The doorbell rang. He put his hand to the doorknob and opened the door wide.
“Welcome. This is what happened. I did not want her to be alone. She was found unconscious in the bathtub. The doctors are telling me that she is no more!”
He told the Police Inspector that she had wanted him to go home with the children but he had stayed back.
Last night he had taken the children aside and talked to them. They were young adults. They did not mind returning home without him.
The family of four had enjoyed a wonderful weekend in Dubai. After the hugs he saw the children disappear into the belly of the airport.
He drove back to the city and checked into a hotel opposite to where his wife was staying. He had half a day to kill.
At 17 hours, he called her. She thought he was calling from home and questioned him about the children, the cook, the driver the gardener…All was well at home but he had taken a flight back to be with her.
Could she please open the door of her room and let him in, he asked.
She wanted to know what he was doing?
“I wanted to surprise you, with a dinner date tonight. Just you and me,” he said.
She had crumbled into his arms. They walked to the sofa. She had cuddled up beside him and told him how much she had missed him.
They cooed about this, and about that.
She continued to cling to his arm and made sexy fuss. He got up and lifted her off the sofa, and into his arms. She garlanded him with her arms as slender as seaweed.
In the bathroom she let him undress her.
She giggled as he brushed her teeth. He felt the water in the tub. He poured some jasmine perfumed soap and salts into the bath water and turned off the tap.
He caressed her neck and lifting hair out of the way he had kissed her just below the ear.
Still smiling he had left her to her toiletries.
He must have dozed off. When he checked the clock, it was 20.30 hours.
He muted the volume of the TV and called her. On getting no reply he sat up, and called again.
Silence.
He whispered her name from behind the half open door of the bathroom. Then he saw her floating in the tub. He lifted her body out of the water and laid her on the bed. He called the hotel reception.
The doctor came rushing, and the police too.
“And me too is here,” said a third voice.
The two men turned around to see her walk towards them. She was draped in a chiffon sari in crimson.
She found a place to sit opposite the Inspector.
The expression on her face screamed to be heard.
She had heard him.
Now it was her turn to tell the police, her side of the story.