Chapter 1: On the way

 Chapter 1

“Hi Saali, kidhar ho”, I said as Pinku picked up the call.

“Ghar par hi hu. Aap aa rahe hai?”

“Hmm.. Bus Uber me baithne hi wala hu. Rishi kaha hai?”

“Wo toh school me hai naa”

“Ok. chal aata hu”

“Ok”

As I hanged up, I placed the brown package in my hands to my backpack. My phone pinged and Your Uber has arrived notification displayed. I wondered how advanced and traditional, both still exist in India. Both Uber and brown package for condoms is a reality in today’s India.

I boarded Uber. I settled down opened WhatsApp and video called Shreya.

“Hi baby” I said as Shreya appeared on the screen sitting on the sofa, snuggled in a blanket

“Kidhar?” she asked

“Ja rahu, Pinku se milne”

“Aaj hi?”

“Hmm.. kal bank ka kaam aagaya toh”

“Jis kaam ke liye gaye ho wo pehle karo. Ye milna milana baad me hota rahega”

“Hmm. Wo start toh kar dia hai. Buyer se baat hogaya, uska bank se baat hogaya. Ek 2 din me cheque milega toh deposit karenge. Uske baad main kaam hai, transfer karana. Bus phir wapas”

“Hmm... Abhi Uber me?”

“Or kia”

“Rishi ka gift aagaya amazon se?”

“Ha kal hi aaya”

“Ok. Or Khana pina?”

“Bus ghar se lunch karke hi nikle hai”

“Tumhara Pinku se baat hua tha kya? Wo aaj school nai gai?”

“Ha” I gulped, wishing she didn’t notice “wo kal hua tha. Boli ki aaj chutti hai uska school se. Isiliye soche mil lete hai aaj, phir kal se bank ka kaam hoga. Phir roz roz itna door kon jayega”

“Hmm”

“Tum Soyi nai. Tanu So gayi?”

“Hmm. Mai ek movie dekh rahi ho.”

“Ok. Pahuch kar Pinku se baat karata hu”

“Ok”

“Bye baby. Muah Muah.”

“Love you”

I hung up. I was still 30-40 mins away. As I scrolled my WhatsApp, I don't know why I made a video call to Saali. I never call her by her name.

“Arre aap aa toh rahe hai naa, itna time me bhi call” she picked up. This time she was wearing a kurti. Usually when I called her from the US, she was mostly wearing a nightie, ready to go to bed, or a salwar kameez, just coming in from work.

“He he. Aadat ho gaya hai. Acha Papa hai naa?” I asked her and knew what I wanted and I hope I hear.

“Aree wo kaam par gaye hai naa. Aapka Jet lag gaya nai hai abhi” Perfect. That's what I wanted.

“Tum ja kaha rahi ho?” why was she getting ready, I thought. I expected her to be in a nightie if she was home.

“Aree bus niche store tak. doodh and bread”

“Ok” but I wanted to snigger and say, Kyu doodh khatam hogaya as I always tell Shreya and she almost always says Chi. Cheap Joke. I still find girls saying Doodh very erotic, since my school days. I guess the boys school effect?

“Chalo 20-25 minute me pahuchta hu”

“Aap pehchan loge building? Ya main niche rahu”

“Aa jao, aarti or mala lekar” how much I wished.

“Pccch. Boliye naa”

“Aree aajaonga Sali. Dont worry”

“Chaliye. Milte hai”

Phew. I let out a deep breath. I always feel like this whenever I meet or is about to meet Pinku. A deep sexual tension. I have always been attracted to  her and wanted to take the next step. But that has never happened. Then she got married to Ritesh and any such thought faded away. More, we moved to the US and then any meeting was over whatsapp. Then suddenly one day last year, after 5-6 years we got a call that Ritesh met with an accident and passed away. Shreya was broken. I was shocked. We both felt Pinku’s pain and her future. They were married for 8 years and Rishi was just 6 years old when this happened. 

Next day, we were on a flight to Kolkata to meet her. We hadn’t been to Kolkata in 6 years and this year this was our 2nd flight home. We were in the city just a couple of months back for my younger brother’s marriage when I last met Pinku, Ritesh and Rishi. I still remember how I hugged her tightly in the marriage hall. I was meeting her after almost 6 years. Ritesh must have seen this and would be jealous, I thought after that. But now he was gone, suddenly and Pinku was heart broken. How she wanted to move away from her inLaws home, start a life alone with Rishi, how my father in law agreed to stay with her and support and how we moved her to this smaller apartment and moved our furniture from our vacant flat to her, all these feel like a breeze.

That was 1 year earlier. Last month, I closed a deal on selling our vacant flat in Kolkata. I had to come down to finalize  the deal, Shreya and Tanu could not come as schools were on and it was too long a flight for just 1 week. Plus we were planning to come to Kolkata in summer vacation anyways. But this deal couldn’t wait. So, here I was. Something inside me told me, what didn’t happen in the last 13-14 years might just happen.

And now I was on my way to meet her. Only in the last few months, I started feeling the same sexual tension between us. Maybe somewhere I think she is available again. Many times in our video calls I have touched myself while talking to her. She was always in a nightie and somehow a peek here and there was always available. Her cleavage or her clean armpits. Something. Always. I wondered whether she was also giving a signal. Or maybe she too feels the same way. We didn't share a dirty joke after she got married. So no double meaning lines etc for the last 10 years almost. That's why I passed on the doodh conversation earlier. But now, I was on my way to meet her. First time in our life we will be alone at home. It may just happen. I checked the condom packet in my backpack. I removed the wrap so that it's easily available when I need it. I hope I don't have to use it. I never used it. Never with Shreya. I had my vasectomy so no pregnancy scare for me. But I just bought a 3-pack, just in case. More of a wishful thinking if anything happened.

My train of thoughts were broken when Uber entered the lane at the end of which Pinku’s apartment was. I got off, Breathed in deep and started walking towards the gate. I was anxious, worried, horny, all at the same time. Something in my mind told me Don’t even try it and Think about Shreya and how she will feel. Another part of my brain told me Be open. If it happens, it happens.

Soon I was in front of her apartment. I catched my breath from 3 flights of stairs, breathed in deep, and rang the bell. Ting Tong. Anytime now, Pinku will be in front of me, I hoped in a nightie but not likely. She would keep her kurti on if she was to store and knew someone was coming. Plus it was only Noon. 

Nothing.Ting Tong. I rang again

Nothing.