Paper Pelage (standard:romance, 2754 words)
Author: Shamoil Ahmad	Added: Mar 23 2012	Views/Reads: 3096/2195	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Amna worked as domestic help in about four places.She wanted to get her son a quality education.

Paper Pelage		   Shamoil Ahmad 

Amna got irritated.... Bibiji had once again found an excuse. This time
she had misplaced her keys. Amna could not muster enough courage to 
insist on getting her money back. She had to return without receiving 
it. Amna had begun to realise that Bibiji was evading payment. She was 
angry. She was not after all seeking any charity from her....it was her 
own money she was demanding. She had saved it with great difficulty. 
How else could she have secured it...? There was that Shubrati who 
would keep sniffing around even for coins. There was only this Bibiji 
who could be trusted with her hard earned money. Whatever she received 
by way of remuneration for her works during the month, she deposited 
with Bibiji. There was only one thing in her mind...to give Babloo a 
quality education...it was for his studies that she was taking all the 
pains. She worked as domestic help in about four places. Somewhere she 
would clean up floor; somewhere she would just clean clothes and 
utensils...elsewhere she would cook food...she had methodically divided 
her time for several households. She also took care of Bibiji's 
household. But from there she did not get any remuneration for her 
work. In return, she was allowed to use her garage for her lodging. It 
was nothing short of a flat for her. At the back of the garage there 
was a tiny bathroom and a small garden totally under her occupation. 
Amna did not have far too many frills. Just a five-year old son Babloo 
and a good-for-nothing husband Shubarati who did not want to exert 
himself for anything at all. He was work-shy, an indolent hanger-on who 
kept fawning on office clerks and occasionally did some petty job that 
brought him some money for his personal expenses. Amna accounted for 
all domestic expenses. Shubarati was good-for-nothing. But he loved 
Amna beyond limit. If he ever had any money on him, he would invariably 
bring her some fancy things...face powder...bangles...some beauty 
enhancers...sometimes some eatables...and Amna would indulge in 
tantrums... “Where did you get money from...?” “Did you steal it from 
somewhere....?” “It is my money that you have flicked...?” And these 
were distinct possibilities with Shubarati. Amna at times kept money in 
small ration pots. If Shubarati could sniff that, he would filch it. 
Shubarati had lately developed the habit of carousing. If ever he ran 
short of fund, he would do everything to placate her... “You work so 
hard...I am just good-for-nothing...” “What's the matter...? Flattering 
me...?” Amna would smile. “Truly, you are so good...” “What do you 
want...?” Amna would not be able to check her smile. “Well, there's an 
urgent work.” Amna knew very well what that urgent work was. He would 
extend his palm before her and Amna out of sheer exasperation would put 
some money into it. Shubarati did not create nuisance after drinking. 
He would go silent...absolutely silent...and on such occasions he 
looked very innocent as he would quietly sit in a corner to amorously 
watch Amna....She would try to avoid his gaze. If Shubarati came close 
and tried to touch her, she would brush him aside. “Your mouth smells 
foul...” “Smells foul...how it could....? There's cardamom in my 
mouth...see...!” He would take out some cardamoms from his pocket and 
put them into her hand. A smile would spread out on the face of 
Amna...and then he would coo into her ears... “You look so 
ravishing...” “Move aside...” Amna would try to shove him away and he 
would put his hand on her back. “Shall I give you a massage?” Amna 
would feel a mild shiver...she liked these advances of Shubarati. She 
would feel as though she was really very tired. She would spread out 
her legs...Shubarati would begin to massage her legs...gradually move 
up to her thighs...then explore further up...and then Amna would begin 
to breathe uncontrollably... 

Shubarati did not want Babloo to get educated. He had seen in the colony
that the sons of officers were indolent and useless. He feared that if 
Babloo got educated, he would neither belong to this family nor to the 
society. He wanted to put him under a mechanic for training and 
apprenticeship. If he developed expertise, he would not starve. But 
Amna was determined to have him educated and was keen to put him in Don 
Bosco Academy....Seeing the colony children in the uniform, she would 
feel buoyed up. She wanted to see Babloo in that uniform. Don Bosco was 
not very far from the garage. She also worked at one of the teachers' 
house. She had assured her that she would get him admitted to the 
Academy. She will have to arrange for rupees two thousand for the 
admission. Although this amount was far too big for Amna, she had begun 
to deposit all her savings with Bibiji. And now when the opportune 
moment had come, she had accumulated the required amount of rupees two 
thousand. But whenever she demanded her money from Bibiji, she would 
make some excuse. Last time it was her sister-in-law from London who 


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