Manifestation (Prompt 4)

Her husband stood in front of her, shirtless, ready for bed. Ritu looked at him with lusty eyes. It had been a long time. She craved him. She started from the top of his head. Oh, his hair! His thick, shiny black hair grew out in all directions and yet was the best set of hair she had seen. He was not a young man anymore and yet there were no signs of balding. Her gaze fell on his forehead. The broad forehead symbolized strength, which he had plenty of, as Ritu had witnessed many times before. She let her gaze fall on the hazel eyes. The eyes she had fallen in love with. They looked at her quizzically. She chuckled. The small nose followed the dreamy eyes. Her craving for him had reached its peak. As her eyes explored further, her cravings jumped off that peak, dying instantly. His cheeks expanded into balloons of flesh and were droopy. There was no neck to speak of and the multiple layers of the chin touched the chest. Two globs covered the chest and it was followed by a well rounded enigma of flesh, which made Ritu curse her luck and her past decisions. Her lust having been slaughtered by the massive, bouncing chubbiness, Ritu lay down facing away from her love and slept.

   The next day, when Yash was away at work, Ritu invited her closest friend, Garima. She wanted to speak to someone about the problems she was facing. In truth, she wanted someone to guide her out of the dry spell she was having.

   Garima arrived an hour later than planned, which was still early for her standards. They sat together and cackled a bit. They gossiped about their school friends and bitched about the girls they were jealous of. When Ritu asked her for tea, Garima laughed and Ritu joined in her laughter. They opened a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon a few minutes later and greedily sipped the intoxicating French wine. 

   ‘What’s troubling you?’ Garima asked as Ritu poured the wine a second time for each of them.

‘What? Nothing really. Why? Do you think I am troubled?’ Ritu asked, seating herself on the couch next to Garima.

‘Your eyes look far away, deep in thought. You are not enjoying my company as much. Your laughs are restricted and you are drinking much faster than usual. What is it?’

Ritu let out a heavy sigh. She drank a long gulp of the wine and swallowed it instantly before speaking.

‘It’s Yash. No, it’s me. Well, I don’t know!’ She gesticulated her hands in confusion and anger. Garima kept her hand over hers to calm her down.

Ritu took another gulp and inhaled deeply before continuing. 

‘You know I love Yash.’ Garima nodded. ‘But recently I don’t find him attractive. I find him repulsive. I hate sleeping next to him.’

‘What has he done? Is he cheating on you?’ Garima asked anxiously, expecting the worst.

‘No. No. He has..’ Ritu paused, trying to think how to frame the sentence. ‘He is fat now.’ she blattered out.

Garima stared at her friend for a few seconds and then was consumed in a fit of laughter. She had her arms across her stomach and tears were rolling down her face. The sounds of her laughter echoed throughout the house. Ritu looked at her bemusedly, not sure how to react. She waited for Garima to regain composure, which took long enough.

Finally, gasping, Garima asked, ‘Have you told him this?’ She took in long breaths to steady herself. 

‘Are you mad! He would leave me. Tell me what to do. It’s been months since we have made love. I can’t take it anymore.’ Ritu pleaded.

‘Why aren’t you having sex?’ Garima asked, perplexed.

Ritu made a face on hearing that word. She had always been shy to use that word. 

‘I told you. I find it gross to sleep with a fat man.’

Garima stared at Ritu quietly. This time she didn’t laugh. She pondered over her friend’s problem. Ritu, meanwhile, was taking even longer gulps. She was almost through her third glass of wine.

‘I am a little taken aback by your shallowness. Not going to lie.’ Garima started. Ritu began to defend herself, but Garima stopped her.

‘Do you love your husband?’ Garima asked. 

Ritu nodded fervently.

‘Then I will let you in on a secret that will save your marriage. In fact, this secret has saved countless other marriages, including mine. Every one of those wives knows this.’

Ritu leaned in closer, not wanting to miss a single word.

‘Rein in your husband bitch.’ Garima said a little too loudly and Ritu moved backward awkwardly, protecting her sensitive ears. Garima chuckled.

‘You are the wife. You need to control him. Control what he eats and drinks. Make him exercise. Make him go to the gym. Make him jealous by commenting on other men’s bodies. Tell him he’s fat and ugly and he needs to change.’ Garima let out her suggestions in a flurry. 

Ritu was astonished at her friend's suggestions but the more she thought about it, the more she realised that there was no place for sugar-coating things or keeping secrets in a marriage. She had to be honest with her husband if she wanted them to lead a happy life.

‘Even if he agrees and doesn’t throw me out of his life, what do I do about my problem in bed?’ Ritu asked.

‘That is even simpler. Imagine he has the most magnificent body ever. For me, I like to think of Karan as having Hritik’s body. Manifest it, baby. Manifest! And it will come true.’

That night, when Yash came back, Ritu sat him down and told her honestly her feelings about his body and her disinterest in him. Yash was shocked and embarrassed. He shouted. They fought. But when things calmed down, they hugged each other lovingly.

Every day from thereon, Yash ate healthier and exercised regularly. At nights, whenever Yash readied himself for bed, Ritu imagined her husband with an eight-pack abdomen, a rock-hard chest, and muscles bulging out from every part of his body. She imagined him showing off his biceps and triceps. She enjoyed her nights and sleeping next to him. This went on for a few months till Ritu did not need to imagine anymore.