However, baffled by her own sympathy and understanding for Tara in spite of her questionable character, she thought, ‘one is supposed to be critical in these matters, isn’t it?’ She was still lost in her reverie when Sathyam came home in the evening. As the sight of him brought back Ravi into her mental focus, her perceived humiliation at the hands of the trespasser made her feel disdainful about her man.

‘Are you ill?’ enquired Sathyam anxiously, seeing her distraught.

‘I have a headache.’

‘Wait,’ he moved into the kitchen, ‘I’ll make some coffee for you.’

‘Don’t bother,’ she followed him.

Aided by her resolve to bury the past, Roopa soon enough got over that nightmarish experience.

~~~~~~~~

Roopa was daydreaming about Sandhya’s amour, that afternoon, when Tara came calling evoking mixed feelings in her - while her presence irked Roopa for its association with her humiliation, her persona tickled her own visualization of lesbianism with her.

‘Ravi is all praise for you,’ said Tara at length, with an eye for Roopa’s reaction.

‘Well,’

Having noticed a subtle change of expression in Roopa’s face, the result of her effort to be indifferent, Tara continued, ‘He swore that he didn’t come across a more charming woman than you.’

‘Would you mind,’ Roopa changed the topic, ‘some tea for us now.’

‘Why not we have it later,’ said Tara not wanting to lose the momentum, ‘if you please.’

‘When are your kids back from school?’

‘Around four,’ said Tara eager to get over the nice talk.

‘Yadamma says they’re lovely,’ said Roopa, ‘like you.’

‘Why not you see for yourself?’ said Tara laying the trap. ‘Shall I send them to you?’

‘No, thanks,’ Roopa was forced to say, ‘I’d come sometime.’

‘Welcome,’ said Tara, ‘but just t out of curiosity, are you thinking of taking up a job?’

‘Frankly,’ said Roopa, ‘I don’t hold a degree.’

‘Impressed as he’s with you,’ Tara began tentatively, ‘Ravi is keen to have you as his personal secretary, and the salary shouldn’t be a constraint, that’s what he said.’

‘Thank you,’ said Roopa, ‘but I’m not for it.’

‘I think,’ said Tara in her attempt to lure Roopa, ‘it’s too good an opportunity to let go. I tell you his business is growing by leaps and bounds, so you can take your advancement for granted.’

‘I told you,’ said Roopa to dissuade Tara, ‘I’m not a graduate.’

‘With your assets and abilities,’ said Tara not giving up, ‘that shouldn’t be a handicap. Frankly, any boss would consider himself fortunate to have you under his wings and it should be smooth sailing all the way up.’




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