We too enjoy life….

We too enjoy life….

“Hi, will be in India next month. Holiday is for six weeks. Returning by August end”, Dolly told her childhood friend, Sudha.

It was 3.30 a,m in Bangalore, India. Dolly knew that Sudha was awake. Her WhatsApp “Last seen” time gave out the information.

“When are you reaching India? And when can we have ‘our’ holiday? We will keep it for 4 days this year, last year it was a very short holiday of 2 days”, Sudha replied with many questions.

“You can plan during the last week of July or first week of August, I’m ok. Check with our other buddies and you decide” Dolly replied.

This was her usual way. Sudha was very good in planning, setting up the logistics, co-ordination with the school buddies, finalizing the place for the holiday and the schedule during the holiday.

It brought back memories of the times of her school days in Vellore, where they studied together in school for 12 years. Sudha had contacts with Dolly, Aruna and Jyothi, the four of them had become close and been in touch with each other, even after 25 years.

Dolly, completed her masters in computers, and migrated to USA after her marriage, working for a software company, with two kids, both sons in their teens.

Sudha, had completed her masters in science, did a course in interior design and was on her own, doing interior design projects for the growing real estate market in Bangalore. She was married with one son, doing his engineering.

Next day morning, Sudha called her friend, Jyothi, “Di, where are you?”

“I’m driving to drop my daughter at school. Anything urgent”

“Call once you are done”.

Jyothi completed her household chores by afternoon. She was a very responsible and complete home maker, living in Hyderabad, very possessive of her family and her two daughters very attached to her.

“Sudha, just now remembered your call. What is it?”

“Dolly is coming to India next month and we have to plan ‘our’ holiday. Are you ok with the last week of July? Say for 4 days”.

“Let me check with my husband and confirm it tomorrow”. Jyothi was her typical self, consulting everything with her husband.

Sudha started planning for the holiday. She checked on resorts near Mysore and also near Hyderabad. The previous year, they had done their holiday in Pondicherry in a beautiful beach-front resort.

“Aruna, can we talk now?”

“So, what news Sudha?”

“We have not spoken for more than a month. That is surprising. Sudha and being silent for a month!!”

“No Di, was busy with one project completion. That owner was a pain… He changed the design after approving it. But what to do, you come across customers who are bordering madness!!”

“Hey Aruna, you are working in a Bank. Only one Boss to listen to… Look at me, being in consulting, you have to listen to many customers. Each will behave like a boss and to top it, their wives will come in the end and give suggestions as if they know everything under the sun….” Sudha concluded her work profile.

“Listen, Dolly is coming next month. We need to plan ‘our’ holiday during last week on July”.

“I am ok. Try to combine with the 4^th Saturday. It is holiday for the bank. You proceed with the plan and let me know if you need any help from me for the trip”, Aruna replied.

With the dates frozen for last week of July, Sudha jotted down the things to be done and what can be delegated to her friends.

“My husband has given his ok for the trip”, Jyothi called.

“Good, now you check on the Leonia Resort. My cousin has told me it is a very good property about 40 km from the Hyderabad airport”.

“Ok, Sudha. Will check on the resort and finalize it. Send me the dates by WhatsApp”.

The holiday of these four women were different. Their ‘own’ holiday was an exclusive holiday without their family. The four friends just unwind themselves with lots of time for their own, re-live their childhood, have fun and satisfy their individual dreams without any inhibitions. No kids, no husband around, no in-laws, they just live and enjoy for themselves.

This ‘own’ holiday started four years back, when Sudha proposed a get together for only the friends for a dinner and the rollicking time they had at the dinner, gave the necessary impetus to try out longer periods, which grew every year.

Aruna was at the shopping mall to buy sarees for the holiday. At the large saree store, she saw a delightful array of sarees displayed by the enthusiastic sales boy on the table. Her eyes did a quick scan of all the sarees and picked one which was bright blue with a sprinkling of flowers and a delightful pattern for the borders. The sales boy picked the chosen one and gave it to Aruna for her to place the saree on herself and looked at the mirror. She was comfortable with her choice.

“Take four sarees of same colour and design” Aruna said.

