( I would request the first time readers of this story 'The Landlady', to please go through the first part of this series, published a few days ago, so as to better comprehend the continuity of the story so far...)
Just a short recap :
I was recently transferred to Chandigarh. I'm 36, bachelor, Deputy Manager of a good Marketing company. I had found a beautiful flat, the 1st floor of a decent bungalow. The Landlady was an old woman of 51, a widow, who lived alone on the ground floor. She was very choosy about whom to rent out. But ultimately I got the nod as I fulfilled her expectations of no relatives, kids or friends partying in the flat since I was an introvert.
With certain interesting turn of events as mentioned in the first episode, the lady started confiding in me her life story. It seemed that I was reminding her of her late husband because of our comparative physical size. She also told me to call her by her first name only - Ritu; and not Aunty or Didi.
One important statistics which I need to mention, which is very relevant to this story, was as under :-
Me Landlady
Age 36 yrs 51 yrs
Height 5 ft 3 in. 5 ft 11 in
Weight 64 kgs 87 kgs
I'll just recount the last part of first episode to set the mood for the next part ...
It was such an odd situation for me. This big woman was holding me on her lap like a small child. She was 15 years older to me. But she says that she is finding her husband in me. I didn't know what to do. Although she is almost an old woman of 51, she was so strong, she had literally captured me and carried me around the whole flat in her arms like a baby. I couldn't free myself from her hands with all my strength. I being a grown up man of 36 and 15 years younger than this old woman was totally helpless in her physical control, when she forcibly lifted and carried me around at her own will. And now she is folding her hands, with me sitting on her lap and requesting me not to leave her.
She says I remind her of her husband, but she's physically carrying me like her baby. I didn't know what relation she expected from me ?
But I couldn't bear to see this big woman cry. Sitting on her lap I wiped her tears with my fingers. I took her big palms in mine, and said, "Don't worry Ritu, I'm not going to leave you as long as my job keeps me in Chandigarh."
She didn't say anything, just held my face with both her hands and filled my entire face with kisses.
The story rolls on .....
The Landlady - Part 2
There was a call on her mobile. My landlady Ms. Ritu Arora picked up the phone from the side table. Her maid was informing that dinner was laid out on the table. She disconnected and told me, "Come, dinner's ready, let's go." She stood up from the sofa, still holding me in her cradle and started walking.
I smiled, "Are you going to carry me downstairs like this ?"
She smiled back, "Any problems in that ?"
I said, "And how will you answer your maid's curious stare ?"
She smiled, "Smart boy !" She carried me till the door and put me down.
We went down to her part of the house. I had expected a more lavishly decorated portion, given the fact that she is so rich. But instead it was decent, but nothing extravagant. It had quite similar furniture which she had provided for my flat. That reflected her simple lifestyle. I was impressed yet again.
The dinner spread was also rather simple. Adequate in quantity, but nothing over the top... Tasty and filling. There was this Nepali woman serving and a Nepali man helping out. During dinner, my landlady, Ritu, was telling me how this couple had been with them from her father-in-law's period. They took care of the entire house. Cleaning, manning the gate, cooking, washing and all other household chores. She praised that they were very faithful and extremely responsible. They lived in a separate quarter made for them at the corner of the backyard lawn.
After dinner, Ritu took me to show her private gym. A room full of equipment...a jogger; an exercising cycle; barbel with some light weights; two dumbbells not very heavy; a yoga mat... She told me that she didn't lift very heavy weights, so as to not develop bodybuilder like muscles...Just lifted enough to keep her body toned and fit. She said that while her husband was alive, she did not bother to reduce weight and was around 100 to 105 kgs. But after his demise, she thought that it was necessary to reduce her weight and keep fit so that she can take care of her own parents and parents-in-law. That is when she took the help of a professional trainer and bought these gym equipment. She said that, "I don't need a muscular figure, nor do I want an hour glass figure. I just want to remain healthy, fit and strong but still maintain an Indian feminine body structure. No fat but no prominent muscles either."
I said, "I have already experienced your strength. Now I see the dedication and effort you have put in to generate, as you say a perfect feminine body with no muscles but solid mass matching with and proportionate to your excellent height."
She smiled shyly, "Don't praise me any further, I'm not used to such compliments for years. You run upstairs right now, otherwise I'm getting tempted to pick you up and carry you upstairs myself. I won't care about Bahadur and his wife gaping at us with their jaws dropped in shock..."
I chuckled and moved towards the door. She said, "I'll just freshen up and come upstairs... Don't go to sleep yet, it's only 9.30 pm... We'll chat some more."
