Casa 18

8:07 AM

Dec 20^th Wednesday.

Mangal Kunj

She opened and shut the million bathroom drawers looking for the kind of claw clip that would match her outfit…. A chiffon skirt in pink and lavender… the blouse was puffed sleeve in pink… her hair dripped on her blouse… the airconditiong was too strong…. Freezing her entire back in the process…

She walked back into her closet… Radio Mirchi reminded her of the time. She HAD to be at work at 9.

Dadi wouldn’t let her leave withouting pressing down two tons of breakfast in her stomach…

Her dabba would be ready tho…. NO MATTER what…… the Thermos would be packed  with whatever she requested the night before. She sympathized with Hari Lal and would often make “light choices” or even wake up a lil early. But would be sent right back to bed.

HL’s toothy smile would reassure her her demand wasn’t too overboard…

She found a sparkly lavendar in her closet’s chest of drawers…….. she wore it as she packed her laptop case and her purse… took them downstairs… flipped through the various newspapers lying on the table by the dining area…… for 15 or so minutes…..

Went back to search for the clip she had in mind…….

 her wardrobe, her accessories and her jewelry had EXPLODED since May 2010…… when she returned home from honeymoon, she had found everything in their original boxes or packing… stacked in her closet…..

She kept track of it all religiously…… many he had taken……………she lost track of which ones… too many to count……….. just like how she forgot her loan instalment………..

He had blown her off last nite…….. she looked at her wrist………where he had held her hand… to remove it from his key board………

She had slept on the center of the bed….. in defiance……..

She took off the lavender sparkly one… and the search continued…..

She walked into the bathroom….. deep in thought as always… found the man.. with a towel around his waist.......... the shower looked steamed up and he looked “hot”…… she bit her lower lip to hide the smile that was induced by that cheap innuendo/pun……….

He watched her as she searched… his hair draining water down his back…

She quietly shut a drawer…… and grabbed his shave foam with trembling hands…”you are not doing this right!” she declared softly…. If her voice shook…… it shook………the devil inside her had just taken her shot of steroid.........

He turned around in shock… not expecting a lesson on “how to shave”.

She held the can straight and sprayed…….. all over his chest and neck and shoulder…………… as he watched………… she emptied it all…….. and stood daring him to make a move…… egging on a staring match.......

Without saying a WORD.........he picked her up…… punched the shower on took her with him inside….. as she shrieked……… and screeched… in her loudest voice…….as the foam washed away.. some of it sponged off by his towel....... the remainder...........in rivulets down his legs...... and over her skirt