Chapter 3
In the hotel room ...
We were discussing , when and where to meet during my 3 days stay in the town. Seema told me that she shares a small one room flat (apartment) with a senior colleague of hers who is also with the Railway police. This place where they stay is quite close to the Railway station. I told her that I generally stay in the main town area in one of the hotels there, which is easier for me to commute to the main business area of the town. This is around 8 kms from the station area. Since my office appointment was at 2pm, I had the morning free. Seema said that since she has just reached today, it is not necessary that she has to join today only. She can even join in the second half. In that case, we can spend the morning together. From the next day onwards, after she joins office, she cannot say when she can get off, as a police job can sometimes extend beyond normal scheduled working hours. So, we decided that she will come along with me to the hotel and spend the morning with me. Then we can decide on further meeting time.
The problem was how do I check into a hotel room and take a lady upto my room straight away. It doesn't look right. After much discussions, it was decided that we'll both check in to the hotel as husband and wife. If they ask for her identity, she can show her police ID proof, which can very well be in her maiden name. Otherwise the hotel may accept my identification document only. As it is, she always wears the sindoor on her forehead, which signifies that she is married. So that won't be an issue. ( Coming to think of it, I somehow could not buy this story of hers of wearing the sindoor for safety from men disturbing her on her journeys and at work, which she had told me.)
We went ahead as planned. We took a cab from the station to the city centre. There are quite a few decent hotels there. I checked into a new hotel where I had not stayed earlier. There wasn't any problem checking into the hotel as husband and wife. Except for the fact that we looked a bit awkward with our height difference, the age and everything else were nothing to raise anybody's suspicion. Seema was smart enough to sit down in the reception lounge, as I completed the check in formalities at the reception counter. So our height difference went unnoticed initially before the hotel check in.
We had taken a double bedded room. It was moderately spacious, clean and quite cosy. We ordered breakfast in the room itself, through Room service. By the time the breakfast arrived, we got ourselves freshened up and changed over to more relaxing clothes. Over breakfast, I just glanced through my office papers making sure I have everything in order before my important meeting at 2 pm. Seema didn't speak when I was working, but I saw that she was constantly observing me with a thin smile on her face. Once we were through with breakfast and I had organised my papers; and the dishes have been taken away by the hotel attendant, I looked at Seema and said, " So, Seema can you please tell me why are you looking at me with a smiling face ?"
"Nothing", she said, " I was just looking at you and thinking, till yesterday evening I didn't even know you and now I am sitting in a hotel room with you, posing as your wife."
"Yes, so much has happened in one night", I said. "Listen Seema, you had to sleep in a cramped up small berth last night, that too with me lying on top of you. If you want you can lie down and take some rest."
"Yes", she said, "I will stretch out a little, but first I need to do something else."
She stood up and came to where I was sitting. "Stand up", she said to me.
I looked puzzled, but stood up in front of her. She took my hand and walked across to the wardrobe which was fitted with a full length mirror. She made me stand by her side. Then she removed her slippers and asked me to remove mine.
She looked at me through the mirror, put her arm on my shoulder and said, "Look how small you look beside me". She was not smiling.
The top of my head barely touched her lips level. "Yes," I said, "You are so much taller than me."
"Would it bother you if I wear 2 inches high heels and stand beside you ? I would then be 8 inches taller than you, and you would be near my shoulder." She somehow looked quite serious while asking these questions.
I looked up at her and said smilingly, "I would love it. I told you I would like my girl friend to be taller than me."
She said grimly, "Ok fine." Then she bent down, put one hand behind both my knees and the other arm behind my back and then stood up straight. I was physically lifted in her arms and was being being cradled like a baby by her. "And now, Sandip ? How do you feel now being helpless in my arms ?" She was still looking serious.
It was so sudden, on a reflex action I had put my arms around her neck, lest I fall down. I was astounded by her strength. She was holding me so firmly and confidently, I really felt being totally in her control.
I looked up to her face, floating in her arms, her face turned down towards me, with still no trace of a smile. I asked, " Seema, anything's the matter ? Why are you so serious ?"
She replied with a straight face, "You didn't answer my question, Sandip. How do you like being carried in my arms ?"
I was still holding on to her neck. I said, "Seema, can't you feel that I'm loving it. It's my dream come true. I can't imagine that it is actually happening to me. You are so strong Seema. You are holding me so tight and so high. I am feeling so safe and secure in your arms."
I saw her face slowly coming back to normalcy. She gave me a beaming smile. "I'm so relieved. I thought that I would be scaring you."
She gently rocked me in her arms like a baby. She said, "Look at the mirror. You look so small and cute in my arms. I don't want to let you go. Would you mind if I keep holding you like this while we talk ?"
I said, "Not at all. Why should I mind. You are doing all the hard work. I am enjoying my ride and that too being carried in such a soft but firm body."
She was now slowly pacing up an down the room gently rocking me in her arms, while talking to me. "You see Sandip, I was so nervous. I thought you would also be the same. That is why I had to put you through this test. That is the reason I was behaving so seriously with you just now."
"Seema, I'm not getting you at all," I said. "What test ? Same as who?"
There was a couch in the room, a single seater sofa. Seema went and sat on the couch, and set me on her lap, still holding me in her arms in a cradled position.
She was smiling now. Her face radiant with satisfaction. She held me tightly to her body, so close that my head was now resting on her shoulder. She rested her face against my head and held me firmly to her breast. I looked up at her face, she was looking down at me, with a smile on her face, but tears ran down her cheeks.
I was not able to understand her reactions. "Why are you crying, Seema?", I said, "Now you are not answering my questions."
