The Other Love...1

‘Kopitiam’, the food court was about to close down and there were more cleaners at that hour than customers. Those who had slogged and had a long day at work occupied few tables for late dinner. I was back from my routine workout and looked all sweaty as I caught hold of a seat on an empty table waiting for my food to be served. The old cleaning lady smiled and asked how my day was before she got busy wrapping up.

After a quick cool down from a heavy workout, having burnt more calories than usual, I was still breathing heavily rubbing my wet forehead and arms as I stood up against the breezing fan letting some strong air enter beneath my shorts allowing my wet chests to dry. Not quite realizing I was out of the gym, I was still checking out my improved biceps and hard chests, counting my belly packs between six & eight!

By then the food had arrived and I sat down with a sigh of relief just when my wandering eyes fell on a table somewhere diagonally across mine behind one of the pillars. It was occupied by a couple apparently done with the food, sipping some drinks. It was her sight that caught mine. She was probably looking at me when I looked at her before quickly turning away. I thought it must be a random stare of opposite sexes. I only thought, for it wasn't…

My food had me engaged and then our eyes met again. This time I turned away saving myself from the embarrassment of staring at a woman seated right next to her man. But thought she was still looking around my table. She was seated facing me while the man sat next to her facing the other end of the food court. That only meant it was easy for her to look around where I sat. So she wasn't staring, but just looking I told myself. I got busy hogging my food and the woman appeared to be walking to me. She stopped at the pillar right beside my table where a wash basin was stuck and she was washing her hands longer than usual. This time she looked straight at me and I too did, neither of us shying away. I let a gentle smile out, and she didn't smile back but let a loud breathe of air that I could almost hear. I looked down and back at her once again. With raised eyebrows and pout lips she appeared to breathe harder with suggestion. She heard her man calling as she quickly wiped her forehead and her lips with some water. And she looked all wet, her eyeballs rolling harder out of desperation. She went back to her table and sat down, but never stopped looking and our eyes never got detached.

In the next few minutes I was done and I went to the same wash basin, washed my hands, my back facing her. I did not turn to look back, instead approached their table with all the courage. I stood right next to the couple and smiled. The man looked at me puzzled and I saw the woman who for the first time wasn't looking.

‘Hello, I was wondering if we have met before!’ I said.

‘I don’t remember seeing you. What do you think honey?’ he asked her.

‘Yes, he just reminds me of my brother’ she said.

‘You don’t have a brother’ the man grumbled.

‘Oh! I meant a cousin brother’ she stuttered.

She knew she was caught and I had caught her. She looked back once again before they left. I found the whole incident strange and I too left with mixed emotions.

Two days later, around same time, I was looking for a table just when I saw the same woman. She was seated alone on one of the tables and signaled me to join. I approached her and smiled at her. She smiled and offered me to sit.

‘You have a great body’ she complimented.

‘Thank you. Isn't your husband with you here?’

‘He must be busy with his own stuffs. You’re a man and you know it, men just get bored quick enough and they have so much more options outside.’

‘Oh! Ok... Well, I’m not sure I got that’ I tried to hide what I heard.

‘What can a woman do knowing that her man is cheating? Tell me, will you sleep with me?’

‘Huh! I’m sorry but, I don’t think I heard you… you’re a woman who’s married… to that man… I mean another man’

‘And yet, you were staring at me lustfully last night…!’

‘No, I wasn't. I was thinking… if we had known… each other, by the way you looked at me.’

‘Liar… You all are the same’

‘I’m sorry for what has happened with you. I suggest you sort it out between yourselves’

‘Don’t say no. I need you and your body. It’s just one time, only for once...’

‘I’m sorry mam.’ And I got up walking. She came back to me and held me from behind and kissed me passionately. I couldn't stop. I held her cheeks and let myself go at her. And then I quickly composed myself, threw myself away from her and walked without ever looking back.

I felt empathy for the woman more than anything else. Weather she was right or not, I didn't know. May be she was wrong, she should have spoken to her husband and got in terms with him, an eye for an eye isn't always the answer. But then, I thought maybe she was right. Love happens once and only lasts until it’s lost. Lust is just another feeling that might appear and disappear beyond one’s control and leaves us beyond repair. And then, I started thinking about myself. What had I done?

Continues...