Part 2: They loved, got married & lived happily ever after, until…

Narrated till now

Pramod and Susan fell in love with one another during their engineering study days and got married against all odds. In their early forties, they encountered mid life crisis. Misunderstandings and dwindling trust made their life more complicated.

Narration continues

“I cannot believe it. Pramod can never do such a thing” my wife reacted when I told her about Susan’s story.

“But it is reality. We do not know what is in store for all of us in this mid life. Most of us are becoming naughty beyond forty” I said.

My wife stared at me and asked “Anything naughty from your side?”

I laughed and said “I am struggling managing one woman. I do not want double trouble”.

It was seven in the evening and I reached the 5 star hotel where the party was being held. I walked on the lush green lawn searching for him.

“Pramod” I called looking at him.

“Hi” he replied and both of us settled on chairs around a round table on the lawn. The ambience was very good with musicians playing a soulful number sitting in one corner. I could see many page3 people settling down on the chairs around.

“How is life?” I asked Pramod.

“Cool dude. It is going on well”

I knew Pramod very well and without wasting time came to the point.

“Who is she?” I asked.

“What? About whom are you talking?”

“Do not put up a show. I know everything” I said.

Pramod blushed. He looked at me and said “There is nothing like what you are thinking”

“I have not said anything. How can you say so?”

He continued “Her name is Ipsita. I met her few months ago. She is a very good friend of mine and there is nothing beyond that”

I looked at him. He could not make eye to eye contact with me.

I knew that he had a crush on her. I asked him about her and he told me few details.

After few minutes he got up and said “There she is” and walked away.

I was alone and had no option but to wait for them. He came back with a beautiful looking lady.

I got up from my chair and wished her. She sat down on the chair and said “Ipsita, Ipsita Chakraborthy”

I told her my name.

She looked stunningly beautiful and was draped in a designer wear pink sari. She had a rose fixed in her hair a little above her left ear.

Her hair was well made and few strands of hair were deliberately left loose in the front on either side of her face. In total she looked nothing less than a Bollywood heroine.

We started talking and I found her quiet knowledgeable in her domain. She had done her statistics post graduation and was working for a multinational company.

I looked at Pramod. He looked very pleased. I knew that he liked her company.

Ipsita told me “Pramod was telling me about you and your good friend Srinibas”

“Srinibas, who is it?” I said.

Pramod came closer to me and whispered in my ears “She meant Srinivas”

I understood and said “Yes Ms. Chakraborthy, me and Srinivas are very good friends of Pramod”

She replied “Please call me Ipsita”

Pramod got a call on his mobile. It was from the MD of the company he worked for. He got up and walked away not to get disturbed.

I looked at Ipsita and she smiled at me. I asked her “How did you meet Pramod?”

She replied “It was a chance encounter. We met in a plane and later kept meeting each other and today we are very good friends”

We spoke to one another for the next ten minutes and I could gather good information about her. She was from a very well to do family and her husband worked for a reputed IT multinational company and was in the US since the past two months and would join her in India after one month. She was very intelligent in her talk and I could understand that she had no intention of flirting around or she had a crush on our guy. It was a sort of unilateral decision from his side.

I was a bit relieved to know this as I was concerned about Susan.

In the meanwhile at Susan’s house

Subha Deshpande was sitting on the chair in the kitchen drinking the tea Susan had given her.

Subha said “Susie I tell you, we should not believe these men. They are all like this. In fact our Pramod is a good man but what to do time will not be the same always.

 Remember during your engineering days he first fell in love with Vandana Joshi and later when she rejected him, he started looking at you”

Susan did not like the way Subha had put it. She said “No Subha it was not the case. Vandana case was of infatuation. In fact he truly loved me and there was no one else in his life”

Subha could not be stopped. She continued “Susie you are very good woman. But men are not so trustworthy. I should tell you one very old secret. He had a crush on me also during our primary school days in Dharwad”

Susan could not hold her laugh back. She was sure that Pramod would not have fallen for Subha going by her looks and behavior.

Subha continued “I saw Pramod with her couple of days ago. She is very beautiful”

Susan was cutting vegetables on the tray. She suddenly cut her finger. She said “Ouch” and washed the cut on the finger with water.

Subha was immediate to remark “You can bear the pain of this cut. But what about Pramod’s flirting?”

Susan said “Who was with Pramod?”

Subha replied “That beautiful lady”

Subha ensured that she filled Susan’s mind with silly details about Pramod and Ipsita. Susan

 was a more balanced woman but sometimes she would also yield to silly reports about Pramod.

Back at the party

Pramod came back and said “My boss is a pain. He calls me at odd hours and keeps pestering me about sales figures”

We had dinner and after about five more minutes, Ipsita told us that she had to leave.

“Should I drop you home?” Pramod asked.

“No thanks” She replied “I have come in my car and I shall drive back to my house”

Pramod escorted her up to her car and saw her off.

“So” I said “Where is this story leading to”

“Which story” Pramod asked.

I replied “Boss, Susan is aware of your crush on Ipsita”

I could see the reaction from Pramod. It was like a bolt from the blue for him.

He became nervous and said “What does she know? I am not in love with Ipsita. She is just my friend”

I continued “My dear friend. It is not your greatness that you are not flirting around. It is the composure and good intent of Ipsita that is keeping things in control. Imagine if she had flirted, you would have proceeded further or not?”.

  He remained silent not knowing what to answer.

I kept my hand on his shoulder and explained to him how important it was to be with Susan in this time of their life.

I spoke to him for about twenty minutes and explained to him my understanding of Ipsita. She was a very balanced and matured lady who knew her priorities very well. I told him to put a stop to his liking for her and get back to Susan and his daughter Bharati.

Pramod held his head low and I felt that he was feeling guilty. I told him to go home and mend the strained relations with Susan. He thanked me and drove his car from the parking area.

I called Susan and told her about me meeting Ipsita. I explained the wonderful personality of Ipsita and told her that nothing was there to worry and Pramod would be back on track.

I was not comfortable to drive back home. Instead I drove to Pramod’s house and walked to the door. I wanted to ring the bell but did not do so. I could see from the window Susan standing and talking in a very animated way. I saw Pramod  on his knees pleading her. This went on for about five minutes. Later I could see smile on Susan’s face. I realized that they had patched up and there was no need for me to go into their house and meet them. I drove back.

After about one week I was with Pramod in the pub. We were having beer and Pramod said “Thank you friend for helping me as usual. If I look back I find it silly. I cannot justify my crush on Ipsita. Now I am back with family. I have avoided Ipsita as I do not want to disturb her and I want peace of mind”

I was pleased. Pramod got up and walked towards the washroom. There was a message alert on his mobile.

I took his mobile and looked at it. There was a Whats App message.

It was from Ipsita. I went through the messages. I saw that Pramod had wished her and chatted with her about many topics. He had assured me and Susan that he would not be in touch with Ipsita.

At this juncture I realized that “Men will be men always ready to flirt”