It was raining cats and dogs and it had been the same thing for two weeks. The rivers nearby Kyrhan's palace were flooding and many refugees had found shelter in the palace park which was ten feet higher than the rest of the plain. Kyrhan being the former local Maharajah had felt obliged to let them in. Few tourists visited the region during the monsoon usually, so the situation was not a real problem for the hotel management.
But it was a real test for the little Marine, the last add on to Kyrhan's harem. She had been asked to manage the distribution of food and water to the refugees and she invested herself in it quite completely. Kyrhan rarely saw her except when he visited the camp to cheer up the mood. It was very pleasant watching her scurrying everywhere in her usual light blue (to match the color of her eyes) saree. With the mud everywhere, she had finally abandoned her shoes and walked barefoot like the refugees.
Just a few close friends had had the guts to come in that season, to help him. That evening, there were only Peter, the English CEO, Dan, probably Kyrhan's closest foreign friend and Shomeer, Kyrhan's brother. Their wives had retired earlier to chat in Kira's boudoir. Peter was reminding them how things were in the good society in England and probably in India, one century earlier. . .
- Sure, Kyrhan, in that time, education for girls was limited in the technical side but was pretty complete on humanities : my grand mother was able to have a discussion in ancient greek, in Hebrew and in Latin as well as in modern French and Spanish. . .
- I agree with you. One of our first guests in the hotel was a Swedish countess who was simply stunning : she could speak quite fluently thirty European languages and switch during a banquet from Italian with her neighbor on the right to Hungarian with the one on her left while asking in English a waiter to refill her glass wine!
- Thirty! She should know them all.
- No : she had in particular to apologize to Kira : her parents had forbidden her to learn French as it was in their eyes too erotic and sexy. Do you think so, Dan?
- I've read somewhere that in French, we have many more words to describe the male and female genitals than in most languages but most of these words come from slang. Aside from that particularity, there are not so many differences, I think.
- Umphh! If a native feels it that way, he must be right! But our grand mothers had special courses on how to behave in most circumstances : if you received a bishop, the king or some counts, dukes and other gentry. There were carriage schools, teaching everything from how to climb down stairs with head held high and not watching where you place your feet to how to treat an inebriated guest that patted your bottom.
- Yes! My wife Swathri had such courses when she was in an old fashioned English boarding school. She intends to send there her children when they will be of age.
- In a couple of years as she has delivered the babies just two months ago, I'm afraid!.
- You give me an idea!
- What idea, Kyrhan?
- Could we organize such a boarding school for girls somewhere in England and send there our wives and girl friends. I would imagine, Kira, Leena, Marine and a few other ones.
- But you'd need some strict headmistress to manage the school and a janitor to maintain order.
- And for that role, I envision your dear wife Swathri. Who better than her? And for the janitor, I would think to mister Gupta, a friend of Peter, a small fat, nearly bald and very authoritative Indian man
- You would place your wife Kira under the orders of your younger sister in law?
- Why not? She is experienced. She should have total control on her pupils.
- A last thing, don't your fear your Mister Gupta will be too lenient with Leena. He must know her, too.
- On the contrary : I'm pretty sure he will be quite eager to punish her quite harshly for the least peccadillo. Peter will supervise him to prevent him from being too harsh with her. It's time Gupta learns he isn't the almighty God!
- - - -
When Kyrhan made the formal proposal to Swathri, she accepted it immediately.
- OK but I'll need a month to organize it, and afterwards some time to have the uniform prepared.
- What uniform?
- In my school, the girls will be expected to wear at all times a uniform and failures to wear it but also to wear it properly following the rules I'll edict would entail physical punishments. On another plane, I don't want that their respective husbands have any intercourses with them during the training sessions. No visits and no permissions! Is that OK with you?
- Sure. But remember that the training session will last only one month. I don't want my friends to be separated from their wives any longer!
Peter found rapidly a former boarding school for young delinquent girls. It had been closed at the end of the previous year and was still in good enough state not to need important repairs. The students' rooms could easily be refurbished. The building was situated in Scotland, quite conveniently placed for Peter to commute from his offices in Birmingham.
- - - - -
In fact, the fabrication of the uniforms designed by Swathri took so much time that the School opened just at the end of October. The weather was rainy, cold and windy. It was just perfect for Swathri's objectives. The girls arrived the Saturday morning to let them learn the rules of the establishment. Swathri gathered them in the main hall for a discipline lecture.
- Hello, girls. I'm your headmistress, Mrs Swathri Singh, I'm responsible for the whole training courses your respective husbands have offered you. You have been given a key of a locker placed in the basement, room C. You'll deposit everything you have there including your wedding rings and any jewel, garments, food, brushes, make up and whatever else. Then you'll give me back the key. For the whole month, you'll be expected to wear the school uniform and NOTHING ELSE! Inspection of your room can be done at any time by our janitor, Mr Gupta. Possession of anything not given to you by the school will condemn you to one night in the unheated school gaols without a comforter. A second offence would entail twelve strokes of a good English Rattan cane on your naked buttocks under the rain in front of the whole school. Clear enough?
A weak affirmative but also very apprehensive noise came from the ranks of the girls.
- I haven't heard anything! If you don't answer when I ask you something, you may have to stay standing naked in the courtyard for a couple of hours under the cold rain, the gale or the occasional hail shower we have had today! Am I clear enough?
The girls responded quite loud, this time. The threat had hit home!
- You'll find in your bedrooms your uniform. Change immediately and pack your belongings in the bag you'll deposit in your locker. You have one hour. Our next meeting is scheduled in this room at eleven AM. . . Stand at attention. . . Dismissed!