After a while, having finalized the order for a designer necklace for her, as Vasu led Prema out of the Princely Pearls, finding him perturbed all along, she offered to drive the car.
“Why risk an accident?” she said pulling the key chain from his hands.
“What do you mean?”
“Don't you look out of sorts?”
“Oh, don‟t joke,” he laughed half-heartedly.
“I'm sure it was not in jest,” she said getting into the Fiat, “that you offered her your services.”
“Why, are you jealous already?” he said getting in.
“Wonder why she was uncomfortable with you!”
“How am I to know?” he said closing the door. “That is assuming she's uncomfortable.”
“Being a woman myself,” she said raising the accelerator, “I know what I know.”
“Know what?”
“I'm sure you either misbehaved with her or even jilted her.”
“Oh, God, don't imagine things!” he said in mock exasperation. “And be practical about relationships.”
“I know by now,” she said looking into the rear mirror, “you can tell blindfold which side of your bread is buttered.”
“Coming from wife, that's hardly a compliment,” he said seemingly offended. “Are you regretting marrying me?”
“Have you any clue of that?”
“I wish you gave one,” he said laughing, “so that I too could've a dig at you.”
“How do you know it would remain the same?” she said mysteriously. “The charm of life lies in living to be surprised.”
“The charm of life lies in living to be surprised,” he said repeating after her. “What a beautiful way to approach life, really!”
“But for you life is all about grabbing, isn't it?”
“Having grabbed you,” he said trying to placate her, “do I need to grab anymore?”
“Isn't she ravishing?” she said probingly, “your Nithya.”
“No more than you,” he said, fondling her at her nape, deliberately not taking objection to her allusion, “at least to my eyes.”
“I'll take it as a compliment,” she said, noticing the aberration, “but with a pinch of salt.”
“Well, that's a practical approach too.”
“Don't I know you‟re a guru at that?”
“I'll offer you free lessons,” he said as the Fiat entered their portico.
That night, while Prema slept nonchalantly, however hard he tried, Vasu couldn't manage a wink of a sleep.
"Oh, God, it was all dreamlike and ended likewise,‟ he began contemplating. "She's as simple as ever and more ravishing than before. Is this the woman I've lost, that too after having her all for myself! How adamant she was in spite of my persuasion! Now, let me see how she can resist me. How lucky I've met her before she lost her figure! Well, she could be some supervisor there and who knows, she may be a manager even. That's the advantage of being a beautiful woman when it comes to scaling the ladder, abilities apart, that is. Which man would fail to fancy his chances with her if she were to come under his wings?‟