SHE - Episode 8

SHE​

A Serial By Varalotti Rengasamy ​

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Episode 8​

“Shalini, I have a strong inkling that we will make a great couple. I am not asking your hand in marriage. Why not we live together for a while and see if it will work out?”

Jaggis proposal came out of the blue. It shocked Shalini so much so that she let her coffee cup fall down and spread on her saree.

Jaggi was apologetic. He picked up the cup.

“I am absolutely sorry, Shalini. Talking directly is the only way known to me. Think it over and let me know. Feel free to say no. But please remember that neither Yes nor No will not and should not affect our friendship.”


Shalini had not recovered from the shock still. She mumbled a barely audible ok and left the scene.

Shalini was continuously thinking of Jaggi’s proposal. Not that having a physical relationship with the handsome and youthful Jaggi had not crossed her mind at all. She knew only too well that she was no saint.

And that she would not be able to sustain the crusty, celibate life of a single woman for long. Eventually like every other woman she wanted to meet her “soul mate” , fall blindly in love with him, marry him and live happily everafter.

She was not a prude. Even during her teens she used to pass comments on handsome boys, a habit which continued even after marriage. That quality had irritated Rishi, no end. Since he did not have the habit of ogling, Shalini casting glances at handsome young men fanned his jealousy.

But Captain Ramnath was a different ball game. He would spare no woman, who came his way. He would glance, stare, ogle and if possible try to say hello to her, with his usual line, “Forgive me, beti, are you not Col.Krishnan’s daughter?”

When Shalini buttonholed him on this quality, his reply was an old joke.

“I may not be permitted to eat the food. But nothing prevents me from having a look at the menu card. And have a feel of it.”

He woud say with a wink.

Shalini’s was soundly grounded in her values both traditional and modern - another legacy from her father. Unlike the preachy moralists, Shiva did not suffer hard to hold on to the moral high ground. It was not fear that drove him to be moral and upright; it was all a matter of personal taste for him. This rare approach to morality helped Shiva to have an impeccable character and more than that filled his mind with compassion when he sat on judgment on moral offences at his office.

Shalini, was therefore, righteously shocked by this idea of “living in sin” and that too with a younger man. Not that Jaggi’s intentions were dishonourable.

In Jaggi’s ‘indecent proposal’ she only found an an earnest desire for a permanent relationship. It was at the same time a cautious approach of a person who was ‘once bitten’ by the institution of marriage.

Still she could not decide one way or other. She left it at that until the circumstances forced her to jump on to one side of the wall.

Three months had passed since Jaggi had advanced the bold proposal. And she had been a chaste divorcee for six months.

She was surprised to see an expensive wedding invitation in her mailbox. It was Rishi’s. He was marrying his second cousin. Shalini had met that girl once or twice.

She was much younger to her, a village belle endowed with sharp feautures and ample proportions. What she lacked was education. She had not even finished her schooling.

And of course, when you see her, ‘class’ was one word which would never cross your mind except by negative implication.

Shalini pulled out the ostentatious card from the cover. One thing hit her like a flash of lightning.

Captain loved simplest of proverbs. At times he would say something as docile as “Character is an important thing” and would even be proud of having invented a proverb.

‘Captainisms’ as Shalini had branded them were simple to the point of being a truism and served only to irritate the really educated. Rishi’s wedding invitation contained a ‘captainism’ which was designed to hurt Shalini.

‘At times education can be a reason for one’s downfall.’ Shalini did not miss the stab.

Later in the evening Shalini got a call on her mobile. Captain Ramnath, her ex father-in-law. .

“Am I talking to Miss Shalini Shiva?”

“Yes.”

“This is Captain Ramnath. Got Rishi’s wedding card? Please DO NOT come. You see, Miss Shalini, within a year after the divorce, I have found another girl, a better girl for my son.


“But I challenge you, you wont and you cant find another man for you in ten years. For a girl drunk by her own intellect, this should have a sobering effect.”

“Objection, Captain. Objection. I have already found my man and am living with him. And you know, Captain, I have got a better deal. I did not have to search for an uneducated second cousin to prove my worth. And that silly saying on the card is proof enough of your inferiority complex.”

Shalini disconnected. She was surprised at herself. How did she decide to accept Jaggi’s invitation just like that? And how could she speak with such a sting? No, Captain tried to insult me and I had to sting back, just to guard my self-esteem.

 

Part 2!

The next day when Shalini and Jaggi were having their evening tea, Shalini told him that she was now ready to try his “live-in” model. If it worked out then they could think of marriage. She asked Jaggi to vacate his bachelor’s digs and move over to her place.

She had been thinking of that arrangment all through the previous night. She wanted to pre-empt any gossip especially in her office. She met the President of the company and told her about the arrangement. The President a 35 year old mother of two was first shocked. But soon recovered and congratulated Shalini. When she spoke to her Shalini could trace a tinge of sadness in her voice.

“I think what you are doing is right. I cant say that I am very happy in my marriage. But I am stuck. I love my children too much to even think of a divorce or an alternative arrangement. I am drowning myself in my work to forget about my marriage.

