‘Congrats,’ she gave Roopa a large bouquet.
‘I owe it to her,’ Roopa passed it on to Sandhya.
‘And I do to him!’ Sandhya gave it to Raja Rao.
‘How handsome,’ said Tara, and added after a pause, ‘your partnership is.’
‘Thanks for coming,’ said Raja Rao.
‘I’m happy that Roopa is in the right company,’ said Tara, ‘and she deserves it.’
‘Come on,’ Roopa whisked Tara away, ‘I’ll take you around.’
‘Why do you feel so insecure?’ whispered Tara, following Roopa.
‘Are you not a femme fatale, isn’t that enough?’ said Roopa in jest.
‘Not of your grade anyway,’ said Tara, taking Roopa’s hand. ‘I’m glad your patience has paid off.’
‘Facilitated by your timely help,’ said Roopa reminiscently.
When Tara entered the anteroom, Roopa stood embarrassed at the threshold.
‘It should be okay,’ smiled Tara, lying on the divan. ‘What do you say?’
‘You’re impossible,’ smiled Roopa.
‘When’s the lunch break?’ Tara winked at Roopa.
‘Oh, you,’ said Roopa in all coyness.
‘Where’s the ‘Don’t Disturb’ board?’ said Tara, as she mock searched under the divan.
‘It’s on the way,’ said Roopa in jest, and put Tara back into circulation.
As Tara got up to leave in time, said Sandhya to her, ‘Do drop in as you please.’
‘It would be my pleasure,’ said Tara, squeezing Roopa’s hand, ‘if Roopa permits.’
‘As if you’re a sort to wait for one,’ said Roopa teasing.
The next day, during the lunch hour, when Raja Rao led Roopa into the ante-room, she turned apprehensive, though she looked forward to it with all her craving.
‘It could be risky,’ she said.
‘Isn’t it worth it,’ he said, pulling her into his lap, ‘even at the cost of life itself.’
‘Why no bolster?’ she said stretching herself on the divan.
‘With your chignon,’ he said lying by her side, ‘I thought you won’t need one.’
‘Sandhya too says,’ she said, eagerly pushing his head on to her breast, ‘it goes well with me.’
‘Thank God, we’ve a place for us,’ he said, unbuttoning her blouse. ‘It would have been hellish otherwise.’
‘A homely office really,’ she said in relief. ‘What if Sandhya smells our homeliness?’
‘That’s what we want, don’t we?’ he said smiling, leading her on the amorous path of their fulfillment.
‘A married woman might enjoy her domineering role at home,’ thought Roopa, as they came out of the ante-room at length. ‘But in liaison, being submissive to her paramour, won’t she enjoy the joy of surrender. Won’t that make liaison a singular affair?’