The Dormant Fire (standard:romance, 1485 words)
Author: Shamoil Ahmad	Added: Apr 10 2010	Views/Reads: 2937/2145	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A woman fully opens herself only in the arms of beloveds

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

increasing and he had begun to realize that she was a husband-devotee 
who was shy by nature. She had the same purity that a husband wanted to 
see in his wife, i.e. her soft-spoken manners...her docile nature...her 
readiness to eat after feeding all other members of the house...all 
theses are the necessary attributes of a good wife which Sultana had in 
full measure. 

It surprised Suleman no ends that in the course of their ten
years’married life , there never had been an occasion when Sultana had 
to raise the pitch of her voice, nor did she ever make a demand on him 
that could put him in an awkward situation. In the initial days of her 
their marriage she had indeed counseled him once on sartorial matters 
when she advised him to get a prince suit for himself. 

Suleman had indeed realized that it was Sultana’s desire to see him in a
prince suit, but as he did not like buttoned-up neck, he did not pay 
much attention to it and she also did not insist any more. 

It was during those days that she used to prepare that bitter-guard
curry with jiggery stuffed in. Suleman had observed that she took great 
interest in making this curry, but he did not like the test of bitter 
gourd. Once or twice he just tested and left it off. 

Suleman was satisfied with his married life. Sultana had given her three
beautiful children .She was quite an efficient house wife. She herself 
did all works, no matter whether significant or otherwise. Suleman 
handed over the requisite amount for meeting day-to-day expenses and 
there after had no bothers. 

Often Razia used to ask Suleman about Sultana. But Suleman was wary of
talking much about her. Sometimes Razia used to make caustic remarks 
and sometimes it occurred to Suleman that Razia was out to tarnish her 
image. 

Once he was heaping praises on sultana- how efficiently she managed all
house- hold affairs. Razia at once retorted. "Tell her not to remain a 
perennial maid-servant...wives should sometimes try to live as women." 

Suleman was peeved. He realized that Sultana was actually devoting all
her time in doing domestic works. Even in the moments of comparative 
quietude if ever he happened to call her up, she would find some excuse 
and run away to attend to some work. Then ultimately he allowed himself 
to believe that Sultana was a dexterous woman and such women always 
kept themselves busy in their works. 

Once suleman went out for shopping. Sultana also went along. After
visiting one or two shops, he wanted to enter the Raymond House and 
they were about to enter it when Sultana suddenly stopped. S he rather 
stood stultified there. He gaped in astonishment. 

"What happened ?"Suleman enquired. "Oh ! He is Ilyas." Sultana’s face
had gone crimson. Suleman looked inside the shop. A handsome man in 
prince suit stood at the corner. 

"Let us go from here." Sultana said after pacing away from there . 

Suleman looked back once or twice as he walked along. Sultana in the
mean time  entered some other shop. 

"Who was he ?" "Elder brother’s friend." "What is harm in meeting if he
is an acquaintance ?" "I feel embarrassed." Beads of perspiration had 
made an appearance on her forehead.  At the time of emerging from the 
shop, she looked furtively around once or twice and as they were 
passing through the the Raymond house, she glanced sideways. 

On the way back, Sultana halted at the vegetable shop. When they
returned after buying fruits and vegetable, it was already dark. 
Suleman occupied his seat in front of TV and Sultana made for the 
kitchen. 

After viewing the news when he came to the dining table, he saw
bitter-gourd curry with jiggery stuffed in served on the table. He was 
amazed to see that. It was after a very long time that Sultana had made 
this dish. This time Suleman ate it full. After dinner also he sat 
before TV for sometime. When he went to the bed he found Sultana 
already lying on bed , covered and on the fringe of the cot. This too 
amazed him no ends because this was unlike Sultana. He kept lying for a 
while, then switched off the light and pulled her towards himself. She 
at once coiled into him landing her breast onto him. The touch seemed 
somewhat mysterious. Her body had never been this exciting before. And 
he could not help realizing that she was breathing violently. In the 
darkness of the room he once tried to read the countenance of Sultana 
and then he clasped her into his embrace...and suddenly Suleman 
realized that Sultana was breathing like a blower... and it seemed with 
each breath she took, the age-old knot was gradually opening 
up...opening up...opening up... 

He looked at her in total disbelief. For a flash of second he remembered
Razia...and then the beads of perspiration engulfed his face...his grip 
on Sultana began to loosen up... 

To Suleman it appeared that the one held in her embrace was not
Sultana...but someone else....! 


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