"I'll answer all your question Sandip," she said. "But first you answer me this : Supposing I carry you like this in my arms down to the hotel lobby, how would you react ?"
I said, "Seema please understand that I also have some self respect, some male ego. Although I love it in your arms and on your lap like this, but that is between you and me. I would like to keep it personal like that. I would definitely feel ashamed if you picked me up in public, because it would hurt my self esteem. I'm sorry if I could not satisfy your wish."
But this time Seema kept on smiling. She said, "No, Sandip, I like your reply. I am glad that you didn't say yes, because that would mean either you are lying to me, just to please me now. Or else, you do not have any self respect as a man. I'm very happy that you said no to this. And I promise you that I will never publicly undermine you just because I'm stronger than you." Then she squeezed my cheek with her fingers, and said, smiling mischievously, "But I promise you one more thing, that when we are alone like this, I'll seldom allow you to walk on your own two feet. Here I won't care about your male ego getting hurt. Agreed ?"
"Why are you asking for my approval ? I love my captivity to my tall conqueror", I said, "Now I understand what test you were putting me through. But tell me why you said that I'm not the same ? Same as who? "
She looked straight into my eyes and said, "My ex-husband. Yes, don't look so surprised, I was actually married. And it lasted just one night. Not even a full night, a few hours may be. It's a long story. But the gist of it is.....
My parents were not finding any match for me basically because I am too tall for a normal Indian girl and to add to that I am not good looking and my complexion is also not fair. To top it all, my father is a poor man. We are four sisters; my father spent all his savings in getting my eldest sister married. I am the second, he didn't have any money left to pay dowry for me. So I was not getting any suitable match at all. Ultimately, my parents found a match for me. The boy was not doing much of a job, just had a meagre income. They didn't mind my height, the boy was of the same height, but very thin, looked rather sickly to me. They were more interested in me because I have a Government job with the Railway Police. Although I was keen on keeping on helping my parents with my salary even after marriage, I agreed because, frankly there were no other alternatives available." Seema paused, shifted me on her lap to sit with my head on her other shoulder, and re-adjusting my body on hers, so that she can sit more comfortably; then continued...
" The marriage went off quite well. It was an ordinary affair from both sides. I was however very excited, because I had almost lost all hopes of getting married ever. And I was in fact the most romantic amongst all our four sisters. I used to horse around a lot with all of them. I was the strongest of them all. So I was always teasing my sisters and even my mother, the way I am pestering you now."
She paused, said to me, " Are you comfortable on my lap ? I hope I'm not holding you too tightly ?"
I said, "No dear, I'm very comfortable, cuddled inside your lap. You continue."
She continued, "As I was saying, I was very excited that at the end I am getting married. I had met the boy a few times, after finalisation of our marriage. He seemed to be of a timid kind, and had lots of issues of what to eat , what not to eat; very conservative in his outlook. Although he wanted me to continue to work after marriage , because their family wanted my income, he had a very negative feeling towards women who went out to work.
Anyway, I went ahead with the marriage just to satisfy my parents. On the night of the marriage, I was expecting at least to see the romantic side of the guy's character. Instead, after retiring to our room, he was preparing to go to sleep. Since, that was our first night, I had a lot of expectations. So when he did not show any initiative, I started to seduce him. He started to respond positively. So in the heat of the moment, I just picked him up in my arms in a cradle, the way I did to you. First he got very shocked at this, then he got angry at me. He demanded that I let him down. Till then I was in a playful mood. I held him tight and was not letting him down. He started struggling and getting more furious. I was having fun at his struggles in my arms, so I held him tighter. Then he started abusing me, which I cannot tolerate. Then when he called me a whore, I knew that was the end. I just dropped him on the ground and went off to the bed.
He ran out of the room and did not return for the night. Next day morning I heard that he had complained to his parents that I have behaved very indecently with him and was very aggressive, to which he felt threatened. The rituals which were supposed to be carried out on the second day did not happen. Instead they called my parents. They asked them to take me away and that they would want to end the marriage. A divorce was filed later on, for which the case is still continuing as per normal court procedure.
I told the truth to my parents of what happened. I told them that I do not want to remain married to such a sissy character. I pacified my parents that it's good that I didn't stay married in that family, as I understood that they wouldn't allow me to take care of my parents and would usurp all my salary.
So that is the story of my marriage. I continued to wear that sindoor, so that my parents do not lose their face in our conservative society. Since I mostly stay at my work place which is so far away from home, my neighbours also did not find out that I am getting divorced, which would hamper the marriage of my two younger sisters."
I said, "Yes, our society is still very conservative especially in the rural areas. Anyway, it's good that you didn't stay married there, as he was not worthy of you."
I then said, "Seema, I'll have to get ready now and leave for my meeting. Let me order lunch and then I'll go and have a bath. What I suggest is, you take a nap after I leave. We'll continue our chat once I return."
She let me up from her lap. I took the menu card from the table top and came back and sat on her lap again. She didn't expect this, and was surprised at first, that I'll sit on her lap on my own. Then she hugged me from behind and pulled me more inside her body. I sat on my soft cushioned human couch and discussed the lunch menu with her. Then I got up and ordered lunch over the phone. Then I went into the toilet to have a shave and then take my bath. She went over to the bed and laid down.
After we had our lunch, I started getting ready for my meeting. Once she saw me in my official suit with a formal tie on, she looked impressed. She stood in front of me and revered me, "You look like a proper executive," she said.
"I am an executive," I said, laughing."You take a good rest Seema, I'll be back in 2 to 3 hours. Then the evening is ours." I went out of the hotel room.
______________________________________
( To be continued in the next chapter.......)