“Four sarees ma’am, and of the same colour” replied the sales boy, a bit puzzled. “If you want four sarees of different colours also, I can give”, said the boy, thinking high of his knowledge.

“Just do what I want. Give me four sarees of the same colour and design” replied Aruna.

After finishing the purchase, she called Sudha and said the saree purchase was over.

“Good Aruna. I will take care of all the other purchases”.

Their flights landed at Hyderabad at different times and they decided they will wait in the airport and go together to the resort.

They got into the car and were on the way to the resort. They had met each other after more than a year. Each was very happy in meeting the others and the thoughts of being together for the next four days delighted them.

“What is the schedule for the holiday, Sudha?” asked Dolly.

“The first day is just leisure. No activity, only talking, talking and more talking !!. The second day, we stay in the resort, spend time swimming together in the pool, then in the afternoon, do other activities which we would like to do. That night, we have our ‘dressing session’ and enjoy ourselves without inhibition.

The third day, we’ll go to Hyderabad after lunch, buy dresses at a designer store, identified by Jyoti, and do other shopping and get back to the resort. That night will be a candle light dinner, with cocktails and we will spend quality time together” Sudha narrated with enthusiasm.

“Jyoti, Do we have time to go to atleast three good stores and I also want to go to the market to get some daily use dresses too?, asked Aruna.

“Yes we will have sufficient time and I have told my friend in one store to keep all the best dresses and new arrivals on display for us”.

“On the fourth day, we leave the resort after late breakfast, and visit Jyothi’s home and then proceed to the airport”, Sudha concluded.

Their talking sessions, were full of banter, pulling each other’s leg, talking about their hubby, kids and in-laws. All their chitchat was laced with humour and Sudha was the king pin (or Queen pin!!), cracking one liners, and with the art of mimicry, she spoke in many voices and imitated others, and brought down the roof with their loud laughter.

Luckily, when they checked-in, they asked and got two rooms adjacent to each other, with a walk-through door between the rooms. This ensured that they do not go out to get to each other’s rooms.

During the swimming sessions, Aruna, not knowing swimming, was the caretaker of all clothes, and sitting at the edge of the swimming pool, was giving a running commentary of not their swimming, but about worldly matters in a humorous way.

The ‘dressing session’ was a special session. Sudha and Dolly had bought special dresses for this session. One room was converted into a make-up room. Sudha, got ready in bright yellow ‘bharatanatyam’ dress with red borders and wore all the jewellery as worn by actress Jyothika in the Tamil movie “Chandramukhi”. She completed make-up of her face and when she walked into the other room; she looked like a dancer ready for a performance.

Next was Dolly’s turn. She had planned and bought dress from USA, which resembled Princess Diana. She wore a rich chocolate brown skirt and a white shirt top and completed the outfit with a hat with fluffy hair band. She wore high heeled brown shoes and resembled the dress worn by the late Princess.

The other two friends were ready with their cameras and took photos in various angles and the photo shoot concluded with comments and smiles around. Photos taken on the mobile were sent on WhatsApp to their hubbies with tag lines….

After the shopping session, they got ready for the dinner. All the four friends dressed in identical sarees bought specially for the occasion. The candle light dinner was quiet with exchange of many thoughts and other plans. They ate and drank without any inhibition. Once they reached their rooms, all their calmness in the restaurant was gone. Their talking session ended at 2.00 a.m, when they were fully drained and wanted to sleep.

Next day, they were at Jyoti’s house and were normal leaving their laughter and loudness in the resort itself. Anybody, seeing them would not believe whether they were the same women at the resort a day earlier. Such was the transformation.

Their ‘own holiday’ over, each had returned to their respective homes.

Next day, Sudha had called Dolly to check whether everything was fine at her end, as she had told her in-laws before the trip that she was going to Chennai to attend a family function of her friend. Only her hubby knew about their holiday.

“All fine. They believed about my trip. Infact, my in-laws enquired about my friend’s family in Chennai” said Dolly.

“You know what, my husband was curious to know about our ‘own holiday’ and had told that it will not be entertaining, without the family and kids”.

“I told him – We too enjoy life…..”quipped Sudha.

-   Venkatesh