‘What’s wrong?’ she asked Roopa.
‘Why, nothing,’ replied Roopa.
Seeing Raja Rao berate Aslam on a trivial issue, Sandhya tried to calm him down.
‘What’s troubling you,’ Sandhya said in surprise, ‘that too after having bagged such a prestigious contract!’
‘Oh, I’m sorry,’ he said.
‘Is it a mere coincidence that both of them are off color at the same time?’ contemplated Sandhya. ‘Isn’t it clear that something is troubling them both? What it could be? Are they in love and in heat as well? Isn’t it possible that they’re having sex here in my absence? Now my untimely presence on top of a week’s abstinence is what might be irritating them, isn’t it? So it seems, they’ve made it to the post sooner than I expected. Why not I have a dig at them then?’
‘Did you cash in the cheque, Roopa?’ Sandhya whispered in her mate’s ears.
‘Which one you’re talking about?’ said a surprised Roopa.
‘Why, that blank one I gave you,’ said Sandhya, teasingly.
‘But when was that?’
‘You may recall the next time he withdraws it,’ said Sandhya smilingly, and went up to Raja Rao, leaving a perplexed Roopa behind.
‘I know why you’re out of sorts.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ he said in irritation.
‘More so now,’ said Sandhya.
‘What do you mean?’ he said getting subdued.
‘When not in the right slot one goes out of sorts, doesn’t one?’ said Sandhya mysteriously.
‘Oh, my lovely little genius, why don’t you write a thesis on that?’ he said managing a smile,
‘Why not, with so much material around,’ she said smilingly. ‘Let me see if that interests Roopa as well.’
While Roopa’s wanting remained unfulfilled for the day, Sandhya’s romanticism ensured Raja Rao’s fulfillment in that night. However, the next day, as the eager couple came out of the ante-room, they felt as if they had sex for the first time in their life. But a few days later, at the sound of the buzzer, fearing exposure, they were benumbed in their lovemaking.
‘What to do?’ Roopa whispered, instinctively covering herself.
‘Let’s not respond,’ he said in undertone.
‘What if it’s Sandhya?’ she said, worried.
‘Let me go and see,’ he said getting dressed at length.
However, while he came back relieved, she was only partially dressed.
‘Thank God. I escaped the quarantine,’ she said in relief, but added in apprehension, ‘I’m afraid we may not be lucky next time.’
‘There’s the Murphy’s Law to back your fears.’ he smiled.
‘It’s no laughing matter,’ she said in all nervousness, ‘If it is Sathyam, it is death, and if it’s Sandhya, then it’s shame though it seems she has guessed it.’