The Sex Lives of Married Women by Saman Shad

Author:Saman Shad [Shad, Saman]
Language: spa
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781761346002
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

11

Rani

Priya was smiling at her as she handed her a bangle, one that Rani tried to squeeze on to her wrists. But her hands were swollen from the heat and the bangle wouldn’t fit. It was as she was trying in vain to put on the bangle that she woke up with a start.

Beside her Ali was still fast asleep, having one of those miraculous lunchtime naps. The alarm clock beside her said it was 2.30 p.m. She should probably wake him up. But the silence and the peacefulness that came when an active toddler was finally asleep was too hard to disturb.

Rani lay in bed and her thoughts went back to Priya. She wished Priya had been at her wedding, that she’d had the foresight to invite her. Not that she would have come. Priya had made her distaste about going back home clear.

‘I have no interest in sitting around being judged by all the aunties and ignoring the creepy looks from their husbands,’ she had said.

After Rani returned to Australia as a married woman, she and Priya didn’t initially meet. But then they started texting each other and eventually met for a lassi at a small Indian cafe. Priya had commented that Rani was glowing, probably because she was finally having regular sex, and it made Rani blush and laugh at the same time. They spoke with ease and Rani felt again, especially since the divorce, that she was talking to someone who wouldn’t judge her for all that she had done. There was a sense of freedom that came with that and Rani even admitted out loud how she had tried not to think of Tariq on her wedding day.

‘You can think of who you want when you want. No one is controlling your thoughts,’ Priya said. It made Rani feel a little bit better.

After that lassi, Priya seemed busy with her life, but they texted regularly. Sometimes Priya sent her texts at odd hours of the morning. Much like Rani had begun to do recently.

Lying next to a guy who’s snoring like a donkey. Thinking of putting a pillow on his face, she’d once texted at 4 a.m. Rani had discovered it the next morning.

What happened to donkey guy? she replied.

Priya responded a few hours later. Would you judge me if I said I smothered him to death?

Never, but I would tell you to delete your texts in case they be used for evidence.

I knew you were a good friend.

Rani had learnt early on that even though she would have liked to spend more time with Priya, she had to give her space. Priya wasn’t the sort of person who wanted to feel like she was being crowded. But she needed to know that there was someone like Rani there in the background. Just like Priya was there for her.

One day Priya had turned up at her door unannounced.

‘What if I was out?’ Rani had asked her, after she invited her in.

‘I knew you wouldn’t be,’ Priya had responded.

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