She came upstairs within 15-20 minutes. She had the duplicate keys of my flat. She didn't ring the doorbell, just opened the latch and walked in. I had changed to my casuals, a pair of Bermudas and a soft tee shirt. I was lying on the big double-bed, relaxing and talking to my mother on my mobile. I was telling her about the beautiful bungalow I have been able to rent ; that my food will also be taken care of by the landlady. Ritu, my landlady came and stood on the side of the bed where I was lying, looking down at me smiling, as I spoke to my mother. My mother was asking about the landlady... How old was she ? Who else were there in the house ? ... Typical of mothers...I answered that she was an old lady ; a widow ; there was a couple who also lived in the house, taking care of the old lady...
Ritu listened on with an amused smile on her face...I was sure she wasn't understanding anything... I was speaking in Bengali only, not using a word of Hindi or English.
Again typical of mothers, her next question was... What I had for dinner... As I was describing the dinner menu, Ritu bent forward and scooped me up from the bed, cradling me up in her arms like a baby. She had her left hand behind my back and her right hand under the bend of both my knees. She jerked me up on her body to adjust me. As she jerked me upwards, my right hand instinctively went around her neck to hold on for support. My face was right under her left cheek. My phone was on my left hand pressed to my ear. With the sudden jerk, I gave a gasp and I stopped talking. Ritu started laughing, but silently, lest my mother hears her. My mother was talking away... Asking me what happened... Why did I gasp.... Why did I stop talking...I fumbled .. not getting the right answer immediately...
Ritu had started walking with me in her arms... She signalled me to continue talking... and went and stood in front of the dressing table mirror looking at our reflection and laughing silently.
Meanwhile I had managed to tell my mother, that my phone had fallen off from my hand and that is why I stopped talking. My mother's question then was how will I go to office from this new flat. I said, I'll definitely get autos from some nearby crossing.
Ritu kept on holding me on her breasts cradled in her arms as if I was a small boy. To make matters more difficult for me, she was rocking me to and fro like a baby in his mother's arms. It was becoming very awkward for me to continue talking to my mother being carried in an old lady's arms and being rocked like a baby. So I made an excuse of going to sleep and disconnected.
I smiled and said to Ritu, "What were you doing ? Why did you pick me up so suddenly and why are you rocking me ? "
She replied smiling and in mock anger, "Why were you telling your mother that I'm an old woman and that there are two people to take care of me ? That is why I was showing off to you that this old woman can lift you and rock you in her arms like a baby."
I looked surprised..."How did you understand what I was saying ? I was speaking in Bengali."
She laughed a little, then spoke to me in broken Bengali, "I know your language...but I can't speak well. We had a Bengali family as our neighbour in Amritsar. Their daughter was my best friend. I used to be in their house most of the time.. so I learnt the languages...now I'm out of practice... but I can understand everything."
I said, "Good, now I'll give you some practice."
She said, "Come let me take a stroll in your flat... it's good to walk after dinner. But wait, it's difficult to walk through doors holding you in cradle carry." She put me down on the ground. Then immediately bent down and picked me up straddling her from the front. "Wrap you legs around my waist and your arms around my neck. Yes... This way I'll be able to walk easily with you, tujhey meri godi mey utha kar...(lifting you on my lap). Also since your face is right in front of me, it's easier to talk looking into your eyes."
Her phone started ringing.. It was lying on the bedside table where she was standing beside my bed a little while earlier. She walked with me on her godi (lap) and picked up the phone with her left hand, while holding me behind my back with her right hand only. I tightened my legs around her waist and my arms around her neck, since she was now holding me up with one hand only. My face came very close to her chin and I could practically hear everything the other person was saying on the phone. Ritu started walking holding me on her breasts, out of the bedroom to the dining space, while talking on the phone. Her maid was calling asking for instructions for the next day's breakfast and lunch. Ritu gave her the instructions. Then asked whether she needed anything urgently from the market, since she would be going to Sector 17 the next day morning, after breakfast. She spoke for some more.. while giving me smiles whenever she looked at me. After her call I asked her, "You are going to Sector 17 tomorrow morning ? My office is also there."
She smiled sweetly and said, "Yes I know and that's exactly where I'll be going... I'll drop you to office in my Scooty, from tomorrow onwards."
I was surprised at this, "Why ? I can take an auto. I used to go by Auto only from my guesthouse at Sector 22."
She said, "No, from my house, you have to walk some distance to the crossing to catch an auto. As it is, I don't have anything to do in the morning, so I'll drop you, do some shopping and come back."
I said, "No, no, that's not right... If somebody from my office sees me......"
She cut me short, "So what if anybody sees you? It's quite common in Chandigarh. Many girls drive scooters over here and men often sit on pillion. It's not like your orthodox Kolkata...
