Benign Flame: Saga of Love by BS Murthy (sci fi books to read TXT) 📖

Well, that can be taken care of by me, to set the ball rolling. Haven’t I myself brought many a reluctant folk onto the convenient track of compromise? And once they get over their inhibitions, these scoundrels become past-masters at extortion, don’t they? But then, they’re inconveniently called corrupt by the left-outs, sour grapes. How the illicit side of the behavioral pattern seems to be common for both sexes. Women too hesitate to step out of the threshold of fidelity, but once they cross it, they hit the fast track of debauchery, don’t they?’

‘Naive that he is, would Sathyam fall prey for all these?’ he thought as he developed second thoughts. ‘But don’t I know that only a handful of men are incorruptible, either by nature or by conviction. Thus, leaving those oddballs, as with bed-hedgers among women, the bulk of them, watch which way the wind blows. When they see their colleagues and neighbours prosper through bribe monies, their jealousy makes them anticipate a tax raid. But when none of that happens, and if they happen to sit at the right desks in their offices, sooner than later, they too join the bandwagon. Doesn’t that explain the ever-growing corruption in all societies? But the vast majority, without access to that extra pie, is the most vocal against corruption in society! Give them half a chance to line their pockets, and they’re sure to quieten down like kitten. Anyway, Sathyam won’t have to complain anymore on that score.’

‘But is all this trouble worth taking when I could get half a dozen randies for a song, that Vanaja included?’ he was left wondering. ‘If not for Roopa’s distraction, was it not possible that I would have been carrying on with her by now? How disappointed she would have been that she was only flattered to be deceived. Well, many a Vanaja like might come and go but isn’t it worth covering the earth to lay Roopa. If things work out as they should, won’t I have her soon enough?’

‘But what if Sathyam gets wind of our affair?’ he tried to foresee loopholes in his plan. ‘What would he possibly do than become accommodative? That’s what all cuckolds do, don’t they? But then, what else can a decent man do when he comes to know that his wife has taken to a paramour. Well, divorce won’t do as that deprives him of a home with the bed and all that goes with it. Should he shop around for a younger one, wouldn’t it be a matter of time before she follows the example set by the first one. If on the other hand, her were to settle for a middle aged, it might as well amount to inviting her lover into the marital fold. Thus substitution, though difficult, might ensure an encore, doubling the ridicule. So, anyway one might look at it; status quo would seem the better course for a cuckold to stay on course.’

‘What if out of spite, Sathyam were to sue her for divorce,’ he tried to visualize in the end. ‘Won’t that be a blessing in disguise for me as I can make her my mistress then? Though I’m going back to Delhi by the year-end, won’t my work bring me here often enough? Oh, how well, she, as my keep, would keep me in comfort in my home, away from home. Moreover, can’t I fix her at the office to keep an eye on the guys over there? What a loyal spy she would make. Whichever way it might turn out to be, all the same, it should go easy on me. In fact, it would be better that Sathyam leaves her for my safekeeping. Isn’t Roopa an eminently keepable woman? Well, she would learn what it’s like flirting with me, sooner or later, one way or the other, wouldn’t she?’

 

Chapter 26

Software of Detour

 

That April evening, Roopa impatiently waited for Sathyam’s return from the office. As though to keep irritation at bay, she was rereading Sandhya’s letter delivered that day.

‘When it’s time for their coming, what do I get to hear from her? It’s about the postponement of her exams! Why not rename India as Postponeland? How something or the other comes in my way to Delhi. Come what may, I should go now to know where I stand on the ladder of Raja’s love,’ she thought at length, folding her mate’s missive.

Having realized that it was already ten, she felt worried and thought, ‘What could have held him up? Why, the homebody that he is, he comes home straight, doesn’t he? Is it possible that he’s in some trouble? Or, is he gossiping with Prasad? Why don’t I find out from Prasad? Anyway, let me wait for a while.’

When Sathyam didn’t turn up even by eleven, she called Prasad, from a nearby P.C.O.

“It’s Prasad here.”

“I’m Roopa.”

“Say, your darling.’

“You shut up.”

“Oh, don’t joke.”

“Is Sathyam there?”

“Has he gone missing or what?”

“Don’t be silly, I was just checking up,” she said.

“Okay, let’s be serious, can I check-in dear?” he said.

“Don’t bother, mister,” she hung up amidst his loud laughter.

‘Some welcome development at last,’ ‘Well, she would never ever get wind of my game plan,’ thought Prasad, still holding onto the receiver.

On her return, however, finding Sathyam sitting drowsily on the staircase, Roopa said in vexation,

“I had to ring up Prasad for you,” she said by way of an explanation.

“I think it’s time, I apply for a telephone connection,” he said giving way to Roopa.

As she opened the door morosely, he followed her drowsily. However once they went in, trying to take her into his arms, he said,

“I couldn’t say no at the party. After all, the leading contractor arranged it. Now, isn’t it your turn to say yes.”

“Oh, how you stink in your mouth,” she reproached him.

‘How does that matter, as you don’t kiss anyway,” he said trying to grab her.

“Know that I was scared to death,” she said pushing him away, still cut up with him.

