An honest mistake!

Prominent, among a plethora of things in the west we Mallus in the advertising industry keep our eyes open to, is adultery. So when a ‘single and blatantly eager to mingle’ mom in her late 30s (Aditi) and a ‘married but an effervescent pool of testosterone’ dad (Vimal) were seen together, two and two were left with no choice but to add up to five.

First to smell the rat was Dileep. I still wonder how he managed to identify the smell amidst fumes of ‘I dare not mention or he’ll lose his job’. His groggy eyes saw the couple in a compromising position for the first time at the parking lot. Further investigation revealed the compromising position in the context as the two of them speeding off in opposite directions on their respective bikes. But that, people, is for another day. Thus, a story was born. One of love, lust and sex. Was there murder? There were deaths – of self esteem, trust, ethics, etc. But human casualties, if I remember right, were not recorded.

The couple under investigation denied the allegations through words. Their deeds however, often betrayed them. Every evening when Aditi left the office, her eyes would scan the entire floor in search of Vimal. A few quick messages would be exchanged in a language known to them and their eyes alone. And in a matter of minutes, Vimal was up and done for the day. The two would walk out of the office, one a few metres behind the other, to erase any sign of suspicion. This was their routine.

Despite a completely spaced out look, Dileep was alert to everything that happened in the lives of the lovers. His senses followed them like a well trained sniffer dog. He was so dedicated that he even used to take mental notes to study the behavioral patterns. And it was this enterprise that finally helped bring the tale to a conclusion.

Aditi had invited her team over for dinner. Vimal, despite not being a member, was also on the guest list. Surprise, surprise. Aditi left early in order to set the house up for the event, giving Dileep the directions to her house. Never the one to give up an opportunity, Dileep approached Vimal with a wicked grin. “Why do we need directions? I am sure you can ride to her place blindfolded,” joked Dileep. Vimal smiled politely in reply. A smile so innocent, it almost erased all doubts from my mind. Maybe he was a nice guy after all. His only evil being an addiction to all the PYTs in Yahoo adult chat rooms. But that wasn’t really a vice, was it? Every 35-year-old married man with a couple of kids frequented the ‘Bangaloreans for sex’ room. Well, he was partially cleared.

Adding steel to my belief, Vimal patiently followed Dileep, myself and the rest of them on his bike (A clear indication of the poor soul’s innocence) on our way to Aditi’s house. I think he even lost his way a couple of times and sealed the deal. Dileep kept looking over his shoulder and deliberately slowed his bike every now and then, in order to let Vimal overtake him and lead the way. The ploy failed miserably for Vimal would slow down even before Dileep thought of applying his brakes.

It was Aditi’s 7-year-old daughter who opened the door. Aditi was still in the kitchen. Dileep walked in at the end of the line, still shaking his head in disbelief. He was sure. His instincts had never failed him before. Or so he claimed.

It was a comfortable living room. We all sank into the soft couches. Aditi’s daughter disappeared into the kitchen to help her mother with the final flourishes. The guys turned towards Dileep, and threw him glances to intensify the guilt. He kept shaking his head and turned away refusing to accept defeat.

Minutes ticked agonizingly. They seemed longer as hunger called out loud from each of our tummies. The aroma from the kitchen was not making it any easier either. It was hot. “Why hadn’t we switched on the fan,” I wondered. I looked at Dileep. He was still sitting there, shaking his head in disbelief. Amidst the wonderful aroma, it was as if he was still trying to sniff the rat out.

After unsuccessfully snapping my fingers to grab Dileep’s attention a couple of times, I managed to wake him up from his ponder with a low whistle. “What,” he lipped disinterestedly. If Katrina Kaif walked in front of him nude at that moment, hand in hand with an equally nude Angelina Jolie, Dileep wouldn’t have budged. I pointed towards the fan. The heat was probably getting to him as well. Quarter-heartedly, he got up and dragged himself towards the switchboard. The switchboard was like a buffet after 4 drinks. You just didn’t know what to choose. And hence he applied the tried and tested trial and error method.

After switching on almost every other device after the first few attempts, he gave up. “Aditi, which one is the fan’s switch,” he shouted in the direction of the kitchen. “The second one from the left in the second row,” replied a confident voice from his immediate left. The smile that reappeared on Dileep’s face was there for all to see.