Kiss

1.

Ravi was shocked. If you were in his place you would be too. After spending most of the morning working to save a major contract, he was now looking at the picture of Natasha, his wife, dressed to kill in a low cut gown, in the tight embrace of his best friend Vijay with their lips in firm contact. The picture had not arrived surreptitiously in the mail as such pictures do. It was presented to him, in person, by David on the cover of a folder with HAPPY ANNIVERSARY in bold letters across the picture. Ravi’s mind was in a whirl. Anniversary of what? Natasha’s illicit affair with her husband’s best friend? How can it be? What is there to be happy about it? Why is David presenting it to him with such ceremony?

Perplexity writ large on Ravi’s face confused David. He could not understand it. Ravi had engaged him to take pictures at his tenth wedding anniversary party. He had worked hard taking hundreds of pictures while others were enjoying delectable dishes and vintage wines in the company of interesting members of opposite sex. His long time assistant had worked overtime to select the best thirty shots and to prepare this folder. There was a long pause before he blurted, “What is the problem?”
“The problem you ask. My wife is kissing my best friend on the cover of the album and you ask what is the problem? Where did you get this picture and why would you show this to me any way?”
“Oh God. How could I be so blind? I am so sorry for the blunder.” With that apology, if one can call it that, David whisked away the folder and rushed out of the door.

2.

Vijay cuts a dashing figure although he is short, balding on the top; a little paunchy and of a patchy brown complexion. He is always immaculately dressed in a freshly ironed pale blue or white shirt, dark suit and a red tie with every strand of jet black hair plastered in its proper place, a confident smile on his lips, the faint perfume of after shave in the air and black shoes he had polished till they shone to match his hair. He is single but never without a ravishing blonde by his side in any social event. Unlike most men in his fortunate position, he is reticent about his love life even after he has had a few drinks too many. However, he did share with Ravi and Natasha an unfortunate incident at his company’s Christmas party. He was waiting near the entrance of the dining room for Roma, his girl this evening, to return after ‘freshening up’ when a friend of one of his former girl friends, “a heavily made up woman long past her prime” as he described her, walked towards him. He extended his right hand to greet her but she held both her arms out for a hug. As his cheek accidentally brushed hers she whispered, “Mouth, not cheek.” When their lips separated Roma was staring strangely at them. To Vijay’s utter dismay, normally voluble Roma was quiet for the whole evening, declined his invitation to visit his apartment after the party to see his collection of rare miniature art from Maldives Islands and curtly refused to see him again.

3.

To clear the air between them Ravi mentioned the incident with David to his wife over dry sherry before dinner. Natasha burst out laughing, “When I greeted Vijay at the anniversary party he said - mouth, not cheek - quoting from the incident with his former girl friend and I played my part in the jest. David must have snapped us and his assistant put the picture on the cover thinking Vijay was you.” The mystery solved, Ravi now wondered what Natasha found so funny in the incident. But he was too tactful to ask.

Natasha relates this tale of mistaken identity with great gusto in every gathering and the listeners enjoy its every telling. As for Ravi, the initial shock has worn off but attentive in the party can’t fail to notice a touch of unnatural in his laughter.

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