The Affair
A long shower… It had always been her weakness, her weekend indulgence. She stepped out of the hot steamy bath humming the tune of an old favourite. She had forgotten the lyrics. Maybe the hus remembered them? Smiling at her reflection on the dressing table, she made a mental note to ask him later that night. She knew how he loved playing with her tresses as he sang to her…
She plugged in the hair dryer. Ahh. That comforting warmth… Lavender-scented curls of vapour nuzzled up her neck and caressed her face. She was reminded of those beautiful days in Paris…
“This is not right. You are cheating me…” His voice cracked like a whip on her ears. She had never heard him use that tone before… And it was coming from the study.
Strange! Wasn’t he busy working?
“What?! Why should I explain it to you…”
His voice dipped, it was low and menacing now. She pulled back the thick wet coils tumbling over her ears, and strained to listen.
“Well, you know what? I don’t want you to understand… No, I have no complaints.”
He’s on the phone with someone. But didn’t he have an urgent project submission tonight?
“Take as much time as you want dear,” he had assured her as she stepped into the bath for her guilty pleasure. “In fact, why don’t you use those lavender-salts I bought you for our anniversary?”
“But you always say that I take too long to finish my bath…”
“Not now, honey,” he said cheerfully, closing the door behind her. “Work awaits!”
“Yes, yes. I’m going to hang up now… And don’t call me again.”
The hus sounded unusually tense. She wondered whether she should go in and ask him what the matter was. Who he was angry at? Not that she doubted him, of course. Maybe it was a colleague. Surely some office-related issues…
She hesitated at the door to his study. True, he had left specific instructions not to interrupt him. Between the work-from-home situation and a whimsical internet connection, his project was already running late. But ‘cheating’ was such a strong word…
Within seconds, his phone rang again. She gently bent over and watched him through the key-hole. He was pacing up and down, his face red, and hair dishevelled.
“Mmmhmm… Excuses, excuses … As always.” He smiled.
“Always?” Who was it on the other end? Definitely not a colleague… Was it… A friend?
“Well, can you give me back the sheer number of days I wasted on…” She couldn’t see his face anymore. He had buried it in his hand.
“Well? No, right?”
But she had never known her hus to “waste his time” on anything. He was the most organised human being she had ever met. Work was worship for him. Family, and even she herself, were secondary…
“You know what? I have all these long messages that you have sent me. Empty promises… Apologies afterwards…”
Promises? Her eyes widened, a deep suspicion coalesced in her mind.
“No, you listen to me,” his voice trembled. “Of what use are these lies that you tell me… Sarah?”
Sarah?! She was never one to check her spouse’s private correspondences. Maybe it had something to do with the way she was brought up. She was always too trusting. Too naïve for the world. And she had thought he was different…
“I know, I know… But look, I don’t want to talk to you anymore, okay?” he pleaded with the strange woman. “I’ve had enough of this. Please… Stop calling me…”
She had heard enough. His honey-voice was now metal to her ears. Glowing-red liquid metal… She banged the door open and walked in glaring at him, with loose hair streaming behind, like a Goddess of Vengeance.
And the damned phone pealed again! It took her all self-control to not grab it from him and smash it into a billion pieces…
“Ah, good that you’re here,” without batting an eyelid, he put his mobile on silent and tossed it to her.
“Will you please help me with this woman?”
She froze, mouth open. The gall of this guy…
“I want to email her… No wait, maybe we should put this up on social media. That will teach her…” he continued, blissfully oblivious of her ire. “Ever since I gave the request to terminate their services, this lady has been behind me…”
What…? Her eyes trailed in the general direction of his gesticulations — the object purring in her hand.
“A***** Customer Care Calling…” his smart phone winked at her.
“Uhh… Of course,” she began sheepishly. Thank God, he was too preoccupied to notice anything out of the ordinary…
“Trr trr, trr trrr…” Was his phone sniggering at her…?
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