by BS Murthy
'Oh, you've touched my heart,' said Sathyam patting Raja Rao.
'Congratulations for forming a new M utual Admiration Club,' smiled Roopa.
'M embership drive is still on,' said Raja Rao, 'you're welcome to join.'
Soon, the invitees began to arrive with their kids, and in time, the piace was aii agog with excitement. At iength, as it was time for high tea, announced Sandhya, 'Pray it's paiatabie, and pick up your piate.'
For the first anniversary of Integrai Architects, that came ciose on the heeis of Saroja's birthday. Raja Rao pianned to ceiebrate the occasion with the staff at the office. Besides, he wanted to wine and dine with their friends at Biue Fox in the evening.
Thus, after performing the customary vighneswara puja that morning, and having handed over the mandatory mementoes to Asiam and Narasaiah, Raja Rao caiied it a day at the office.
Soon they reached home, and Sandhya, as was her wont, sent Saroja with the maidservant to Laiitha's piace, so finding themseives aii aione with their man, as the mates iooked at him admiringiy. Raja Rao foided them tenderiy with his 'I iove you'. Flaving kissed them both, he handed them diamond ear-studs each, that they found fascinating.
'Cute,' said Sandhya excitediy.
'Radiant,' refiected Roopa refiexiveiy.
'Like you two,' he said as they went about unscrewing their goid studs.
'Do you know Sandhya,' said Roopa mirthfuiiy, 'how he used to pronounce 'two' as 'too', to seduce me!'
'Flad I known that,' said Sandhya mirthfuiiy, 'our orgymoon wouid have been my honeymoon.'
'Ohl' said Roopa reminiscentiy, as she tried to position the diamond ear-studs aii by herseif, 'how that wouid have saved me aii that misery.'
'But it was your pining that made our meeting so poignant that night,' said Raja Rao, stopping her from changing the ear studs.
'Weii, there's a price to pay for everything,' said Roopa, 'maybe, ordeais throw up rewards in the end.'
'Now for a romantic touch to our daiiiance,' he said, and took the pair from Sandhya's hand, and gave one to Roopa, saying, 'iet's together adorn the First Lady.'
'It's just iove,' said Sandhya, as her man and her mate were at work on her ears.
'Are you not our iove,' they said, biting the respective ear.
'Oh, you iook wonderfui,' said Roopa to Sandhya, 'iook into the mirror.'
'Don't I know that from thegiow on your faces,' said Sandhya, embracing them both.
When he invited Sandhya for a repeat performance on their iover, Roopa said mischievousiy to Raja Rao. 'You ieave the right one to her, as she has the first right on me.'
Seeing her adorned. Raja Rao said, 'Oh Roopa, how your face giows in the diamond triangiel'
'Can't I guess that from the giint in your eyes,' said Roopa,'
'You are a rare gem,' said Sandhya, kissing Roopa.
'Spotted by your taste,' responded Roopa, even as Sandhya sucked Raja Rao into a grander kiss, she added, 'poiished by his passion, and embedded in our iove triangie.'
'I too love to wear a nose-stud,' said Sandhya, fondling Roopa's.
'Don't we thinkalike, darling?' he said, pulling one from his pocket.
'But then, won't she need a poke,' said Roopa, laughing, 'on her nose for that.'
'For that,' smiled Raja Rao, 'I don't mind sending her to any doctor.'
'And for that,' said Sandhya naughtily, 'would I need any other needle?'
'It's time we chained him,' Roopa winked at Sandhya.
'Can I ask for a lovelier punishment,' said Raja Rao, all eager.
Pressing herself to him at his back, as Roopa blindfolded Raja Rao with her palms, having removed his shirt thereafter, Sandhya slipped a gold chain onto his chest, and as her grateful man opened his arms, Sandhya sank into his embrace in mirth. But when she moved her hands to his navel, Roopa shifted her hands onto the chain, as though to rein him in.
'Won't our womanly togetherness adorn your manly chest?' Roopa whispered to him, showing him the locket.
'It's amazing in its alphabetical reversal,' he said, hugely pleased.
'Let's go by the precedent,'said Sandhya, stripping him naked.
'First lovers first,' he said, holding them together, 'that's the right order.'
'Won't we take that as your order,' said the mates, and began to show an unusual zeal in their lesbian togetherness.
