Uttam, Rupa and Ritam were sitting down for lunch when Rupa broached the topic.
āĻŽāĻšāĻžāϞā§āĻž āĻāϏāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻŦāĻžā§āĻŋ āĻāϰāĻĻā§āϰ āĻāĻāĻā§ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāώā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāĻž āĻĻāϰāĻāĻžāϰ, āĻ āĻžāĻā§āϰāĻĒā§āĨ¤ Mahalaya is coming, we need to clean up the house, ThakurPo.
Mahalaya heralds the start of the Autumn Durga Puja Carnival in Bengal and it is when people eat, drink, buy new clothes and gifts for themselves and for each other. Then of course there are the rituals around the Goddess who is worshipped both at home and in the community. It is big fun and big money for everyone around.
āĻāϏāĻŦ āϤā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāϏā§āĻĨāĻž āĻāϰ āĻŦā§āĻĻāĻŋāĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāϰ āĻ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻĒāĻžāϰ⧠āĻāĻŋ āĻŦāϞāĻŦ? You do what you think best sister(-in-law) I have nothing to say in this matter.
āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤāĻž āĻā§āϰāύāĻž āĻ āĻžāĻā§āϰāĻĒā§, āϰāĻŋāĻ āĻā§ āύāĻŋā§ā§ āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āϏāĻŦ āĻ āĻŋāĻāĻ āĻžāĻ āĻāϰ⧠āĻĢā§āϞāĻŦāĨ¤ āϤāĻŦā§ āϤā§āĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāĻāĻž āĻāĻāĻā§ āĻā§ā§ā§ āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻŽāϰāĻž āĻāĻāĻā§ āĻĢāĻžāϰā§āύāĻŋāĻāĻžāϰ āϰāĻŋāĻ āϰāĻā§āϝāĻžāύāĻŋāϏ āĻāϰ⧠āύā§āĻŦāĨ¤ āĻŦāĻšā§āĻĻāĻŋāύ āĻāĻ āĻā§āĻā§ā§ āĻšā§ā§ āĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤ Don't worry, Rit will help me get everything ship-shape. But you will have to leave your room to us for some time. We need to reorganise the furniture. It's been the same for ages.
āĻāĻ āĻĻā§āĻĒā§āϰ⧠āĻāĻŽāĻžāϰ āϏā§āĻā§āϞā§āϰ āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻāĻā§, āĻĢāĻŋāϰāϤ⧠āϏāύā§āϧā§āϝ⧠āĻšā§ā§ āϝāĻžāĻŦā§ āĨ¤ I have some work at the school today. Will be back only in the evening.
āϤāĻžāĻšāϞ⧠āϤā§āĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāĻāĻž āĻāĻâāĻ āĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻāϰ⧠āĻĢā§āϞāĻŦāĨ¤ āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻŋāĻāĻž āĻāĻžāϞ āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Then we will fix up your room today and the rest we will do tomorrow.
That evening, when Uttam returned home he could barely recognise the bedroom that he had been sleeping in for the past two decades. Gone was the old dowdy appearance. Rupa had got her husband's business staff to rearrange all the furniture inside. Lots of junk had been thrown out and the room was now both spacious and modern. The ancient four poster bed had been exchanged with a sleek, modern box bed that had been lying in the guest room and this had been arranged right next to the windows on the western wall. Also the multicoloured glass panes that decorated the semicircular arcs over the doors and windows had been cleaned and the room had a magical and colourful look.
āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻā§āĻāĻŦā§āϞāĻžā§ āĻāĻ āϰāĻā§āĻāĻŋāύ āĻāĻžāĻāĻā§āϰ āĻā§āϤāϰ āĻĻāĻŋā§ā§ āĻāϞ⧠āĻāϏ⧠āĻā§āĻŦ āĻāĻžāϞ āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāϤā§āĨ¤ When we were kids, the light coming through the coloured glass would look beautiful.
