MICRO CHEATING-PART 2

Narrated till now..

Pramod meets his engineering college junior Vidya during his visit to Hyderabad. Meeting her after almost two decades was sought after one and he keeps his wife Susan informed about it.On his return to Bangalore he is surprised to get a good night message from Vidya in Whats app. He replies but does not get response from her.

Narration continues...

“You are looking dull since the time you returned from Hyderabad” Susan said coming out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee. It was Sunday evening and Pramod was sitting on the chair in the balcony of his bedroom.

“Nothing like that” he replied and continued “Am perfectly alright”.

Something was bothering him. He was unable to figure out if he had crossed the line in his reply to Vidya’s text message.

The next day morning he got ready and went to office. Couple of days passed and he was checking his mobile every now and then. He did not get any reply from Vidya. On Wednesday morning he was pleasantly surprised to see a good morning message from her. He was overwhelmed with joy and replied immediately.

“Where were you for the past few days?” he texted.

“I had been to Delhi and was very busy with the officials of Railway ministry. I was not checking messages on Whats App” she texted back.

He felt relieved and kept the phone in his pocket and continued his work in the office.

During lunch hours he checked his phone for messages. His face brightened as there was a message from Vidya. She had sent a relationship quote. Pramod gathered some courage and sent a relationship quote to her. She liked it immediately. The exchange of messages and quotes went on for many weeks and soon it became a ritual for them. Everyday exchanging good morning messages, jokes, videos and quotes became regular.

The following weekend Pramod was speaking to his close friend Sujan Chandy over phone. After speaking for about 15 minutes he kept the phone on the TV and went to the wash room.  He forgot to lock the screen of the phone. Mohit called on his phone.  Susan took the call and informed Mohit that Pramod was in the wash and shall call him back in an hour’s time. Out of curiosity Susan checked his Whats App messages. She was surprised to see many messages from Vidya. She started reading them. She was shocked to observe that the two of them were exchanging messages on a daily basis and she was not aware of the same. Pramod opened the door of the washroom. Susan kept his phone on the TV and walked away.

“Tea please” Susan said and handed over the cup of tea to Pramod. He was sitting in the balcony of the bedroom.

She sat on the chair next to him with her cup of tea and asked “Pramod you know Rohit has sent me text message in Whats App”.

“You mean Rohit staying in B block 403 apartment?” he asked.

“Yes” she continued “Every time I change the DP of Whats App he comments immediately. He keeps mentioning I am beautiful, my dress is good. Today he wrote that I am hot”

Pramod became very angry and got up from his chair and said “I shall go right now to his house and blast that fellow. How can he comment like that on someone else’s wife?”

Susan asked him to sit back and with a smile on her face said “So rules are different for the world and for self”.

Pramod looked up at her and replied in a confused way “I did not understand you”.

“All men are the same. You became angry because Rohit texted your wife praising her beauty. You keep sending messages to married woman day in and day out and it is OK”

It was like a huge boulder falling right on his head. Pramod sat back on his chair. He started sweating and he could feel his heart beating very fast.

There was silence for about 5 minutes. Susan got up and went into the kitchen. Pramod was dumbstruck. He knew that the game was over as Susan had read the messages exchanged between him and Vidya.

Susan returned to the balcony after 10 minutes. She continued “How many months old is this Whats App affair?”

“It is not an affair. We are just friends, good friends and that’s all”

“I have read the emotional relationship quotes exchanged”

“Believe me Susie there is nothing like what you are thinking. I have not met her after the Hyderabad visit about 6 months ago. How can you be so mean and doubt us? There is nothing physical or emotional between us and how can you call this an affair?”

Susan smiled in a sarcastic way and said “Pramod do not teach me about this. This is not our engineering time. Now we have Whats App and many other social media platforms. Cheating has taken a new turn and now it is Micro Cheating. You need not meet the person to indulge in it. Emotional texting is enough. This is the age of direct phone to phone messaging with end to end encryption.

You don’t need to be physically involved with third person to cheat your spouse. This kind of messaging is enough”.

Pramod had no answer to this. He gathered courage and said “I have not committed any crime or cheated you. I was happy about the response I was getting from Vidya and believe me we never crossed any line.”

“I know that. Am happy that it is Vidya on the other side and she has a very balanced and matured head over her shoulder.”

Again there was silence for 5 minutes. Pramod continued “I realize how bad you are feeling. I should not have done it. I shall inform Vidya accordingly”.

For the next three days he did not send any text messages to Vidya. She kept sending good morning messages but he did not reply. On the fourth day he called her and frankly told what all happened. Vidya was very forthcoming and expressed her uneasiness about their whats app messaging. After a long discussion they decided to be in touch as good friends and keep wishing each other on festivals, birthdays and anniversaries. Pramod informed Susan about the same and it appeared like a story with a good ending.

Weeks passed and Pramod felt much better as he was not waiting for any text message or was eager to send one. It was Friday evening and he got a message on his Whats app. His face brightened up. It was from Ipsita Chakraborty. She had texted him informing that she would be back in Bangalore the next day after few weeks of holidays in Agartala.

Men will be men, will seldom change.