For Want Of A Nail Kingdom Is Won

"And?"

"Give them a dose of their own medicine. That's what they need."

When their wives agreed to their suggestion to appear in front of them nude Kadir and Paramesh could not believe their ears. The next week itself (to give their girls no time for second thoughts) they booked a two-roomed cottage in the seashore resort at Mahabalipurum for the adventure. Their children had gone to relative's homes down south for their vacation. Soon after they settled in the room the men left to get lunch packets from a hotel in the township. Elil and Nitya had more than an hour to themselves.

They made love to the sound of waves striking the rocky coast less than a hundred metres away. As they lay with their nude bodies on each other they reviewed the script of the reception they were to accord their men. Then they made love in earnest, fondling, and then licking themselves to orgasms. They were in the mood for a stretch.

"Come on get ready. They would be back any moment now," said Nitya.

"We should have got some smelling salts ready in case they faint."

"We should. I have read in books that if women take the dominant role men get thoroughly confused."

"I have read it too," said Elil. "In my mind's eye I can see them squirming. Let's have some fun. My blood boils when I picture them bubbling with excitement while swapping photos of us in the nude. Now they want us to parade before them.

They could hear the car in the distance. The women put on their housecoats. The bell rang and when they opened the door Kadir and Paramesh stood holding lunch boxes.

*

Kadir was the first to speak.

"What's happened? Both of you look different."

"We are in housecoats; proper wear for women about to serve lunch," said Elil

"That's not the difference. You are up to some mischief."

"That's what we are all here for isn't it?"

"Kadir they have some practical joke planned," said Paramesh. "We must be on our guard." The women smiled and took the lunch boxes from the men and placed them on the table. Then they came to their husbands and hugged them. Hugging wives when others are present is a shocking thing to do in South Indian culture. The men were surprised and were not comfortable enough to reciprocate with warmth.

"Is your man responding Nitya? Mine is not."

"Not mine either, Elil. We said they would be confused. Confused is not the word, paralysed, totally paralysed. We must provoke them to action. We will kiss them on the lips. I hope they do not fall in a faint."

"Surprising. They want us to do things that even in permissive societies women would not dare do, and they are not so much as able to kiss when others are watching." So goaded the men went into action. They kissed on the lips, and then with their tongues. They held them so tight that the women could hardly breathe, and they finally let them go.

"The kiss was an OK one," admitted Nitya.

"We must see how they perform in the tests that are to follow."

"Paramesh did you hear?" said Kadir. "They have planned test for us."

"Yes I did. Wonder if they would present certificates at the end of the course." The girls ignored the comments.

"We'll arrange the table for buffet," said Kadir to Paramesh.

"No," said Elil, "you men change to lungies and sit on the sofa. We'll serve." Kadir and Paramesh exchanged glances and then shrugged their shoulders in resignation. They had planned the moves in detail but it appeared as if the women have taken over. They hoped there was no drastic whittling down of the agenda. The women opened the boxes and amidst giggling got things moving. Elil came with a plate of biriyani. The men sat on a double sofa.

"No Kadir," said Elil, "you go to that single sofa and you Paramesh to this single sofa."

"But why."

"Do as I tell you, darling." They changed places. Elil handed the plate to Paramesh and Nitya brought another loaded palate and handed it to Kadir. While the men waited for chicken curry they heard more giggling.

Elil brought the bowl with the chicken curry and served Paramesh. As she bent down Paramesh looked up. He could see a generous valley; the top button in Elil's housecoat was undone. He was not sure if it was so when she brought the plate. Soon Nitya was taking the bowl to Kadir and it seemed that she was displaying a valley too. This was intriguing. He waited for the next serving.

"Raitha is next," announced Elil. Raitha is an essential side dish to biriyani. It is onion and cucumber slices soaked in thick curds. When Elil bent down to serve raitha there was no doubt that another button was undone: Paramesh could see almost the whole of her breasts. They were large and smooth like mangoes; the tits protruded like unshelled peanuts. When Nitya was serving Paramesh could see only the back of his wife, but from the way Kadir's eyes were pushing out he had no doubt that he was not only seeing a lot of Elil but liking every bit he saw.

"Potato chips next," said Elil teasingly. Paramesh's cock was tenting his lungi; he made no effort to hide it. He smacked his lips in anticipation. What will be the harvest when button three is off? Elil walked leisurely holding the plastic bag. She turned her body away from Paramesh. She put her hand in and took a handful out and then turned and bent forwards. He could see the whole of the body, the breasts, the navel, and the mound of the pussy.

"Steady Paramesh, why are you trembling? It's only potato chips, not scorpions." She chuckled. "What do you want to drink? Orange juice, guava juice or water?" Paramesh by now had recovered his aplomb.

"Milk," he said reverentially. Elil thrust her chest forward and laughed. Her breasts had escaped the housecoat flaps and were belligerently out in the open. The pussy was however still in hiding; the last button was doing its stuff.

"Your Paramesh wants milk, Nitya."

"He does, does he," said Nitya. Her breasts were out too.

