by Esther David
The grand day arrived.
After the mehendi ceremony and wedding, Flora and Joseph left for Udaipur, as Sippora and Sharon had gifted them a honeymoon package of three nights and four days at a palace resort. On their return, they made a little love-nest for themselves in A-107 at Shalom India Housing Society.
During this period, they looked at the wedding photographs on Joseph’s laptop together. Everybody complimented Flora for looking like a bride form a wedding-dress manual. In response, Flora told them that Joseph had surprised her when he had lifted her veil. His salt-and-pepper hair had been dyed a deep black. For a second she thought she was marrying the wrong man! Joseph guffawed and told Shwon and Sippora, ‘I decided to dye my hair, as both of you had ganged up to make Flora look like a beauty queen. So I decided to look like a king.’
Joseph and Flora started looking for an apartment nearby. They even sent an email to Juliet, offering to buy A-107, which had determined their destiny. Juliet refused, as she was sentimental about the apartment and maybe later, she and Romiel would return to India and settle down in Ahmedabad.
Flora’s life became hectic. She rushed between household chores, shopping, cooking, tuitions and searching for an apartment. She lost a little more weight, while Joseph remained the same.
Enthused by her trim figure, Flora became conscious of her looks and dressed with care. In her fat phase, she would stitch her own clothes, as she felt awkward giving measurements to the local tailor or trying on clothes at a boutique, for fear that the salesgirls would make fun of her. In her new avatar, she bought clothes from a boutique, which had free-size clothes that accentuated her contours. But, to Joseph’s embarrassment, she had almost given up wearing a dupatta. Instead, she wore scarves around her shoulders, as she was no longer ashamed of her bust. Joseph reluctantly complimented her as his eyes rested on her beautiful bosom and moved away. He was annoyed that other men also noticed her.
He became aware that Flora could no longer be termed fat. But he forgot about it temporarily when they found a two-bedroom apartment and moved into their new home. It was in a high-rise condominium, Liberty Apartments, and they chose their lucky number 107 on the seventh floor. They moved in with a double bed, some racks, a round dining table, a few chairs and Joseph’s old furniture, including the rocking chair, which fitted perfectly into the drawing room. Besides these, they had received innumerable wedding gifts like bedsheets, casseroles, tea sets, crockery, wall clocks and some knick-knacks. Samuel–Sharon and Flora’s parents had gifted them cupboards and kitchen racks, while Sippora–Opher had given them curtains of their choice.
One day, Joseph returned home early to help Flora organize the flat before they had the traditional Eliyahu Hanavi prayers, malida and dinner to affix a mezuzah on their doorpost.
When he opened the door, he thought he had entered the wrong apartment. He could not recognize Flora—she was in shorts and a T-shirt, with her hair piled on her head. Wordlessly he closed the door and helped her shift the furniture in the drawing room. Flora was unaware of Joseph’s discomfort as the maid arrived to help. That was when Joseph casually asked her, ‘Aren’t you going to change?’
She looked up, surprised. ‘Why? I can work better in these clothes.’ He would have preferred that she was fully covered in a salwar-kameez when the maid arrived, but chose to keep silent. Then his eyes fell on her dainty feet. He had always admired her feet. Suddenly, he was aroused and held her in his arms passionately. At first she resisted on the pretext of cleaning the house, but then gave in. He closed the bedroom door and they made love on the floor. Later, after giving him a passionate kiss, Flora dressed and went back to cleaning the house. Joseph locked himself in the bathroom and stood stark naked in front of the mirror, feeling embarrassed at his flab. That very evening Joseph joined a gym to lose weight. He wanted to be the perfect match for Flora.
That was the beginning of a long story…
In less than a year, Joseph lost a lot of weight. His clothes started hanging on him. Sippora flung into action and persuaded him to buy new clothes. He had worn standard cuts all his life, so Sippora, Sharon and Flora went shopping with him to the best menswear store in Ahmedabad. After a lot of choosing, discarding and trying on the latest styles, Joseph surprised them by buying an assortment of well-fitting jeans and the best branded T-shirts in dark colours, along with some formal shirts for high-power meetings. On the spur of the moment, he also bought a grey designer suit. He decided to give away his old clothes to a charity, so that he was not tempted to wear them again.