Shalini, many career women share my fate. We do not have bad husbands, per se. But we have bad marriages. Nothing now remains of my marriage but an empty form.

I salute your courage. Best of luck.”

Jaggi moved with his bag and baggage on a Friday afternoon. Shalini cleared a sunny room where Jaggi could put his stuff. At first both of them were distinctly uncomfortable with each other.

Their heartbeats were at least 20% faster than normal. It was one thing to relate to each other as professional colleagues; but this was something new to them. A relationship which was yet to take shape. A relationship which they had not even begun to understand.

Shalini strained herself to appear normal.

“Jaggi, you want your dinner here or shall we go out?”

“I am fed up with outside food. I’ll prefer home cooked food. I am famished, Shalni.”

Shalini knew that Jaggi liked traditional South Indian food. She asked her cook to prepare a full spread with sambar, kaara kuzhambu, rasam, kootu, poriyal and even vadai and paayasam.

Dinner was served at 8 PM. Shalini was in a black Mysore Silk saree whose soft texture served to accentuate the shape of her beautiful body. Jaggi was wearing a silk dhoti and a jibba, which made him appear young and matured at the same time.

Unknown to each other, their minds were on what was to follow after dinner. Jaggi had proposed a live-in relationship and Shalini had accepted. A live-in relationship definitely included everything, most of all, sex. But still neither of them was very sure. So they finished their dinner in relative silence.

It was quite ironical because when they ate their lunch together in their office they always spoke animatedly; but here when they were alone, while on the threshold of a much deeper relationship, they did not have much to talk.

They adjourned to the drawing room. Some precious minutes were wasted in meaningless small talk as they had the dessert of hot carrot halwa immersed in malai kulfi.

Jaggi was restless. Finally he summoned enough courage to broach the subject that had been in his mind ever since he moved in.

“Correct me, if I am wrong, Shalini. This live-in relationship… this living together… does it…. Include…er…….er…. er… how should I say…… But if you feel otherwise… no problem….”

Shalini looked at him. Her face had gone red. Looked like all the blood in her body took refuge in her beautiful face.

Her “yes” was hardly audible. Suddenly a change came in Jaggi. He came to Shalini and suddenly lifted her from her seat. Shalini dropped the cup in her hand. With the sound of shattered glass still echoing in her ears, Shalini was carried to her bedroom.

At bed Shalini was not only overpowered but also overwhelmed by Jaggis love. Unlike Rishi he was a compulsive talker and praised Shalini’s beauty sky-high while gently making love to her.

Shalini’s womanhood was religiously worshipped by an ardent devotee. Jaggi was on the one hand soft and caring and on the other, firm and forceful. And these two extreme facets of him served only to increase Shalini’s pleasures. She had never attained that kind of a bliss ever since her honeymoon in Kothagiri.

After their passions were spent Jaggi hugged her and went to sleep. Shalini was in so blissful a state that she could not bring herself to sleep. Her thoughts centred on the beautiful experience which transformed her.

She thought that many marriages became complicated because the simple matter of sex was not given the importance due to it. If sex is good, it will take care of a host of other problems. And if it is not , no amount of caring, love or money or anything else can compensate for it.

She went to sleep only in the wee hours of morning only to be woken up by Jaggi’s firm hug. Before she could realise what was happening she was dragged to the state of sexual bliss once again by her live-in partner.

 

Part 3!

When she woke up around 9 next morning, Jaggi was dressed up and ready to go.

“Take rest honey. I’ll take care of the office. We need to sit together for that Capex proposal. Why don’t you come to office around noon? We’ll have lunch outside and spend the rest of the day on the proposal and finish it, if that suits you.”

“That’s fine with me.” Shalini said with a smile.

Jaggi kissed her on her lips and took leave of her.

It was a gross understatement to say that Shalini was on Cloud Nine. She had a vibrant live-in relationship with Jaggi. Whether on bed or off-bed, Jaggi was an excellent partner. He was a natural conversationalist and they had many common things to talk about.

What Shalini liked the most about Jaggi was his respect for her professional excellence. At the office he deferred to her and in spite of the relationship he did not take her for granted. He maintained a respectable distance as he did earlier.

For Shalini time was flying. Before she could wake up from her state of bliss, two years had flown by. Six months into ther relationship Shalini suggested that they could get married. But Jaggi had other views.

“Six months is too short a time, honey. Let’s give this a long rope. You know in captial budgeting we take three years as a short-term investment horizon. Why don’t we apply the same rule here? Let’s not rock the boat, when the sailing is smooth.”

Shalini gifted Jaggi a new Honda City car. She also gave an add-on credit card to him on her account. Which literally meant that Jaggi could spend anything and Shalini would foot the bill.

But Jaggi rarely used the card and when he did, he gave the money to Shalini. “We should not let money come between us.” That was his reasoning. Shalini started liking him even more.

Shalini started to relax for the first time in the last 7 years. She might not have exactly found out her identity but she had definitely found her happiness. And that was more precious than her identity. At least that was what she thought at that time.

The going was so smooth that Destiny thought that it was time to intervene.