Editorial

Short Story- Love, Lust and Longings (part 2 contd.)

Two: Through the lens now, in the print

It was 1:30 p.m. Suman now felt like princess Xena as if she had the entire burden of the world upon her shoulders and the news agency needed her as a saviour. The final proof of today was yet to be seen, the latest news on murder, mystery and psychedelic Mumbai was overshadowed by some other news that needed extra footage: it was a column on some page 3 celebrity going to the Maldives with her ex-boyfriend, as the husband kept on rolling on the carpet in utter distress, as many media houses reported. Working as a journalist is the shittiest thing in the world, Suman felt adamant for a moment, with rubbish news getting piled up every moment. It is your editor’s choice, you are not supposed to think, as thinking women might be a threat to their idiotic balls. Suman was flabbergasted at her boss, Rayan, but she was not in a position to leave the job either. Mom was bedridden with Leukaemia and Suman needed brains to earn money.

“And how long is this going to last?” Afroz came out of the bathroom, threw the rusty-red towel on the sofa. He smelt of a wild country aftershave, Suman got distracted now and felt numb and high at the same time, as she looked at his bare, sculpted body. Few droplets of water still clung on to his compact lips. Was she dreaming, or was this god-gifted love of hers was really standing in front of her?

“I am feeling ummmm…” Afroz wanted to snuggle into her now, as he started to unleash the demon within him. Suman’s proofreading was now almost over, she gave a final look to the copy of the news to be printed, gently embraced Afroz, and switched off her laptop. The blue night lamp was almost dimmed to its bare minimum, as Afroz dragged her on to the Kashmiri floor carpet lying just beneath her bed. Suman could feel her bosom heaving with excitement now, as she wanted to forget the hectic schedule of the newspaper reporting. Afroz was impatient now, the cologne smelled more exquisite, as his bristly, unshaven face slithered down Suman’s pantyline, deeper, deeper again, navigating the finest unkempt trails that made Afroz mad with passion and speed.

“Ahh dear, slow down, please I beg, slower, yes, lighter…ummm…” Suman was now on the doors of the seventh heaven, reclining at the monk’s position while the beast was still upon her, bending and twisting his mast inside her to steer the dreamboat to its destination. Afroz was still unfathomable, the man from another space perhaps, the new chap in her office, who was 35, 6 years younger to her, and yet an uncannily attractive suave young man- Afroz, who could think out of the box, just like her, the man with a golden heart, and a reservoir of excess fiery energy. Suman felt relieved in his strong, muscular arms; yes, she did not even think of that ultra-Feminism and the pseudo-Feminist ventures when it was about giving herself beneath his entire weight. He was this high-dose of potency, an aphrodisiac that charged her senses and thoughts.

After three long series of war, now the warrior princess now felt exhausted. She needed sleep; she needed Afroz more than anything else in the world now. But just then, the lingering thought of starting the new news agency came up to her mind:

“Afroz, can we plan a new news agency now? We can have a set up in a rented office and arrange for some interns accordingly. How’s the idea?” Suman placed her chin on his bushy chest and waited for his approval.

“What is new in that? Plus where would you get the money? And I am not going to stay in Mumbai forever.” Afroz sounded a bit misty, his words fell with an acidic impulse on her and Suman felt tempted to draw him closer to make him understand.

“We can start from here. We can go on with this live-in series, but with a news agency, we shall have better economic stability. We will bring mom here, in our home. You, me and mom. Won’t our world look more beautiful then?” Suman dreamt.

“For a change, can you please stop thinking about such weird ventures? Tomorrow we both have an office duty, and let me hold you tight now, and sleep.” Afroz switched off the blue night lamp. The last vestige of the wild smell of the cologne now made the room stuffy; Suman closed her eyes-in helplessness.

TO be continued

Sreetanwi Chakraborty