Ok, if that's your problem, I'll drop you a little distance before your office.... you walk down from there. See, don't make a face like that... It just takes 10 minutes in my Scooty from my house in Sector 33 to Sector 17. Whereas for auto, you have to walk to the crossing; and then wait for an auto in line during office hours... It'll take you more than 30-40 minutes to reach your office."
I said, "Ok... But it'll be a trouble for you..."
She stood in front of the drawing room door leading to the balcony, but did not carry me out on the balcony. We looked at the lush green joggers park dimly lit by the light posts. It was a beautiful calm night. I was being carried high on her lap, my face so close to hers that our cheeks were sometimes touching with the movements of our heads.
She said, "No trouble at all... And in the evenings, you let me know what time your work get over. I'll come and pick you up."
I protested, "Now this is too much Ritu. My timings are not fixed in the evenings. Sometimes I may get off at 6 pm and some days it may be 7.30 pm."
She smiled, put a finger on my lips and said, "Calm down young man. You just call me up 30 mins before you think you can get off and I'll be there. See, after your hard day's office, we'll take a leisurely stroll in Sector 17 market, do some window shopping, have some ice creams and papri-chats and come back."
I said, "Are you mad ? Taking a stroll with you in Sector 17 market after office ? Arrey , my office colleagues might also be doing just that...."
She rocked me slowly in her arms and replied coolly, "Why are you so worried to be seen with me in public ? Will anybody ever imagine that I can be your girl friend ? Look at us .. You a young man of 36 and I'm an old lady of 51... Look at our size difference.. You are a small young man of 5 feet 3 inches and I'm a huge old woman of 5 feet 11. If you meet anybody known to you, while I'm dropping you to office in the morning; or picking you up in the evening ; or taking a walk in any market in Chandigarh...just introduce me as your landlady. Tell them that I'm also working in Sector 17 and that is why I drop you and pick you up everyday. To make your position safe, you can call me as 'Aunty' in front of them. Fine ?...now happy ?..... don't look so tense.....give me a smile.."
I relaxed...true, nobody in their wildest dreams would pair me and this old woman together...our age and body sizes are so marked different.
She continued her monologue, now again walking with me as if I was strapped on her upper body by her strong hands holding me tightly behind my back. "Besides, have some heart...take pity on this lonely old woman...I don't have any friend, nobody to talk to... If I'm asking for some time of yours to just walk around with you in the markets or enjoying a scooter ride with you in the streets of Chandigarh, can't you oblige me ? I know you are a young man... You would rather prefer to be seen with a beautiful young woman, rather than this huge old widow. Just think that you are doing a social service by holding the hand of an old woman to help her walk the lonely path of life's journey. Can't you do this little service for me ? See I'm also serving you. Even being an old woman I'm not letting you put your feet on the ground. Since the time you have come, think of the amount of time, this old woman is breaking her back and carrying you, a healthy, full grown, young man in her old arms and lap." Her eyes were bright and naughty, her lips wore a mischievous smile.
My arms were around her neck. I hugged her tightly and I buried my face in her shoulders. I kept my face snuggled inside her neck, while she rocked me slowly like a baby. I whispered inside her big neck, "I simply adore this old woman...I feel totally helpless against your strength...I feel so small and weak but also so safe, so protected being held so high up in the strong arms of this tall, big old woman. I think you have not only bodily captured me with your physical strength, but you have permanently ruined my taste in girls of my age and size. You are not just an old huge woman to me, you are much more attractive to me than any beautiful young woman I've ever met, seen or dreamt of ever in my life."
She stopped in the middle of the room... pulled up my head from inside her neck... looked right into my eyes...and said, "Do you really mean what you just said ?"
I smiled and just nodded an "Yes."
I could see her eyes swell up with tears, as her lips curved into a radiant satisfied smile. She pressed my head back on her shoulder, pushed my face deep inside the crook of her neck...my nose and eyes touched the soft skin of her long, thick neck...she kept her hand on the back of my head lightly holding my face snuggled inside her big neck. She bent her face a little so that her chin rested on my cheek. Her hair which was loosely hanging on her back, now fell forward hiding my face inside her shoulder and neck. She just stood there holding me tightly on her breasts, slowly, very slowly, rocking me from side to side. We were not talking. I could sense her chest heaving... drops of tears crossed her cheek and were falling on my cheek trapped inside her neck...warm and salty as the tear drops touched my lips. I lay there on her breast letting her cry...my arms around her neck. She started walking holding my face inside her neck, tears rolling down....I didn't try to wipe them. Let the tears wash away all her loneliness... I cannot bring back her years of melancholy...but if my company provides her with a little bit of comfort, some sense of belonging to her aging heart...so why not give her that little time which can bring back some smile to this lonely woman. She may be fifteen years older to me, she may be double my size, I might be feeling helplessly weak against her massive strength...but I felt she needs me now, more than anything else in her life.
