Everybody Cheats-IX

Before I start writing this part, I must need to clarify something on the title of my blog in this relationship category here. I been receiving lot of mails and messages from fellow islanders having an impression that it is MY, Siddharth’s belief & opinion that everybody cheats. Hell, no!!

I picked up this title for two reasons,

1. This was the first understandable without any medical jargon statement uttered by my shrink on the very first encounter with her, she did say, “Everybody cheats”.

2. These words instantly struck a raw chord inside me somewhere deep down making me think, “Everybody cheats eh? Am I everybody? Or nobody? Or somebody?”.

Trust me the title is never from any defense mechanism in me. It is not also as a “pass on the buck” thingy psyche for me. So, there!

Now even after these clarifications, if any reader still sense, I believe/think/opinion/ whatever-crap that, ‘everybody cheats’, then my answer to them shall be as under,

“Ok ok folks.. Am wrong!! Na, nobody ever cheats in this world. Its just I, Siddharth and Ms. Leo in this world ever cheated in the history of mankind on their spouses like two horrid, immoral, married, perverted beings. All men of the world are Pope’s brother and all women are Mother Teresa’s clone/ reincarnation. “.  …. Happy now folks??

Now back to where I left of part-7. So, Dev is going to be in Chennai for next one week. Hmmm. Why she had to let me know it? What I got to do with this info? I am into financial consultancy and Dev is in electrical goods business. Absolutely no relation in our professional part. But I knew! Of course I knew why she sent me that sms.

Sunday morning around 7 am Dev called me. Shiiit!!  I hate such calls on a Sunday morning!

Me:- kya hai.. re? [ I can never hide my pissed off mood over phone]

Dev:- Sorry yaar.. Sid my driver’s wife having delivery, mere ko airport drop kar dena..[no regrets in his voice.. lol… but we are such friends.. I don’t mind..]

Me:- when? [I am looking at my bed side alarm clock, which is meticulously timed by Mukhi always]

Dev:- My flight is at 10:30, got check in luggage and…[ His voice trailed as I could hear “her’ voice at the back ground screaming some thing to her children]

Me:- Shiittt yaar.. I got to start right away …[My voice mellowed down for some reason ! I am already thinking should I shave or go without a shave]

Dev:- haan yaar… aajaa pls.. am almost ready.. [‘She” was saying some thing to Dev, I could hear ‘her’! Why Ms. Leo’s voice is husky even when she speaks normally at home]

Me:- Hmm.. K.

Click-Click. Phones disconnected. I got out of bed. I could never grow a habit of scratching balls while I get up from sleep and bed. Because one woman once told me, she has never seen a man who does not scratch his balls when he gets out of sleep and bed. My cell phone light blinking. It was on silent mode. Sms from Amit Chowdhury. From ‘her’! So fast?

…” wear red”.. Just that. Jeez! She knows I am coming to pick up Dev to their house now and I don’t have any red tee shirt! I hate to wear formals on Sundays. Its always jeans and tee. Now why the hell ‘she’ wants me to wear red? Not that I hate red but damn it, I don’t have a red tee shirt! But then how Ms. Leo will know that, it’s not her fault as such. Jeez, I am already defending her, even its ‘her’ who is deciding here what I will wear on a Sunday morning. Hell... This is just not me!

Black tee, Jeans. Shaved and showered too. Did I take more than usual in front of mirror? I did. Extra splash of after shave too. Geoffrey Beene, Musk. Phew.. Dev only brought it for me from Singapore duty free about a year ago.

My Verna took the turn in Dev’s lane. I paused the car. Stopped. Took U-turn. Five minuets drive, Pantaloon store. They are just opening the shutters. I almost gate crashed parking my car right in front of the store. I will be lucky they won’t tow it away at this early hour.  Found it! Red tee shirt. Trial room. Perfect. Rs.675/= . I put my black tee in their packet. Yes, I did remember to take off the price tag. Their billing counters not yet open. I just dumped Rs.700/= on the chap and rushed out before he could say anything.

The moment I took the turn in Dev’s lane I could see ‘her’. Waiting in front of their apartment gate. Moss green chiffon sari. Two suitcases next to her. I dint even notice Dev standing next to her initially.

