A Blank Surprise

“Oh, finally I got a day for me!” she jumped out of ecstasy after locking the front door of her apartment.  Through the window, she watched her car crossing the apartment gate and slowly disappearing into the crowd.  She whistled happily.  “Oh, I can still whistle like boys!” She wondered.  Jasmines and roses smiled from her balcony.  Doves from the sunshade turned their heads and stared at her.

“Hey, till night, it’s my world today” she screamed.  She closed all windows and the balcony door.  “It’s my day of freedom” she threw her night gown and stood in front of the mirror.  “Wow! I am still pretty and sexy” looking at her semi-nude body, she murmured.  Of course, she was too fair and lovely. 

Her husband’s mood was spoiled early in the morning when he read about the death of a minister.  “Why can’t these people die on a Sunday? I hate holidays” his desperate sound banged on her ears when she was busy sending her daughter to the school.  Her daughter suddenly clapped and screamed – “Wow, a holiday”. 

“Why doesn’t papa like holidays, Mom?” asked her daughter.  She replied with a silent smile – “You relax today”.  She knew obviously that he would be missing his most wanted secretary today.  His beautiful secretary had only one criterion in life – ‘Do damn and remain rich’.  She was the most sought secretary in the business circle and her husband could manage keeping her in his payroll with lots of favours for a long time. 

“So, my time starts now” looking at the clock, she said.  She still wondered how her husband decided to take her daughter for a day-out without her.  He never appreciated anyone for anything other than his secretary.  To him, his wife remained as a useless caretaker!

She lay lavishly in her bed looking at the nude wall-painting.  Her eyes got stuck in the beautiful curves of the lady in the painting.  Unknowingly, her fingers rode on her own body.  “It’s OK but not too appreciative.  I must start aerobics” she whispered to her body. 

She switched on the air conditioner and adjusted the room temperature to 16 degrees.  “Let my hot body chill out today” she laughed.  She crazily hugged the pillow and hid her face.  “Let the lady in the wall-painting not see my crazy face” she silently said.  She covered her body with a soft quilt.  “No work, no cooking, no cleaning, no washing and no need of asking anyone who needs what, wow!” she laughed louder inside the quilt.  “Hey quilt, do you feel for me?” teasing the quilt, she kept laughing louder and louder. 

She could not recollect when she had enjoyed such freedom at home after marriage.  Always, she remained busy for all.  Initially, she had to take care of her in-laws.  She had to resign after her daughter’s birth.  She worked at a few colleges before she quit her last one.  Except her, others in the family found reasons for her resignations. 

She was a woman with strong willpower.  She knew how to handle the family and friends.  She never got defeated by other’s emotional attacks.  Though, he never gave her a special place in his life, she knew well how to go along practically and realistically, but never at the cost of her self respect.  Yes, she was a woman of elegance and strength.  And, today, may be after a decade, she is enjoying her freedom simply and lavishly.  Without her knowledge, she fell in deep sleep.  Her rosy lips still carried her sweet smile, may be, sweetest dreams began flying in her heart!

“Tak... Tak... Tak...” She awoke from her deep sleep.  “Have they come back? So soon?” at once, she got up, wore her gown and rushed to the front door.  “It’s not even dusk!” she grumbled.

“There is a letter for you.  Sorry, my son collected it yesterday from postman but forgot to give you” the neighbour lady, with a sorry face, handed over the letter to her.  “It’s OK, thank you” she said.  “Sorry if I disturbed your sleep” the lady stared at her eyes and said.  “No... No... No... Thanks that you awoke me before my husband and daughter reach home” she smiled artificially.

“Who is there to send me an inland letter?” she wondered.  “Whole the day, all are busy in FB, Whatsapp and what not? A letter like this is really a surprise!” she said to herself and curiously looked at the address.  “Oh, the address is not full.  No pin number, even” She immediately turned it back to check the sender.  “No from address! Who is this?” she wondered.

Her curiosity grew up.  She opened the inland letter carefully.  “What? A blank letter?”  Shockingly, she stared at the letter.  “Will it be a prank by any close friend or from any jealous one from the neighbourhood?  Anyway, it’s not April that someone can make me an April Fool!” fully confused, she sat on the sofa.

“My life was colourful though the mind was blank for a long” her thoughts traveled through her Past.  “What does this blank letter mean?” she curiously looked at the inland letter which had just her address.  She opened the balcony door and sat on the garden chair.  Doves flew away.  Jasmines and roses seemed to be happy of her presence and kept smiling sweetly.  She looked at the address again and again, the only proof of the sender.  Unfortunately, the sender post office’s seal was not legible.

Her body vibrated, lips shivered and eyes twinkled.  “Your handwriting is just horrible” she screamed unknowingly.  Shockingly, she got up.  The inland letter shivered in her hand.  “Years ago, often I uttered this” she stood nervous.

The shabby handwriting pushed her to her Past.  “Yes, it’s he.  It’s he!” she whispered.  “The best person with the worst handwriting in my life” Her eyes burst into tears.  Tears rolled down her chubby cheeks.  She could hear her heart beats vividly.  She kept the letter close to her heart and wept.  She could not control herself.  “He still remembers me!” she sobbed happily.  The jasmines patted her as if trying to soothe her with their soft petals. 

She rushed to her bedroom.  She threw her gown away and stood in front of the nude lady in the wall-painting and screamed – “Hey, look at this blank surprise.  It proves my worth, don’t be jealous” she jumped on the bed and danced semi-nude.  She rushed to the kitchen, opened the shelf and took out a bottle of vodka. 

“Cheers to me” looking at the lady on the wall, she screamed delightedly and finished half the glass vodka at one go.  A few vodka drops dripped from her rosy lips down to her breasts.  Her enticing eyes shimmered like stars.  Her sizzling fair body turned into red like an apple garden.  With each sip of vodka, she kissed the blank letter passionately - “You are like me, seemed to be blank but .................” her voice echoed in the bedroom. 

“I have a few more hours of total freedom” looking at the wall clock, she said to the blank letter.  “A blank surprise to my blank life, I am precious.  May the soul of the minister rest in peace” she happily hugged the vodka bottle and kissed her ‘blank surprise’!!!

MURALY TV

21 DEC 2019