( The readers are requested to read Parts 1 and 2 of this series "College Days", to understand the continuity of this story so far …)
College Days - 3
I was ready to go to my new college for the admission formalities. Just finishing my breakfast… late breakfast that is. I reached by the morning train today only to Raipur. The initial interaction with my Mami ( Aunty, my mother's cousin brother's wife) and Maya, her young niece from her village, took up a lot of time. And then I had my bath. Now after all that I'm finishing my breakfast and waiting for Maya to come from her room. She will be taking me to my College on my first day since I am new to this city. I'm not familiar with the location of NIT Raipur. I was told it is supposed to be quite close to my uncle's house, where I'll now be living in Raipur.
What ? What happened during my bath ? Oh yes ! I did mention in my last episode about that bath Maya was supposed to give me. You want to know about that ? Wait….later …I'm getting late for college now. I'll tell you that story when I'm a little free.
Maya was ready to go. She came and stood behind me. I was waiting with Mami (my Aunty). She was giving me pocket money for college. I said I didn't want any money. My father had already given me enough money to last for a few months. I would be living with my Mama and Mami in Raipur for my 4 years of Engineering. (Mama = Mother's brother. Mami is Mama's wife). As it is, they are not going to take any expenses for my boarding and lodging from my parents. They love me as their own son.
In fact there's a history about this. All this has been narrated in Part-1. Just giving a brief refresher. Since they do not have any children of their own, my Aunty, (Mami), had requested my mother to allow her to adopt me as their son. My parents have three children, I'm the eldest. But my mother did not agree. This happened 5 years back. From then on, for the last five years, my uncle and aunty had never visited our house. For that matter, they didn't even visit our city where their other relatives also live. But as luck would have it, the college which I got my Engineering placement in, happened to be NIT Raipur. So my Aunty was overjoyed, since I was going to live with them in Raipur. Again the closeness between our two families was re-ignited. From the day my aunty came to know that I have got my admission in Raipur till the day I reached here, my aunty spent many an hour during the day on mobile conversation with my mother. She had by now come to know every small detail regarding me. She loves me as her own son.
( Dear Reader, If you still haven't, please go through Parts 1 and 2 of this series. There are much more interesting incidents other than just this plain gist.)
That is why my aunty was forcing me to take pocket money from her for my first day in college. I told her that this was not actually my first day. I was just going for the admission formalities. But she wouldn't listen.
Mami instructed Maya to take me there carefully and wait there with me till all my admission formalities are complete. Then bring me back home carefully.
I laughed, "Mummy, I am not the 13 year old class 8 boy, you knew 5 years back. I'm 18, going to be 19 in a month's time. And Maya is actually 1 year younger to me and you are instructing her to take care of me."
No, no, there's no typing mistake. I wrote 'Mummy' only and not 'Mami' (Aunty). Arrey, remember what happened in the last episode, that is in Part 2 ? How I had to agree to call her Mummy and not Aunty or Mami. I'm not going into the details of that contest between Aunty and me here again. It's already written in detail in Part 2. (Quite an interesting physical strength contest between the 40 year old Aunty and 19 year old me. Please don't miss it, if you haven't read it yet.)
So, as I was saying, I told aunty that I was a grown up young man now, I can take care of myself. I don't need Maya to be with me constantly beside me in College. And besides she is a girl and more importantly she is a year younger than me.
Aunty said, "Listen Beta, you don't know these Engineering college boys and girls. Don't you read in the papers. They are very naughty. They do all sorts of dangerous pranks on freshers in the name of ragging. And you are such a small guy. You call yourself a grown up young man and Maya just a girl, 1 year younger than you ? See, the top of your head is not even reaching Maya's lips, with you standing right in front of her. Remember you are just 5'3" and she is 5'9", 6 inches taller than you. She is also 75 kgs as against your 55 kgs, so 20 kgs heavier than you. And you yourself saw her strength carrying both your heavy suitcases up the stairs in each of her hands. Besides, she had been carrying you in her cradle for such a long time in the morning, before giving you your bath. She can very well protect you from your seniors if they come to rag you. Also, you couldn't even free yourself from my hold, when I picked you up in my arms this morning. And I'm a 40 years old middle aged housewife and you are a young man of 19. So you need somebody taller and stronger by your side to protect you. You stay close to Maya all along. She'll protect you if anybody tries something naughty with you. Besides, you don't have to tell your new college friends that she is your younger cousin. Now go, otherwise you will complain that you got delayed because of me."