In the matter of slimming, Joseph had fared better than Flora. Even after losing weight, she looked a little plump. Joseph, on the other hand, had a sleek, lean look and his high cheekbones were suddenly visible. The new Joseph looked handsome and together they were a good-looking couple. In fact, whenever they were together at the synagogue or at Shalom India Housing Society, the conversation revolved around them.
Joseph and Flora had a set lifestyle with a fixed timetable. Five days a week, Joseph went to work from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with his lunch box, which Flora prepared while making breakfast. As a rule, when he set off, she stood on their balcony watching him as he wiped his scooter and wore his helmet. They waved before he left. Then Flora finished her household chores, bathed, dressed, had lunch while watching television, napped on the sofa, set her cell-phone alarm for 2 p.m., woke up, washed her face and waited for the first batch of schoolchildren to troop in for their class. The second batch arrived at 4 p.m. and left at 6. Later, she went shopping to a nearby mall and by the time she returned home, Joseph was back.
They had dinner by 8 p. m., then Joseph went down for a stroll in the society garden and Flora watched her favourite television show till he returned to watch the late-night news, after which they went to bed. On weekends they took it easy, went to the gym together, had a late lunch, napped, shopped at the mall or went to the cinema. Sometimes on Friday evenings, they went to the synagogue for Sabbath prayers. They also made it a point to attend any bar mitzvah or circumcision ceremony on Saturday mornings.
For Sunday lunch they joined Sippora, Sharon and their families and had potluck in one house or the other. They understood the meaning of being happily married.
Then everything changed. Joseph received a promotion and had no time for Flora, so she increased the hours of her tuition classes. This worked for a while, as she was always busy and did not bother Joseph about not spending time with her.
Soon, their blissful cloud nine existence had a black lining. All hell broke loose one day when Joseph, who went to the gym early in the morning, returned late and forgot his cell phone on the dining table. Flora was in the kitchen when she heard the insistent ringing of the phone and, assuming it was an urgent call from his office, rushed to pick it up so that she could give it to him, as he was in the shower. That was when she noticed a name flashing on the screen with the image of the caller.
It was a woman with raven-black hair and bright red lipstick…
Suspicious, Flora put the phone back on the dining table and returned to the kitchen to pack Joseph’s lunch box, which she was sure he never ate but emptied in the garbage bin on his way home. Of course, he had other lunches, maybe with Vishakha. That was the name which had flashed on the cell phone.
Joseph also heard his phone ringing and rushed out of the bathroom, towel tied around his waist, dripping wet, to pick up the call. He saw Flora standing in the kitchen doorway, hand on hip. She thundered, ‘Who is she?’
Joseph glared back at her and growled, ‘New trainer at the gym. An old friend from Mumbai,’ and went back inside, slamming the bathroom door. That was the beginning of their war.
That afternoon Flora called Sippora and, not knowing what to say, fumbled for words. ‘You know Joseph looks very handsome these days…’
‘Yes, what’s new…’
‘He looks incredible. He has six-pack abs and thinks he looks like Shah Rukh Khan.’
‘What are you try
ing to tell me?’
‘You know how many kilos he has lost?’
‘I remember. Has he lost some more?’
‘Yes, he looks great.’
‘Good for him.’
‘Now that he has less time, he goes to the gym early in the morning.’
‘How about you?’
‘I don’t work out anymore.’
‘Have you put on weight?’
‘A little.’
‘You must be careful, or else…’
‘I am okay.’
‘How much have you gained?’
‘Just a little, but I am stable.’
‘Why have you put on weight? I thought you went to the gym on weekends. Now that you have more time, why don’t you work out every day? Go to the gym with Joseph.’
‘Doctor advised me not to…’
‘Why?’
‘I think … I am pregnant.’
‘What do you mean, think? Either you are pregnant or not … Why didn’t you tell us?’
