Sensing Roopa’s indifference the following night as well, Sathyam thought of honeymooning at Ooty. ‘Besides enlivening her mood, the thrill of the new environs might as well enthrall her mind,’ he thought hopefully. However, Pathrudu would have none of it. “One wouldn’t be taking his wife to hotels and all,” he said rather dismissively.
However, when the time to report for work neared, Sathyam was forced to leave Roopa behind. “I’ll be back soon after fixing a sweet home for us,” he said at their parting, as though to enthuse her.
After Sathyam’s departure to Hyderabad that day, to fix a sweet home for them, as he put it, undisturbed that night, Roopa had time to reflect on her time.
‘My past was steeped in hope but my future could be filled just by despair,’ she thought in disillusionment. ‘Am I destined to partner disappointment? What had gone wrong after all? Though a simpleton, yet he’s sincere, and what’s more, he seems to love me wholeheartedly.’ The thought that he loved her made her feel sympathetic towards him, ‘Oh, if only I could get excited about him. Is the excitement I’m craving for a mere illusion that no man could possibly induce in a woman?’
She fondly remembered her intimacy with Sandhya in that moment of their weakness and tried to relive the emotions of their romance and attempted to visualize the sensations of their union in all their vividness. While the vague fulfillment she derived from their encounter that came to the fore made her long even more for it, her fondness for her mate only helped increase her craving for the he-man of her daydreams, and in that state, her passion was like a landscape in the sky, ever altered by the passing current
~~~~~
Next morning Roopa reached Sandhya’s place with mixed feelings and entering her bedroom dullish, she found her mate draping a Gadwal sari
“Why so late!” Sandhya said dropping the sari
“Blame my lethargy of anxiety,” said Roopa, having outstretched her hands in invitation.
“How I will miss you from now on,” said Sandhya, smug in Roopa’s embrace
“I would be the worst hit,” Roopa couldn’t hold back her tears.
“Our love should give us solace,” said Sandhya warmly, as her shoulder was warmed with Roopa’s tears.
“The thought of losing you frightens me,” said Roopa in between sobs.
“I swear I’ll always be yours,” said Sandhya as she tightened her hold on Roopa.
“But, what after you get married?” said Roopa. “It’s only time before you wed.”
“I won’t let my marriage come in the way of our affair,” Sandhya tried to assuage Roopa. “I love you and need you as well.”