no title

Warning - This contains content that is entirely my opinion and my readers can choose to differ.

I couldnt think of any title for this one :) The characters in this story are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.

To my readers - Please suggest a title for this story.

There she walked all drenched in the rain; tears rolling down her cheeks or was it rain to wash away her guilt? She did not want to go home. HOME ? or a skeleton of bricks painted in red. Maybe she had the answer; maybe she did not.

She went straight to the her favorite coffee shop; where she used to date her then boy-friend and now husband. Things had changed so much since then.

She found an empty corner; where she could wipe her tears; guilt; pain and feel comforted. But she chose to join the woman in black dress. Something about her intrigued her. May I join you? she nervously asked the woman in Black.

Oh! sure ... Please do. Hi! I am RITA.

She was taken aback with this welcoming gesture; and surprised by how she spoke - slowly... But there was something in RITA's tone; that Poojahadn't heard in any one's voice. Something about RITA that made her nervous. She introduced herself and joined her to see how this night unfolded.

They sat in silence. Sipping coffee and watching the rain-drops dance on the streets. "So, how come you are up so late. Its 2 am in the morning;don't you feel scared" asked RITA in the same mysterious tone and then followed a conversation that would change their lives forever. . .

Pooja - Even I wished to ask you the same question. What makes you sit here at 2 in the night.

Rita - OH! Me... I was just taking a break from work and then it started raining; so I am here waiting the rain to stop.

Pooja - And! I wish that this rain never stops. This rain washes away everything... she said with her eyes welling up.

Rita - [Smiled] Here take this and wipe your tears. And let your heart out. I am a woman and I can understand.

Pooja had found a sudden friend ; and she thought God had sent her to comfort her.She took control of her and described her not-so happy world.

"It all started from here. Vivek and I got married, after we had dated each other for five years. It was beautiful and so lovely. I had all the love and all the happiness in the world. I even left my job to build my home. It felt so great; to be in charge of everything. I used to be home; he would work. He would come back tired and I would cook his favorite food. Then his work pressure increased. He would come late at night; sometimes hewouldn't come at all. I missed him. But he never had time for me. I longed for him.

One day I asked him; that I wanted a baby. He said he did not. He wasn'tprepared. We had a fight and since that day we barely talk to each other. I was growing frustrated day by day. So I started to work again. He did not say anything. We were two strangers living together; not concerned about each other.

There was this guy in office. We were in same team and we spent a lot of time together. We would eat lunch together; discuss work. Somewhere we grew fond of each other.

One day I discovered; that Vivek had been frequenting prostitutes. I was shattered. Why would he need to go to them? What had I done. I had done everything for him and he is been doing this. I doubted myself. Was it my fault? Wasn't I able to give him what he wanted. I had suddenly been reduced to a piece of furniture in his house. I did not understand what went wrong.

I had been crying for past one week; but dint muster up the courage to ask Vivek. I started working overtime in office. Rohit would stay too. He comforted me. He took care of me. Maybe I fell in Love with him. I was happy again.

But! Today I did something I shouldn't have done. I slept with him. This guilt is killing me . . . "

Pooja burst out crying. Rita comforted her and ordered a cup of coffee. After Pooja regained control; she asked Rita - " Enough of me? You tell me about yourself...So what is your job? Do you work in a call centre? "

Rita smiled - "Do you wish to know the truth?"

Pooja - [surprised] Yes!

Rita - I am a P-R-O-S-T-I-T-U-T-E.

Pooja was shocked. Her face turned pale; as if she had just seen death. And suddenly she started screaming.

"You WHORE... You bloody home-breaker... Its women like you; who have spoilt the society.. One of you broke my home. You all should be beaten brutally to death". She mouthed all obscenities she could; took her bag and turned around.

RITA rose and this time she raised her voice - "If I am a whore... what are you?"

Shocked and being hit hard with this accusation Pooja sat there... Her face still red with anger; hands trembling with fear and throat choked...

RITA offered her a glass of water and smiled at her. Pooja; felt some warmth in her smile. She did not know whether to hate this woman or to thank her. She sat there still.

RITA started to speak; in her mysterious tone; which no longer sounded mysterious.

