telling your brother failed in degree or not...?" Sandhya pressed, enjoying my discomfort.

"I just felt like laughing then, Vadhina," I admitted sheepishly.

"See..." she crowed, victorious. "He admitted it."

Santosh let out a hearty "Ha..."

"Annayya, Vadhina also laughed," I blurted out, turning on her. "She's not telling you that."

Sandhya promptly pinched me.

"Ouch... Why are you pinching me, Vadhina?" I yelped. "Admit it you laughed too."

Santosh erupted in laughter. "Hahaha... Sleep now... Enough talk."

"Hmm..." I murmured, settling down.

Sandhya turned her face towards me, her eyes meeting mine in the dim light. We lay in comfortable silence for a while. I closed my eyes, then, cautiously, opened them a crack to see if she had done the same. She had. As I gazed at her red lips, a soft crimson in the faint glow, her eyes suddenly opened. I snapped mine shut. Her hand reached out, gently cupping my cheek.

It was so warm.

"Hari..." she whispered.

I opened my eyes.

"Yes, Vadhina..."

"You can put your leg on me, I won't say anything," she offered, her voice tender.

"Really...?"

"Hmm..."

We were both cocooned under the same blanket. Without a second thought, I extended my right leg, resting it gently on her. I shifted a little closer, my face finding a comfortable spot near her elbow. She took my hand, placing it on her own, then guided it behind her back, making me lie in a comfortable embrace.

Lying beside Sandhya, I felt an inexplicable sense of ease. My heart swelled with a quiet happiness, a joy that our relationship had deepened into something genuinely friendly and warm. As for me, I had tumbled headlong into a quiet infatuation with brothe’s wife.


In the days that followed, Sandhya and I fell into a comfortable rhythm. We'd play carrom and chess, spending hours in relaxed conversation, or simply watching TV together. 

Twice more, just like that night, I found myself sleeping beside her. Once, I even lied to make it happen.


The day for me to leave for the hostel, to begin my intermediate studies in town, loomed closer. My brother had promised to drop me off on Monday in June.


On Saturday, Santosh returned home after a half-day at work. After lunch, he and Sandhya left for a matinee show at the cinema in the next town. I lingered at house. In the evening, sipping the tea auntie had prepared, I found myself anticipating their return. 

Suddenly, auntie Rajamani was wracked by a violent fit of coughing, a loud, guttural sound that tore through the quiet. I rushed to her side.

"What happened, peddamma...?" I asked, my voice laced with alarm.

She gestured with a trembling hand, indicating she couldn't breathe.
Panic seized me, my legs turning to jelly. The coughing continued, a desperate, gasping struggle. Saliva spluttered from her lips with each choked sound.

"Peddammaa, what happened, what happened...?" My voice was strained with fear. I didn't understand. Scooping her from the chair, I gently guided her to sit on the steps outside, hoping the open air would bring her relief. But she remained unchanged, her struggle unwavering.

A lump formed in my throat. My brother and vadhina were gone, and I didn't even have a phone. Sandhya had taken hers. Peddamma seemed to be fading, her eyes glazing over. I held her, gently slapping her face and cheeks, desperate to rouse her.

My heart hammered against my ribs. I remembered my Peddanaanna, experiencing something similar years ago. I was utterly lost, wishing desperately that my brother was here.

Just then, the familiar rumble of a vehicle reached my ears. Sandhya was stepping from bike in front of the gate. A wave of relief, so potent it made me dizzy, washed over me.

"Annayya...." I screamed, running towards him, grabbing his hand in my terror. The three of us rushed to Peddamma, consumed by a shared dread. Sandhya, ever practical, dashed into the house, reappearing with a blanket. She gently covered Peddamma’s chest, unhooking her blouse inside to let some room for peddamma’s chest heavy breath. Santosh was already on the phone, his voice urgent.

Within five minutes, an auto screeched to a halt outside. We carefully lifted Peddamma into it and sped towards the hospital. They gave her oxygen, and slowly, her breathing stabilized.

I had never felt such consuming anxiety in my life. Having lost my parents and my uncle, the thought of losing Peddamma too was unbearable. Tears welled up, and I buried my face in my brother's embrace, sobbing.

"It's okay, it's over. It's okay...mom will be fine now" he murmured, stroking my hair, his voice a balm to my raw emotions.

The doctor explained that Peddamma had high blood pressure, which caused the gasping. This was also likely why her snoring had intensified recently. We returned home that night, the fear still lingering in the air.

I slept in Peddamma's bed, my hand and leg resting on her, a comforting presence. The doctor had said she might have been stressed about something, causing her BP to spike.

"Peddamma, they say you were stressed, why?" I asked, my voice soft.

She affectionately stroked my head. 

"Both of them went to the next town," she murmured, her voice laced with concern, "and it was getting evening, and it's a big road after all..."

I understood. Just like my parents, she had been consumed by worry, fearing something might happen to them on an evening dim roadway. 

I said nothing, and Peddamma closed her eyes, a hint of sadness on her face. Soon after, I drifted off to sleep.

“Little did I know then that the simple habit of 

resting my leg on someone would eventually become a story.”

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