Indian Wife's Transformation

We had finished our dinner and were watching TV. Priya was wearing a tight t-shirt without a bra. Here nipples were clearly poking out of the t-shirt. Here tight t-shirt was perfectly complementing the tiny shorts that she had on. Her glorious legs were on full display and I was having a hard time keeping my eyes on TV. I was finding it hard to believe how my simple shy Indian wife had transformed into this sexy swan in such a short time. I could distinctly remember how I had to struggle to get Priya to shed her ethnic Indian clothes and start wearing some western clothes. At that time even wearing over sized t-shirts and loose pants was fashion enough for her.

She was clearly aware of the effect she was having on me, but somehow today her mind seemed to be occupied with something else.

"Is something bothering you honey?" I asked Priya.

"No, nothing much," Priya replied. But judging by her tone I could clearly sense that something was weighing down on her and she wanted to discuss it with me.

Guessing that she might be facing some trouble in her school I took conversation in that direction "How are things going on in your school?"

She didn't answer my question immediately. So something was indeed bothering her about her friends. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, took a deep breath and then with some resolve in her voice said, "Listen Rajesh there is something I want to discuss with you."

"Sure honey, what is it?"

"I am thinking on leaving my course midway," Priya said.

"What!!" I was quite shocked to hear this. "I thought you were enjoying attending school. Why would you even think of such a thing?"

"Yes, indeed I am enjoying a lot. I have made so many new friends, learned so many new things, and seen a completely different world."

And in my head I completed her sentence "...and in the process transformed myself into an utterly delicious sexy wife."

"So what's the problem then?" I asked her with some concern in my voice.

Priya said, "I sometimes feel I don't fit into that world."

"That's utter nonsense," I retorted, "Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately? You look better than any hot college going girl."

"But that's exactly the problem. My friends expect me to not just look like a college girl but also to behave like one."

...and the penny dropped.

I didn't know how to react to that. I knew where this conversation was headed next. Although I had always suspected that there was some hanky-panky business going on between Priya and Mark, and in a way I had even encouraged it by not objecting to it, but now when it came to confronting it head on I really didn't know what to say. I had always dreaded this moment. I honestly didn't know what I feared more - the possibility that my wife might have an affair with another men or the fact that without her new friends she might go back to being her old prudish self.

I labored on, "Can you explain what do mean by behaving like a college girl?"...as if I didn't know what the answer was.

"There isn't any defined list of behaviors for college girls," Priya said with slight irritation in her voice. "It could mean a range of things - from having crazy haircuts to going out to late night parties, to getting tattoos, to smoking weed. But most importantly it means responding positively to male attention and making an effort to have a boyfriend."

My heart skipped a beat when I heard the last part of her sentence. Words came out of my mouth in a strange tone, "And have you been subjected to any serious male attention?"

Priya looked at me with some confusion. She couldn't understand if there was a sense of fear in this question or if I was feeling excited while asking her this. And I guess the truth was that there was mixture of both. Somewhere in the darkest corner of my mind I had, at times, fantasized about seeing Priya with other men but I had always banished such thoughts quickly. But now the time had come when I had to choose between either banishing them completely or allowing them to transform into reality.

Priya chose her answer carefully, "Well, there is this guy called Mark in my class. He had always been interested in me right from the day I joined the school. Till now I have been able to handle him tactfully and managed to keep him away but lately he has started to flirt with me openly. I have been trying to avoid him but it is becoming difficult now. My friend Jenny has also started to ask me uncomfortable questions as to why I am turning down Mark's advances. According to her any girl would give her right arm to have a boyfriend like Mark."

I stayed quiet for a long time, then I asked her slowly, "And how do you really feel about Mark?"

Priya said, "Had I not been married and if I was not in love with you, I would have loved to have a boyfriend like Mark."

I knew the moment of reckoning had come and I had to make a decision. I thought for a long moment and then took Priya's hand in my hand, looked into her eyes and said "Listen Priya, you know that I love you more than anything in this world. I cannot think of my life without your presence in it. For the past few months I have seen you beaming with such unbound joy and happiness that I honestly don't want you to give up your school and friends and go back to the dull life that we had before. Therefore if you promise me that you will never leave me under any circumstances then I promise you that I will not come between you and Mark."

Save for the noise from the TV there was pin drop silence in the room. Priya was looking at me as if she was in a trance. She could not believe that I had just permitted my wife to have an affair with another man. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

She finally said, "I hope you realize the implications of what you are saying. If I were to have an affair with Mark then..." she hesitated for a moment "...I may have to have sex with him."

"Moreover it's not just about sex. If I were to become Mark's girlfriend then I will have to behave like a girlfriend which means going out on date with him, openly kissing him, hugging him, expressing love for him. In other words we will have to behave like a couple."

I replied "Yes, I fully realize what I am saying. But as I said your happiness is of paramount importance to me and I have full faith that our bond of love is so strong that nothing in this world can break it."

In one swift motion Priya just fell into my arm and started sobbing, "I love you so much Rajesh that I can't even begin to express it in words. I promise you that I will never leave you, I will always remain your wife no matter what happens between me and Mark."

I placed my hand over head and gently started to run my fingers through her hair. We stayed in that position for a long time. She finally lifted her arms from my shoulder and said "Rajesh I need to you to do one final thing tonight."

"What is it honey?" I asked her.

"I have worn my Mangalsutra every single day since our marriage. It's a sign of our divine and sacred love. I want you to remove it from my neck with your own hands because I will feel uncomfortable going out with Mark if I am still wearing it."

To the uninitiated: Mangalsutra is a sacred necklace worn by Indian women as a sign of their marriage.

"Ok" was all I could say as I reached out with my hands and removed the Mangalsutra from around Priya's neck. As I removed it from her neck the symbolic importance of my action dawned on us. As per Indian traditions and religion Priya was now a free woman. Although legally she was still my wife but symbolically I had released her from our marital bond.