Hansi & Ramya – Mothers, Lovers
Hansi was sweeping the garden with an ekel broom when a Defender drove up and stopped next to her. Hansi’s mother was watching from the kitchen window. Hansi smiled, accepted a package from the driver of the Defender and came back into the house. Hansi left the package in her room and went back to the garden. Hansi’s little boy Suvin was running around the back, playing with his toy cars and his compittu. He was just 5 years and was growing up looked after by his mother and grandmother.
Hansi walked into her room, opened the package and took out the Midnight Divas lingerie that was a gift from Rohan. Rohan was a regular. Someone who enjoyed Hansi’s company but not in public as he was not comfortable with people seeing him with her.
Ramya was sweeping the ground floor of her split level house. The floor was in cut cement and there were couches and a divan with a widescreen TV mounted on the wall. The boys were out today and so was Harin. She could enjoy some peace and quiet for once but first she decided to clean up the place.
As she was dusting the table she noticed the picture of her eldest Anshu on her wedding day. Anshu was a taller prettier version of Ramya. She was fair like her father who never knew his daughter. By choice. Ramya remembered how she had to work hard to make ends meet when bringing up Anshu. Her mother berated her regularly and finally Ramya met Harin and he agreed to marry her and take Anshu in as his own. So Anshu changed her name to Cooray so that no one would know that she was someone else’s child.
Ramya remembered her friends who stood by her as a single mother – they were a precious few. Most would avoid or whisper behind her back. Now she was finally Mrs. Cooray and no one could say anything coz she was married. She dutifully produced two children for Harin because that was his condition for marrying her with a child out of wedlock.
Anshu was sent overseas to study on Harin’s earnings. It helped that he was a diligent corporate dog with family wealth. She was now married to a devout Christian of one of the evangelical churches that had sprouted up in Colombo in the past decade. Anshu spent her time dutifully in church work and gave regular testimony as to how she and her mother were saved by God’s (or Harin’s ) grace.
Hansi lit a lamp to the Buddha statue in the hall. It had been her father’s which he had brought back from a visit to Thailand. It was one of the few things of his that were remaining. With a dull bronze sheen it was not ostentatious. She dutifully stood in front and whispered a few fervent words to the statue before heading to the kitchen to make Suvin’s dinner. Hansi knew Rohan would be coming tomorrow to take her out for the weekend so today she made something special for Suvin – pasta with cheese and some boiled vegetables. Hansi grew up on rice and curry. But she, like many others who come to Colombo, had started trying out more western fare. She liked the pasta and the cheese and she knew it was nutritious enough for her baby.
Hansi fed Suvin, spent some time playing with him and then put him to bed.
She headed to her room and dressed up in a few clothes she thought would satisfy Rohan for tomorrow. She tried on a yellow polka dotted dress with a red belt and red heels. She then pulled out a sun hat as he had said they would head to Hikkaduwa for the weekend. She tried on a bikini she had got previously – it was blue and white and complemented her fair skin. She packed her bags, arranged everything for the next day and went to say goodnight to her mother.
“Amma, heta I am going out ok? For the weekend. Remember I told you? Look after baba ok?”
“I will be back on Sunday”
“Hari Putha” her mother said. Go carefully she said.
Ramya was planning on meeting her friends for cards this weekend. It was going to be a poker weekend at Devin’s holiday home in Bolgoda. The gang usually met up without their spouses and more often than not, the nights ended up in strip poker and skinny dipping in the pool. Of course these facts was not conveyed to the spouses because certain things are best left unsaid. Anyway Ramya and Harin were not exactly the most compatible. Ramya was grateful for what he did for her and Harin was happy to have a beautiful wife on his arm. Yet their relationship had gone in two separate directions since the children were young. Now it was purely functional. Harin did his own thing and Ramya did hers. They barely had a physical relationship except on days when Harin demanded that Ramya satisfy some of his more kinky fantasies. But these were also getting rarer. Ramya wondered if Harin had someone. Not that she really cared. Her children were now grown up. She had her own money and if required she could live on her own. So Harin no longer served the purpose of being the provider.
“Harriin” she called that evening from their upstairs room.
“I am heading out this weekend ah. Sumana will come and cook for you’ll. I’ll be back on Sunday night”
“Ok Ram” he replied. Harin was reading the newspapers in his arm chair and barely looked up when Ramya called him. Her card weekends were normal for him. Nothing new.
Ramya packed her Coach carry bag with her toiletries, black dress, black Dior swimsuit and her beach wrap. She also included some sexy lingerie in case the night panned into something more exciting. Devin was after all, quite the silent assassin and not just with the cards. She smiled and packed in her flip flops and zipped up the bag.