"Not now Paramesh. Your mouth is full of hot spices. You have to wait." Elil tapped his head as if he was a naughty boy. "Nitya I wonder if my man wants milk too."

"He's drooling. May be he does."

There was no further unbuttoning. The men ate but were too dazed to see that their women were having fun amongst themselves. They were touching each other, or fondling, or embracing, or hugging, or kissing whenever opportunity offered.

"Now we sit and you two serve," said Elil when the men had eaten.

Elil and Nitya found that the last button that did its work well enough when they were standing proved to be very inadequate when they sat. Sitting on the edge of the sofa did not help, nor did reclining; even the sidesaddle pose failed. They gave up.

Paramesh was thoroughly enjoying Elil's discomfiture though he knew it was all play-acting. When Paramesh served chicken she had her thighs together with the plate over her crotch as additional protection. When Paramesh came with raitha he found that suddenly he has developed a stiff back. Elil had to lift the plate to receive the raitha, and in his inexperience in serving he almost split a dollop on the carpet. But Elil smartly averted disaster by moving her plate in time. Unfortunately in this process the last button in her housecoat was undone. She sat forlornly looking down at her pussy now fully exposed. She looked up to see if Paramesh had noticed. He had of course. His protruded eyes were on her pussy as he stared with hypnotic intensity. Paramesh's eyes shifted and made contact with Elil's. He made no cowardly attempt to look away. He smiled with narrowed eyes, and his barely noticeable shake of his head seemed to say 'shall we?' She smiled too, a wry smile, and the answering shake of her head clearly said as if she had spoken, 'we most certainly shall.'

Meanwhile Kadir was making progress possibly with lesser subtlety. Nitya sat with buttons all gone and thighs parted, and Kadir sat in front on a low stool viewing with great relish the sight of her having her lunch.

After the meal Elil and Nitya bustled about to get the room tidy. It was lovely to watch the two women with open housecoats dangling, breasts swaying, and pussies exposed go about the chores. The room was neat once again. What next wondered the men? If what had happened so far was any indication they had every reason to hope for a grand finale. Elil, the spokeswoman, coughed to attract their attention.

"What next," she said, and as she spoke she discarded her housecoat. She stood there before them in the nude with as much assurance as any professional model. She was tall with a splendid figure, narrow waist, and broad hips. Her pussy bulged out. The slit was thin with a clearly marked clitoral hood at the top. She turned to Nitya who then discarded her housecoat. Nitya was shorter with more flesh one her, but her breasts where magnificent, her waist extra narrow and her hips extra broad. Her prominent clitoral hood made her pussy an extra special one. She turned to Kadir and her smile seemed to say 'I am waiting.'

"The ball is now in your court," said Elil to her husband. "I know your fantasies Kadir. It's is all about Nitya. And I know all about yours," she continued turning to Paramesh. "It's all about me. We have our fantasies too though you men do not even suspect that women could have fantasies. Mine is to go with Paramesh, and Nitya I believe wants Kadir. The time is appropriate for all us to get rid of the agony of unfulfilled desires. If you men agree we can go ahead. If not we continue the usual boring husband with wife pairing. We await your decision."

The men stood puzzled and miserable. Ever since they returned with the lunch packs events have been moving with a speed, and in a direction that left them totally bewildered. The snow they had playfully loosened had turned into an avalanche that was on the point of sweeping them away.

With the men in a state of inaction the girls had to act, and they did. Nitya took the lead. She stepped towards Kadir, hugged him and reached for his lips and kissed him. She then held him by hand into a bedroom; Kadir followed like lamb. Elil and Paramesh watched as they entered the room. When Nitya closed the door Elil turned to Paramesh and smiled. Paramesh smiled too, a taut smile. She hugged and kissed him and hand in hand they walked into the other bedroom and closed the door.

The sea that seemed to have become strangely silent during those tense moments now resumed service.

*

Paramesh was driving and Kadir was in the front seat. Paramesh drove cautiously; night driving is never safe in Chennai, and the crowded East Coast Road did not make it easy. That was probably why the men were silent. Elil and Nitya sat huddled in one corner of the back seat. That is how they liked to be—always in physical contact.

"How was the stretching?" asked Nitya.

"Not great. His mind was on what was happening in the other room. How was my man?

"Ditto."

"Funny isn't it that we have no proprietary feeling for our husbands," said Nitya.

"Yes, but if any woman were to get close to you I'll kill her," said Elil. Nitya was pleased to hear her friend say that; she hugged her and planted innumerable kisses on her cheeks.

"Why are these men so silent," said Nitya.

Savouring the conquest may be," said Elil, "or feeling that they have got more than they bargained for. I'll start a conversation." Presently she spoke.

"Kadir, an unerased file in your memory stick has made so many things happen to us. It reminds me of the story where for want of a nail a kingdom was lost."

"But Elil," said Nitya, "there is this difference. In the story a kingdom was lost, but here kingdom is won."

"You have the point Nitya," said Elil. "It is kingdom gained. You agree Kadir?"

Kadir did not render a verbal reply. He grunted.

"You Paramesh?"

He also grunted. Conquering heroes, as befits strong men, tend to be silent.