IN A FIX

SHORT STORY

She came late in the night-alone.

Janet auntie was drowned in deep sleep. Repeated knocks on the door startled her and awoke her.

She switched on the light in the room and the one outside. The fan was revolving with break-neck speed. Frowning, she walked towards the door to unlock it.

‘Who is it knocking the door in the thick of the night?’ – she was asking herself.

‘Tell me who is outside?’

And she never forgot to throw her eyes through  the peeping-hole.

‘It’s me auntie, Smitha’.

Janet auntie had already seen her while eyeing through the peeping-hole.

Smitha was clad in tight blue jeans and glimmering yellow T-shirt. Smitha was carrying a back-pack. Smitha was in a pair of polished black shoes. She was wearing neither ear-rings nor any ornaments around her neck.

Janet auntie was actually flabbergasted. She hurriedly opened the door and with her frowning glance let Smitha in.

‘What the hell have you done? Coming alone from afar. How dare you?’

‘Sorry Auntie……I was not alone. My friend Annie was with me till the last stop and she went to her uncle’s flat at East Fort….’ – Janet auntie’s eyes travelled from top to bottom and smelt something fishy.

‘And you came by?’

‘Train. After getting down at the station, I caught a pre-paid taxi. And here I am now.’ – Smitha gave Janet Auntie a sweet but sly smile. Her lips were red and somewhat swollen.

‘When you started from home?’

Auntie was about to grill her and Smitha could hear her heart beating fast. Her heart-beats were like drum-beats.

‘You could have informed me?’ – Janet Auntie’s voice was sad and complaining.

‘Actually I wanted to play pranks on you. To have a pleasant surprise for you……….’- Smitha thru’ her a mischievous smile. Janet Auntie sensed Smitha was hiding something from her – a secret which Smitha was not willing to divulge.

‘Had your supper?’

‘Yeah Auntie. From the train.’ – Smitha responded in a low tone.

‘No I don’t believe you. Come.’ Change your clothes, wear the nightie and have something’ – Janet auntie compelled her.

Smitha was actually not hungry. She did have a sumptuous feast with Ashwin from the lodge cum hotel. And  Ashwin is very much in the city. He did accompany Smitha upto the front of Janet Auntie’s villa and after dropping her there he returned to the same lodge.

Auntie’s compulsion drove her to have something but with reluctance.

‘You must be too tired. It is 1pm now. Go to sleep. Auntie pointed towards the adjacent room. She helped Smitha unroll a new bed sheet and also provided her with a blanket.

Janet Auntie switched off the light in the room. Smitha too switched off the light in her room.

Janet Auntie lay awake, she couldn’t sleep. How could she sleep? She was thinking about Smitha.

‘Smitha is hiding something from me, no doubt. She is a not a type who can travel all the way from home to this city alone? From her childhood days she never dared to travel alone. Even to the church which was not far away from home. Even while in her school and college days the story was the same. And now she claims she has travelled all the way from her far away home with her friend ‘one’ Annie. Actually who gave her company up to the station, rather up to the front of her villa? Somebody must be there.

No doubt. Let me enquire Joyce without Smitha knowing about it.

Meanwhile Smitha too couldn’t sleep a bit. She was sleeping with Ashwin after making love twice or thrice today. What she was thinking about was about him, Ashwin, the ‘bull’ in the true sense of that term.

‘Whole body is aching. Still feeling tired. His sharp nails pierced her skin here and there drawing pictures of blood and her sensitive body parts bruised, felt a burning sensation. And lips too remain sore and swollen.  Whether Auntie might have noticed it? I fear she is suspicious. Then no doubt all hell would break loose. Ashwin you are responsible for all this. If something untoward happens, you prank? I have dedicated myself to you at the altar of love.’

After convincing herself that Smitha has fallen asleep, in the wee hours of the morning Janet Auntie after slowly opening the door and stepped out, dialed to Joyce keeping her ear glued to the cell phone…..with her hand shivering and heart pounding…………..