Playing Golf

Nimi Kurian

10 June 2008, 09:02

Pavan raced down the slope, his golf clubs hiting against his legs. It was Saturday afternoon and he was finally free. He looked forward to Saturday afternoon because he could send away his chauffeur and leave his car in the garage. But, most of all he looked forward to Saturday afternoon because he could play golf.

Chief Executive Officer of a major tea broking company at 32 was challenging, but also pretty lonely. On Saturdays he shed his official garb, dressed in track pants and t-shirt, and ran down the short cut to the golf links. He had been warned not to take the short cut because of its dubious nature but he did it anyway.

“Its such a beautiful walk. I love walking through the forest. It is so quiet and peacful with its lingering smell of eucalyptus and its carpet of leaves!” he said to his advisors. So they just shrugged.

The pathway down the hill was not popular because it was the town’s designated red light area. The shola forest was secluded, dark and sufficient for the quick tumble in the hay. When business had to be conducted it was quickly done in the darkness of the forest. The whole thing was simple and effortless because the women themselves stood close to the pathway. That ruled out the need to set out on a hunt.

Pavan however, was unconcerned about the women. The women in turn, knew that Pavan would provide them no business, so they never accosted him.

But unable to resist a laught, Pavan would smile, wave and say, “Hi! How’s business today? Bad?”

Every Saturday this was the routine. Pavan enjoyed his joke immensely.

And then one Saturday, the company bigwigs were down from Kolkata and they also had a couple of top guys from England. It seemed inevitable that they too be invited for a game of golf.

“Shall we walk down?” asked Pavan. “It’s really a thorougly enjoyable walk…”

Even before he had finished his sentence they had jumped at it. The guys from Kolkata hadn’t walked anywhere in ages, while the guys from England thought that it was ‘Super’ that they could indeed walk to a game of golf.

It was only when they reached the edge of the shola, Pavan realised that it was probably not a wise move to have walked – especially through the forest. But it was too late now. Assuming an air of studied carelessness he led the way downhill.

He almost froze in his tracks when he saw the women. Seductive, their sarees clinging, the pallu almost slipping off their thin starved shoulders. They saw him hesitate. Their lips darkened by cheap lipstick broke into a smile, and the eyes darkened with kajal widened with recognition.

Pavan blushed and broke out in a sweat. Out of the corner of his eyes he tried to see if his guests had seen the women.

“Phew! No they haven’t seen them!” he muttered to himself. “I wish they would go away.”

Silently he willed them to go back into the darkness of the shola. But they did not, they just seemed to smile a little more.

And then they were on level with the women. Now there was no mistaking that his guests had seen the women. They looked at the women with undisguised curiosity. One of the Englishmen suddenly exclaimed, “Oh! Damn! I forgot my camera!”

The others chuckled. Pavan alone found no humour in all this.
One woman stepped out from the crowd and asked Pavan, “Hello Baba! Too many friends? Not stopping are you?”

Comment

  1. Lovely! One of your best

    — sridhar · Jun 12, 15:14 · #

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