Chapter 9: Malika's Invitation

It had only been a week since their first café meeting, but already, Malika's presence felt like a jolt of color in Shalini's carefully gray, carefully measured world. Malika's teasing, her boldness, her unapologetic laughter — it all left Shalini thinking of her even as she marked homework or chopped onions in the kitchen.

One evening, after Avi had finished his reading and curled up with a comic book, Shalini scrolled through her messages and found Malika's name flashing with a new notification.

> "Hey teacher lady, bored yet? 😉"

Shalini smiled without realizing it.

> "Why do you ask?"

> "Because I'm bored," Malika typed back instantly. "And you're going to rescue me."

Shalini laughed to herself.

> "How do I do that?"

> "Simple. Come to my place on Saturday. We'll have some real girl time."

Shalini's pulse jumped. Malika's place? That felt personal. Intimate. Like a doorway into something she wasn't sure she could handle.

> "I don't know… that feels…"

> "Come on," Malika insisted. "We live ten minutes apart. Stop acting like it's a sin. I promise to behave."

Shalini bit her lip. Promise to behave — the words seemed almost a challenge.

> "Maybe for an hour," she finally replied.

> "Perfect," came Malika's triumphant answer. "Dress up a little. I want to show you off to my mirror."

Shalini shook her head, amused, heart fluttering.

> "You're impossible."

> "That's why you like me," Malika signed off with a heart emoji.

Shalini put the phone away and leaned back against her bed's headboard, exhaling slowly. What was she stepping into? And why did every fiber of her body feel alive at the thought of it?

---

Saturday arrived far too quickly.

Shalini stood in front of the mirror, trying on kurtas, rejecting each one. Finally, she settled on a soft rose-colored kurta with delicate mirrorwork at the neck, a flowing dupatta, and slim white leggings. She tied her hair in a loose braid and lined her eyes with kohl.

Avi, meanwhile, was busy tying the laces on his cricket shoes.

"Where are you going, Mummy?" he asked, glancing up.

"Just to see a friend," Shalini said, adjusting her earrings.

He nodded, indifferent, already focused on his game.

As she left the house, she texted Malika, and a second later, Malika's address popped up on the screen. Her palms felt sweaty around her phone.

---

Malika's apartment was in a slightly older block, painted in bright yellows and greens. Shalini took the stairs up to the second floor, hearing distant music from other flats, catching whiffs of cooking spices.

The door swung open before she even knocked.

"Come in, gorgeous!" Malika cheered, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her inside.

The living room was an explosion of color — teal cushions, purple curtains, brass lanterns hanging from the ceiling. On a small side table stood a half-finished glass of red wine.

Malika kissed her cheek lightly, making Shalini blush.

"You look divine," she purred, eyeing Shalini from top to bottom.

"You exaggerate," Shalini protested, smiling.

"No," Malika countered, "you hide. But today you shine."

She guided Shalini to a plush sofa and handed her a cup of masala chai, fragrant with cardamom.

"Tell me everything," Malika said, settling down next to her, tucking her feet beneath her.

Shalini laughed softly. "Everything? There's nothing to tell. Classes, Avi's games, coaching the boys. Same routine."

Malika raised a brow. "Nothing exciting with those boys?"

"Of course not!"

Malika laughed, tapping her arm playfully. "I'm teasing. But you are the fantasy of half the colony, you know."

Shalini looked shocked. "Stop that!"

Malika shrugged. "It's the truth, darling. The sari, the hair, the teacherly scolding — men dream about that, trust me."

Shalini blushed so hard she looked away. Malika grinned at her reaction and leaned in.

"Anyway," Malika said, changing the subject, "I want you to come here every Saturday. We'll talk, gossip, maybe even do something daring."

Shalini looked nervous. "Daring?"

"Like a spa day," Malika teased, "or a bold photo shoot, or…other adventures."

Shalini laughed, a bit of tension breaking. "That sounds harmless."

"For now," Malika added, with a devilish sparkle in her eye.

---

They talked for nearly two hours, sipping chai, sharing stories about their children, their work, their husbands — or in Shalini's case, her missing husband. At one point, Shalini grew quiet, the conversation drifting into painful memories.

Malika took her hand gently. "You still think about him?"

"Every day," Shalini admitted. "But…less than I used to. Sometimes I feel guilty for that."

"Don't," Malika said firmly. "You're allowed to move on. You're allowed to live."

Shalini felt tears sting her eyes, the words somehow unlocking a knot in her chest.

---

After a while, Malika got up, rummaged in a carved cabinet, and returned with a small bottle of jasmine oil.

"Sit," she commanded softly.

"What is this?" Shalini asked, startled.

"A simple head massage," Malika soothed, pouring a few fragrant drops into her palms. "Trust me."

Shalini hesitated, then allowed Malika's fingers to work their way through her scalp, gently massaging with slow, rhythmic strokes. Her shoulders relaxed. Her eyes fluttered half-shut.

"See?" Malika murmured. "You deserve to be cared for too."

The oil, rich and floral, reminded Shalini of the village temples from her childhood. Somehow the touch, the scent, Malika's confidence — it made her feel cherished in a way she hadn't in years.

She swallowed hard, blinking back another tear.

---

When Malika finally let her go, Shalini felt lighter, almost dizzy.

"Next Saturday," Malika reminded her, walking her to the door. "No excuses. We'll make you a queen."

Shalini laughed, shaking her head. "You're impossible."

"That's what you love about me," Malika winked.

---

Outside, the sun was lowering, the lane alive with children on bicycles and neighbors gossiping over balconies. Shalini made her way home, her mind a rush of emotions.

She felt like she had crossed a threshold — not a scandalous one yet, but something profound. Like she was finally letting herself feel again.

As she stepped into her quiet house, Avi came running up, his cricket bat in hand.

"Mummy! Did you bring me anything?"

Shalini hugged him, smiling, inhaling his sweaty, sweet little-boy scent.

"No, beta," she said, "but maybe next time."

His disappointment faded quickly as he chattered about his game, and Shalini listened with half an ear, her mind still swirling with jasmine-scented memories and Malika's bold laughter.

As she put Avi to bed that night, smoothing his hair off his forehead, she whispered a silent prayer.

Please don't let me lose myself. But please…don't let me stop either.

The thought scared her, but excited her more than anything had in a long, long time.

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