The next day Hansi got up, said goodbye to Suvin and her mother and went back into her room. She dressed in her yellow polka dot dress with the red belt and red sandals. She wore her sunglasses and went out just as Rohan drove up. She put her bag in the back and sat in front next to him. The Defender had tinted glass which meant they were safe from the prying eyes of the people. Rohan leaned over and slipped his hand down Hansi’s chest and gently squeezed. She smiled and stroked his thigh in return. He revved the engine and they drove off to Hikkaduwa for their weekend getaway.
Ramya was late. She was rushing around on Saturday morning organizing the food she had arranged for the drive – asparagus sandwiches and chicken bouchees. Devin was going to pick her along with Tash and Bri. They were going with a driver so they planned on eating and having a drink en route. Ramya grabbed the Merlot from the wine cooler and put in the Chardonnay into the bag which had the food. She then quickly went to the basement to say bye to the boys.
Haresh and Sanka were both engrossed in a video game but Ramya flapped her arms at them and said goodbye and gave each a kiss which they both squeemed at. Haresh had just turned 22 and Sanka was 20. Haresh had finished uni and was now job hunting. Sanka was in between Semesters.
Ramya said bye to Harin and ran outside to Devin’s SUV. Gunapala, Harin’s driver, brought her bag to the vehicle and she quickly put it in the back and jumped into the back seat next to Devin. Tash and Bri were seated at the back on the jumper seats. After loud greetings and much laughter, they set off.
Devin pulled a bottle of Chandon and popped it open while passing around the champagne glasses. They were all in high spirits and were chattering as he poured the drink and they all toasted to themselves and continued the journey. Midway Devin leaned over Ramya to take something from the side and he gently squeezed her thigh. She pretended not to notice but did not move his hand way either. After a point they went back to eating the sandwiches, bouchees and drinking.
When they reached Hikkaduwa, Rohan and Hansi looked out for the private villa Rohan had booked. It would be their home for the weekend. They drove down a narrow lane and finally drove into the last house on the road which led to a full white beach house with glass doors. The place was beautiful – there were plants and an indoor swimming pool with double doors that opened onto a deck which extended to the beach.
Rohan was a man of habit. He was also straightforward with Hansi. He was into good sex but not weird kinks. Hansi was grateful because it meant that she could enjoy herself too. Some escorts were weird and creepy. But on desperate days, Hansi would oblige.
This would be a pleasant weekend. She and Rohan went to their room – the Villa Suite on the 3rd floor. It overlooked the pool and the beach and had bay windows and a Jacuzzi.
“I hope you like this place” Rohan said. “I wanted somewhere that would be private but also beautiful. I know you love the beach”.
“Yes aney, it is harima beautiful” said Hansi with a genuine smile. She walked over to Rohan and gave him a kiss and went to change into her bikini.
Ramya, Devin, Tash and Bri walked into the Bolgoda house and each flopped on the couch and beanies that were strewn across the floor. The place was a beautiful white with colourful fittings and furniture. It was like a tribute to Barefoot handlooms. The colours were vibrant and the place smelled of cinnamon.
The driver brought their bags inside and Devin directed him to leave them in the separate rooms. Tash and Bri wanted to share the ground floor room so Devin and Ramya would be upstairs. Their doors faced each other which suited them both fine.
After settling into their rooms they had lunch and immediately proceeded to play cards. The usual spot was downstairs where there was a separate card table with all the required packs and score sheets inside the drawer. The table had a green felt with brass edgings and had belonged to Devin’s grandfather. It was now his – the only male heir – to use as he pleased.
Devin and Ramya sat opposite each other and after a few hours, as the evening was dawning and the sun was setting, she felt Devin’s foot brush against her own. Ramya was concentrating and counting her points when she felt this .They both knew what the night would behold but neither said anything. Tash and Bri were a little drunk by this point and kept throwing things at each other across the table. After a point Devin hissed at them when his prized Glenmorangie swizzle stick went sailing across, leaving an arc of alcohol across the felt table.
This was the cue for everyone to go get into their swimsuits for a pre dinner swim and drink. The pool was outside with a deck running around and a pool bar overlooking the shallow end. There were little spot lights that were lit inside the pool which made it look like a fairyland. There were submerged stools by the bar which suited them fine as they harassed poor Saman the handy boy who was good at whipping up Margaritas and Sangria.
After a few hours they all went to change for dinner. The ladies wore one piece black dresses with their finest heels and the men wore shirts and slacks. The dinner was served outside on the beach – lobster, scampi and crabs – a seafood feast. Dessert was a delectable Arrack biscuit pudding that Tash had whipped up. She used Ceylon Arrack because she felt it was smooth and suited the pudding.
At around 10pm they headed back for another round of Poker. This time Devin held Ramya back as Tash and Bri moved inside. He started kissing Ramya who initially hesitated but soon responded. Devin gave a little smile and said,
“Tonight”. And Ramya nodded and walked behind him back inside the house.
