Thursday, October 20, 2011

A quiet dinner.

She threw the jean with the belt hung on it, entered the kitchen and anticipated for last night's beacon to have vanished. The damp, unhappy fridge effected her mood drastically to her surprise. The husband wasn't home, and she was going to eat dinner alone. Again.
She tied her shirt up into a naught over her waist that had now gained a few layers of fat, after marriage. The husband called them his exclusive love handles. It didn't sound half as ridiculous when he said it as it did in her head, now.
She scooped some jelly and quickly gulped it down, as if guilty about her eyes watching..
Women, women ; She could almost imagine the husband snickering. She rolled her eyes at the solitary house who'd been her companion for the past month, while the husband had a secret affair with his Office desk, his files, and the tender submission. She sighed.

She put on the old Steely Dan record and started swinging to 'Home at last' while soaking some beans into the red bowl. She noticed a crack, and immediately a flash of irritation crossed her. Just how many times had she asked him to not enter the kitchen. Almost all the utensils had a crack here, a chipped end there. His careless approach to everything annoyed her, but three years of marriage had taught her the hidden vow of compromise, to let things pass and come in terms with the fact that she wasn't living alone anymore, that she couldn't have the wall hanging on the north wall because his Elvis poster had always nested there, that the curtains could not be the color of cherry, and that the shoes had to be kept outside the house, even though there was a cupboard inside which was now a home for the empty beer bottles which came from the weekend parties with their friends.
Yes, she did learn that she wasn't boss anymore,and that they had a mutual contract now.

She picked up the book the husband was currently reading. She was surprised to see it was one of her Sidney Sheldons. She smiled. It was the same book she couldn't stop talking about for weeks after her read. The same book he had sworn to not read so as to not contract the annoying disease of verbal book worm diarrhea, he had said!
The book mark was a coffee cup stain on the 87th page.
Yes, marriage had also taught her imperfection. Sweet, very sweet imperfection.

She bit her tongue as she remembered she hadn't checked her messages, she hopped to the brown coffee table and punched the red button and the messages started playing one by one...and as the track 'Peg' started playing, she sat on the dinner table, poured herself a glass of wine and chewed on her salad and waited for the husband to come back, loosen the blue tie and wink at her rushing to the shower... and while she imagined all the minute details of her daily life, the last message, dated three weeks ago, on the answering machine said ;

"Maya.. I'm so sorry.... about Rishi's sudden.. death. We want you to know that he was a good man, a lovely man. And of course a fantastic husband. We're all there for you, darling. Just a call away, you must know..."


She stood up and walked to the phone quietly, unplugged the answering machine, and went back to her dinner.


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Awaiting feedbacks as always!
Love,
Nil. 

29 comments:

  1. WOW.
    You paint a picture with your words!
    And the ending - Totally unexpected.
    Kudos!

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  2. Why, thank you so much V!
    You're very kind :-)

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  3. Now this is some turn.. I did not expect this in end ...
    and that to 3 weeks ago .. So i am assuming she is living her life NOW ..


    good twist in the end , liked it

    Bikram's

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  4. Yeah well, actually the point is that she's living in denial.. it's not that she didn't know what had happened, she just wasn't ready to accept it..

    And thank you :)

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  5. The ending took me completely by suprise. What a twist! Love reading it =)

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  6. OMG ! I kinda got goosepimples reading the ending. Ah...delusions, love, life, and things that help us pull through. Very well written.

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  7. Ah, intriguing til the very end and then the twist! Nice going. Though, I'm MIGHTY curious where Sula and I inspired this!?!

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  8. You really have the knack for catching your readers totally unaware - very nice...

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  9. @A: I was hoping it would. Thank you!



    @What's In a Name: Why,thank you so much! And aah yes. Delusions,love,life. Very aptly put :-)

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  10. @hAAthi: Thankyou thankyou! Aaah..that's one looong explanation! Maybe via email Revaaa ;)


    @Shaswati Di: GOOD to see you here after so long! And thankyou, you're very kind :)

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  11. Daaaaaaaaaaarun likhechis!
    eta shotti opurbo. Shesh mesh last line ta pore ekdom habu dubu khe gechi.
    Chaliye ja, you have a gift little one! :-)

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  12. Eeeeeps! Tumi eto adorable keno,mashi? :-*
    Thank you. It's always such a thrill to see you here and hear about your feedbacks. Happy dance for me,I tell you :)

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  13. There was one things I was always sure about until today. Now, I'm not sure you're 17 years old...



    Well written :)

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  14. OH, and BTW, check your mail ;)

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  15. Charu! Aww. Thanks. Haha you're sucha sweetheart, but yes yes, you can be sure that I'm 17.
    We're both on the 12th grade grind together, remember? I could never leave you alone at that ;D

    Yes,mail.. sure thing!

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  16. Honestly, I expected the ending. I told you so when you read it out to me that night. BUT, the end still breaks my heart because of the way you've approached the close of this short piece. It;s beautiful.

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  17. @Vantz: Thanks lavaaaaaaar :-* And arrey you and Charu needn't worry. I'll see you guys on 31st first thing in school ;)


    @Shiv: Shiiiviiii. Yep yep, I know what you had to say.. But thanks sweets! <3

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  18. happy dancing bote. baari aye, koto din ashish ni. eto dure thaki na ki aamra.
    eibar chobi dili na? :-)

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  19. Aashbo,aashbo. Boards'er porei aashbo :)
    And nope, etar shate jabar moton kichu pelam na.

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  20. Okay, no way I expected that ending! Took me by surprise..great piece :D

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  21. @Chatur: \m/ right back atcha boy.


    @Priyanka: Haha thanks! :D

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  22. too gooood, Tithi!!!
    awesome ending..

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  23. Loved reading it. Beautifully written, maydamm!

    PS: YOU ARE 17? STOP KIDDING ME.
    PPS: Shared it on twitter. =)

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  24. @Tuli Di: Thank you! :)

    @Arjit: Hullllo,you! Thrills always, to see you here :-) And why thank you so much, and you can be pretty sure I'm 17. Pinky swear :-P
    Ahaha and aww Twitter! Really? Sigh Arjit, you're too kind :-)

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  25. That is really nice! Really did touch my heart!

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  26. Wow, what a story.
    It left a tear in my eye.
    Nil Di, you write really great stuff.

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