That lecture wasn't very encouraging for me. This is what I'm not liking about aunty since the time I've come here. She's being too blunt about how both Maya and Aunty are taller and stronger than me. All the more so, because she is making these comparisons in front of this new girl Maya. But whatever she said was true. Maya was actually much bigger, taller and stronger than me, although she was a girl and just turned 18; almost one year younger to me.
The first day of my college, so as per our custom, I bent down to touch my aunty's feet. We do this for any auspicious occasion, touch our elders' feet for their blessings. Aunty caught my arms midway and pulled me to her body in a loving hug and then straightened up. As expected, I went up with her. She stood up to her full height. My legs kept dangling before her, 4 inches off the ground. Aunty kissed my forehead and then my cheeks. She held me up in her arms and said, "Your place is here in my heart dear. My blessings are always with you." She then gently put me down on the ground and patted me on my back.
Maya was waiting, sitting on uncle's scooter. I went and sat behind her as a pillion rider. No, you guessed it right, I couldn't ride a scooter. In fact, I didn't get to learn how to ride a bicycle properly. There was nobody to teach me when I was growing up. My father was always too busy with his office. And mother was so protective of me, she didn't allow me to learn.
Maya started the scooter. Aunty waved me bye and off we went. Once I sat behind Maya, I found that there wasn't much to hold on to on the scooter. The bar at the back of the seat was so pressed down, it was difficult to hold on to. I said, "Maya, this road is so bumpy, full of potholes; and there's nothing to hold on to on this scooter."
She said, "I know, ever since the seat was repaired the holding bar at the back of the seat had gone down. Why don't you hold on to my waist ?"
I was aghast, "What are you saying Maya, how can I hold on to a girl's waist. As it is, I'm not feeling comfortable riding a pillion behind a girl."
"But you have to hold on to something, otherwise you will fall down from the scooter, the road is very bumpy. At least hold my shoulders then," Maya was insistent.
I had no other options, I had to hold on to her shoulders. Wow ! It was solid but not so hard. Not muscular but felt strong. I kept on protesting, "Why did you bring me through this route Maya? The road is so bad."
Maya explained, "This is the short cut route. This road is through the interiors of the city. The main road is much better but it takes more than double the time."
I said, "When we will be returning, let's take that route, let me see how long it takes. Then I can decide which route to take."
This road was really bumpy. It was difficult sitting behind Maya's back, just holding on to her shoulders. At one point on the road, it was so bad, I had no options but to wrap my arms around Maya's waist. For such a big sized girl, her waist felt not so thick. That means her figure was quite well proportioned. It wasn't so obvious though, because she always wore loose fitting Salwars. My interactions with Maya since I arrived had not gone quite favourable for me. So I was a little peeved with her. But still, sitting like this behind her with my arms around her waist and my body bumping and brushing on to her back, every time the scooter hit a pothole, the experience was quite sensual. What could I do, my age was such,19 years. Hugging a tall, curvaceous 18 year girl from the back, I was bound to like the feeling, even though I hated her otherwise.
Since the scooter seat gets raised towards the back, with my arms around her waist, my face came on her shoulder, right next to her face. She looked sideways at me and remarked, "I know you are angry with me, Sumit. I need to talk to you, heart to heart, then you will understand me. I don't want you to feel that I'm trying to bully you or dominate you. Believe me, since the time I saw you, I kind of liked you. I want to be your friend and I wish you would take me as your friend too. Let this admission thing get over, I want to tell you my side of the story. That might become a problem for me. But still I'll risk it."
First thing which struck me was that she was not calling me "Bhaiya", like she was doing in the house. Also the urgency of her tone said that she was speaking from the heart. I felt like believing her. Also perhaps because of what happened when she carried me to the bathroom to bathe me this morning.
