SHE - Episode 1

SHE

A Serial By Varalotti Rengasamy

Episode I

Rishi was having his morning shave in the bathroom attached to their bedroom. He let the tap running while he was busy with the razor – an act that had so far never failed to infuriate his wife of five years, Shalini.

“That's a sheer waste of water, Rishi. You know in Somalia an individual has to survive on 100 ml of water for a whole day. And you are wasting ten times that quantity for removing some tiny hairs from your face. Isn’t that atrocious?.”

Rishi would just grin back at her which would only serve to fuel her anger. He somehow got turned on when his actions or words irritated Shalini. Now, he was a trifle sad that his wasting water was not being noticed by her. She was still asleep.

“Since Shal is not there to see, this is a real waste.” He shut the tap and focussed on his shaving.

He was startled by the sound of a crowing cock right inside their bed room. The sudden jerk in his body made him nick his chin with the powerful triple-blade shaving razor. Seeing blood while shaving was a bad omen for Rishi. He was sure that the day was doomed to be bad.

He looked around to find the source of the sound. It was Shalini's cell phone. She kept changing her ring tones and alarm tones constantly. At times even daily. ‘So now she has this cock crowing for her morning alarm.’

Rishi walked in to see his wife. She had skilfully postponed the alarm while still huddled inside the sheets.

Rishi continued with his shaving carefully avoiding the blood-stained area. He was going out of the city for a site inspection. He was sure that his work would be jinxed thanks to his sighting blood on his face.

As he was washing his face he heard the cock crow for the second time. He ran out of the bathroom.

He saw Shalini’s hand slowly coming out of the sheets to postpone the alarm again. Rishi’s hands were faster. He swooped on the bed and moved the cell phone beyond her reach. Now the cock started crowing for the second time, the third time…..

“Rishi… Rishi…..”

A sleepy voice mumbled from under the sheets. Rishi now had a wicked smile on his face. To make her wake up earlier than she had planned to, was on the list of small pleasures in his life.

Meanwhile the cock continued to crow.

Now Shalini sat up on the bed and shouted at her husband:

“Come on Rishi, give me my mobile. I am going to sleep for another half an hour. I had to work till 1 AM last night. Please give me my mobile.”

That was exactly the problem. Rishi was a lark and Shalini, an owl. Rishi could never hold himself beyond half past nine in the night, whereas

Shalini's hours of maximum alertness and creativity started at that time. When the novelty of their marriage wore off this difference in their circardian rhythms was the greatest irritant in their sex life.

Rishi’s voice was gruff.

“ The lady of the house sleeping till 7? Aren’t you ashamed?”

Now Shalini was fully awake. She never missed an opportunity to argue with Rishi.

“The man of the house going to bed at 9:30. Aren’t you ashamed, Rishi?”

“See Shalini, getting to bed early is a good habit.”

“Objection, your Honour. It’s your habit. It is neither good or bad. I can very well say, getting up late is a good habit.”

“Haven’t you heard “Early to bed and early to rise…”

“You will never meet the rich and famous.”

Shalini completed the devil’s version of the proverb.

“Do you know Shal, that it is the early bird that gets the worm?”

“I do, Rishi. But do you know that it is the early worm that gets eaten? “

Rishi was exasperated. He now talked with resignation.

“Do whatever you want. But remember we need to be downstairs by 8 sharp. Otherwise Dad will be annoyed.”

Shalini mumbled something like ‘Ask him to go to hell’ but Rishi did not hear that.

Rishis Dad ran the household with the military precision. In fact that was the only way he knew to manage the house.

Captain Ramnath had retired from the Indian Army twenty years ago after having seen action in the 1962 Chinese Agression and the 1965 Indo-Pak war.

With a generous military pension and subsidised drinks and other items from the ‘military canteen’, with substantial ancestral properties and with his only son Rishi comfortably settled in life as Executive Engineer in the State Government's PWD, Captain Ramnath looked forward to a hassle-free retired life.

The only tragedy in his life was the untimely death of his wife Sheila, 10 years back. The old man was still in the pink of his health. Two hours of treadmill in the morning, a round of golf in the afternoon and some tennis in the evening kept him “fighting fit” as they say in the army.

Captain Ramnath was a nice man in his early sixties. He had done his duty to the country and had enough medals in his Uniform to infuse patriotism into anyone who cared to look at them.

During service, he had led his troops with an iron hand implicitly obeying his superior’s commands and demanding the same kind of unspoken obedience from his subordinates.

SHE

A Serial By Varalotti Rengasamy

Episode I

His method had worked in the army. That made the old man think that that was the only method that worked everywhere.

He had an army of servants – a cook, a butler, a steward and a gardener apart from the outsourced security services.

While he let Shalini go to work, he mandated that she should be back home not later than 9. The same thing applied to Rishi as well.

If ever the couple wanted to go out to eat they should apply for prior permission and their return time will be set by the Captain.

And every morning the entire family – Captain, Rishi and Shal – should be at the dining table by 8 AM sharp. Bed cofee, the drink most relished by Shalini in her pre-marriage days, was ruled out. The Captain would lunch alone on weekdays. The Captain wanted his supper by 8 PM. And if Rishi or Shalini were there in the house, they would be required to join him.

The menu was planned weeks in advance Any change required Captains approval. The printed menu for the week would be on the table.

Rishi loved his father very much and always played along acting like a low-rank ,subordinate military official before the Commander-in-Chief.