‘I am in a bad mood.’
‘It happens during the first few months. Tell me, how many months?’
‘Almost three.’
‘When did you come to know?’
‘Yesterday.’
‘Mazal tov! Joseph must be excited?’
‘He does not know.’
‘Why haven’t you told him?’
‘Just like that.’
‘Flora, I know you so well. You never hide anything from Joseph and this is great news.’
‘I did not feel like telling him.’
‘I don’t believe it. Is something wrong? Have you had a fight?’
‘…’
‘Flora, are you there?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, I sense something is wrong. I am coming to your place right away.’
‘Okay.’
Sippora quickly cancelled all appointments, took the lift to the basement and drove to Flora’s place. In this particular matter, she did not want to involve Sharon, as it concerned the family. After all, they were Joseph’s relatives and this was a serious issue, as Flora had hidden such important information from Joseph.
When Sippora reached the apartment, she saw that the door was open, so she rushed in slamming the door behind her. Flora was slumped on the sofa, zapping television channels. Sippora sat next to her, held her in her arms and asked, ‘What happened?’
Between sobs, Flora told her about the early-morning call and the change in Joseph since he had become regional manager of the bank. Then Sippora made coffee for both of them and advised her not to take such things seriously. She told her how someone had spread the rumour that she was having an affair with Raphael, but it was not true. Before Sippora left, Flora promised that she would give Joseph the good news that very evening. The older woman also advised her to look beautiful, not a frump. Flora gave her a weak smile.
After Sippora left, Flora called Joseph and asked him to meet her at a café. She dressed carefully, wearing a printed red skirt, a tunic of the same colour, a scarf to match and left her hair flowing over her shoulders. They had decided to meet around 4, when Joseph was not hard-pressed for time. Flora looked at her wristwatch and saw that he was late. Twice, she sent back the waiter, saying that she was waiting for someone and sat there with a sinking heart, looking out of the glass window. Then she saw him and waved. He came in hurriedly, apologizing that he had been caught in a traffic jam. Yes, the car was a new addition in their life.
Flora gave him a forced smile as he ordered two cappuccinos and a slice of truffle cake with two spoons, just as in the good old days, behaving as though nothing had happened that morning. Flora changed the order and asked for green tea. Joseph looked surprised. ‘Since when did you start having green tea?’
‘About two months ago. I am pregnant.’
Flora noticed that Joseph froze in his chair, as though they were playing a game of ‘Statue’. She felt that he was more shocked than taken aback, more worried than happy. She sat there, expressionless and feeling miserable. She had expected him to jump with joy, pick her up in his arms, swing her around, kiss her and announce to the world, ‘Look, guys, I am going to become a daddy.’
Nothing like that happened. Fortunately, at that moment the waiter arrived with the coffee, tea and cake. Joseph sat looking at the heart-shaped froth in his cup, broke it with his teaspoon and offered the cake to Flora with a tight smile. ‘Great news, let us celebrate.’
Flora refused, saying, ‘I don’t like cakes.’
‘One of those pregnancy things…’
She did not answer. She looked into his eyes and said, ‘Don’t lie, Joseph. I can see you are not happy with the news.’
Looking sheepish, he said, ‘Naturally, it comes as a surprise. We were careful, no? We had decided to plan the baby. I did not even know that you had been to a gynaecologist. When did you come to know?’
‘When could I have told you? I barely see you. We don’t eat together or spend time together. This morning, when I was about to give you the good news, your phone rang.’
He was amused. ‘Are you upset about Vishakha? She is a school friend from Mumbai. I can call her home for tea on a Sunday. You can meet her. It’s nothing. I am so happy that we are going to be parents.’
Flora sat there trying to hold back her tears. But Joseph had paid the bill and was on his way out. He said, ‘Come, let’s go. I’ll drop you home. I am getting late.’ Flora stood up and noticed that the cake was untouched. She wanted to throw up.
Back home, she called Sippora and told her about Joseph’s reaction when she told him about her pregnancy. He had made an effort to look happy. She also told her that maybe there was nothing between him and Vishakha.