āĻĻā§āĻ āĻāĻŦāĻžāϰ āĻāĻ āĻāϰ āĻĻāĻŋā§ā§ āϤā§āĻŽāĻŋ āϤā§āĻŽāĻžāϰ āϰāĻā§āĻāĻŋāύ āĻā§āĻāĻŦā§āϞāĻžā§ āĻĢāĻŋāϰ⧠āϝā§āϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰ āĻāĻŋ āύāĻž Perhaps this room will take you back to your colourful youth. Rupa gave a know-it-all wink to Ritam who was smiling.
āĻāϰ⧠āĻĒā§āĻāύā§āϰ āĻāĻ āĻĻāϰāĻāĻžāĻāĻžāϰ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻā§āϞā§āĻ āĻā§āĻāĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤ Oh! I had forgotten about this door at the back.
āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻāĻŋā§ā§ āϤā§āĻŽāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻŦāĻž āϤāĻžāĻāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāĻāĻā§āĻ āĻāĻĢāĻŋāϏ āĻāϰ⧠āϝā§āϤā§āύ āĻāϰ āϤāĻžāϰ āϏāĻā§āĻā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻž āĻāĻāĻžāĻāĻĄ āĻŦāĻžāĻĨāϰā§āĻŽ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ Your father used this door to reach his private office and that has an attached bathroom.
āϤāĻžāĻšāϞ⧠āϤ⧠āĻāĻžāϞā§āĻ āĻšāϞāĨ¤ āĻŦā§ āĻŦāĻžāĻĨāϰā§āĻŽāĻāĻž āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ āĻĻāĻŋā§ā§āĻ āϝā§āϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ, āĻā§āϰ⧠āĻŦāĻžāĻāϰ⧠āĻĻāĻŋā§ā§ āĻāϰ āϝā§āϤ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§ āύāĻžāĨ¤ Good. Now I can go to the big bathroom straight from here. I need not go around the house to reach it.
For the cleanup job that they had been engaged in all afternoon, Rupa had shed her traditional demure Bengali housewife look. Instead of the usual saree and blouse, she was wearing a tight butt-hugging capri and a loose shirt that just about covered the butts that the capri was hugging! In fact, the shirt had been an after-thought, put on for the staff of her husband's business who had been helping the two of them with the heavy lifting. Now that they had gone, Rupa had thrown off the shirt to reveal a white, sleeveless vest that clearly showed off her stunning figure to its full effect. Had it not been for the bra that was clearly visible, Rupa's nipples would have surely poked through the sheer material of her vest -- a fact that had not escaped Uttam! And the fact that it had not escaped his dad was a fact that had not escaped Ritam either. In an earlier innocent era, Ritam would have never imagined that his dad was eyeing a woman but in the changed circumstances and in view of what he had heard about his father's sex life, he could see very clearly that his dad was not just eyeing her but actually lusting after his Bowdi or sister-in-law. Time to stir the pot!
Dinner over, they decided to watch a movie on the VCR. Rupa had specifically asked Ritam to get the Guide, where Dev Anand seduces the already married Waheeda Rahman to the haunting tunes of SD Burman. While Ritam was setting up, Rupa went to her room to change into something comfortable. When she came back, she was wearing a pair of shorts and had discarded her bra and Ritam noted with a smirk how his dad was eyeing Rupa's breasts that were now bouncing freely inside her sleeveless vest. She had also loosened her long curly hair that was now hanging freely on her back. In front of the TV, Uttam sat down on a single sofa while Rupa and Ritam made themselves comfortable, side by side, on a long couch.
āϏāĻžāϰāĻžāĻĻāĻŋāύ āĻĻāĻžāĻā§āĻŋā§ā§ āĻĻāĻžāĻā§āĻŋā§ā§ āĻĒāĻžā§ā§ āĻŦā§āĻļ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻĨāĻž āĻšā§ā§ āĻā§āĻā§ āϰā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻāĻā§ āĻāĻŋāĻĒā§ āĻĻā§ āύāĻž āϏā§āύāĻžāĨ¤ My legs are aching after all that toil. Will you please massage them, kid.
