by welcome
yourself.”
“But for sharing it with my Nithya” said Chandra, “who wouldn't be sharing with any.”
“That's fair I suppose,” said Sathya as he bade Chandra goodbye.
“Good luck,” said Chandra. “I await your invitation.”
“You will be the first invitee,” said Sathya waving goodbye as Chandra reciprocated.
Shadows to the Fore
That day, as it happened, Yadagiri stayed back at home indisposed and Chandra went out
with a diamond trader leaving Nithya to fend for herself the whole business-day. By then,
however, leaving her toddler at the Pearl House, she started becoming a part timer at the
Princely Pearls.
When in the evening she came out from the confines of her cabin, she was shocked to
find Vasu in the hall. Before she could beat a hasty retreat, he chanced to notice her and that
left her in a quandary. Adding to her predicament, the salesman beckoned her for some
consultation on their account. Hiding her consternation, as she came face to face with Vasu
and his wife, gathering his wits in the meantime, he grabbed the initiative for the
introductions.
“This is Prema, my wife,” he introduced to Nithya and said in turn, “This is Nithya. I
was their tenant during my probation period.”
Unable as they were to close their eyes, yet the women raised their hands in greeting.
“How do you do?” said Prema extending her hand to Nithya.
“Fine, thank you,” said Nithya taking Prema"s hand.
“Are you working here?" Vasu addressed Nithya.
“Of course,” Nithya said dryly.
“I"m at the Koti Branch,” he said giving Nithya his business card, “you may know I
bank on your account and you too can count on my services.”
After settling the issue and entrusting the Vasus to that salesman"s care, Nithya excused
herself.
Back in her cabin she went into jitters.
„Oh, God, what will happen now if he pursues his agenda?" she deliberated upon the
unexpected development. „Didn"t he say that we won"t be able to resist each other, if we
were to meet again? What to do if he starts stalking me from now on? Will he ruin me all
again? No way. I"ll be curt with him to start with and nip his design in the bud itself.
Whatever, I should be on guard. What he said is true of her. What with her figure and
poise, isn"t Prema a stunner to the toe? With such a ravishing wife, maybe he won"t bother
about me anymore. But then, it"s not the way men with a roving eye behave, why, he had
the cheek to indulge in that suggestive talk--about my opening the account and he
providing the service. But for all that, would he ever dare to pursue me again? Hope in the
end better sense prevails in his evil head. What about alerting Chandra straightaway? But
then, won't it be like putting the cart before the horse? Let me wait and see."
After a while, having finalized the order for a designer necklace for her, as Vasu led
Prema out of the Princely Pearls, finding him perturbed all along, she offered to drive the
car.
“Why risk an accident?” she said pulling the key chain from his hands.
“What do you mean?”
“Don't you look out of sorts?”
“Oh, don"t joke,” he laughed half-heartedly.
“I"m sure it was not in jest,” she said getting into the Fiat, “that you offered her your
services.”
“Why, are you jealous already?” he said getting in.
“Wonder why she was uncomfortable with you!”
“How am I to know?” he said closing the door. “That is assuming she"s uncomfortable.”
“Being a woman myself,” she said raising the accelerator, “I know what I know.”
“Know what?”
“I"m sure you either misbehaved with her or even jilted her.”
“Oh, God, don"t imagine things!” he said in mock exasperation. “And be practical about
relationships.”
“I know by now,” she said looking into the rear mirror, “you can tell blindfold which
side of your bread is buttered.”
“Coming from wife, that"s hardly a compliment,” he said seemingly offended. “Are you
regretting marrying me?”
“Have you any clue of that?”
“I wish you gave one,” he said laughing, “so that I too could"ve a dig at you.”
“How do you know it would remain the same?” she said mysteriously. “The charm of
life lies in living to be surprised.”
“The charm of life lies in living to be surprised,” he said repeating after her. “What a
beautiful way to approach life, really!”
“But for you life is all about grabbing, isn"t it?”
“Having grabbed you,” he said trying to placate her, “do I need to grab anymore?”
“Isn"t she ravishing?” she said probingly, “your Nithya.”
“No more than you,” he said, fondling her at her nape, deliberately not taking objection
to her allusion, “at least to my eyes.”
“I"ll take it as a compliment,” she said, noticing the aberration, “but with a pinch of
salt.”
“Well, that"s a practical approach too.”
“Don"t I know you"re a guru at that?”
“I"ll offer you free lessons,” he said as the Fiat entered their portico.
That night, while Prema slept nonchalantly, however hard he tried, Vasu couldn"t
manage a wink of a sleep.
