I would like to thank Kimberley for her apt editing and making it presentable. Enjoy and if you like, please vote and let me know.
*****
ANITA
"Wow, you've more admirers today!" Auntie Uma chuckled.
Completing the usual three rounds of running along the grass track of a local park, huffing and puffing, I stopped in front of the bench where she was seated. Managing a faint smile, I enquired, "Really? Where're they?"
Starting a day with walking or running in the well-kept, small park brought many from nearby areas. Men and women of different ages gather together in the park for different reasons, some for brisk walks or running, and some for chatting more than walking, some for fitness exercise or yoga or just for fresh air.
As usual, upon reaching the park, Auntie Uma and I had walked together for two rounds and when she retired on a bench, I started running. We were sort of regulars in the morning and came to the park around 6 a.m. Auntie Uma was my co-tenant; we lived in the same building in separate flats. My flat was in front whereas her flat was at the backside of the building. She was in her early fifties, a tall, slender housewife with two daughters in college and a husband who worked for the railways.
Throwing myself on the bench, I sat next to her. As she indicated by looking at them, I noticed the group of four men, sitting on a similar bench about fifty feet away on our left. They must be in the age group of 50-60 and all of them were staring at us in unison. None of them bothered to shift their glances even when we turned to look at them.
I was not stunning or hot and at the age of 29, I was not in my prime but I always drew a second look from both men and women. I had common features, with 5'3" height, fair complexion, and long black hair. Even though I was a mom of an eight month old, I still maintained my figure and looked younger with my unblemished skin, tender face, and curvaceous body and could easily pass for 22-23.
As my fast breaths subsided, I asked her, "Aren't you counting today?"
"Yes, it's twenty-nine, including those four!" she replied with a grin.
"Seven more than yesterday?"
Giggling, indicating my sports tee, she said, "Yes, they're looking at your wobbly boobs while you ran!"
Smiling, I asked her, "And you're looking at them?"
"Yes, did you miss not wearing a bra?"
"How silly! No way, I'm wearing a new sports bra. I bought it last evening."
With mock disbelief, she asked me, "Really? Are you sure that you're wearing one now?"
"Oh, come on. I don't wear it at home but how can I come running without a bra? They told me, running or exercising while wearing an ordinary bra is very damaging, especially for a nursing mom. It causes sagginess."
Looking at my breasts intently, she replied, "You've got perky breasts, stop worrying."
"Yeah, they are! Since I'm lactating but what'll happen when I stop?"
With a mischievous smile, she told me, "Milk full or with no milk, you've the nicest pair!" she teased, indicating towards the group of four men, sitting on bench. "Should I ask them?"
I replied with smile, "Silly you!"
"Whatever, but your sports thing's worse than regular ones! You didn't sway so much earlier," she complained with a wink.
Trying to convince her, I explained, "Material's completely different, no wired support and very comfortable. But yes, more body hugging and feels like I'm wearing nothing. It's like my second skin!"
"That means you might've taken the wrong size," she quipped.
I smiled with amazement, "No, it's one size fits all."
Pretending to weigh my boobs with her fingers, she replied with mock anger, "Oh come on, it may be for sports persons, but not for a mom with big boobs like you!"
Bursting into laughter, I protested, "I'm not that big!"
"I see, you wanted bigger than what you have? When you ran, their eyes were fixated, even the ladies walking commented on your swaying tits!"
Looking at those men, I asked her, "How could I care about my look when I ran?"
"Indeed, don't bother. After all, men are obsessed with big boobs and women get jealous," she replied with smirk.
"Not all women, you're not jealous!"
With a throaty laugh, she replied, "Are you kidding? My daughters are grown up, they're in college, how could I be jealous of your boobs? Moreover, I was never hot or big like you!"
On getting up from the bench, I stepped forward and started free hand exercises. Raising both hands above my head, joining palms, I bent forward and touched my toes. Straightening back, I bent backward from my waist. I kept the posture for a while, when she remarked, "Hey your top fell short, showing skin around your tummy!"