Her breathing normalised...I could sense her walking with purpose now. She walked with me to the drawing room door leading to the balcony. I raised my face wondering whether she is going to go out on the balcony carrying me in her arms. No...she was closing the balcony door. She put off the lights of the drawing room. Then walked to the dining space... put off the lights there...carried me to the bedroom.
It is then that I asked, "What exactly are you doing...putting off all the lights ?"
She smiled, looking up at me...yes...looking up... since she was carrying me on her lap, I was now taller than her. She smiled sweetly at me and said, "Office jana nahi hoga kal ? ( Don't you have to go to office tomorrow ?) Have you seen the time ? It's getting late... time to go to bed."
She put me down in front of the bathroom and patted on my back. "Go... In the meantime let me make the bed for my little boy." I went to the bathroom... Confused.
What was this now ? Little boy ?
After coming out of the bathroom, I find that the bed is neatly made, the bed cover pulled out... the main light switched off...a dim green night lamp glowing. She was standing in front of the bathroom door waiting for me. She said, "Come my baby, come to Mummy." She picked me up again in her arms and took me to the bed. There were two pillows side by side, but at different levels. The one in the centre was almost a head down than the other pillow on the side of the bed. She laid me down in the centre of the bed with my head resting on the pillow. Then she herself laid down on the outside. It is then that I understood the positioning of the pillows...it was according to our heights. She turned towards me and pulled my body to face her. In fact my face was right in front of her breasts. She removed the pillow from under my head and placed it aside. She extended her arm and put my head on the upper portion of her thick arm. Oh her bicep was so big and soft but firm. She pulled my face on her breasts and said, "Now go to sleep my baby". She fondled my hair, pressed her soft fingers on my temples, run her long fingers through my hair. She took my arm and put it around her stomach towards her back. She pulled one leg of mine and put it over her thighs, as if I'm using her as a side pillow. I looked up at her and asked, "I'm confused Ritu... Are you treating me like your baby ?"
She looked down at me smiling, "Yes, you are my baby now. I am understanding your confusion dear. I'll explain.... You see, I didn't have a baby of my own. So I treated my husband as my baby, whenever I longed for my own child. I would do everything with him, a mother does to her baby. At other times he was my husband and partner.
It is the same with you. When I was carrying you in my arms and lap since the evening, I was seeing you as my lover. I was really moved by what you said about your finding my carrying you in my arms so safe and protective...also that you find my strength and huge size attractive. Since you have just started knowing me, I know that this may be just an infatuation for you now...I cannot expect your love so soon, all the more so because I'm so much older than you. I am aware that size difference may not be a barrier for you, but this age difference, especially because I'm past fifty, may become a hurdle. But I do not have any expectations from you as to your practical commitment to me. Just love me if only it comes naturally to you...no bindings attached...and no compulsion too..
As to your other role as my child, there is no confusion. You must have read that a Woman plays many roles in her Man's life. But her two most important roles are the lover and the role of the mother. See, between you and me, when you were born, I was already fifteen years old. So, since your birth till say when you were four years old, if I was there, you would have literally played on my lap. I would have taken care of you as your aunt or your much older cousin perhaps. Feeding you, washing you, bathing you, clothing you, even changing your nappies...Because even when you were four years old, I would have been an adult of 19 years. So I would definitely be carrying you in my arms and lap. And right now because of our size difference, I can carry you as easily, as if you are four years old. So, whenever I will long for my own child, it'll be easy for me to think of you as my baby.
I'll show you one other example .. Just give me your hand..put your palm over mine...see my palm is double of yours. Let us compare our wrists, our hands and feet. Even though you are a man and I'm a woman, see how much smaller you are than me, although both of us are full grown adults.
Also, although I should not compare, but one area where you are much better than my husband in this aspect, is your height. You are so small and cute. My husband was 5 feet 8 inches, which by Indian standards is not at all short, but above average height. But still I was 3 inches taller than him. But you, with your cute little size, are full 8 inches shorter than me. I will be able to hold you so easily inside my body."
Saying this, she rolled over lying straight and just pulled me up on to her body face down. My face was buried in her breasts; she wrapped her big arms and legs all over me and I was completely hidden inside her big body... "Now my little cuddly baby, you go to sleep on your tall Mummy's huge body. I'll take you to school tomorrow morning, riding on my back on my scooty." She kept on patting me on my back and head like a mother puts her baby to sleep.
I don't remember when I dozed off to sleep......