Rupa stretched her legs over Ritam's lap and Ritam was only too happy to press his aunt's thighs, calves and foot. The touch of her skin sent a wave of pleasure through his body, right down to his crotch but of course his erection was hidden by her knees.
āĻāĻ āĻāĻ āĻāĻāĻ Ah! Aaah! Ooh! Rupa moaned in genuine pleasure as Ritam's hard hands slid up and down her legs, right from the ankle till her upper thigh. Once in a while, when his father was not looking, Ritam's fingers went right inside her shorts as well, but Rupa glared at him and pushed his hands out. Whatever be the case, it gently eased the tension out of her tired legs. But Ritam's eyes were fixed on his dad. Was he watching Dev Anand flirting with Waheeda Rahman or was he watching Rupa's bare legs? And was that an erection that his dad was trying to cover in the folds of his pajamas?
āĻāĻžāϞ āϤ⧠āĻŽāĻšāĻžāϞā§āĻž, āĻāĻžāϞ āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻā§āĻĨāĻžā§ āĻāĻžāĻā§āĻžāϤ⧠āύāĻŋā§ā§ āϝāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦāĻžāĻŦāĻž? Tomorrow is Mahalaya, where will you take us out for lunch?
āĻŦāϞāĨ¤ āĻā§āĻĨāĻžā§ āĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋ āĻŦāϞāĨ¤ Tell me where you want to go out.
āĻāĻ āĻļā§āύ āύāĻž āĻ āĻžāĻā§āϰāĻĒā§, āĻāĻžāϞ āϤā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§āϞāĻŦāĻžā§āĻŋāϰ āĻāώāĻž āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻļ āύāĻŋā§ā§ āĻāϏ āύāĻžāĨ¤ āĻĻā§āĻĒā§āϰā§āϰ āĻāĻžāĻā§āĻžāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āϰ⧠āĻāĻŽā§ āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĨ¤ Listen ThakurPo, why don't you get the famous mutton curry from the Golbari restaurant. That will be just fantastic for lunch.
āĻāĻāĻž āĻāĻžāϞ āĻŦāϞā§āĻā§ āĻŦā§āĻĻāĻŋ, āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻĻāĻŋāύ āĻāĻžāĻāύāĻŋāĨ¤ That's a good idea boudi. Haven't had that for ages.
āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻāĻŋāĻā§āĻ āĻ āύā§āĻ āĻĻāĻŋāύ āĻā§āĻā§ āĻĻā§āĻāύāĻŋ āĻ āĻžāĻā§āϰāĻĒā§, āĻāĻžāϞāĻā§ āϤā§āĻŽāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŦ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāϏā§āĻĨāĻž āĻāϰāĻŦā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤāĻž āĻāϰ⧠āύāĻžāĨ¤ You haven't tasted many things for ages, Thakurpo. I will arrange for everything tomorrow. Don't worry. Would he understand the double entendre? Would he pick up a clue?
āĻāĻŋāϏā§āϰ āĻāĻĨāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻā§ āĻŦā§āĻĻāĻŋ? āĻāϰ āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻā§āĻžāĻŦā§? What are you talking about Boudi? What else will you feed me? Was he catching on by any means?
āĻŦāĻŋā§āĻžāϰ āĻāĻžāĻŦā§āĨ¤āĻāĻŋāϞā§āĻĄ āĻŦāĻŋā§āĻžāϰāĨ¤ āĻĻā§āĻĒā§āϰ⧠āĻŽāĻžāĻāϏāϰ āϏāĻā§āĻā§ āĻĻāĻžāϰā§âāĻâāĻāύ āĻā§āĻŽā§ āϝāĻžāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Beer. Chilled beer. It will go ve-ey-ry well with the mutton-curry.
