Title: A Day Outside the Cage
He met her after many years. His appearance hadn’t changed — small, stout, with a slightly dull complexion. She, on the other hand, had never been considered a great beauty. But before her marriage, she had worked hard on herself, exercised with dedication, and transformed her figure. In that phase of her life, she looked truly stunning.
After marriage, though, she saw most of her dreams wither away, one by one. The only consolation was that she had married the first man she ever loved. Staying strong, fighting for that love, and finally being able to marry him had felt like a victory — and for that, she was happy. But deep down, she knew she had made a mistake. He slept till late, never lifted a finger around the house, left his things scattered everywhere — and she was always the one cleaning up after him. He showed no interest in visiting the places she longed to see.
After much reflection, she realised how caged she felt. Despite working, she couldn’t enjoy life the way she had dreamed of. Weekends that should have been filled with shared adventures were wasted on a man whose only idea of enjoyment was booze, chicken, and endless sleep.
One day, Riya decided enough was enough. She had to take charge of her happiness. All she needed was a friend to explore the world with. She reached out to a few old acquaintances and eventually reconnected with an old admirer — a man who had once wanted her as his girlfriend. Back then, she’d been too blinded by love for the man who now treated her like furniture. So she thought — why not explore new places with this old admirer? She knew her limits and wasn’t about to let anything cross the line.
She could have gone with a woman friend, but making friends had never been her strength. She had hardly any — except one, who wasn’t allowed out on weekends because of a messy relationship with an ex.
That day, Riya and her old admirer decided to visit the Red Fort. She wore black capri pants, a red canvas bag, and her watch. Her hair was styled in a chic bob cut, and she looked charming. When they met, they revived old memories, talked about Nirwan — a common friend — and then headed inside. They wandered through museum after museum, browsed the shops, strolled through the parks, and clicked a few pictures. Later, they went to Dilli Haat, where they savoured fruit beer and chicken momos.
He, a lazy but chivalrous Bengali art director, kept praising her looks throughout the day. He congratulated her on her marriage, asked about her husband, and even joked that if he had the money, he would have married her. In her heart, Riya smiled — as if she would have given him that chance. She didn’t like him — not his lazy ways, his loser attitude, or his laid-back approach to life. But she appreciated the attention.
At Dilli Haat, he bought her a couple of trinkets as souvenirs. When the day wound down, she suggested they call it a day. He offered to drop her off, and she didn’t mind the company. At the metro station, he mentioned he needed to buy soap and shampoo for his mother. She pointed out a nearby mall, and they shopped together briefly before parting ways. He complimented the area she lived in before saying goodbye.
That brief outing made her feel like a rockstar. She felt wonderful — about herself, about life. Where she had once felt trapped in a cage — with a marriage, a job, a house, but no fun — today’s small adventure reminded her that maybe life wasn’t so bad after all.
She returned home to find her husband — freshly awake from his drunken slumber — in the mood to cook chicken. She thought, Why not? And she didn’t tell a soul how lovely that day had felt.
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