“Though I’m sorry for you, I’m happy that you care for me,” he said taking her hand all the same.

‘So, this is the reward, let’s have dinner,” she said as she pulled her hand from him.

“I’m full any way, let me serve you for a change,” he said fondling his belly.

“Go have bath and have some buttermilk at least,” she said.

“Ok, I’ll be pole-ready by then,” he said winking at her.

“What happened to you all of a sudden!” she said a little surprised.

“Have a peg or two and see how you get lifted all ends up,” he said merrily.

As Roopa gave him a sharp look, pleased with himself, Sathyam slipped into the bathroom, but before Roopa could figure out what was happening to him, he came storming into the bedroom.

“Oh, how nice it felt,” he said, as he got up from the bed. 

“Don’t make it a habit for that,” she said coyly.

“Won’t I make you habituated for that,” he winked.

Surprised at his unusual gusto in bed, she wondered,

‘When a man on high has it so different for women, how come then that drinking became a taboo with them?’

“So,” he said as they refreshed.

“Why don’t we go to Delhi now? Sandhya wrote again wanting us to make it soon,” she said coyly.

“You know it’s not even a month since I took over the Section, I can only think about it a little later,” he said putting on airs.

‘At this rate we’ll never make it, I better go on my own now,” she said.

“Don’t worry; we’ll make it very soon, if ever Raja Rao sets up shop here, I think I can be of help to him. You know, now I am getting to know some very well placed people,” he said cajoling her.

However, as the idea of her mediocre husband helping her marvelous lover didn’t appeal to her sensitivity, she thought,

‘My Raja is too smart to need his help.’

She began to wonder at the new sense of confidence in her husband,

‘What a difference has a little recognition made to his self-confidence! Why not? When a peg or more betters man in bed, won’t a step or two up at the workplace, buttress the feel good of his?’

But in time, as he got hardened at drink, she found him a hard nut to crack in bed. This new feature in her marital life depressed Roopa as her husband’s nocturnal abstinence made her daydream ever more passionately about her lover, the excitation of which brought her deprivation to the fore, making her craving to possess her Raja.  So, insensibly the mission to posses him more and more became the obsession of her life.

Heady with his newfound power, Sathyam, however, had no thought for his wife’s predicament. As if to add insult to injury, he thought it fit to bring the bottle home so as to give a face-lift to their middle-class home. Thus that late summer evening, he asked Prasad to feel at home over a bottle of Glenfiddich.

“You know its Scotch whisky, I invited Prasad to celebrate,” said Sathyam to Roopa.

“Celebrate what?” she said in surprise.

“What else it is but my progress,” he said shrugging his shoulders.

At that, before a nonplussed Roopa could respond to Sathyam, Prasad had stormed in.

“But why at home?” exclaimed Prasad as if to ingratiate himself with Roopa.

“Isn’t it better than coming home dead drunk?” she said to Prasad’s disappointment.

“How I wish you’re more sensitive to her feelings,” Prasad admonished Sathyam as though to put a wedge between them, all by himself.

“I too wish she shares my excitement a little, I feel I was a mere file pusher earlier. Now I see the faces of those whose cases I handle. And it’s quite satisfying that way,” said Sathyam filling the glasses.

“I hear there’s money to make over there, I mean, under the table,” said Prasad in undertone.

As she happened to come with some roasted papads for them then, Roopa overheard him, and said,

“I’ve warned him about that. Leave alone morals, who knows about its fallout?”

“Sitting at home, it’s easy to sit in judgment over others. It’s not as if I’m dying for the bribe money though I know the project costs are jacked up to accommodate one and all. So, even if I were to decline my share of the mark-up, still that won’t bring any discount to the government table. The choice thus boils down to picking up your portion of it or gaping at those pocketing it all for themselves. That being the reality, by taking my cut, I would be only robbing the robbers a little,” said Sathyam.

“Why hanker after what’s not due, never mind what others do,” she said spiritedly.  

“Isn’t coveting the part of being,” said Prasad, imagining an innuendo.

“It’s about one’s orientation towards the value system,” said Roopa seemingly answering him.

“Of what avail are the old world values anymore, by the way, tell me who cares for them these days. Now, it’s the money that measures man’s worth never mind how one acquires it, what matters is how much moolah one has. One could choose values for company but prosperity seeks the pliable,” said Sathyam in exasperation.

‘So what, of what worth is money without virtue?” she said indignantly.

‘Don’t I know money is no guarantor of happiness,” said Prasad looking ardently at Roopa.

‘That’s what all the moneyed say, while making more of it all the time; the only attribute of man is his wealth and you very well know about that,” said Sathyam in irritation.

“No faulting you but only the affected knows about the affliction,” said Prasad solicitously.

‘Yet I’m sure you won’t part with a paisa ever more than needed, that is even for curing your ailment, whatever it is,” said Sathyam, serving himself another large.

‘But for a late starter, you seem to have covered a lot of ground,” said Prasad playing up to Sathyam’s ego,

‘It all boils down to capacity, my old boy, well, I can stand even on a bottle,” said Sathyam proudly.

‘Because my sister is able to put up with you, what do