" I am sorry; about what happened to your happy married life. But itwasn't a slut like me who took your husband. He paid her and wanted him to be taken away." Pooja knew, what RITA said was a truth.She had no answers. A feeling of remorse grew inside her.

She wanted to talk; talk it all out.

After a few minutes of deafning silence

Pooja - "For how long have you been in this . . . ? Why did you enter this . . . ?

[she dint know whether to call it a profession or job. and RITA could sense the confusion and hatred in her voice.]

RITA - "I have been in this profession since I was 20. The first time I did this was for experiment and I got good money for that. So I got hooked."

Pooja - "Do you think selling your body for money is good ?"

RITA - "In your job ; you sell your brain. I sell my body. What's the harm? I dream of money and I get it this way"

Pooja - "But SEX is divine. Its the most sacred experience; a human can experience. How can you sleep with somebody you don't love?"

RITA - "Just the way you did?"

Pooja - "ME ?"

RITA - "When your marriage was in trouble; you must have still slept with your husband; but you no longer loved him. You slept with your colleague; but you still don't know if you love him. You make love; I make money. You crave for satisfaction; I crave for a good life. When I walk out in the night; I have no regrets.Today when you walked in rain; you had tears of guilt. But you are a good woman and I am the bad one."

Pooja had no answers. They sat still; watching the rain outside; in all its fury.

[feeling jealous of the woman on the other side]

Pooja - "So you are happy with your life? "

RITA - "OH! Absolutely. I earn big; spend big. I have my own chauffeurdriven Mercedes. I wear all designer stuff. I dine at the most expensive restaurants. I read ; I watch TV...I live my life fully."

Pooja - "Do you have friends ?"

For the first time Rita had an answer as NO.

Pooja - "I think; even I don't have"

They both smiled at each other. They dint know whether they were smiling at each other's fate or their own.

It had stopped raining but they still wished to sit.

Pooja - "I have decided I will divorce Vivek? "

Rita - " and marry Rohit?"

Pooja - "I don't know if I wish to marry him; I even don't know if he loves me. But I no longer wish to stay with Vivek."

Rita - "You can still sit and sort things out with Vivek. Love is a good thing. Your marriage might work"

Pooja - "How do you know; so much about LOVE? and even if I sort-out things with him; will he forget what I did tonight.

[she was now speaking like a woman - not a good woman or a bad woman ; just a woman who had desires that needed to be fulfilled.]

Him going to a prostitute is right; but will my going to the other man to be happy be accepted ?"

For the first time in the night; both of them agreed.

Rita knew the only thing she Loved was her dreams, adventure and money. She did not know what loving a person was.

Pooja - "What will happen; as you grow old?"

Rita had thought about it once; but the let the thought go; since it was scary.

Rita - "I don't know. Maybe I would have earned so much money that I can sustain myself. In my profession; income decreases with experience. And nobody will marry me. You cant have kids because your husbanddoesn't want; and I cannot because nobody would love me so much to see his kids in my womb."

Rita was now realising Pooja's agony and pain. Pooja was now realising that a prostitute is just like other women.

They held each other's hands; as if making a promise to each other - "No matter what We'll life on our terms."

Pooja knew; now what she had to do. She had been ridden of all her guilt. She now knew it was fine to hold on to her desires and fulfill them. She was happier.

Rita realised that there could be a life beyond sex and money. Moneycouldnt fulfill you completely. She had earned enough to get what she wanted. Now she wanted something else. She wanted stability; a family; somebody to LOVE.

It was dawn. What began as a stormy night now was looking like a bright new day. Both hugged each other, knowing they would never meet again. They walked out of the coffee shop; on the opposite paths; transformed. They now knew that Life on the trans was similar; though not same. They were tied with a common string of womanhood. They now knew the good and bad did not exist. What they knew was; that they could be happy if they wanted to be.

5 years later... they cross each other - happier and merrier.

Pooja is working at the same place and has a family. She got pregnant that night and has a daughter RITA. She has divorced Vivek and she is not married to Rohit. She did not love him.

RITA had completed her studies and is working. She has a family with her adopted daughter whom she has christened - POOJA...

They teach them the same things that they learnt that night - Not to hold regrets and live their life...