Mimosa with Samosa, Shekhar (Part-2)

"I wanted to talk to you"
"I am listening Shekhar. How is Vani?"
"You don't understand. I need to talk"
"About what? You are a married man Shekhar. You have to talk to your wife now Not to your mother!"
"It is about my wife"
"Then your wife should know it more than me. You do understand that I can't play mediator between you guys now. Right?"
"I am not asking you to. I just want you to listen"
"Oh Shekhar, what did you do?"
"I didn't"
"Then what happened? You guys need money? I do hear about the Indian families that have lost almost everything in US. This subprime crisis has messed up everyone's lives. Bushes have always brought recessions in your country"
"Amma, slow down. Listen to me"
"Sorry Shekhar, what is it? Know that your dad and I will be you guys no matter what"
"It's about Vani"
"She is sick?"
"No, she did something that I didn't expect her to do"
"What? Stop talking in riddles and tell me what happened"
"I don't know how to tell you"
"Shekhar, I am your mother. Trust me"
"Vani cheated me"
"Hmm"
"She did. She is drawn to another man"
"Who told you?"
"No one. I know"
"How?"
"I saw her emails. Listen, I don't want to give you all those details"
"I don't want to hear about them either. Where did she meet him?"
"I don't know if they have met"
"How do you know she cheated then?"
"Emails amma! I have read messages between him and her"
"Shekhar, I don't understand. What would be harmless flirting between two people cannot be cheating. Cheating is when she had sex with him"
"This is cheating too"
"Was she just flirting with him?"
"Hmm"
"Shekhar, can I tell you something?"
"Yeah"
"When a woman reached middle age, she needs attention. Usually husbands fail to give them that attention. In our cases, we had brother-in-laws, or co-workers to flirt with when we were bored and bring back fun in life. These days the women marry boys with almost no immediate family. Even if they do, they meet once in a while, and they don't develop a healthy relation to flirt safely. Also, all your days go in the three walls of a cubicle and your only gateway to life is internet. It was bound to happen"
"Amma, you are reading too much about second life. It doesn't work that way"
"Tell me Shekhar, how does it work?"
"I live the same life as her, and I never felt the need to look for someone to flirt with you"
"Shekhar, each person is built differently, and behave differently"
"Are you telling me that I should just move on?"
"For now, that's the best decision you can make, for your sake, and Ruchi's"
"And react only if she has a physical affair"
"Yes. Give her some space, and she will be tired of the excitement of the newfound middle-aged attention"
"Amma.."
"Shekhar, like I told you before, you are not at an age where you come to your mother asking for solution. No matter how progressive your mother is, there are certain limits on what you can share with her. I trust you to keep this within the boundaries of your relation with Vani, and don't talk to anyone else about it"
"Amma.. did you ever feel the need?"
"Shekhar, you are my son"
"It would only help me"
"You always asked me why Sheila aunty always mentioned that I was a lucky woman to have someone like your dad in my life, and looked at him longingly like he was her lover?"
"Yeah"
"You wondered why bhabhi flirts with you like you were her lover in college, and made you stuff that you liked, invited you over again and again?"
"Yeah?"
"There is your answer"
"There was not my answer. There were more questions. Am I the only one who didn't feel the need to flirt with someone else jsut because I am of a certain age? It's not like Vani showers me with all the attention I need"
"What can I say Shekhar? May be your heart is content with what you have"
"I want to leave Vani"
"Don't. You will hurt yourself more than you hurt her"
"I will sleep peacefully at night"
"Trust me, you won't. You love her too much to be happy without her. Think of Ruchi. She loves you more than her own mother"
"Ruchi will live with me"
"Shekhar, girls need their mothers at this phase of life more than their fathers. She needs both of you to shape her future"
"What about me? I don't have any future?"
"What future Shekhar? If you leave Vani now, you will probably marry someone I choose the next yer, probably someone who comes from a borken marriage or a shattered past. At your age, no one with the rose tinted glasses will see you as their future. Or you will end up taking a mistress, or a visiting a hooker who will be after your money, and not you. Ruchi will find love of her life and love on, while you, like a cripple will sit licking your wounds, wondering if you made a mistake. Stay with Vani. Just don't bring it up unless she does. Trust me, you are happier that way"

I turn off my phone and go home, trying to think of ways to make myself comfortable around Vani.