Watching them in wonderment, he took out two waist-chains to adorn their nudity with those but as they reached for them randomly, he suggested they guess the respective destination of the gold and the platinum ornaments.
'Who knows, you might bluff,' said Sandhya, seconded by Roopa, 'even if we guess it right.'
'No way, as each of them' he said in all smiles, 'has a name of its own.'
As they guessed theirs' right, he began with Sandhya, and exclaimed, 'oh, how it vanished!' and when it came to Roopa, he wondered, 'how well it matches!'
In that euphoric moment, as his women lost no time to go to each other's erotic roots, seeing their waist-chains sink into each other's breasts, he said ecstatically, 'What a rainbow of love to behold!'
'Oh, enough of your voyeurism,' sputtered Roopa in time, 'why not you shoot now, having two strings to your bow.'
'How can I,' he said, feigning helplessness, 'with both the targets out of sight.'
'Hit here straight,' said Roopa, raising her head, 'before you aim at my rear.'
When nature ended the orgy, said Roopa dreamily, 'Can anyone have an idea of our joy?'
'If only they could,' Sandhya said smiling, 'won't they die of jealousy for the lack of it?'
When Roopa returned from her bath, finding her waist bereft of the chain he gave her, said a disappointed Raja Rao, 'I thought you liked it.'
'I want it to witness only our lovemaking,' she said, embracing him with a feeling of emotional commitment to him.
Having slept for a while, Roopa returned home by the time Sathyam came from the Secretariat. At length, the Sathyams went to the Raja Raos' place to proceed to Blue Fox at seven. Among those who made it to the party in the evening were the two Reddys, Wahab and Dr. Wazir Ahmed.
Sitting beside Sathyam, Sandhya said, 'Haven't you noticed the ear-studs on Roopa and I have on us?'
'They suit you both,' he said, 'equally well.'
'We wanted to surprise you,' said Sandhya, 'as ever.'
'I'm glad you care for her,' he said. 'She's very happy these days.'
'Why don't you stop with that?' said Roopa to Sathyam in between her conversation with Wahab.
'These mixed dinners are for novices,' said Wahab. 'Aren't stags the answer for the regulars? What do you say Sathyam saab?'
'I would say cheers,' laughed Sathyam, lifting his glass, 'to encore, that is.'
At the other end of the table. Dr. Wazir Ahmed said to Raja Rao, 'I understand the architects are having a pretty good time these days.'
'Can't you see, doctor saheb,' Subba Reddy said in undertone, before Raja Rao could reply, 'with two pretty directors on the board, how could it be otherwise for our romantic architect.'
'Thank God, you've stopped at that,' muttered Raja Rao.
'Well,' laughed Subba Reddy, who was high by then, 'it's I who has stopped at that, isn't it?'
Sensing trouble, Ranga Reddy, who was sitting beside his inebriated friend, thought it fit to preempt the embarrassment in the offing, and announced thereby, 'I request Dr. Wazir Ahmed to present this miniature Charminar to Raja Rao garu on our behalf. We fondly hope that one day. Integral Architects would conceive a modern day symbol of Hyderabad.'
'Thank you all,' said Raja Rao, sounding closure after they had dinner, 'for a wonderful evening.'
'It's our pleasure as well,' echoed the guests.
Back home, in time. Raja Rao told Sandhya, 'Can't we look back with satisfaction?'
'Of course,' she said, making herself smug in his embrace. 'And hope for a lovely life as well. I've never been happier all my life. Isn't it all about the power of love?'
'And the favors of fortune.' he said fondling her lovingly.
'But, I'm worried at times,' she said in apprehension, 'Isn't our bliss too good, to last for long.'
'By some twisted logic of the law of averages,' said Raja Rao, 'Roopa's unfortunate past might as well ensure the future stability of our love triangle.'
