Page 65 of That Same Old Love

“Dirty. We want all the dirty details! So spill,” insisted Jhanvi.

“Ohh okay… on the scale from one to ten, he was a hundred! He can bring the dead back to life with that tongue of his and he sure as hell brought back my libido,” said Mahi, and then told them a slightly cleaner version of last three weeks trying to keepmost of it PG 13, and also leaving out the messy emotional toil she felt right now.

Everyone was silent.

Parvathi fanned herself. “Whoo. It’s getting hot in here.”

“Why didn’t you reply to our messages?” demanded Ashwini.

“Helloo, I was busy. Short of shooting a tranquilizer in Samrat’s ass, there was no way I had a free moment in the past three weeks. We both were like the energizer bunnies, going at it all the time,” Mahi grinned.

Jhanvi sighed. “Oh the honeymoon phase. I miss those days.”

“What the hell, Jhanvi? Srinu is always chasing you with his tongue hanging out and grabbing you all the time,” remarked Parvathi.

“Well. I meant the honeymoon days whenIhad the same energy and drive to be able to do itoftenin a spontaneous way. I love my kid, but I could use some alone time without having to keep my ears cocked just in case he called out or needed me while I’m in bed with my hubby. We just have a day here and there, when we are truly alone,” said Jhanvi.

“That’s why couples need to take a few work-from-home options on same days on school days. Hubby calls them booty call days,” said Ashwini, wiggling her eyebrows.

Everyone laughed.

“But Mahi. Are you sure you want to keep it casual? What if he falls in love with you or you fall for him, and one of you wants to take it to the next step?” asked Parvathi.

“Luckily both of us want the same thing; an uncomplicated relationship not leading to marriage or babies. We have both been there and done that. I don’t want it for sure and he told me that he feels the same way. And in these past three weeks we have gotten close as friends too and shared some personal things about each other,” Mahi told them.

Smitha gave her a knowing look.

Mahi felt a little uncomfortable as she remembered Smitha’s warning that for women, it was more difficult to keep a relationship a purely physical one, and not want to bond with their partner or want more.

Just then they heard someone open the door.

“Honey… I’m home,” a very tall man announced with a big grin. His shoes were pretty muddy and he was holding a bag with golf sticks poking out.

Srinu saw all the women in the living room and his grin got wider. “Hello ladies… I didn’t know you hens haven’t stopped clucking yet. Am I interrupting? Still not done gossiping about your husbands and your dirty little secrets yet?”

“Srinuu… ” Jhanvi warned him and then she saw the mud. “Get out of the house. You are getting mud all over my clean floors. Wash off in the yard with a hose first,” she shrieked.

He went out laughing.

“Wait. You tell him everything?” Mahi asked Jhanvi in surprise.

“Yeah, almost everything. Part of the deal we made when we got married. No secrets and some such crap,” Jhanvi told her sheepishly.

Mahi looked at everyone. “You all do?” she asked.

They all nodded.

“Sometimes my hubby begs me to keep my secrets and gossip to myself. But he’s the only non-girly outlet I have. And believe me men can gossip more,” grinned Ashwini.

Soon, Srinivas came back in and saw Mahi. He smiled and came over to greet her properly.

Mahi hugged him. “It’s been so long. You look the same, Srinu.”

He smiled. “You too, Mahi.”

“Why won’t he? With all the golf, cricket, volleyball and tennis games he plays in his spare time with his boys’ gang,” Jhanvi told Mahi sarcastically.

“Hey, you let me do those a couple of hours each weekend and I let you have your alone time,” Srinu told Jhanvi, kissing her cheek affectionately. “Oh by the way Arjun asked me if he could stay for thirty more minutes and I said he could.”

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