The Reckoning

Red maxi dress or the little black dress? She chose the LBD. Stilettos or wedge heels? Stilettos. Rest was not so challenging. She knew the make-up tricks to enhance her most important features – her big, beautiful eyes and full lips.

After giving the final touches to her long shiny brown hair, Maya smiled into the mirror. She knew that she was looking amazingly lovely. The LBD she bought two months ago accentuated her curves and the red stilettos made her look like a fashion model. "Did she put too much lipstick?"- Maya asked herself but brushed away the thought and flicked away a hair strand from her kohl-rimmed eyes.  

As she opened the door of her bedroom and stepped out, loud shrieks startled her making her trip on the living room carpets.

"Mamma! Are you going to a party?" Mridul, her six-year-old son asked her. He was looking at her quizzically because he had never seen Maya in such a get-up. She would wear sarees and salwar kameez to work and at home, she was in jeans or pajamas.

"Yes, mamma, tell us why are you dressed up like this," Mira asked Maya. Mira was 15 but she was way too mature for her age. For a moment, Maya felt a wave of guilt washing over her and was tempted to turn back inside her room. However, she composed herself and took a step forward picking up a crumpled piece of paper from the floor.

She hugged Mridul and ruffled his hair. "Mamma has some important work, so she is going out," she told him. "Don't you like my dress, Mridul?" she asked. "of course, I do. You look gorgeous mamma," Mridul said with a big smile.

But it was Mira, who was eyeing her suspiciously, which was making Maya a little nervous. "How come, you are wearing this dress when I am not allowed to wear shorts," she asked Maya petulantly.

"Does papa know where you are going?" Mira asked.

Hearing this, Maya clenched her fists and shut her eyes for a few seconds, she took deep breaths. Her husband Neeraj was a businessman who was always travelling. For the last six-seven years, he had grown more distant and emotionally unavailable. He was so busy that he would miss important days like children's birthdays. What infuriated Mira was that he did not feel any remorse or guilt.

"What do you expect after 17 years of marriage? Do not forget that I am making money for you guys," he would say whenever Maya broached the topic of togetherness. Maya was handling everything on her own – her office, home, children's school, etc.

A few days ago, when Maya was checking her Facebook account, she found out that one of her classmates in school was coming to town and had asked her if she would meet up. She wanted to say no initially but then thought why not? Gaurav was the most popular boy in school, and she didn't remember he ever speaking with her back then.

Gaurav was an IT professional living in the US and when she went through his pictures, she was smitten. She got so excited at the thought of meeting Gaurav. Today was Saturday and Gaurav was waiting for her at a newly opened pub in the city. That it was Valentine's Day today was just a happy coincidence.

However, her children were acting like her parents, she almost giggled at the thought.

Looking at her daughter, Maya said, "Eat your lunch and take care of your brother. I will be back in the evening."

After saying bye to her children, Maya took out her car from the garage and put the location of the pub in her GPS.

Though the traffic was not busy at this hour Maya was finding it difficult to focus and was pressing on the horn drawing glares from other drivers on the road. She was constantly thinking about what Mira had said to her. For some unknown reason, she was feeling irritated.

Upon reaching the pub, she handed the keys to the car to the valet who took them with unnecessary eagerness making her smile.

"Hello there!" said a man with an American accent. As she turned around, there he was. Tall and fair just like what he looked like during his school days. But on a closer look, he looked older with age lines on his face and with a mop of salt and pepper hair.

"Hey Gaurav, so good to see you," she extended her hand for the customary shake, but Gaurav pulled her towards him in a bear hug. For a moment she was stiff but then she too hugged him back. She was finding it hard to believe that Gaurav who did not even know she existed despite being in the same section and same class, came specially to meet her.

Soon they were seated, and Gaurav ordered drinks for both of them. Though Maya was not too fond of hard liquor, she wanted to enjoy the day and feel free. She didn't remember when was the last time Neeraj took her out on a date. For the last few years, he had only worked on his mind, and she was a non-existent entity for him. She sighed!

Maya and Gaurav started chatting about their respective families and work. Gaurav's wife Rhea was also a software engineer in California. He had a daughter the same age as Mira. When Maya saw Rhea's picture, she was taken aback. Rhea was not very tall and had ordinary features. "Gaurav married a plain Jane," Maya thought and felt an unknown sense of relief. She pushed back her hair from her shoulder as she realized that Gaurav was looking at her with an appreciation or this was her imagination.

A warm glow spread over Maya, and she did not want the moment to end. Throughout her school life, she had secretly yearned for Gaurav's attention. It was happening now. "You are gorgeous," Gaurav said to her while clasping her fingers. Maya's whole body quivered, and it felt like magic.

Gaurav was smiling as he refilled her glass with red wine. Maya was ecstatic and did not want this moment to end. She nodded her head when Gaurav invited her to his hotel room for coffee. The wine and excitement had made Maya's face flushed, making her look beautiful. Gaurav's eyes were warmly caressing her, and she was having butterflies in the pit of her stomach. Almost two hours had passed but both were engrossed in getting to know each other. And Maya was just Maya there. At that moment, her husband and children did not exist.

Her phone's ring shook May out of her reverie. It was Neeraj's call. Something happened to Maya. She kept looking at her phone and her body became stiff. "Who is calling you Maya?" Gaurav asked her.

Maya, however, had her gaze fixed on her phone. All of a sudden, tears started flowing from her eyes and she picked up her handbag from the table and abruptly started running towards the exit of the pub almost bumping into a waiter. A clueless Gaurav dashed after her calling her name. But Maya did not stop and called the valet for her car. Her car was parked right outside the pub. She shut the door of her car without even giving a glance to a bewildered Gaurav and pressed on the accelerator.

"Oh, God! What was I thinking," she was feeling wretched inside. "I have a husband and two kids, but I was behaving like a teenager," she berated herself.

Her phone rang again. It was Gaurav, but she did not take the call. It rang again, it was Neeraj. She quickly picked up the phone. "Happy Valentine's Day sweetheart. Come home fast and let us go out for dinner," Neeraj said in his baritone voice. Maya smiled through her tears nodding her head, and said, "Can't wait to be with you, my Valentine."

--Ends--