Things change when you are pregnant, pleasant becomes unpleasant and unpleasant becomes unbearable.
I was in my first trimester, the period when pregnancy and nausea go hand in hand. Almost anything and everything can make you nauseous. To add to my woes was a good friend and office colleague.
Pregnancy, a beautiful feeling
Let’s nickname her Chamcham, a Bengali sweet for she was short, round and a sweet natured person but with one bigggg problem – BAD BODY ODOUR, the sweaty smell.
Every day she would come and give me a big, tight good morning hug and my much controlled nausea would decide to go berserk. Chamcham sat next to me in meetings and all I could do was to fake restlessness and stand up. She would draw her chair close to my seat to gossip and I couldn’t concentrate on gossip anymore (though I totally love gossiping) and counted every minute of her stay with animated smile and sips of lemonade (helps with pregnancy nausea).
Then one fine day I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to do something about it. I loved her and wanted to help her as well.
During lunch break and casual conversation I started talking about a deodorant and how I found the smell refreshing and pleasant, praying meanwhile that she takes the hint. But as my bad luck would have it pat came the reply, “ Arre baba, I don’t use deodorants. I read somewhere that they are really bad for your skin. It makes the skin dark and itchy”. I tried to debate but all in vain. She seemed quite adamant. And I failed.
It was getting difficult by each passing day. She was a very good and caring friend. I couldn’t have hurt her feelings by bluntly telling her. This would embarrass her. Never again would our relation be the same. Nevertheless, I had to do something to save her and save myself.
After hours of thinking finally, Eureka! I found the perfect solution.
I called up the best spa in the town and told the Manager about my problem. I asked her to invite Chamcham for a free spa session citing a random lucky draw for this generosity.
The Manager decided to arrange for a spa session followed by a hot water jacuzzi bath. Thereafter they would introduce her to some scented body lotions and perfumes and give away a few of each as a free gift hamper to initiate her. They would make her feel good about herself and use some medical lingua crap to press upon the sweating problem. The plan sounded perfect.
All this was to be pre paid by me.
Well, as planned she received a telephone call. I timed the call and ensured that she was sitting beside me when the call comes.
After the call ended, I said “Whose call was it? Are you getting something free?”
Chamcham sounded a little sceptical; “Ya, they were asking me to come for free spa session. They said my name came in a lucky draw”.
I had to sound over enthusiastic. Wow! That is so cool. Go then, what are you thinking? Oh how I wish I could go for such a session and that too free. Are you mad? Call them and fix a day and time”.
She gave it one hard thought and eventually the magic word FREE worked its charm.
She agreed to go.
I was anxiously waiting for the Monday for she was supposed to go for the spa session on Sunday.
Viola! She looked so refreshed and smelled good. She entered my cabin and gave me a big tight hug and said Thank You.
“What happened?” I faked ignorance. You look and smell so different. “Did you meet a man in the spa?” I teased.
“Thanks for pushing me to go, dear”, Chamcham said. It was such a lovely experience and the hot water bath was totally refreshing. And you know what they helped me understand my body. I have a syndrome called excessive sweating. Though this is common but I must take good care of myself otherwise it might end up in disgusting skin problems.
“Oh! Accha”, I listened with great interest trying to hide I did it smile all the while.
From now on I am going to take hot water bath every day. I got Racold geyser installed yesterday itself. I got so many free gifts. The best thing about the spa session was it helped me realize that I can feel so good with just a little care. From now no more ‘sleeping beauty’ concept! We both laughed out loud.
I heaved a sigh of relief. I was happy that she was reborn and had decided to make a fresh start.
Note:
This blog is purely fiction. I had very good-looking and expensive perfume smelling co-workers.
This blog is an entry for a contest on Indiblogger, What’s that smell boss? for Racold Thermo Ltd.