„Oh, God, it was all dreamlike and ended likewise," he began contemplating. „She"s as
simple as ever and more ravishing than before. Is this the woman I"ve lost, that too after
having her all for myself! How adamant she was in spite of my persuasion! Now, let me see
how she can resist me. How lucky I've met her before she lost her figure! Well, she could be
some supervisor there and who knows, she may be a manager even. That"s the advantage
of being a beautiful woman when it comes to scaling the ladder, abilities apart, that is.
Which man would fail to fancy his chances with her if she were to come under his wings?"
„Going by her mangalasutrams," he began to delve into the seductive ground rolling in
his bed, „it's clear she's married. What her husband could be? Whoever it is, it"s better that
she is married. Wouldn"t the roughness of marriage have softened her bitterness towards
me? What is more to the point, marriage might've diverted some of her bitterness towards
her husband as well. Won"t it portend a free reign over her body without the bother of her
upkeep? Well, but for a gift now and then, Nithya the married would come lightly on my
purse, and it suits. Whatever, how lively life used to be with her, didn"t every moment of
it spelt passion? If only I play my cards well, I may be able to worm my way back into her
life as the other man. Why do they say 'the other woman' and never 'the other man'? Only
Nithya 'the other woman' can make it lively for Prema's man, isn"t it? Prema, oh, how she
lies in suspended animation even in her nuptial bed! What if Nithya's man is a he-man,
after all, she knows what Vasu 'the other man' means to her sex life?"
„But why should she give in, after all that happened between us?" he began to think
about the ways and means of winning Nithya. „Can I ever break the ice to win her back?
Why not, won"t women with a past tend to be vulnerable to the advances of their ex-lovers?
If only I can touch the right chords of her
heart to play upon this feminine susceptibility.
But, the real hurdle could be her mental apathy born out of her hard feelings for me but
given her weakness of physical attraction for me, maybe that shouldn"t be much difficult.
But still it would be some work to bring her around?"
Sensing his chances at winning back her favors, he slept in dreamy anticipation till it
was well past ten.
„Then is she not a spirited dame?" he thought next day as he woke up to the reality of
her personality. „What would come of it, if she were to try to get even with me? In that case,
won"t that be a battle of wits in a long drawn-out affair? Why not I give up and get on with
my life for whatever it"s worth?"
„But what a life it is with a politically correct wife?" he felt on second thoughts. „Would
cohabitation without feeling and sex sans passion add up to anything? But, how fulsome
was life with Nithya with that oneness of union and the ecstasy in sex! Why, it was the
work of the devil that spoiled my designs on her, a perfect plan that went awry, wasn't it?
I"ve to tempt fate itself to have her and I shall find her alone for that."
Shortly thereafter, he called her at her home.
“How dare... ?” Nithya lost her track on opening the door.
“I"ve come in spite of myself,” he said trying to cross the threshold. “Don't you know
you"ve a magnetic hold on me?”
“Don"t you know I"ve turned deaf to your lies?” she said contemptuously blocking the
way. “Know you"re up against a wall.”
“Won't I jump over it even if it means my end?” he said pressing his suit. “Anyway I"m
half dead with a broken heart.”
“I give a damn,” she said, “be off now.”
“So be it,” he said nonchalantly, “but why damn yourself with a scene at your door?
Why not we go in?”
As she moved in vexation, he followed her in excitation.
“You look great my charmy!” he said, taking his seat, “better than ever that is.”
“You know you"re not welcome.”
“That"s my tragedy.”
“Have the grace to leave now,” she said unrelentingly, “with the good sense never to
return.”
“How can you say that to a lover?” he said upping the ante, “yourself looking more
desirable than ever before?”
“Leave me alone!” she said in vexation.
“You would agree,” he said assuming a pleading tone, “I deserve to be heard for old
times" sake. Oh, how you used to cling on to me.”
“Stop it now,” she said raising her tone.
“I"m only living by your memory,” he said affecting distress, “and suffering on that
account.”
“Don"t talk rubbish,” she said sneeringly.
“Believe me,” he got up and went near her, “I"m miserable without you in spite of
Prema. I"m dying for you.”
“I hate you,” she said drawing herself away, “no, not even that, I don"t give a damn for
you anymore.”
“I can understand your hurt but I"m repentant and…”
“I think it"s time you"ve left.”
“Why not lend me your ear before you show me the door?”
“What if I don"t?”
“I"ll knock again,” he said affecting passion, “and yet again.”
“Is it fair?” she said in exasperation.
“All is fair in love,” he said, “haven"t you heard it said?”
“Give me time,” she said turning impatient, “and better leave now.”
“Keep it in case you"ve mislaid it,” he said cockily placing his visiting card on the centre
table.
“I tore it up,” she said contemptuously.
“Don"t make that mistake now.”
“What if I tear it up again?”
“You won"t have my phone number,” he said menacingly, “and if I don"t hear from you
soon, I"ll come back on my own. Who knows, God forbid, I might run right into your hubby
and I know you wouldn"t want it that way. It's wise to carry on the sly, why, have you
forgotten those days?”
