Somewhere on a summer evening..

It wasn't much of a bright summer day. I could feel the gentle breeze soak up the little shiny sweat drops that my forehead managed to put out as a mark of protest against my customary evening stroll to the Central garden. Of course it wasn't an effective fat burner, but did help me give the evening clock a faster tick. After retiring , there was nothing much to look forward to anyways. Indeed, being the only retired person in the family was boring me to the core. While it lasted, my unfamiliarity to our new locality helped me meet new people of different backgrounds and cultures. Mrs. Molly of the 10th, a well built attractive lady from caribbeans, always made it a point to wave like to a carnival troop as and when i passed. If it hadn't been for her not so private, loud display of affection for her husband, I would've suspected that she loves me. Mr and Mrs Walker had the habit of attending to their garden together in the evening. I overheard a few maids at the local coffee shop opine that the Walkers made a bit too much of fuss about a simple backyard garden which was hardly ten steps by fifteen steps in size. I had come to know from Mrs. Stella that expecting a good turnout this year, the Walkers had had their crop insured . I wonder what they would get for ten plants and a handful of mushrooms anyways.

Mr and Mrs Stell Winston worked at the same office as stock brokers. Both had been brilliant as students. At times Mr. Winston would join my evening walks. But today, apparently big client meets kept him from coming back early and so I had to sit and worry about burnt calories alone.

I always sit at the same bench in the park. Today was no different. The short concrete bench on which a couple had declared their undying love gave me a sense of happyness n satisfaction. Perhaps it was just the shade of the trees but I chose to believe that it's the association to love that the bench witnessed that made me feel at home and relaxed here. Again, the bench offered a view of the park entrance though from a distance. Every new person entering the garden brought with them the quintessential quota of human presence which without any doubt was what kept me connected to this little green spot in the concrete jungle that my city has turned out to be.

A quick refreshing breeze struck me on my face cleansing all my weariness. That was when I noticed a group of five enter the park. Tastefully dressed and adorned with bright evening clothes that blended only too naturally with the ambience of the park. Five ladies in their mid thirties I believe. One of them despite the allegiance to the group stood out. She looked charming. They sat close to me by the small pool with a fountain. The pretty one was a chirpy parrot. She was definitely a sweet soul and though married, I envied her husband for a moment. The moment then stretched and gathered magnitude as each glance fed the attraction that was swelling in my mind. Her smile was infectious. The entire group looked positively happy that she was with them. Even I was happy that I was here to witness this beauty. Her friends stood up and moved to the icecream stall towards the north end as she sat there readying some sandwiches. Lucky bread, lucky butter, lucky knife, lucky piece of earth that she sat on, lucky air that she inhaled I thought. I just knew it. It was now or never. I walked over to her and sat down by her side. I told myself that I had to come up with some conversation that was interesting and stimulating. I had to get to know her better. I asked her first if I could get some water and while I sat sipping slowly, managed to get her talking and it felt good. Her name was Elena. Slowly, I finally found out what I wanted to know more than anything else. She wasn't married. I asked for no reasons. Whatever they were, they were all favourable for me. Thanks to the burgeoning crowd at the park, her friends did not come back for quite some time and I was as happy as I ever could be.


I asked her for her phone number. She looked more than just happy to give it to me. I wrote it down and kept it safely. When her friends got back, I greeted them and got up and came back to my bench. I was happy or I was confused, I didn't know. Each heart beat reminded me of the truth. I am married and I am attracted now to a stranger. But I didn't feel bad. Nothing was wrong with getting attracted, I thought. Most probably I will never call her, I said myself. I was wrong. I called her up after about an hour which felt like a decade to me.She was alone, shopping close to my house. I called her over for a coffee. She agreed readily and in about ten minutes she was at my doorstep. She stood pretty in a white dress. She looked ravishing. "Coffee or champagne?", I enquired. There was no bounds to my joy as she came close to me whispered in my ears that a champagne could do the trick. Three glasses down, I was sure that there was nothing that could stop me from doing what I wanted. She looked pretty buzzed too. But she knew what she was doing and infact looked pretty keen too. She went around the house appreciating the paintings through the first two shots and finally landed on the couch as I gave her the third. She downed the last in a quick clean draw and with an astounding sense of surity asked me, " where is your bedroom? can we go see it?". Next I remember, we were sitting on my bed and I was kissing her neck, her arms around my waist. I held her face in my hands and we kissed. She was amazing. I had never felt better. She gave me a smile and fell back on the bed. I kissed her tummy and she let out a seductive moan.
"Ting tong" , the bell rang. I got up suddenly. I was worried. I had lost all sense of time. I had been a fool. I was supposed to be going out tonite for a dinner with family friends with my family. Elena got up too. She asked me why I looked a bit nervous. That was when it finally struck her I guess. She asked me, " You are married, aren't you?". Her eyes glistened and she said nothing. I just asked her to stay calm and to let me handle the situation first. I took her along to the door and opened it. I introduced Elena first. It wasn't hard to spot that Elena was almost in tears. That was when John, my husband, took to me the bedroom and asked me, " You din't think it was important to mention that you are married, did you ?".