Dev:- Chal chal… we got to hurry yaar !

‘She’ has no make-up. Morning fresh.

I open the boot, Dev puts in his bags. I and Dev in front. Me driving. Ms. Leo from back seat, “ I wanted to call a cab… “. She leans forward holding the back of front seat, her fingers touched my back. I leaned back. Her finger nails between my back and driver’s seat.

Dev:- Abbey jaldi kar… this contract is a biggi …

Me:- Devoo.. You should have checked delivery date of your driver’s wife and then book your ticket. We all laughed aloud. “Her’ fingers move down more between the seat and my back. She never removed her hand from there the entire journey to the airport. Why I dint even try to make eye contact with ‘her’ thru the mirror in front?

Beep! Sms I can see on my cell placed on my dashboard! Amit Chowdhury! Jeez.. .. How daring she is?? Dev is right beside me, talking to me!! I took the cell in my left hand casually, driving, checked the sms… “Red suits you “ . I casually deleted the sms and put back the phone on the dash board again.

No visitors allowed at airport ten days before Independence Day.

Dev:- Sorry to spoil your Sunday Da… N thanks a ton, let me run and haan suun... Don’t leave Ms. Leo at home unless she offers you break fast!

Dev pushes his trolley and disappears at the gate. “She” came in front seat.

I drive on, trying to jiggle my way out of the airport rush.

Ms.Leo:- At home, I can offer you cornflakes/milk or toast omelets only. Giggles.

Me:- Naah, its ok, I have some work... .. Not much time.. [‘She’ drawing lines on her sari clad knee with her finger tips, I can see. Same fingers which was on my back way to airport with Dev]

Ms.Leo:-.. Ummmm are you sure?

Me:- well... Let’s have some thing at Radisson coffee shop, they used a have a great buffet here…. {I turned my car at Radisson portico, noticing how she deprived me of removing her loose strand of hair from her forehead to back of her ears)

Ms.Leo:- Sid, which store was open so early on Sunday morning?

Me:- [This one took me by surprise really, knowing and realizing fully well what she meant. She knew! Darn she knew I don’t have a red tee shirt and this one I got it on the way.. Darn that was smart! I dint even try to lie…] ..Pantaloon was just opening on my way..Err…your sms…

Ms.Leo:-“ I never found Dev so romantic and to go that extra mile for me Sid….hmmm.”

Me:- “ I dint know red suits me…. Your sms.. “. I mumbled.

..” Satan, really, is the romantic youth of Jesus re-appearing for a moment.”.. That was James Joyce. Now, while parking my Verna at Radisson parking lot, I kept wondering am I a romantic? What’s so romantic she found in me buying a red tee shirt on the way? Then why Mukhi termed me more than once that I am the most unromantic guy she ever met? Was I romantic at that moment of decision while bought that red tee shirt just to impress her/please Ms.Leo? Was this some kind of test I gone thru for her unknowingly to prove my inclination for Ms.Leo? Sukkks…. So many questions flooding my mind at that point… I felt sort of vulnerable in front of her then.

The buffet break fast at Radisson turned out to be settling for croissant and coffee for us.

After first sip to my black coffee watching her bite the croissant I said, “We will go to Sheila’s apartment from here”. It was with such finality, I said that.

‘She’ replied, wiping her fingers on the napkin, “Today is Sunday, my son has swimming lesson at 4. Drop me home at 3:30 pm”

I checked time; it was just 9:04 am. I said, “Fine, we have time enough”.

Did I see a faint smile on her lips? I did not smile at all then, am sure. But could sure could hear drum beats inside me…… my heart? Nerves strumming?

Ms. Leo: - “Dev gone for a week”. Was that she was reassuring me that we can “have” what we want to have from each other for all week? Was she just informing me? Was she said that in a matter of fact way? Why she will say it, I already knew it, she sent me sms before about one week tour of her husband, then?

 For the first time in my life I realized I never had so many questions in my mind in one go for just one sentence or word from any one before !

Me:- Let’s go, Sheila leaves her key with their security and they know me.”

Dev missed the flight that day & he called ‘her’ after an hour we reached Sheila’s apartment.

Ok folks; keep biting your nails till my next blog : -)