“I…… I……. you mean……. ” Taken aback, the religious minded Odisan widow didn’t quite know what to say. Her face lowered….. shoulders sagged in shame, and a furious blush crept across her face. “Bahu, I….. I didn’t mean to pretend. And I didn’t mean to stay out all night, either. It’s just… Sona, can we talk a moment? I mean woman to woman?”
Parveen nodded cleverly, and her smile brightened. Her MIL slumped onto the couch beside her and tried to decide just what she was going to say. The newly bride hopped up and shut the T.V. off, then joined her.
“I know you like Rahamat Uncle and spent the whole night with him, didn’t you?” Parveen queried…..the question came so abruptly and naturally that it caught her by surprise. She stammered, then gave up any pretense with a shrug of surrender.
“Yes, yes, I did. Bahu, you know, he is really a wealthy person who provide me such a great job. No doubt our family will be benefitted financially due to his great contribution. This makes ourselves good friends and for that it’s my obligation to pay back a little also…. do you understand what I mean?” Probhaboti tried to justify her closeness with Rahamat as she looked questioningly to her DIL.
“Yes Maa…. you’re absolutely right. I admit I would’ve been followed your path if I were in your place,” Parveen said heartily….. supporting her MIL’s explanation.
“Besides these, there’s something I want you to understand. You know I’m without a male’s touch for the last two yrs and you could guess it’s too hard to a widow to suppress that urge. Yes, I spent the night with him because… well, because we like each other that special way. You’re old enough to know about that, aren’t you?”
Parveen bobbed her head solemnly up and down. “I think you fell in love…… I mean, if so, do you want to marry him too?”
Instead of getting uneasy, this discussion was no doubt turning in compassionately. “Umm, yes I love him…… but marry? Although he proposed once, I didn’t think about it seriously. So that’s a little hard to say right now, Bahu. After all, even though we’ve known him a long time, I’ve only just started seeing him! To marry someone takes a bit longer than that, you now!”
All these loosened the tension between the MIL & DIL as Parveen was blunt suddenly. “Do you have sex with him….. I mean fucking?”
“Bahu!” Probhaboti was shocked…… hearing such bold and raw version of sex from her DIL. Aghast, she, stared blankly at her twinkling eyes. She realized that the whole confrontation was getting out of her hand, and she frankly didn’t know quite what to do about it. Sputtering for an answer, she felt her face growing redder.
“How… how could you even utter such a obscene thing like that! Why…… your uncle and I hardly know each other? To even think… I mean, really! We just… that is…”
“It’s all right, Maa,” Parveen said comfortingly…… hugging her MIL and planting a kiss on her cheek lovingly. “I’m your DIL….. son’s wife….. so you know I’m quite aware about all the things between a adult man and woman. You just need some extra rest, that’s all. Here, let me do this, and you can lie down. We can talk better once you’re relaxed.”