As her pregnancy progressed, Flora was often unwell and Joseph tried to be around for her. He even went shopping at odd hours when she had a sudden craving for strawberries.
Vishakha was forgotten. Then Flora went through a bad phase. Her gynaecologist was afraid that she would lose the baby and advised complete bed-rest. This meant that she had to spend long lonely hours at home with the maid, although Flora’s mother, aunts, cousins, Sippora, Sharon and neighbours old and new spent time with her, often bringing food and having lunch with her. Then, according to tradition, Flora’s mother took her home, as it would be easier to look after her. But Vishakha’s ghost still hovered over Flora and she was not willing to shift to her mother’s house. She only agreed when Joseph promised he would visit her every day and have dinner with them, unless he was delayed at office, was invited out by friends or had to attend a staff dinner. Reluctantly, she left for her mother’s house, making arrangements with the maid to do the household work every morning and prepare Joseph’s lunch box. Joseph did not give Flora any reason to complain. Flora was declared safe during the seventh month and she decided to have the eighth-month ceremony in her own apartment. After that, she would leave for her mother’s house again.
Flora returned to her apartment to organize it for the ceremony. She also wanted to surprise Joseph when he returned home, as he was out hosting a staff dinner. Instead, Flora was in for a surprise when she opened the apartment door with her keys and saw that all the lights were on. She stood still, sensing there was someone in the flat. She was about to scream for help, assuming that thieves had broken in, when she heard Joseph’s voice and realized there was a woman with him. Her eyes went around the drawing room and rested on a new addition on the wall, hanging next to their ‘perfect wedding photograph’. It was a black-and-white poster of a nude male sculpture with hands folded behind his back. The name of the artist, Michelangelo, was scrawled in an oblique line over it with a quote, ‘…every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it…’
Flora stood at the door in her dowdy maternity dress, swinging her keys, and rang the bell till Joseph came to the door, followed by a reed-thin woman in a tracksuit. Flora guessed that it was Vishakha. They were cooking and she appe
ared to be a regular visitor to their apartment.
When Joseph saw Flora, his face fell. He was holding a wooden spatula in his hand, as though he was carrying a flag. Vishakha stood next to him. Spitefully, Flora noticed that she was bow-legged. She was wearing heels and her hair was piled in a topknot on her head. Flora saw that they were both wearing similar blue aprons. It appeared that Vishakha was soon going to move in with Joseph.
Flora felt her temper rising but controlled herself. She hung the house keys on the hook near the main door as Joseph rushed to hug her. Vishakha removed her apron and gushed, her red lips opening and closing like a goldfish, ‘Oh hello! I have heard so much about you from Joseph. We were in the same school in Bombay and surprise, surprise, we met again at the gym. Did you see that poster of Michelangelo? Wonder if you have heard about him, maybe not? Well, last week I was in Rome and I thought it was the perfect gift for Joseph, since he has lost so much weight. It’s simply miraculous. By the way, Flora—your name is Flora, right—would you like to have some pasta? I was showing Joseph how to make pasta, since he lives alone…poor dear. I thought I’d help, as it can be made in a jiffy.’
Flora, enormously pregnant, stood listening to her chatter and answered in a clipped tone, ‘Are you inviting me for dinner in my own house? It is so kind of you to teach my poor starved husband how to cook, as he lives alone. Do you know, when he is not having these private dinners with you in our house, he has been having dinner almost every day with me at my parents’ home, like a good son-in-law? And, as for pasta, this curry-crazy man eats pasta only with you. How dare you cook in my kitchen and invite me for dinner, as though it was your house, not mine! For your information, this is my home, not yours, so don’t you even try to…’
Joseph put his arm around Flora, asking her to calm down, saying it was not good for her health. But she shrugged him off and, pointing to the door, screamed, ‘Vishakha, that is your name, right? Get out right now.’
Joseph stood between the two women, feeling helpless, not knowing what to do. Vishakha picked up her clutch and rushed out, slamming the door.
