My sister's marriage was fixed for the very next month; of course this meant more than the usual family members descending on the house. This included my Padma Atte {Paternal Aunt} my father's only and elder sister. She was a 50 something spinster who was both the pride and shame of the family. My grandfather had searched high and low for a groom for her but back in the 80's there weren't many men that fitted his expectations. At 50 she still had a super model figure which she kept well concealed in the sarees that she usually clad in, but for the head full of grey hair you would guess her to be 20 even 30 years younger than she really was. She had completed her degree in Economics top of the class and had landed a job at the headquarters of a rural bank. She was earning more than any man that had approached our family with a marriage proposal. Add to this the fact she was very down to earth and very religious --taking after my grandmother--, my grandfather kept searching for her Mr. Perfect all his life and never found one. My grandmother died shortly after and there were few or no elders left to see she settled down.
She had kept to her job and gone to the highest post she could reach and voluntarily retired a year ago. She still used to freelance for them every now and then. Using this position she had got me a job interview in the same place, only catch I had to leave immediately and complete a couple of courses in accounting and computer programming --I wasn't exactly qualified to be a bank official--, I grabbed at the opportunity with both hands. I was more than willing to get away from my sister, who had left me with a wound so deep I thought it would never heal. The interview went great I was posted at the Chennai headquarters, which meant I got even farther away from my native. I did go back to attend Prerna's wedding, the most awkward I felt with my own sister. At that time I really didn't care but seeing everyone in the family especially my father so happy I realised that eventually I would forget and forgive what she had done to me and I don't know, maybe even be happy for her.
I had just settled into the routine of this new chapter in my life, I was a brother no more; I son, only when I spoke to father on the phone and the most amazing revelation was that I no longer was the loaner, infact I was the popular guy in the office, with work friends and good relations with neighbours in the flats I was put up at. If only she could see me like this.
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Three months from the incident Ramya called me and said she was in town and wanted to catch up. We agreed to meet after work at a cafe near my place. I was the first there waiting for her I tried to paint the picture of Ramya in my mind. I had seen her through the years --11 to 25-- she was always around, often she would stay the night with my sister and even I would stay the night at her place and so I was thinking of the many days I had seen her early in the day. Hair un-made, face glistening as she had just washed it, sleepy eyes and that wry smile. I wonder if it was ever for me. I could not really go deep into that thought, as she had just arrived.
"Hey, how are you?" she enquired and sat in front of me. I just smiled. Was this the loaner in me trying to come back out. "So, how's work?" she asked again.
"Great! Actually, it is more than I ever expected it to be." I replied making sure to be an active participant in this conversation. She then ordered something and as we waited she explained that she was here to attend airhostess school and would be here for maybe six to nine months. She also gave me detailed directions to the working women's hostel she was staying at. Eventually the coffee came and she took a few sips of it. I could clearly make out she was scanning me with a stray look as she did so. She gave a low sigh as she placed the cup down.
"So, it's been so long!" she was hinting at the how long we had gone since we last met. "How long exactly, hmm..." she pretended to calculate mentally. "...4 months. Right!"
"Actually, more like 3." she squinted at my awareness. "I saw you at the marriage remember." she was the bride's best friend, the next most seen women at any wedding.
"Yeah it was so hectic, we barely got to speak with each other." she was right. I was busy too, not to mention the fact that I was purposely trying to avoid my sister.
"So I guess the last time we did talk, was when you professed your love for me." she was taken by surprise by my comment. I let out a small laugh and she quickly joined in.
"Yeah, and you so eloquently rejected me." we continued the chuckle. "I'll have you know I since moved on, infact I found myself a boyfriend." I was pleasantly surprised to hear this. "Infact Prerna introduced us, he is friend of Ramesh {my brother-in-law}, we just hit it off and have been together for nearly 2 months now. He was the one that got me into Frankfinn." She said with a smile across her face.
"Congrats, so what's the plan are you guys eloping to some foreign nation?" that brought back the chuckle in her. "No seriously I happy for you guys." My sister married some jackass and her best friend who used to be in love with me is now banging a friend of the jackass, why wouldn't I be happy? We talked for sometime more and as we left we realised it had started to rain and it didn't look good infact there was water everywhere. She tried to catch an auto but no was willing to go that far. Eventually one of them said that unless the rain gave up it no one would go there as they would have to cross a bridge that had flooded and her only hope was to catch bus the next day morning. She immediately called the place she was staying at and confirmed the story. She asked me to drop her off at a hotel so she could spend the night. We took my bike and started towards a place I knew next to my office. I found it incredibly hard to drive in the rain and decided that a change of plans was in order. I turned towards my place.
"Hey listen, I live here. Both of us a dripping wet. We can't go on for as far as we need to in a two wheeler. So just come up I'll borrow the neighbour's car and drop you of at the hotel." I led her to my flat, gave her towel to dry off and went to the neighbour's door. The couple answered together and enquired everything from why I was late; and wether I get caught in the rain. Ramya joined us still trying to dry her hair, that is when I got a chance to explain,
"This is my cousin Ramya. She stays in a hostel near Anna Nagar, but she can't get there as the bridge near Egmore is overflowing I wanted to ask if there is a hotel nearby where she can stay the night." the guy began to explain.
"Sure, but it's not safe to travel in this weather especially in Chennai. I guess the best thing to do is let her stay here at our place with my wife and I'll sleep over with you." I felt that this would be the better option but didn't want to force it on her so looked to Ramya. She hesitated before declining,
"Oh... I don't want to trouble you, I guess we can manage in his flat." did she just suggest she wanted to spend the night with me. "It's not like we haven't done it before, you know it would be like old times." expect in the old times my sister was always present. "Besides it will give us time to catch up." What more could we catch on three months? But I had to support her or I was going to look like a deuce not to mention my rep would be irreparably damaged in front of my sweet neighbours.
"Sure but you are completely drenched. Anni, if you don't mind could you loan her something she could sleep in." I asked the lady. She affirmed and took Ramya inside and I went back to change. I had just finished setting the couch up when my neighbour came and invited me over for dinner. I went with and found Ramya in a nightie setting the table for four. She was atleast two sizes bigger and fuller than my neighbour and the nightie was hugging her every curve with lust. We had our dinner and left for my flat just as we stepped out into the hallway the power was cut. We borrowed a light and made our way to the flat. I kept admiring her figure in the candle light. Once inside I showed her to the bed and told her I would be on the couch if she needed anything. She asked to use the bathroom so I just went to the couch and started fidgeting with my mobile. She came out and joined me on the couch.