‘Thanks for your compliment,’ said Sathyam.
‘I fail to understand why we should feel apologetic in the first place,’ said Roopa in irritation. ‘We have what we have as we live within our means. For those who seek comforts, ours is surely the wrong address. Why embarrass the genuine with these explanations.’
‘Oh!’ Sathyam complimented Sandhya after the first board that he won, ‘you’re classy with your scissors.’
‘You’re too good a player,’ said Sandhya after conceding the game at 29-14.
‘You’re a tough competitor though,’ said Sathyam appreciatively. ‘What about another game?’
‘I’m a game for it,’ said Sandhya.
‘It’s a long since I’ve played like this,’ he said, winning the challenge round 29-22.
‘Since when have you become an expert Sandhya!’ said a surprised Roopa.
‘I took to caroms as a distraction,’ said Sandhya squeezing Roopa’s hand.
After dinner, Sathyam offered to sleep in the hall.
‘No,’ said Sandhya smiling, ‘Guests too have their rights, don’t they?’
‘Don’t worry,’ Roopa told Sathyam, ‘I’ll give her company.’
While Sathyam slept, the mates got into the act and were awake well past midnight.
~~~~~
The next morning, having greeted Sandhya, Sathyam said, ‘I hope you slept well.’
‘Only after I allowed her to,’ said Roopa who brought milk for him then, and when Sathyam left to the toilet, Sandhya paid back the innuendo with a smack on Roopa’s seat.
‘Guests first,’ Sathyam said as Roopa gave him pesarattu-upma for breakfast.
‘Women follow suit in our culture, don’t they?’ said Sandhya
‘Why don’t we invite’ suggested Roopa, ‘the Ramus for lunch?’
‘They would love to meet Sandhya,’ he said excitedly. ‘I’ll be back with them in no time.’
By the time Sathyam came back with the Ramus, the mates, as though to make up for the lost time, endeared themselves to each other.
‘Looks like,’ Roopa said warmly, ‘you don’t have time for us any more.’
‘Of late he’s not finding time for me even,’ grumbled Meera. ‘He comes home just to sleep. As you know, he can go on without food for days together. I told him to send me back to my parents’ place and arrange a cot for himself in his factory itself.’
‘Office is but,’ Ramu said in jest, ‘the last refuge for a man from his nagging wife.’
‘This is my friend,’ Roopa said in introduction, after the storm subsided, ‘Sandhya.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ said Meera a little embarrassed. ‘Your name is ever on Roopa’s lips.’
‘As her better half,’ said Ramu in jest, ‘I second her statement.’