Infidelity
Complications always come hand in hand. First it had been the maid decamping, leaving behind a month’s salary and an empty jewellery box which had contained, among other valuables, Sia’s diamond engagement ring. Then the dog had died, leaving her twelve year old disconsolate. And to top everything, her husband was suspecting her of having an affair. Roy had not directly confronted her but she had recognized the signs; purposely remaining in the same room when she got a phone call, calling her up from work at odd hours of the day to check up on her whereabouts and many other things he had never done earlier in their fourteen years of marriage.
* * * * * * * *
Roy and Sia had got married when she was barely nineteen years old. It had been an arranged match, the coming together of two business families and a much needed merger of two companies. Sia had been doing a course in fashion designing and had wanted to be a model. But her ambitions had been crushed when she had become a mother soon after her graduation. Roy, six years her senior, had joined his father’s thriving business sometime before the wedding. Sia’s life revolved around kitty parties, shopping sprees, PTA meetings and parties. She was a regular on the socialite circuit and was often snapped by the paparazzi at high profile parties. Her husband usually attended these parties with her but their worlds were completely apart. Roy was more interested in business networking while Sia flirted with the celebrities and bitched about other society women. Bored with her marital life soon after the birth of their son, she had had a string of affairs, none of them long lasting. For these escapades, she had chosen her partners very carefully. Almost all were such who had a lot to lose if the affair ever became public, thus ensuring that her extramarital flings remained under wraps. She loved the privileges that being Roy’s wife granted her and wouldn’t have given it up for the world, not even after meeting her true soul mate.
Sia hadn’t known that love could make her, a thirty plus year old woman, feel like a foolish teenager. Three years had gone by since they had gotten together yet everyday it seemed as if love was blooming anew. The clandestine meets, hours spent in a darkened bedroom under the guise of going shopping with a girlfriend and the long phone calls made on a cell phone connection her husband had no idea about; these were just some of the things that made Sia look forward to each new day. Things had been smooth until one day she had gotten careless and Roy had overheard her talking to her lover on the landline. Fortunately he had not heard enough to confirm the story but he had grown vigilant after the episode.
“Sia” he had said one evening when they were at home, “why don’t you open a boutique? It will keep you busy and you will also be able to put your degree to good use. No, hear me out first.” He had put up his hand to silence the protests that were forming on her lips. “You know Nita, right? She is looking for a job and would prefer to work for a woman. She can help you with setting up business and be a wonderful assistant, maybe even a partner. Think about it.” Nita was Roy’s ex secretary who had left the firm after getting married to one of the executives. Well aware that Roy trusted Nita implicitly, Sia had realized this scheme was nothing more than a ploy to keep a watch on her. She had tried to convince her husband otherwise but had ultimately agreed to Roy’s so-called suggestion.
* * * * * * * *
“Ding” went the doorbell. It was Nita, coming for the ‘job interview’ as arranged by Roy. The new maid escorted the guest to the study and left. “Hey Sia”, Nita greeted her, smiling wide. “Hey, guess what Nita, you are hired. Won’t Roy be happy?” The two ladies laughed mischievously. The door slowly swung shut behind them as Sia pulled Nita into a tight embrace and the two lovers kissed each other passionately.