āϰāĻŋāĻ āĻŦāĻŋā§āĻžāϰ āĻāĻžāĻŦā§? āĻāĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āϏāĻā§āĻā§? Rit will have beer? With us? Uttam was a bit apprehensive.
āϤā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻšā§āϤ⧠āϝāĻžāύ āύāĻž āĻ āĻžāĻā§āϰāĻĒā§, āϰāĻŋāĻ āĻŦā§ āĻšā§ā§ āĻā§āĻā§āĨ¤ āĻŦāĻŋā§āĻžāϰ āĻā§āύ āĻāϰ āĻāϤ āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻžā§ You may not be aware Thakurpo, but Rit is now an adult. Why just beer, he has tasted many more things.
Rupa smiled. She could not elaborate any further, at least now.
āĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻžāϞ āϏāĻāĻžāϞ⧠āĻāĻāĻā§ āϞāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āϰā§āϰāĻŋāϰ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻāĻā§āĨ¤ āϤāĻžāϰāĻĒāϰ āϏā§āĻā§āϰā§āĻ āĻļā§āϝāĻžāĻŽāĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāϰ āĻāĻŋā§ā§ āĻā§āϞāĻŦāĻžā§āĻŋāϰ āĻŽāĻžāĻāϏ āύāĻŋā§ā§ āĻāϏāĻŦāĨ¤ āĻāϰ āĻāĻāĻžāύā§āĻ āĻŦāĻŋā§āĻžāϰ āĻĒā§ā§ā§ āϝāĻžāĻŦāĨ¤ Fine. I have some work in the library but after that I will go to Shyambazar for the Golbari mutton curry. I will also pick up some beer there.
āĻāĻžāĻā§ āĻŽāĻžāϰ⧠āϤā§āĻŽāĻžāϰ āϞāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āϰā§āϰāĻŋāĨ¤ Fuck your library, muttered Rupa but then only Ritam would have heard it.
They watched the movie for a few minutes but obviously there was something else on everyone's mind. Especially about what had been planned for tomorrow.
āĻāĻ āϰāĻŋāĻā§, āϤā§āĻ āĻāĻŦāĻžāϰ āĻāϰ⧠āĻāĻŋā§ā§ āĻļā§ā§ā§ āĻĒā§āĨ¤ āĻāĻžāϞ āĻā§āϰ⧠āĻāĻ ā§ āϰā§āĻĄāĻŋāĻāϤ⧠āĻŽāĻšāĻžāϞā§āĻž āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻā§āϰāĻžāĻŽ āĻļā§āύāϤ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤ Hey Rit, you should go to bed now. You have to wake up for the Mahalaya radio program early in the morning.
This radio production by the legendary Birendra Krishna Bhadra, that is played only on that one day of the year, is an icon of Bengali culture that everyone relates to.
āĻ āĻŋāĻ āĻāĻā§! āĻāĻŽāĻŋ āϝāĻžāĻāĨ¤ āϏāĻŋ ā§ā§ āĻā§āĻŽā§āϰā§āĨ¤ āĻšāĻžāĻ āĻĢāĻžāύāĨ¤ Ok I am going. See you tomorrow. Have fun. Ritam winked at his aunt as he removed her legs from his lap.
āĻāĻžāϞ⧠āĻāϰ⧠āĻā§āĻŽā§āĻŦāĻŋāĨ¤ āĻĻā§āώā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāϰāĻŦāĻŋ āύāĻžāĨ¤ Sleep well, don't be naughty, sweetheart!
Next morning, Ritam woke up well after the morning radio program was over and his father had already left for the library. Rupa was pottering around in the kitchen when Ritam showed up in the dining room.
āĻāĻŋ āĻšāϞā§? āĻāĻžāϞ āϤā§āĻŽāĻžāĻĻā§āϰ āĻā§āϞāĻž āĻāĻŋāĻā§ āĻā§āĻžāϞā§? What happened? Did you do anything last night?