"I don't care. Are they still looking at me?"
"Yes, they are!" she confirmed.
"Ok, let them watch, I can't skip exercising because of them."
"Yeah, you shouldn't, it's just harmless watching. Good way to start the day for them!" She chuckled.
*****
Enraged, being stuck at the office for over an hour, I didn't even care to reply when my boss finally allowed me to leave for a lunch break. On picking up my bag, I ran for my bike hurriedly. I bought a ladies bike for commuting fast between home and office. Having a breastfed baby at home, I had to travel between home and work, twice a day. I was lucky to have a full time live in maid. Tara, who was around twenty, was quite inexperienced with taking care of an eight month old baby but I had no other option than to leave my baby with her.
Both my husband and I were working for the same government department. When our baby reached six months, his transfer to another city came as a bolt from the blue. By then, I had exhausted all my leave but fortunately we had engaged Tara and she was working for us. I had no choice other than to depend on her to care for my baby. She looked after the baby in my absence, as well as helped me with household chores.
I had taken a small, two room flat on rent; having two mid-sized rooms, a small kitchen, a small storeroom, and a washroom, all inter-connected with a long shared balcony in front. The first room, with an entrance at left end of the front balcony, was the drawing room. The door adjacent to entrance, in the right corner of the drawing room led to the second room, used as our bedroom. Another parallel door on the opposite wall of the bedroom led to our kitchen. A parallel opening on the opposite wall of the kitchen led to the storeroom, used as Tara's bedroom. Next to the storeroom was the washroom with door on the opposite wall and parallel to the opening from kitchen. Adjacent to the washroom door, at the right side of the storeroom, was a door leading to a common backyard.
The old, two story, roadside building was not appropriate but it was close to my office and rent was cheap. It was not built for renting out but for a big family, quite common in olden days. The landlord inherited the building but with his small family consisting of a wife and two kids, he did not require so many rooms spread over two floors. He kept the first floor for himself and rented out the entire ground floor for an additional source of income.
Out of three rented flats on the ground floor, I took the flat on left side, in the front part of the building. A newlywed couple in their mid-twenties took the flat at the right side in the front and Auntie Uma had the flat at the backside of the building. We had a common balcony in front, which I had to share with the couple next door. A cemented pathway from the compound gate led to our front balcony and a similar pathway at extreme right of the building led to the common backyard and Auntie Uma's flat and the staircase to first floor.
The landlord's family did not mix with tenants and my relations with the couple living next door was lukewarm. As was common for old buildings, rooms on the ground floor were interconnected and there was a door in between my bedroom and the bedroom of the tenant couple next door. The door was bolted in order to make separate flats out of the interconnected rooms but there was a wide gap that could not be closed between the two wooden doors, which hung from the door frame. I tried to block the gap by placing a small wardrobe in front of it but distinct sounds from the bedroom of the couple continued to infiltrate my bedroom, and at night light from their bedroom splashed across the floor and my bed. I can only expect their experience had been the same.
I had to wake up at night several times. Whenever my baby cried or had to have his nappies changed, I had to switch on the lights in my bedroom. Naturally, it disturbed the couple next door. Nobody likes to wake up in the middle of night with a baby's cry. Sounds in silence of a night were clearer and I heard their irritated comments. I could not help them anyway but with time, we learnt to adjust.
Auntie Uma was very fond of my baby. Being a mom of two grown daughters, she knew the difficulties of a first time mom. She had plenty of spare time since her husband and daughters used to leave in the morning. Tara had a harrowing time in taking care of my baby so Auntie Uma assisted Tara in my absence. Her affinity, love and care for the baby and expertise were a huge relief for me. She advised me on the nitty-gritty of baby care and at times even helped me with daily chores. Because of work, household chores and my baby, I had not time for friends, but Auntie Uma and I got closer with passing time due to her daily presence and caring nature.