She moved towards the door to show him the door.
“One more thing,” he said, as he bowed his exit, “you know you made me get used to
your loving glances. Next time, I expect a better welcome than this. Do remember that.”
Banging the door after him, Nithya was livid with herself.
Spurring on to Err
Nithya collapsed in her bed as if Vasu sapped her strength and unable to comprehend, her
mind became numb. But realizing that inaction wouldn"t lead her anywhere, she forced
herself to apply her mind to the problem on hand.
„What a shameless guy really," she thought. „What a gall to eye me again? Why, hasn"t
he hinted at blackmail? What a devil I courted! It"s sickening to even think of him, well, no
decent man would ever want to tempt the woman he lost, more so when she's married. Isn't
it a crime to upset her life, that too when one had lost her by his own fault? What does he
think of me? He seems to have taken me for granted being sure of luring me back into his
fold by exploiting my past feelings for him! Well, I"ll show him what really I am by paying
him back in the same coin. Won't I teach him the lesson of his life?"
Her suffering and humiliation associated with him that she couldn't help recall, only
strengthened her resolve for revenge. The thought that he was out to blackmail her to
exploit her again made her abhor him even more. Soon, she was seized by an urge to
avenge herself upon him.
„Why not I torment him by leading him up the garden path and see his ruin in the end,"
she began contemplating the course of her revenge. „But then, won"t I run the risk of being
misunderstood by Chandra? If he were he to stalk me, won't the risk remain the same,
making no difference either way for me. Better I tell Chandra right away, and that way, I
can cover my flanks as I take the devil head on."
Having got carried away by her feeling of revenge thus, she began to map out the plan
of action.
„What shall be done to make him pay for his misdeeds as well as evil designs!" she
began racking her brains. „Won"t man feel insecure seeing his wife wooed by another male?
What about settling scores with him by letting Chandra befriend Prema? But then, why
should Chandra play ball? Given his sense of decency he"s bound to be averse to the idea!
But then, won"t I be able to persuade him? And which man doesn"t enjoy the company of a
pretty woman like Prema, that too if prompted by his wife? Whenever that happens, then
Vasu would be forced to put up with that or pack up with his wife. What if Chandra and
Prema develop some romantic designs of their own? How one can ever know! If they turn
close, won"t that make the rogue die in humiliation? And should Prema ditch Vasu for
Chandra, won"t it be a double jeopardy for that bastard? Won't then, he would lose his wife
for her to become 'the other woman' that he wanted to make out of me. Ware wah! Won"t
that leave the rouge staring at a leaf out of his dirty book?"
„But, all that could hurt me as well?" she thought on coming back to the reality of life
from the euphoria of revenge. „Won"t I end up with a rival for Chandra"s affections? Who
knows, Prema"s charms might even dampen his ardor for me. Well, why not I face the facts
of life? Won"t all men end up ha
ving a fling on the sly, sooner or later? Moreover, when one
plays with fire, how can one ever shy away from the heat of it?"
As her obsession to avenge herself on the man who had betrayed her made her
rationalize the prospect of a rival to the affections of the man who stood by her, Nithya was
impatient for Chandra arrival that evening. After dinner, having detailed Vasu"s trespass to
him, she unfolded her plan to checkmate him, however, without raising any romantic
appetite in her man. And as expected, Chandra wasn"t inclined go with her plan and
instead wanted to bury the issue by sorting it out with Vasu.
“What if he won"t give up?” she said unprepared to shift her goal post. “That would
only make you suspicious in the end.”
“Maybe, but…”
“Offence is the best form of defense, isn"t it?” she said unable to desist herself from her
sense of revenge.
“Okay but,” said Chandra in vacillation, “it may all be messy.”
“Why leave me to the wolf,” she said playing her trump card, “and yourself court
misunderstanding?”
“Won"t I go to lengths for you?” he said with all his heart. “But still.”
“If you keep quiet now,” she said seemingly worried, “we may have to sulk later, you in
doubt and I in neglect.”
“Maybe you"re right,” he said contemplatively, “but for all that, it could be risky for
you.”
“What"s the risk like?” she asked feigning ignorance.
“Don"t you know man-woman friendships lurk about liaisons" fences?” he said to alert
her.
“For all I know, it may turn out to be a platonic feeling between you and her,” she said
determinedly. “Won"t sex appeal vary from eye to eye? Besides, it"s not that every
attraction burns in the groin, does it? After all, platonic love is all about physical attraction
sans sexual urge. Still if you get involved, it"s but a small price for me to pay to save my
marriage.”
“Why are you so obsessed with him?” asked Chandra appearing relenting.
“There is another angle to it as well,” she said with conviction. “Once he"s made to taste
his own bitter medicine, he would think twice before making a pass at another woman. If