We were passing through some lonely area. It was a narrow muddy road. There were fields on one side. On the other side there was a continuous running wall, possibly the back side of some factory. The road was almost empty, with very few people walking. Only some motor bikes and scooters passed, possibly using the shortcut like we were. Because of the road being empty, I did not mind holding on to Maya's waist from my pillion position. My hands went around and clasped together on her flat stomach. My chin rested on her left shoulder. I could smell a faint aroma of her shampoo from her freshly washed hair. Although I still had some antagonistic feelings against Maya, I was having a strange romantic feeling with my body literally bumping or brushing or resting on her full, wide back.
Oh yes…I was supposed to tell you what happened when she carried me to the bathroom to bathe me. I think this is the right time to narrate what happened then. There's still some time to reach my college, so let me tell you now.
I think you remember what happened during that scene in part 2, where Aunty was telling me that she had instructed Maya to take care of me. What irked me most was when she said that Maya will bathe me, because she thinks that I cannot wash or dry myself properly. Can you imagine a girl of 18 being given the responsibility of giving a bath to a boy of 19 ? That too, she was instructed to sit on the bathroom floor cross legged and pull me down on her lap and make me lie on her lap. She would then clean my arms and body and thighs and legs with soap, ragar ragar key, especially inside my thigh joints.
So, Maya was asked to bathe me properly and wipe me dry. Maya carried me in her arms cradling me like a baby to the bathroom to give me a bath. And she had the audacity to tell me, while she was carrying me in her arms to the bathroom, "Don't cry big brother, start getting used to being bullied by your tall little sister. Just surrender yourself in my arms and let your little sister give you a nice clean bath." Then while walking, carrying me in her arms, Maya lifted my body up a little and then bent her head down and planted a kiss on my forehead.
Tell me, can any young man of 19 tolerate all this insult from a girl of 18 years. Ho sakta hai ki she was taller than me by 6 inches, that is 5'9" against my 5'3". Also she was 75 kgs as against my 55 kgs. So obviously, with such a height, weight advantage, she was much stronger than me. I was literally helpless in her hands, although she was one year younger to me.
So this is the background, how Maya carried me forcefully to the bathroom to give me a 'proper' bath. But what happened after she closed the bathroom door was totally unexpected, even to me.
While Maya was carrying me to the bathroom in her arms, Aunty was still in the room. She was about to go downstairs to supervise the maids. So Aunty had very well seen that Maya was carrying me to the bathroom like a small boy. She had a satisfied smile on her face. But I was fuming inside at both Aunty and Maya.
The bathroom was big. There was a door separating it into two small portions. The outside portion was for taking a bath with a modern shower and geyser fitted. The inside room was where the WC or commode, whatever you call it, was fitted.
Once inside the bathroom, Maya put me down from her arms on the floor and bolted the bathroom door from inside. I stood there, actually petrified at the prospect of being bathed by a girl younger to me. But I knew that there was no point in fighting her, she was too strong for me. If I tried to resist, she would possibly forcefully remove my clothes and that would be more embarrassing.
I waited anxiously to see what Maya would do next. She went and first put the plastic bucket under the tap and opened the tap fully. The water came gushing out making a loud noise inside the empty plastic bucket. Then she did something strange. She came and stood very close to me; bent down and brought her face down 6 inches to my face level. Then she put a finger on her lips and whispered to me, "I'm going inside the inner bathroom…you open your clothes and have your bath. I'm keeping the towel here on this rack near you. Once you are done, wipe yourself, wear your towel and call me. Don't speak loudly, just go inside the inner bathroom and I'll come out." She slowly moved inside the inner bathroom and closed the connecting door softly.
I was amazed at this turn of events. Didn't expect this after all the build-up drama. Anyways, I didn't waste time. Had my bath in a haste. Then wiped myself with the towel Maya left for me. Then wearing the towel around my waist went and pushed the connecting door to the inner bathroom. The door opened. There was Maya, standing by the wash basin looking at the mirror. She saw me and turned. She came closer and checked me up. She looked at my hands and legs searchingly, possibly looking for any soap remaining unwashed. Then turned me around and looked at my back thoroughly. This also felt odd, a younger girl scrutinizing me whether I've bathed properly. But it was at least far better than she giving me the bath herself.
