Author's note: All characters in the story are above 18... In India, we do not call the elders, like the mother/father of a friend by their names or even Mr X/ Mrs X... We call them uncles and aunts...
Fortunately for Mahesh, who had spent the friday night without any sleep, his plan worked. He told mom his fake story. Mom made a show of objecting that they should not take money from people like this, even though we have saved their lives. Mahesh told her they only offered to help them. They both knew she was objecting just for the sake of objecting. She was sick, tired and miserable of struggling to eat everyday. Mahesh also had to give up eating a lot of snacks just because mom would not be able to eat and she hated herself for it every second. She had no intention of giving up this windfall. While his plan worked, there were a few things that did not go his way.
He led her to Aishwarya's house and they were both there. He was angry for a moment when he saw them. For once in their lives, couldn't they have worn full pants? Was it illegal to wear pants? Mom, however, had no concern as she warmly hugged them. They both sat her on the sofa and sat on either side. There were two other chairs on the hall when Mahesh had been enslaved two days ago. There was no sign of them now. They smiled at Mahesh. He took the hint and sat on the floor. His mom was as meek as he and did not venture to ask them if they had a chair for him. Aishwarya asked mom for the medical file. Mom hesitated again.
"You know, you really don't have to do this." Mom told her. Somehow, once she was here, she once again felt as though she was taking charity. Aishwarya brushed this aside.
"Auntie, come on. Think of me as your daughter. Wouldn't you let your daughter help you?" Aishwarya spoke. Mahesh knew she meant every word. He could not believe he hated her with all his heart only two days ago. "I am happy to do this. If Mahesh had not asked me this, I would have been forever in his debt."
"He asked you? He told me you offered it yourself. Mahesh?"
"Mom, I-" Mahesh started. He had told them what he told mom, why were they changing it.
"Mahesh." Thundered Madhumitha. Mahesh, still on the floor, turned to Madhumitha. He was sitting right in front of his mother. Madhumitha was to his right and Aishwarya, to his left. "Why did you lie to your mother?" And Madhumitha immediately stood up with her hand raised. Mahesh moved back in fear when she stopped.
"Oh! I am so sorry, auntie." She cooed to his mother. "He reminds me so much of my little brother."
"You would hit your brother when you were young."
"Young? I still hit him."
"Oh! Come on! How old is he?"
"23. You are too soft with him, Auntie. Boys need to be beaten regularly to keep them in line."
"Oh! I don't agree to that. He is my greatest gift. But, I don't know why you lied to me." She looked at the two women. "I am now really not comfortable taking your money."
The two women smiled at each other. Aishwarya had goofed up, but it seemed as though it was going to lead to something good.
"Mahesh!" Madhumitha rebuked again. "Look what you have done. You know what, kiss your mother's feet and beg her to forgive you for lying to her."
"Oh, come on. Don't do that, Mahesh." Mom said firmly. "Don't embarrass him like this."
"Embarrass? Auntie, when my little brother would lie to mom, I would spank him naked."
Mahesh expected mom to be outraged. Instead, she laughed. "No way. That is just not true."
"Auntie, trust me. And, you. How many times do I have to tell you?"
"No, Mahe-" Mom started but stopped as Mahesh started sitting up. "I am really, really sorry for lying to you, mom." And he went down on all fours and kissed his mother's feet.
Mom was confused. She wanted to slap the two women for insulting her son like this. However, Mahesh did not seem to mind. In fact, once he kissed her feet, he stayed in a kneeling position instead of going back to sit properly.
"Now, " Aishwarya started. "Let's decide on your punishment."
"Kissing my feet was not punishment?"
"No, Auntie." Aishwarya replied. "You know, I really think you are on to something." She remarked to Madhumitha. "Keeping your brother naked. It must have made him really cater to your every need."
Mom laughed again. Somehow, all this talk was more funny than anything cringy to her. To her, Mahesh knew Aishwarya only for two days and yet, Mahesh seemed to be really obedient to her. Just like he was obedient to her, his mother. But, there was no way she was allowing them to strip her son. They seemed to drop the matter for now. Although Mahesh did try to sit once and went back to a kneeling position after a stern look from Aishwarya. Aishwarya was patient. They still had two hours before they had to go to the appointment. Aishwarya took it as a challenge. By that time, Mahesh was going to be naked or in his underwear - UPON HIS MOTHER'S ORDERS.
They pored over her medical records. Mahesh could recite every doctor's prescription and every note they wrote. He could also correctly recite every instance when her vitals increased, when her vitals decreased, everything. Aishwarya felt a great affection for him and almost wanted to change her intention of stripping him in front of his mother. Stay strong, Aishu! This needs to happen. It was for his own good. For some reason. On her part, the mother was fully at home. 15 minutes in, they sent Mahesh to get some water for mom. Mom was once again confused. They were guests, right? Shouldn't they be serving him? Unknown to her, Madhumitha was raising the phone high above her head so that Mahesh would be able to see. The screen had one word written in very large font. "SPILL!"
