Short Story: Mostaq Shakil

They met on facebook, usual initial intro, humors, chat day after days in day and evening whenever Sunita could squeeze time from her busy family and work life. Ron works in a consulting firm that deals with New Business Setup, so he is always up and running online. From facebook to bedroom- Ron is sitting at her apartment today. Sunita ponders, this- she could never imagined in her life- a magician will show up in the life – coming from cloud. Ron often calls himself the King of cloud- that is because she met Sunita via online, and these days the buzz word in discussion is cloud. There is a minor worry that this cloud may bring darkness but when the dreams fly- perhaps such a king can fulfill the dream of a mid-aged life that many of Sunita’s friends fantasize.

Sunita never did this before, she is a serious woman in her 35s, works part time analyst at Bank of Canada in Vancouver BC. Her husband, Naveen in his 40s- a hardworking and family loving man who is worried about everything in the world. He possesses a good life but won’t respite the life within, he would be disturbed often with everything happening around the world, economy, future and the sadness he shares with Sunita- no child yet. Each and every day pass by, Naveen seems running his life in a tighter routine.

Naveen went to Toronto for a seminar for next three days. The apartment complex where Sunita and Naveen lives are quite a posh area and usually safe. Sunita feels bore to live alone in the apartment when Naveen has to travel, usually they would bring Naveen’s sister, Ann to stay with Sunita but this time Ann is visiting her parents in Calgary- so Sunita stayed by herself. And that’s where the intimation with Ron began.

Ron is a middle aged man, immensely successful yet humbled. The part that Sunita likes most about Ron is spontaneous and possesses a witty sense of humor. The feeling of being around him- it is hard to guess what he is going to do next but whatever he does is not going to be bad. He is running 45 but still looks ten years younger, sharp looking and well built. He has a daughter studying in a private school in Montreal, his wife Susan is a homemaker- picture perfect family they have. Ron is the first man ever reads and writes poems for her. It was like a dream from her childhood to have someone write a poem for her. But the dream remained dream.

When Ron met Sunita online, after few chat, he found himself like the old days, all the curiosity exchange with a smart and beautiful woman that felt real despite all the bar and limitation of both of their families and life. His marriage with Susan was practically over many years ago, it wired out so slowly that both Susan and Ron didn’t realize it. But neither of them took a path of change for their daughter Mina. Ron and Susan lived together like roommate for years. Ron thought about changing it every day but such thing was never just up to him. Time, effort and most importantly, a partner was not just at the right time at the right place.

Sunita planned to cook dinner for Ron. She has been feeling strange in her own apartment. Where she cooks often, it felt strange to cook for Ron at the usual place, the flash of Naveen just contradicts her. Sunita accepts the contradiction when she thinks about how rejuvenating the physical part was just an hour ago, something she does not remember when was the last time she felt this way, sleeping with a poet, she smiles softly with her cheek gets reddish-

‘do you want to hear something, just came in mind’ Ron whispers to her ear

‘what is it?’

‘I shall bring you a night when stars from the sky be like white flowers surrounding you, shall bring you dream that will take away all sadness in life’

‘don’t stop, what next’

‘all you have to do is utter the word- if you do, I shall bring you an afternoon when you can float on the water, shall bring you an evening where wind will follow your hair’

‘feels like you just made it for me, impressive’ Sunita feels highly worth

‘bring you a morning, when birds will sing on your ear, bring you an afternoon when sun will keep looking at you’

‘ stop now, I can’t absorb these much, keep something for dinner’ Sunita smiles

‘and after dinner’ Ron smiles back

Ron brings Sunita closer, ‘where have you been all these time?’

Sunita completed her BBA from University of Vancouver almost five years ago. She was ambitious and was going for banking career but her marriage with Naveen happened rather quicker than she expected. Naveen’s mother got seriously sick and she wanted to see her son wedding as her dying wish, this rushed the wedding date. Sunita was happy to be married with Naveen but also was awry of the timing and her intuition had to fight inside to win her agreement. After their marriage Naveen’s mother survived but took a lot of time that Naveen, the only child of parents, was devastated. Sunita thought she needed to support Naveen that time and didn’t make a move to get a full time job. Months and a year passed and then she kind of have had her career drive slowed down, she felt comfortable with her life and Naveen wanted her to stay at part-time job. Sunita looked back and sometimes the desire of career not being where she is makes her melancholic. Seeing Ron being a successful professional, makes Sunita to rethink about a career and she wish she had the freedom and choice to go back five years ago. Part of the reason Sunita got into the facebook is having the time to play with it, eventually it become like a ghost in her life, she could not live without it.

Sunita has lot to say about Naveen, she does not want to share these with anyone. She has strong ego but she kept them successfully hidden that most people won’t be able to notice. She is usually reserved but inside of her mind is like a speedy waterfall in a mountain, the desires are jumpy and she keeps herself busy in various thing, useful or useless, just does not want the volcano to erupt.

The biggest issue she has with Naveen that she feels Naveen has become like a cold fish in last couple of years. Passions dried out, it almost feels like he is living a life like a routine. Sunita brought this few times with Naveen but it upsets him badly, he felt very offended by hearing such mindset arguments from Sunita. His logic is he is working hard for their future, instead of appreciating, he is getting blame being cold etc. Sunita knows how some of her friends deal with such physical coldness from their husband or boyfriends. Cheating starts from heart bumping and then goes up step by step to sheerness.

The night was cloudy and rainy but both of them hardly noticed the weather. It was the first time they were spending the night together, relaxed and pressure free. Yes there were anxiety about Susan and Naveen respectively but both have justified that already before taking this step. Sunita was initially feeling more subtle, but responded well soon after. This is not the first time they are physically intimate but was the first when they didn’t have to get intimate on a clock. Ron amazes Sunita with his focus on her and attention to her details while Sunita opens her in a way she never did before. Ron’s philosophy is whatever he does, he wants to do his best, and needless to say on bed tonight, that makes it very exciting for Sunita.The more Ron sees Sunita closely the more he gets surprises. Sunita talks less on bed but responds heavily with passions on every touch, and lively in her creative acts, deep breaths like the whistles of hot air blows and the special part is her eye movements when Ron is on her, so deep and so sensitive in expressing those beautiful deer eyes- how can I not fall in love with this woman- Ron often ask himself this way.

This is the first time Ron is at the apartment of Sunita. He pays attention to the details – the big size living room interior is classy, organized and clean. The bedroom decoration is matching color and taste, curtains are huge and custom made, both bedroom has balcony attached to it. The living room walls have dialect oil painting along with couple of water color paints. Beautiful bohemian flower base on both bedrooms as well as living room matching design but different shades of flowers are attached with. Sunita definitely got the taste- this thinking makes Ron feel good and justify one more time about hooking up with Sunita. Main bedroom has a broad sky view- both from the room and the balcony- on a clear night how romantic it would be to look at the stars together. Ron visualizes- holding Sunita tight under a white bed sheet that can keep them warm – bring their four eyes as close as possible and count the stars from the bed. Ron calls it star game, this is his favorite game that he use to play at the younger age… On the way out Ron glances at the kitchen, Sunita was making coffee, her hair now were tied with single band, in pony tails she looks so different

To be continued….