Shalini saw no point in going back to sleep after that heated argument with Rishi. She occupied the bathroom vacated by Rishi.

Shalini showered, draped herself in a well-starched cotton saree and virtually ran to the breakfast table. The time was five past Eight. Rishi and his father were waiting for her with an annoyed look on their faces.

“Good Morning, Uncle” she greeted Rishi’s Dad.

The Captain looked at his wristwatch pointedly for thirty seconds before reciprocating Shaini’s greetings.

Shalini was upset. If the Captain had asked her why she was late in a casual tone, she would have given him pages and pages of convincing explanation. But the morose look without even caring to enquire the reasons for the delay was dictatorial.


Even a schoolboy would not tolerate such a response, she mused.

They ate their breakfast in almost funerary silence. Another impossible for Shalini before marriage. With only she and her father at their dining table the ruckus would be audible two blocks away. But here breakfast, dinner, sleeping, conversing, why even making love – everything was a mere ritual, a military parade, something to be executed with inhuman efficiency and impossible courtesy and manners.

Shalini hated formalities while eating. She remembered her very first tea in this house, the day after her marriage. As soon as tea was placed before her she poured it into the saucer and swallowed the liquid with an audible gulp.

Captain was offended to say the least.

“Shalini, people of our stature do not drink tea like that. We take it straight from the cup without making noises like that.”

Shalini turned red. Had it not been her first day in her husband's house she would have argued in the same way she did when her college professor made a similar remark.

That was a time when Shalini was all fire. When she was enjoying her mid-morning tea in her usual style in the college canteen, her Economics Professor confronted her.

“Did they not teach you manners at your school?”

All the students were afraid that Shalini was going to give it back to the professor. But Shalini smiled at her.

“Sorry, Madam. “

The Professor sat in the same table and ordered tea. Shalini started conversing with her. She had some tea still left in her cup.

“Madam, I read about an incident in Mahatma Gandhis life which might interest you.”

“Yeah.”

“See Mahatma was having tea like us ordinary people, pouring it in the saucer. The place was London. A Britisher who was with him told him,
“Mr.Gandhi, that is bad manners.” To which our Mahatma replied…”

By that time the Professor’s tea had arrived. She took the cup to her lips and stylishly sipped the hot liquid.

Before continuing the conversation, Shalini poured the remaining tea into her saucer.

“Mahatma said, Gentleman, I am drinking tea and you are drinking manners.”

Shalini finished her tea in one gulp.

“Do you think I can improve on what Mahatma has said?.”

Shalini turned to the billing counter, “One tea for me and a cup of manners for my Professor. I will pay for both”

It would not have taken long for Shalini to talk back to her father-in-law on the same terms. She glanced at Rishi. His eyes were pleading.
Shalini’s heart melted. The lines of frown in her forehead smoothened. She muttered “Sorry”

It was just a day after marriage. And it was a defining moment for Shalini. She realised that for her marriage to survive she would have to kill a part of herself, a spontaneous, carefree spirit.

Once a part of her is extinguished, especially the part that rebelled, would the part that survived still be Shalini? Or would it be just her physical self housing the mind of some other docile, domesticated animal?

(To be Continued...)

dear sridhar,
a good beginning, irritation is the base of revolution, even sometimes wind chime and roar but when it is a light breeze all enjoy and but when it turns into a storm they try their best to stop it, or block it but still it roars through them, razing everything in its path, am waiting with great anticipation, for the fireworks to start, with kind regards sunkan

Dear Sridhar Sir,
Waiting for this.Worth waiting. Very good beginning. When is the next Episode.Should we have to wait for a week?
Meenakshirajan

Dear Sridhar,

Surprise, surprise....i seemed to have hooked on to your/our SHE very fast!
Really enjoyed the first part, ....you are starting on the note which i am sure is familiar to every household......was chuckling at the intelligent bantering of Shalini even at the early hour!
And the Captain, my God what a personality....a spoilsport.....i wonder how Shalini is surviving!
But a very good start, and have built great expectations.....awaiting next week's episode !

Wonderful, wonderful. No other words to express my feelings about the first episode. Waiting the read the full story. Cant wait................................

Shubhamasthu Sridhar!

A good start, a day earlier than expected. What pleasure:)

The story has started off with a bang and an alarm. Hope the alarm bells don't toll too bad.

The narration has a stylish and sleek presentation. Rishi comes across as endearing and Shalini seems to be already trapped. Captain is both charming and charmless! Charming because of his dedication and precision, charmless because he seems to lack humor. Shall wait and be waited upon by the oncoming twists and turns.

Till the next round...L, Kamla

Hello Sridhar
You have set the ball rolling. The strict military background etched in a stark contrast to Shalini's carefree spirit. Perfect beginning to an interesting story.
Sure would wait for the forthcoming episodes.
Shalini seem to be a character on fire with her retorts to her husbands. Enjoyed their interpretations of the proverb "Early to bed..."
Rishi's character is little subdued - very obedient son and sticler to routines. Let us hope that his character do gets prominence too if the story allows.

Dear Sridhar,

Nice story & a great start. I love it & waiting for coming episode

Dear Sridhar,

A good start to the story. I liked the way you have brought the traits of Shalini. I think all women are like her before marriage, and we do get a little subdued after .

However, i did find your characterisation of Rishi's father rather stereotypical of a military man. :icon_frown:

Vandhana