the other woman

by ixedoc

I felt an elbow nudge into my flank. I jolted awake, and looked at the bedside timepiece ' 3. 35 A.M.

I turned over to see her , and noticed even in the dull glow of the night-lamp, her eyes was wide, and she was fully awake.

What did you say her name was?

Who?

That female you were talking to on our way to the market last evening

I don't recollect mention any name- an for God's sake it is three in the night

You did

Did what?

Mention any name?

I did not, any way if it is that important to for you to know it now, it happens to be Sumi

Sumi? I thought you said Sumitra?

Yeah, Sumitra, Sumi, its all the same

Is it? I thought Sumitra becomes Sumi only to the inner circle, I am a woman, I know.

Okay, you know everything. I'll dispose the twenty-two volume Encyclopedia Britannica tomorrow. Wife knows everything.

I turned over again, tucking my head inside of the blanket. It was chilly, and I needed some semblance of material cover from this midnight grilling session

I must have snoozed off rapidly, for I felt another jab spur me awake

You know her quite intimately don't you Mr. Romeo?

Know who?

That slut Sumitra, your Sumi

I switched the main lamp on, and propped myself up on the pillow. Boy! She is erious. And she wants answers now. I knew it was coming, the innuendos, the insinuations, the works.

Shameless, that Sumi of yours

Of mine? From when?

You tell me Lothario, from when, how should I now? I just mind this house, rear the kids, cook, scrub, mop, sweep How can she stand there, right beside you squirming and oozing and wriggling like a worm on embers. She has the hots for you, sure about that, this Sumi. Who does she think she is, Simi Grewal?

Coming to think of it, that female did act quite coquettish and effervescent. She was all eyes, gestures and mannerisms, and all of them exaggerated too. But hots for me? Not Sumi. She was like this only, dropping her pallu at the drop of a hat, bending low exposing her prized cleavage, giggling at even flat jokes, and even winking wickedly ' not with me, but with everyone else she was with.

Oh! She's quite harmless, Nam.

Don't you Nam Pam me? Just stick to my name, Namita.

Right then Mrs. Namita, Goodnight.

I leaned over and switched the lights off, and re-sheathed myself in the blanket. I felt her bend over and whisper

I'm sorry.

Me too, I’m sorry too

Twenty minutes later, I feel the elbow again

Now what?

You said sorry too

Yup I did

Sorry for what? Are you guilty of something you should be apologizing for?

Come into my parlor said the spider, aha - this one I married was quite a deadly Tarantula. Or maybe a Preying Mantis, the female of which species just decapitates her suitor and makes a meal of him.

Sorry I called you Nam instead of Namita.

Hmmm sigh! For a minute I presumed you were sorry for referring to Sumitra as Sumi. Nevermind. Sigh. Goodnight. It is I that has to sweep, swop, scavenge, scrape, scrub….from dawn to dusk——–

Note: I do not know how it is with other couples, but I am certain dialogues such as the one here, are far more frequent, even in happy marriages, than is presumed. There are quite a few Sumitras around. As for Namitas, every wife is one. If you are a married man and say no, you must be newly wed, or lying. Just wait some years more friend. You will feel an elbow dig into your back and