The seven year itch

I was bored. The TV was showing an old action movie Bad day at Blackrock with Spencer Tracy I liked the role of one handed stranger who was on a visit to a town that had a shady past and prone to violence if necessary to keep its past a secret. I love seeing the classic Westerns of the old. Then I watched the recorded Tennis match between Rafa and Djokovic at French Open. I was hungry but had no mind to cook. I ordered some Chinese food from Wang’s with instruction that it be delivered within 30 minutes.

It was then the phone rang. I took the extension line by the side of sofa

“Hello” I said when there was silence from the other side

“Hello.Sundar there?”That was a young woman’s voice with a convent accent.

“Yes, Sundar here. Who is it?”

“I am sorry. You don’t seem to be the Sundar I rang for.”

“How do you know?”

“His voice is youngish with a life in it”

“I am also young and not old as you seem to suggest”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean that way. He is 28 and a singer with an arresting voice”

“It is alright.I am Sundar Kumar though I cannot sing like your friend. You did not tell me who you are.”

“Ratna Pandey, Your voice is also good. I like the mix of husky and baritone in yours”

“Thank you,Ratna, not as sweet as yours. I am a bit unlucky I am not the Sundar you are looking for. What do you do for living?”

“I am a software engineer. Why unlucky? We have come to know each other now though by chance”

“One second. Let me switch on the AC.It is very hot here and sultry too”

“Yes Chennai is miserable unlike this place. I visit my parents once a month at least and will be there the next weekend”

“You must be in Bangalore”

“How did you know?”

"Where else these software engineers swarm to? Hahaha”

“Why the contempt for soft ware engineers I see in your laugh?”

“Far from it. I am also in IT with TCS”

“Same pinch. We are in same company.Then we can meet at our office when I come next”

“With pleasure. Are you single staying alone at Bangalore?”

“Yes. How about you?”

“Single for a few months though. My wife has gone to her parent’s place at Trichy”

“Oh, oh.married eh…It does not matter anyway. I have noted your number and will stay in touch’

“What is your number? We must meet over dinner this weekend”

“Sure. Will give the number when we meet. By the way congrats”

“Whatever for?”

“I surmise you are becoming a father in a few months”

“Okay. Here is my cell number. You can ring me there any time”
“Yes, that is the intention. Will smother you with phone calls.hehe, bye”

“Wow!Would love to be. Are you in a hurry? If you were in Chennai, we would have met right away”

I heard the abrupt click of phone being put down on the other end. I wondered why she disconnected. I went to the base phone on the other side of the hall to note down her number. I was shocked to see a Trichy number and remembered it was that of my wife’s sister with whom my wife was staying presently..