The story of the third and last night

We were tired when we came back. Since our squash courts were not having any air conditioning system at the time, I was drenched in sweat. She said she would take a shower. I told her it would be better if she changed her clothes. But she had no other clothes to wear. I suggested something and she agreed. I told her, if she could just wear my one of my shalwar-qameez, I would get her clothes washed in half an hour in Snow White drycleaners in their urgent service. She gave me her clothes. They were ready in less than half an hour.

I told her I had some cosmetics if she would like to try. She was surprised as to why I would keep female things in my bachelor house. I told her this was because I have to take home these things for my family and cousins since these items are not genuine in my tiny little village, at least they say so. I gave her from my stock (oh I still remember the detail of it) Victoria’s Secret shower gel (it was strawberry I remember from the smell of it later), a loreal’s lipstick, a Gucci perfume and a couple of other things. She said she would never take them, but won’t mind using them for the night. “Your wife would be so lucky and happy with you”, she told me after seeing the cosmetics in my cupboard.

She told me she never bore an abaya before and was even not feeling like wearing one even then. But it was because since she had to walk alone, people often thought wrong of her without wearing it. She looked so nice in the shalwar qameez which were too loose and long for her. “Don’t laugh at me ok,” she smiled to me, “today it is me, tomorrow it could be you.” I said I was not laughing and she in fact looked nice.

She went to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready. We had decided to go out for a dinner. When she came out, she almost stunned me. She was looking simply divine. She was like a princess. We went to a restaurant that was famous for its romantic ambience. It was not for the romantic ambience, however, that we chose the place. It was because they served the best Italian food in town, my favourite and surprisingly hers too.

As soon as we got out of the car, an eunuch cut our way and said, ‘hai Allah Shah Rukh Khan, kaisi chand si bhabhi mili hai. Kuch dai do na.” (What a beautiful wife have you got. Please give me some money). Both of us deemed it unnecessary to explain we were not husband and wife.

While having the dinner, I could not help being affected by her beauty. In fact, everyone was affected I could still remember the twisted necks of the people, men and women, as they turned to have a look at her every time she went to fetch food from the buffet table. On that very occasion she just a paragon of innocence and simplicity and an epitome of beauty and attraction. She looked at me with dreamy eyes and it just made me dreamy myself.

My conscience and my nascent feelings toward her being at war in my mind had me tossing on horns of a dilemma. “Will I yield to these feelings tonight? Will she yield? Is it ok? How will I justify?” One thing I was sure about is that although I had these feelings towards her, she too had no less towards me.

When we came back, I lied on the bed. She asked me if it was ok if she could share the bed. I said in fact that was what I had thought. We lied on bed, the following conversation took place.
Me: You know what?
She: Yes, what?
M: You were looking different today.
S: How?
M: You looked so beautiful.
S: So did you.
M: Do you think it would be ok for us to stay together from now on? I must tell you I do not look upon you the same way I did yesternight.
S: I know, your eyes speak to me of your heart’s condition. And guess what? Even perhaps my own feelings are more intense than yours.
M: Well, then what shall we do?
S: Well, you have won me. I have do not have anything to give you except for my love and my body.
M: But is it appropriate?
S: It is not. Until last night, I was praying in my heart intensely that you do not have any physical feelings. Tonight, my own heart is gone astray.
M: Do you think we should make love?
S: I am in your hands. My heart is in your hands too. You can do to me whatever you like. But I know that it is not fair.
M: If it is not fair, then how can we do it?
S: I am sorry. I know you are too good for me. I am but a divorced woman with two kids. Why should you even think of the possibility of becoming your wife. You do not deserve me and I do not deserve you.
M: I cannot say anything about my getting married to you. But being divorced or having kids is not a curse or stigma.
S: It is not a curse, yet it would be enough reason for me not to become your wife. Even I would not approve of it, although in my heart I wish I could never get anything better than in you in life.
M: I am not in a position to get married. I have many years to go to complete my studied.
S: I know, and I would never get married to you, even though I shall not let your love go from my heart.
M: It is a situation in my life which I haven to seen before Henna.
S: You have no idea what is going through my heart. (she started to cry and sat on the floor).
M: Please do not cry. We are good friends. And we shall always stay as such.
S: Yes, but we shall never be anything else as well.
Since the situation was precarious and since both of us believed it was against our person to satisfy our lust on such innocently built sweet relation, we decided to come out of the house. She asked me to take her to the train station. She told me she would give me her cell phone but I refused to take it from her. I took her to the airport instead. She insisted that we go to the train station, but I said no. Luckily, I got her a ticket in half-price (those days there was a deal, if you came one hour before a flight and there were still tickets available, you get it in half price). The ticket was 3200 and I paid it. I gave her the ticket and we parted. I left her in tears. I came back home only to find, she had left her cell phone in my bedside locker. And there was only my number in the dialled and received calls. I never heard from her again.