21-10-2025, 01:56 AM
Scene 23
The moment we stepped out of the bathhouse, the bright sunshine felt intense, and the air of privacy dissolved into the general noise of the compound. As Jayashree Auntie had predicted, the water we splashed had left damp spots on her saree.
Mom: "Oh, Jayashree, you got wet!"
My mom noticed immediately, walking over with a clean, dry towel in her hand.
Jayashree: "Just a little splash,"
Jayashree replied, taking the towel and dabbing at her shoulder.
Jayashree: "Rina, I will take care of Sunny, you just give me the clothes I will help him. I also need to dry myself."
She glanced down at me. I was wrapped snugly in a fresh towel.
Mom: "You can use my room over there,"
My mom gestured toward the room across the courtyard. "It has my clothes and Sunny's clothes inside that almirah."
Jayashree nodded, a grateful smile on her face. She easily picked me up, towel and all, cradling me against her chest. It was a natural, motherly gesture, completely innocent in my mom's eyes. We moved quickly across the courtyard and into the semi-darkness of my mom's bedroom.
Jayashree closed the door from inside. The room, which was usually just a place for sleeping and laundry, instantly transformed into a silent, private space. The click of the latch echoed the same sound from the other times, signaling the transition into our secret world. She set me down on the edge of the bed and leaned against the door for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. She was breathing slightly heavier from carrying me.
Jayashree: "Well, beta,"
She said, her voice dropping to that familiar, low pitch. "A proper cleaning requires a change of clothes, doesn't it?"
She walked over to the almirah, opened the tall wooden doors, and began to search through the drawers, pulling out a fresh shirt and shorts for me. Her own saree was damp at the hip and chest, clinging slightly to her skin. She looked at her reflection in the mirror attached to the almirah. She looked at me and gave a familiar, private wink. She knew exactly what would happen next.
The moment we stepped out of the bathhouse, the bright sunshine felt intense, and the air of privacy dissolved into the general noise of the compound. As Jayashree Auntie had predicted, the water we splashed had left damp spots on her saree.
Mom: "Oh, Jayashree, you got wet!"
My mom noticed immediately, walking over with a clean, dry towel in her hand.
Jayashree: "Just a little splash,"
Jayashree replied, taking the towel and dabbing at her shoulder.
Jayashree: "Rina, I will take care of Sunny, you just give me the clothes I will help him. I also need to dry myself."
She glanced down at me. I was wrapped snugly in a fresh towel.
Mom: "You can use my room over there,"
My mom gestured toward the room across the courtyard. "It has my clothes and Sunny's clothes inside that almirah."
Jayashree nodded, a grateful smile on her face. She easily picked me up, towel and all, cradling me against her chest. It was a natural, motherly gesture, completely innocent in my mom's eyes. We moved quickly across the courtyard and into the semi-darkness of my mom's bedroom.
Jayashree closed the door from inside. The room, which was usually just a place for sleeping and laundry, instantly transformed into a silent, private space. The click of the latch echoed the same sound from the other times, signaling the transition into our secret world. She set me down on the edge of the bed and leaned against the door for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. She was breathing slightly heavier from carrying me.
Jayashree: "Well, beta,"
She said, her voice dropping to that familiar, low pitch. "A proper cleaning requires a change of clothes, doesn't it?"
She walked over to the almirah, opened the tall wooden doors, and began to search through the drawers, pulling out a fresh shirt and shorts for me. Her own saree was damp at the hip and chest, clinging slightly to her skin. She looked at her reflection in the mirror attached to the almirah. She looked at me and gave a familiar, private wink. She knew exactly what would happen next.
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