Naresh got on to the bus that was going to the small town that he had been posted to. Lakhanpur, a place he had never heard of, was eons away from the urban environment inhabited by him prior to his present course in life. Naresh was going away for the first time from his parents who were in Delhi, a place he had spent a good part of his life in. They had provided him with a reasonable amount of money in order that he never felt any immediate need for it till his first salary. Naresh was excited and apprehensive all at once. This was his first job and the posting in Lakhanpur was for a period of 6 months in the nature of apprenticeship where he would learn the nuances of his job in a small branch of his company. His only encounter with small towns was when he went past them on bus journeys from Delhi to nearby places or on the trip he made to Goa from Bombay. He had to report only on Wednesday, but had come here on the previous Saturday to acquaint himself with the place and search for suitable accommodation.
There was no reservation on the bus and he went to a seat next to that occupied by a middle aged grey haired lady with a pleasant face, who made place for him. Naresh got into his seat and waited for the bus to start. The seats were not very wide and he could feel the lady's body as he sat next to her. The journey was for around 3 hours and the lady asked him his name. Naresh struck up a conversation with her easily and soon they were chatting away.
He found out that the lady was also going to Lakhanpur where she lived in her own house. Apparently her husband had died about five years ago and had left her enough to live comfortably. When she learnt that Naresh was going to join a job there, she was happy. Naresh started calling her aunty and she referred to him as Beta (Son in Hindi). Aunty suggested that he stay in her house, in the spare room with bath, while he was in Lakhanpur. It was big enough and nobody else was there anyway. Aunty had no children and no guests came to her place. The only person who came to her house everyday was the maid and she was away till Monday. Naresh was happy to accept, especially since the hotels in Lakhanpur were not known for comfort or cleanliness.
Soon enough the bus came to a halt at Lakhanpur and they got off. Naresh hailed an autorickshaw and they got on to it and the driver took them to Aunty's place. Naresh helped aunty off the rickshaw and carried her luggage and his into the house, ignoring her protestations. Aunty was around 54 years of age and around 5'5' in height, tall for an Indian woman. As she led the way into her house, Naresh noticed that she was a little plump although not to the point of being fat. She showed Naresh his room and suggested that he could shower and get changed, while she prepared food for both of them. Naresh had travelled a long way, by train followed by bus and was happy to bathe and cleanse himself of the grime from the journey. He also shaved and felt much better.
After changing into a loose Kurta and Pyjama, he came out of the room. Aunty had made a nice lunch of chapattis and some vegetables and dal cooked with spices. Naresh was pleased that he was getting a home cooked meal in Lakhanpur, a luxury he never expected. Aunty insisted on serving him and then she served herself. While he was being served, he felt her breasts against his shoulder once or twice. Naresh complimented her on the meal and he could see Aunty was pleased though she insisted that it was nothing.
After they finished eating, he helped her clean up the table and to keep the food in the kitchen. Aunty told him to come to her room after the meal. She had since removed her sari and was clad only in a petticoat and a blouse. Naresh was a little nonplussed but did not comment. As if reading his mind, Aunty told him that she normally dressed like this at home, as it was a little hot. Naresh noticed that her breasts and backside were quite prominent and that she did not appear to be wearing a bra. She asked him to sit on the bed and even lie down if he felt like it.
She enquired about his studies and his job. She asked him whether he was married and he shook his head.
She said, "Aap kab shaadi karna chaahte ho? (when do you want to get married)
Naresh said, "Teen saal ke baad!" (after three years)
She asked, "Tab tak kya karoge?" (what will you do till then)
Naresh answered somewhat naively, " Bin Shaadi ke rahoonga. Akhir jaldi bhi kya hai?" (shall stay unmarried. What's the hurry anyway?)
But she persisted, " Arrey Naresh beta, shaadi ke bina life kucch nahi hai." (There is no life without marriage son.)
Aunty then asked him, "Kya tumhari koi khas hai?" (do you have someone special?)
Naresh said, "Nahi, abhi nahi." (No, not now)
Aunty said, "Kabhi kisi ladki se ishq kiya hai?" (Have you loved any girl?)
Naresh blushed and nodded.
"Arre beta, isme sharmane ki kya baat hai?" (What is there to be shy in this matter)
"Accha yeh batao, tune uske saath kuch kiya, matlab picture le gaye ya kahin ghumne gaye..?" (did you take her out to a movie or somewhere else?)
Again Naresh only nodded.