Once satisfied, Maya smiled at me. She whispered, "Good boy !" Then before I realized what was happening, she stooped, slid one arm under my armpits and around my chest and her other arm, behind my knees, and then she swept me effortlessly up off my feet to hold me tightly against her breasts, cradled securely in her powerful arms. She smiled sweetly down at me and said, "Come now let me take you to your Aunty and show her how I have bathed you. Remember I took this risk only for you. But be careful, don't utter out the truth, otherwise next time I will definitely give you a 'proper' bath."
I nodded like a small boy listening to his teacher. I said feebly, "But please be careful Maya, my towel is just wrapped around. Please handle me carefully, otherwise the towel might open up."
Maya gave a small laugh, "So what ? Am I not supposed to have just washed you all over with soap and water and wiped you dry with this towel only? How can you feel ashamed if your towel opens up with you up in my arms?" Strange logic, but she was correct, I thought to myself.
She carried me out of the bathroom and into my bedroom. She put me on the bed. "Now you get ready and I'll go and have my bath. After you are dressed, go to the dining hall. Your Aunty would be there. Have your breakfast. I'll come down and take you to your college."
So, that was that...my bathroom episode, where nothing untoward happened. It was good for me that my modesty was saved, that too by an 18 year old girl. She could have actually done my ego and self esteem a lot of damage, by forcefully bathing me. I couldn't have stopped her, although I am a young man and older to her. She is much too strong for me. In fact I shudder to just imagine the scene where she would sit on the bathroom floor cross legged and pull me down on her lap and forcefully make me lie on her lap. She would then wash my arms and body and legs and thighs with soap, especially scrub the inside of my thigh joints.
Thank God ! Good sense prevailed in her and she spared me of the ignominy.
We had reached my College. Maya parked her scooter in the parking lot. I told her, "You don't have to come with me. You wait here for some time in the shade. I'll finish up the admission formalities and come back here. Or I'll call you on your mobile."
Maya said, "Don't be childish, Sumit. There's no harm if I come with you also. Nobody can understand that we are cousins. See, there are a lot of boys and girls walking around. We can as well be class friends. Until you get your admission and start your classes, nobody doesn't even know who you are. So just relax."
I said, "Mami told me that you had come here earler and already checked up on what to do. Just tell me how to go to the administrative building. I'll get my admission done."
Maya said, "Yes that's where I'm taking you. Just walk with me. Or are you embarrassed to even walk beside me because I'm so much taller than you? You see Sumit, that shouldn't bother you on a college campus of this size. You'll find quite a few girls here who are taller than your 5'3"; and some even taller than many of the boys here on the campus. Nobody will even bother to look at your height difference with your fellow class student, even if she is much taller than you."
What she said was logical. So I walked along with her. Maya took me to the Administration department. She waited at the visitors' lounge while I completed the admission formalities. The whole process took about an hour. Once I had paid the admission fees, collected the necessary documents and receipts, I came back to where Maya was sitting.
Maya said, "Done ? Now let's go. I told you I needed to talk to you. You must be pretty angry at me by now, since you think I'm bullying you despite being younger to you. I want to clear some of your wrong notions about me. If you want, we can sit somewhere on your college campus and talk. Or if you feel embarrassed over here to be seen with me, we can go to some place where you will not meet your future college friends."
I said, "Let's go somewhere else then."
We walked back to where the scooter was parked. I said, "I'll walk out of the campus gate and walk a little distance. You come a little later and then I'll ride on the scooter, a little distance away from the college gate."
Maya laughed, "Ok Baba, as it pleases you."
I walked out of the College campus gate and continued walking. Maya came a little later and stopped her scooter beside me. I got on to her back…sorry not on Maya's back…but behind her on the scooter.
She took off with me, my chin resting over her left shoulder, my hands around her waist…