"I started tailoring when I was ten." Mom was saying. "I never knew I would one day be doing it for a living. Thankfully, mom taught me really well. You know, I did not even go to a proper class. Yet, everyone in my locality comes to me only." Mahesh brought the glass of water. He deliberately tripped himself and fell. Mom started to get up and instantly hurt her hip. Madhumitha stood up in a great show of righteous anger.
"Mahesh! Can't you do such a simple thing properly? Auntie has hurt her hip now. Auntie, I am sorry but I need to punish him." Mom was either too confused or too busy clutching her hip or actually felt he deserved to be punished. Either way, she did not protest and the women took full advantage of it.
"Take off your pants and clean." Mom did not like this. However, she barely had time to protest before Mahesh started removing his pants. She shrugged. If Mahesh was obeying, she would not come in. While it was unfair of the women to dominate him like this, Mahesh had to stand up for himself. She decided she would not fight his battles for him. In any case, these women seemed to be nice enough. Mahesh removed his pants to display brand new underwear. It was almost as if he had anticipated this. However, he placed the pants aside and went to his mom first. He told mom to bend sideways and rubbed her hip up and down. While he was doing this, Aishwarya went and fetched water for her. Mahesh waited until his mom said she was fine and took his pants to mop the water. That was when Aishwarya stopped him.
"Actually, isn't this the only pair of pants you got today?"
"Yes, ma'am" Ma'am? Mom was wondering.
"Then, why are you mopping with it."
"But, ma'am. You told me to-"
"Oh, for God's sake. Think through. If you wet it, what else will you wear to the Doctor's? Remove your shirt and clean up this water. Seriously, Auntie. Your son may be good at studies but he needs to think on his feet."
"But, what shirt will he wear." Mom asked.
"I have some shirts. They are female shirts. But, he can wear those. I don't have pants. Not even female ones. You see, Auntie" she smiled mischievously. "I never wear pants. It's only shirt and shorts or miniskirts."
"Uh huh! I bet you have caused more than your fair share of accidents."
"Actually, that was my first interaction with your son. By the way, what are you waiting for." Mahesh took his shirt off. He had to marvel at them. Just like that, he was in his underwear in front of them and his mother. Aishu and Madhu were grinning at each other and finding it very difficult to hide from mom. He did not know if they planned to let him keep his underwear. He did not really care anymore. After all, they had already seen what there was to see. But, naked in front of mother? He did not know how he felt about that. While he didn't, it seemed as if someone else did. He could already feel the stir down there. He was wondering why Mom was not protesting anymore. Mother, on the other hand, was thinking of something else.
"What do you mean by that? You mean to say Mahesh was ogling at you? Mahesh, is this true?" For a second, both the women were sorely tempted to say yes. With that, they could have sealed the deal then and there. Madhumitha could claim innocence and once again act as though she was righteously outraged. However, the impulse went away as soon as it came. No matter what they did, they could not bring themselves to make Auntie think her son was bad.
"No, Aunty, I thought he had. There was a bird sitting in front of me and Mahesh was staring at it. I thought he was ogling at my legs and scared him silly."
While they were talking, Mahesh finished mopping the water with his shirt and took the glass back. Aishu ordered him to put the shirt in the washer and come back. Mahesh did so. He had taken his pants off because he was told to use that to clean up the water. Now that he did the same with his shirt, mom fully expected him to wear pants once he was back. However, he came back and just sat on the floor again. Mother was getting really disconcerted. The sight of her son sitting submissively on the floor was already troubling her. To do so in just his underwear was something else. Okay, hospitality - or rather, guesspitality be damned- she resolved to ask them for a chair for him. Aishwarya, however, changed the subject.
"For the next three days after that incident, I intimidated him. He would run to the side if I got too close. It was so cute. On the fourth day, however, he came up to me and cleared it up." Two lies. But, Mahesh remained silent. He knew they were trying to distract mom from him. He was also starting to feel a little miffed here. He was the one who was punished and humiliated. Now, they were going to make him further degrade himself. However, a different voice told him. The time to protest was when they made you sit on the floor. They told you to spill the water, who asked you to obey. That had caused him to lose his pants. They had deliberately then waited to take his pants off before suddenly "remembering" that he needed those pants to stay dry. You should have thought of it. It is too late now. He had a strong feeling that, before they left to see the Doctor, he would be naked in front of his mother.
"It was so innocent, you know, the way he explained it. I apologised to him. From then on, I have been helping him in his exercises."
"Mahesh, you never told me any of this." Mom accused him, genuinely surprised. She had no idea her son was also never told of all this. "Sorry, mom."
