At precisely 7.30, Samantha got out of her car and  walked into the club, eager to jump on the treadmill . She looked around the verandah, happy to be the only person up so early in the morning. She loved having the club all to herself. Suddenly she spied a handbag on one of the sofas in the verandah. Oh no! she thought as she recognised it  as  Reena’s . And soon she saw Reena herself, slouching deep into the sofa.

Wow! That was early by Reena’s standards too! She  wondered what brought her out of her home so early in the day. Then she remembered, Ashok had gone out of town and the kids were away on Summer Camp. Still, 7.30 was unusual for Reena. On a day like this she would have enjoyed a lazy day in bed…..

Then, she saw him, trying to light his cigarette, a little distance away. Reena was looking towards him,  trying to catch his attention as she waved the bell to call the waiter. The man looked up, from his cigarette and took in a deep breath. Letting out a smoke ring, he said, “Oh just a cup of coffee.”

“What about some akuri on toast? It’s quite good here.”

“No that’s enough. We don’t have much time do we? ” he said looking at his watch. “I’ll have to be off soon.”

Samantha took in this conversation and slipped away from the side passage, before Reena could spot her. Her mind began whirring….So, you slimey b*&^% she thought, a secret assignation! And as she climbed on the treadmill, her mind  moved even faster. She was dying to ring up Geeta and Alisha and the rest of the gang. How they would love to know that the sanctimonious Ms. Reena Bhatia was meeting a strange MAN. And that too early in the morning!

Reena patted down the sofa and told Rakesh to sit next to her. It was a long time since she had met her little brother. And they had a lot to talk about before she dropped him off to the station.