Sorting Out Sid Read Online Free Page A

say what they really wanted, instead of making you guess things all the time?
    ‘I’ll be there,’ was all he said now, keeping his tone neutral. He really didn’t want to get into an argument – both of them had busy days at work. Besides, he thought a trifle bitterly, talking never sorted out anything for anybody.
    He really didn’t understand why they had to hang out with Vikas and Sunny so much. Vikas was one of Sid’s closest friends – you could say they had been in the chaddi-buddy category in college, especially if you considered some of the racier incidents in the hostel. Still, it seemed nowadays that they were doing this foursome number almost every other night. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Mandira and he seemed to get along a lot better with other people around. They were a far more bubbly and ‘together’ couple in public than they were in private. He sighed in a resigned manner – at least the conversation was more light-hearted when the four were together.
    At home these days, discussions invariably led to an argument. Well, Sid thought determinedly, they had been through so many ups and downs over the last fifteen years, and this was just a slightly extended ‘down’ phase. Besides, maybe this was as good as any marriage ever got.
    Why did anyone ever get married, anyway?
    A brief memory from their early days together at Delhi University came back to him – they were in the college canteen and he was regaling her, his senior by two years, with imitations of their economics professor and more studious classmates. She had laughed till tears came to her eyes, tossing back her beautiful long black hair. She had caught hold of his arm, begging him to stop for a minute to let her catch her breath. He still remembered how that first touch had him feeling all hot and cold. And now? He couldn’t even remember the last time they had actually touched. Their sex life had gone downhill over the last few months. No wonder he had been having so many inappropriate dreams of late. He was sex-starved. Who could blame him?
    ‘See you at eight then.’ Mandira picked up her bag and headed out of the room. She called back over her shoulder, ‘We’ll meet directly at Vikas and Sunny’s.’
    She slammed the door shut behind her with unnecessary force, and the sound made Sid cringe. ‘Bye,’ he mumbled, adding sarcastically, ‘sweetie-pie.’ He sank back into the bed and pulled a pillow over his head, willing himself to get back to the nice dream. In about four and a half minutes, just as he was drifting off again, the doorbell rang. He sighed and glared malevolently at the ceiling for a second. The maid was here.
    Time to start Monday.
    By about 8 a.m. Sid had finished his morning cup of tea and was feeling almost human. He got ready for a shower, humming to himself. The mornings that Mandira left earlier than usual for work were actually kind of pleasant. He had the house to himself, apart from the quiet part-timer that she had hired who stayed out of his way except to hand him his tea and lay the table for his breakfast.
    He picked up his favourite large dark-green towel out of the cupboard where it lay neatly folded, all soft after a wash. The bathroom was done up with light-blue tiles, slick silver fittings and was spotless. He had seen living rooms that lookedless posh. There were definite advantages to living with a woman and Mandira was particularly conscious about keeping the place looking nice. He decided that he should be more grateful for having her in his life. Sure, they had a few issues, but he needed to remind himself more often about some of the good things about being married. From now on, he vowed with determination, every time I think about Mandira I will remember our bathroom. No, wait, that didn’t sound too good. Scratch that.
    He enjoyed a long, luxurious twenty-minute shower – something he couldn’t really do when Mandira was around because she always got hyper