"I spy you!" - 67

“Hey! What happened? Let me in!” said a man’s voice... manly voice which she immediately recognized.

This man! He has the power to make my life go topsy-turvy! All my sharpness seems to vanish when this man is in my vicinity! Vasupradha thought. But he just barged in and closed the door as if someone was following him.

She was still in the dazed condition due to the nightmare and his sudden and unexpected return. She was surprised to see him carrying two suitcases.

It was at that moment it dawned to her that ‘he’ was going to be her ‘partner’!

Her heart stopped for a moment and started beating fast! It is a sort of dream come true! If she puts two and two together, he and she have to work as a team... as husband and wife... a charade for the sake of onlookers! Even if it is not a real one, the drama itself is acceptable.... ooh! Pushpahaasa all for myself!

‘So, you are going to carryout ‘all’ the duties of a wife?’ teased her inner voice. She could not reply. She can’t do whatever she is supposed to do! it is a make believe drama. So, she need not surrender herself to him.

But... but... she thought, there is only one bedroom! What is the sleeping arrangement? It was as if she was doing a double role of a good girl and a bad girl. Good one wanted him to stay away from her physically. The bad girl wanted to spend each moment staying as near to him as possible.

He solved the issue very simply. He selected the Diwan at one corner of the hall to sleep. Only his clothes were kept along with hers.

“No one should suspect that we are play acting!” he started saying and stopped. He did a methodical search for the presence any bug. Though he looked satisfied, he suddenly took her arm and led her to the bathroom. She was shaking with fear, apprehension and thrill.

But she need not have worried. He was more interested in talking to her some basic rules. He turned on the shower and the tap in the sink. Above those to noises he said, “I will sleep in the hall! The window curtains would be drawn tightly and no one would suspect that we are sleeping separately. But once you get up, I will go and sleep on the bed in the room”

She understood and was barely able to nod. Her whole self was gone somewhere! Such a proximity with the loved one, especially when least expected!

They locked the house and walked hand in hand towards a restaurant. Vasupradha badly wanted to pinch herself to know whether it is for real or not. But she knew that he was playing his role. They had sumptuous food in the restaurant. She observed that he did not make small talk. Was there a hesitation in him? May be! She could not get any more impression than that.

They came out of the restaurant and walked towards home. He stopped and turned towards her, put his long and strong arms over her shoulders and said, “If you don’t know cooking, I shall prepare. You can help me in doing jobs like cutting the vegetables etc.,”