A Night At The Theatre | Short Story

That day, I received my salary. Unlike every other day, that evening I left for my room earlier than usual. There were two reasons for my haste: one was to watch the movie "Pandem Kodi" at the Venkatesh Theatre near my room before it was taken off the schedule, and the other was to have a satisfying meal at a hotel. Typically, I only eat to my heart's content on the days I get my salary. On other days, I eat just enough for one meal and skimp on the other two, sometimes even going to bed hungry.

You might be thinking I earn ten or fifteen thousand, but it's actually only five thousand! I work as an assistant to a writer, and my salary covers my bus pass, room rent, and books. With the remaining money, I barely manage to eat. Sometimes, I just have a tea and a samosa at an Irani café and call it a meal. My situation was like that. I was very happy that day because I received my salary.

From the moment I boarded the bus at Ameerpet, I was eagerly anticipating my arrival at Narayanaguda, where my room is located. I was anxious because the movie would start at 6:30 PM. It took me forty minutes to reach the Venkatesh Theatre at Narayanaguda Cross Roads in that traffic. By then, I was already a bit late. I hurriedly walked straight to the ticket counter, bought a ticket, and entered the theatre, finding a seat near the fan.

The movie hadn바카라™t started yet; the lights on both sides of the walls were dim. There were few people in the theatre, scattered here and there. As I relaxed, leaning back in my seat and waiting for the movie to start, I heard a man and a woman whispering behind me. Without opening my eyes, I continued to listen. From two rows behind, I could hear them beginning to argue.

I slowly opened my eyes and turned back. They were arguing quietly. I thought it was none of my business and kept quiet. After a while, the movie started. I was watching the moving images on the screen with great interest. After some time, I didn't hear any more sounds from the couple behind. I looked back; they were gone. I wondered where they went and glanced around the sparsely occupied seats. They were nowhere to be seen. To my left, at the end of my row, I saw the woman sitting alone. I was a bit taken aback to see her.

She also looked at me. I quickly turned my face back to the screen. She got up from there, came over, and sat in the seat two places away from me. I noticed her. After five minutes, she moved to the seat next to me. I felt a bit uneasy. Smiling slightly, she took my hand in hers. Startled, I quickly pulled it back. She, still smiling, placed her hand between my thighs and tried to unzip my pants. I was stunned by her actions. Trying to regain my composure, I said, "What do you want? Why are you doing this? First, take your hand away." Forcing her hand away, she said with a sly smile, "I'll give you pleasure... Just give me one hundred rupees."

I scrutinized her face in the dim light of the moving pictures on the screen. Her mango-colored face was glistening. I felt very anxious at that moment! I feared that if someone saw, they would scold and throw us out of the theatre. Clearing my throat, I said, "What pleasure will you give me? First, leave from here. If anyone sees, they'll scold us and throw us both out of the theatre." She laughed quietly and said, "No one will see... Everyone is in the mood to watch the movie. I'll give you pleasure with your manhood, and after you give me one hundred rupees, I'll leave." I asked nervously, "What will you do with my manhood?" She replied, "I'll give you a handjob. While I do it, you'll feel relaxed and have a sweet experience, and you might even fall asleep for a while.

Trust me... If you want, you can satisfy yourself by pressing my breasts while I do it... Or do anything you like in this dark; no one will see." She was trying to persuade me. Her words confused me. Until that moment, no woman had spoken to me like this. I felt completely bewildered. While I was thinking, she shook me and said, "Tell me, should I give you a handjob? What are you thinking so much about? Is this new to you? Don바카라™t be afraid. Once you try it, you'll come looking for me at this cinema hall for the pleasure tomorrow! I regularly do this for lonely men who come here, so there's no need to fear anyone seeing. This is common here!" She was trying to convince me. Her talking made my throat dry.

Gathering courage, I asked, "Aren't you ashamed?" She got angry and said, "Looks like you don't have a single penny on you, that's why you're talking like this. What's this? In this show, I didn't find a single man who paid properly and got satisfied." Annoyed, she came closer to my ear and said, "Fine... give me whatever you have." Saying that, she quickly unzipped my pants and started doing her work. Her unexpected behavior left me paralyzed. Though initially irritated, I felt a strange pleasure towards the end. I remained motionless without saying anything to her. After some time, I came to my senses from that pleasure and looked at her. I felt a pang of guilt as if I had done something wrong.

Smiling at me, she said, "I told you, didn't I... that you'd feel good... Now give me the money, and I'll leave." Without my permission, she took one hundred rupees from my shirt pocket and said, "You acted like you had no money all this time... What바카라™s this? In this show, I didn't find a single man who paid properly and got satisfied." She took the money and left quickly. After she left, my thoughts revolved around what she did and her circumstances. How much courage does it take for a woman to find pleasure with an unknown man's organ? Why such a risky act? My mind was overwhelmed with these questions.

Meanwhile, the movie ended. I came out of the cinema hall, and my thoughts were still revolving around that woman. I felt hungry and remembered my plan to eat a full meal. I stood by the road, intending to cross it and go to the mess. On the other side of the road, I saw the woman I had met in the theatre, walking away with a three-year-old boy who was crying for some reason. She was comforting him while walking ahead. Seeing her, I quickly crossed the road and followed her to see where she was going, planning to scold her with a few harsh words. After crossing one or two lanes, she stopped at a small grocery shop, bought some essentials, and handed five hundred rupees to the shopkeeper.

As she walked back, I suddenly stood in her way, a bit angrily, and said, "Do you have any sense? Do you do such despicable acts without your husband's knowledge? What will you say if your child or husband finds out tomorrow? Will society accept people like you?" I was about to say more when she interrupted, "Which society? When my husband was bedridden after an accident, which people, which society came to help us? When we were starving, which noble person offered us food? To feed my children and to pay for my husband's treatment, any work I do doesn't seem wrong to me. I have nothing to do with this society.

My pain, my life is mine alone, who else cares?" Her words struck me like a hammer. Unable to respond, I watched her walk away swiftly with her children. I called out, "One minute." She stopped. I took out five hundred rupees from my purse and handed it to her. She tried to refuse, but I forced it into her hand and walked away without looking back. Realizing that her life was like the other side of a coin, my heart felt heavy.  

Original short story written in Telugu By Tirupati Kiran. Translated By Gayatri Mavuru