'Well, for all that, going by your logic, it may come true even,' said Sandhya sharing her thoughts with him. 'But, what can be said about the strangeness of life and the singularity of the relationships it occasions? To start with, it was the mutual admiration that ushered in my friendship with Roopa. Then, our growing affection found its true expression in our lesbianism, triggered by, of all the things, by her post-nuptial depression! And our chance meeting in New Delhi brought you into my life to provide
substance, as well as sustenance to It. Later, your mutual attraction resulted In your passionate liaison that catered to Roopa's craving for male elan, and yours, for your dusky dame. In the end. It was the reality of relationships that you presented me, helped me color our love triangle on the canvas of our sexuality. And then providentially at TIrupatl, spirituality too Insensibly seeped Into our orgies, enabling us to experience divinity In our lovemaking. And above all, thanks to the Innate empathy you have for the fair sex, the idea of woman in liaison loving her husband made you Roopa's benign flame, to light Sathyam's way. Oh, that's life.'
'Can we imagine our life without her now,' said Raja Rao contemplatively. 'What more can we ask from life?'
'Why not we make a menage a trois with her.,' Sandhya said dreamily, 'Oh how we used to jest about it!.'
'Find him a wife before she files the suit,' he said joking. 'But, one shouldn't be too greedy even in daydreaming.'
'Contentment is the finest thing,' she said, sinking into him, 'even in loveseeking, isn't it?'
'Doesn't it go against the other saying,' he said, winking at her, 'that variety is the spice of life?'
'But then,' she said, 'how our life covers both the grounds.'
'Won't that give us,' he said reaching for her lips, 'contented variety.'
'Here you have,' she said, turning amorous, 'the first of it.'
At length, the blessed couple sank into a blissful sleep.
Chapter 37
End of an Innings
Some six months later, it seemed, destiny was making a course correction in Roopa's life.
After Sathyam had his breakfast that Sunday morning, she herself feeling lazy, Roopa sent him to fetch some bhindi. On his way back from the nearby sabzi mandi, remembering Roopa's indent for matchboxes as well, he stopped at a pan shop and chanced to read the headline of the Eenadu on sale there. Though he couldn't believe his eyes, the caption there shook him to the core. Jeopardized by the news, he picked up a copy in anxiety, and ran home in fright. Racing up the steps, he sank into the sofa to go through the item with premonition.
'WORLD BANK TENDERS ROCK ASSEMBLY' the headline stared him in the face all again, making him numb. However, goaded by the fear of his future, he read the copy that read - Divakar Reddy, the leader of the opposition, alleged in the Assembly that the contracts of the World Bank Projects were fraudulently awarded to the benami firms of the Finance Minister, Rajanna Choudhary. Though the minister, who was present in the House, denied any irregularity, demanding an enquiry, the opposition staged a walkout and sat in dharna outside the legislature. Fearing a deadlock in the house, the Chief M inister agreed to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.'
Sathyam could go no further, what with his eyes welled up by then.
Roopa, who meanwhile pulled herself into the kitchen, was at a loss as to why he was taking so long to return. At length, however, as she came into the hall, she saw him as white as a sheet in the sofa.
'What's wrong with you?' she enquired anxiousiy.
Stiii in a trance, he iooked at hervacuousiy.
'Teii me,' she shook him anxiousiy, 'what happened?'
He gave her the newspaper for a repiy.
'Teii me, piease,' she asked, fiinging the paper on the tabie.
'Read the headiine,' he mumbied.
'I can't make head or taii of it,' she said, having read it.
'That headiine might cost me my head,' he said nervousiy.
'What!' she said in shock.
'I'm invoived in aii that,' he said with mixed feeiings.
'I just can't beiieve it!' she said, and read the news in detaii.
'Beiieve it or not,' he said, iooking at her confounded, 'I was the mastermind behind it.'
'I think you're imagining things,' she said, as she gathered her wits, 'Are you not assuming undue seif-importance these days?'
'How can I convince you,' he said heipiessiy, 'that it's my idea to the iast detaii?'
'Oh, reaiiy,' she said in exasperation. 'But why didn't you teii me before?'
Then he narrated the contours of the conspiracy and the detaiis of its execution with a sense of excitement, and added, 'I wonder how anyone couid have smeiied a rat. Unbeiievabie reaiiy, for that was aii so fooiproof.'
'No doubt, it's briiiiant,' she said, making no effort to hide her admiration for his brainchiid, 'though wicked. Oh, if oniy you had put your brains to better use.'
'Do you know,' he said mysteriousiy, 'what my idea was worth?'
'Why, the crumbs of the cake,' she said feeiing sad. 'And now we iand in this mess.'
'Hoid your breath,' he said proudiy, 'you're a miiiionairess without your knowing it. I've made two millions from that single deal and another half a million for the assorted favors done over the time. The money is there for you, safely tucked away in the attic.'
'To hell with your millions,' she said, unmoved. 'I'm worried about your future.'
'More than the loss of face for me,' he said dejectedly, 'I'm worried about its confiscation, making you poor all over again.'
'You know that I don't care,' she said, trying to calm him, 'even if it were a billion that is at stake. I'm only worried about you.'
'I've never imagined things would come to this pass,' he said morosely. 'I only thought that money might make you feel secure, and would earn me your love. It looks like, now I'm ruined in everyway.'
'Oh me!' she said with a sense of remorse. 'It's my fault indeed. How I was cold to you! Don't you know that I love you now?'
'I know that,' he said with his heart in his mouth, 'but do you still love me?'
'Oh, for the way you feel for me, I love you even more now,' she said, taking his hand.
'Roopa, you don't seem to understand the value of money and the humiliation the lack of it could cause,' he said, pushing the import of the calamity onto the back burner.
as the sentiment of his iove came to the fore. 'Though it hurt me deepiy, it was Prasad's ogiing of you that had opened my eyes. If oniy I were a man of status, he wouidn't have dared even to daydream about you, ieave aione wooing you. From then on, I strived to prepare a sheath of weaith for you to ward off the iecherous foiks.'
'Oh, my dariing,' she embraced him, 'how you iove me!'
'M ore than you couid ever imagine,' he said.
'I'm blessed, really,' she said, overwhelmed by love for him, 'but how do we get out of this mess now?'
'It's a consolation that you love me still,' he said. 'But how can I show my face to my father?'
'Don't worry, he would understand,' she said trying to cheer him up. 'After all, he loves you above all else.'
'You don't seem to know him,' he said in all remorse. 'For him, our surname is paramount. Fie would die of shame at this misdeed of mine.'
'Why not plead guilty and be done with it?'
'Maybe, the court could be considerate at that but Choudhary's mafia won't take kindly to that,' he lamented. 'Oh, how hopelessly I've compromised myself!'
'We all make mistakes don't we?' she said to him as much to herself. 'Yet, we deserve to be sympathized by others for the motive behind our moves. After all, it's for love that w
e both erred on the sly.'
Flaving said that, she realized that she got carried away to blurt out her secret and looked at him horrified. Being overwhelmed by his own predicament, Sathyam failed to note the oddity of her averment, and so didn't press her for any clarification on that count.
'Your sentiment gives me hope,' he said.
'We better talk to Raja Rao,' she suggested in relief, having recovered in the meantime.
'We'll think about it later,' he said, as he got up to go into the bedroom, 'but I want to be alone now. At times, solitude is the best company, don't you think it is?'
'True,' she said with understanding, 'I won't disturb you.'
'Why not I have a little drink to lighten my burden?' bethought aloud.
'I can understand,' she said, and went to fetch him some ice and water.
Drinking out of a bottle of Chivas Regal, of the three sent by Nagaraju the other day, thought Sathyam, 'What a paradox it is, that grief and relief should come from the same source!'
'Am I not responsible for all this?' felt Roopa, all alone in the hall. 'Of course, having made him feel insecure all through, haven't I caused his fall? If only I had made him feel wanted from the beginning, would things have come to such a pass? Well, wittingly or unwittingly, I brought him to this stage. But, he won't even have one harsh word for me! Why have I devalued him and his love all along? Oh God, how I have come to wrong him!'
Overwhelmed by his new found virtues, and ashamed of her own insensitivity, Roopa resolved to stand by him through thick and through thin, 'Even if the world belittles him, won't I value him now, more than anything else.'
'You better stop it now,' she reproached him at iunchtime, finding him at drink aii morning.
'Roopa, piease,' he said pieadingiy, 'don't try to stop me today. I can't stand it, if I come to my senses.'
'You're making me heipiess,' she said.
'Am I not heipiess myseif?'
'At ieast, do have a bite,' she said pieading.
'Okay,' he said, emptying the giass, 'I shaii join you.'
After iunch, exhausted by fear, he siept for iong. At iength, as he got up at five, he asked her to go to Sandhya's piace iest they shouid come visiting them.
