She spritzed some of the soapy solution on the glass-top and started wiping it rigorously with a soft cloth.
Dressed in a faded flannel gown with her hair tied up, she looked distressed and exhausted, but, today is cleaning day and she didn’t want to waste it by letting disturbing thoughts occupy her mind.
The nagging doubt she’d for months had been cleared last evening when her husband came home smelling foreign. She now knew why he refused to hold her in those long lonely nights.
Anyway, she wanted her house to look spick and span by the end of the day and that’s what she’d dedicate her time to right now.
Written for Friday Fictioneers
PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot
Piyali's blogs 
Husband is cheating and she is busy getting rid of foreign scent! Why not leave him? Nice story telling anger and anxiety bottled up inside her.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLike
Channeling her feelings into housework as a form of therapy, but I wonder how long she can keep up the pretence.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Lain
LikeLiked by 1 person
A good form of therapy. Great story Piyali
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Kamal
LikeLike
Welcome
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmm, displacement behaviour will get her nowhere. She needs to sort out her marriage. Nicely done, Piyali.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Susan
LikeLike
Stress therapy I must say! 😉
Great write!❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha, her confused mind 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a sad story, I hope she finds peace.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope so too. Thank you, Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like your story, Piyali. You conjure up a vivid image of the woman in her distress. She can’t control what her husband does, but she can control the housework. I like the way you let us know this is routine – “today is cleaning day” – it’s not a special effort in response to her husband’s infidelity. She’s making an assertion that says, “If my marriage is going to break down, it won’t be my fault, because I will have done everything that I’m supposed to do.” That makes her very believable and a character with whom we can sympathise.
Really nicely written.
LikeLiked by 3 people
This is exactly what I wanted my story to say and I am glad it did. Thank you for the feedback, now I am relieved that my story does make sense. I was little apprehensive before but now I am good, thanks to you, Penny 🙂
LikeLike
Time for a clean start. Skillfully written Piyali
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Keith
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think we were all swept along in her trying to absorb the pain of his infidelity. Hoping she has the strength & chance to free herself from shying away.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Stuhn. This was her initial reaction, hope she arrives to a decision soon.
LikeLike
Nice description of her state of mind, channelling her pain into cleaning and keeping up appearances.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Kirst 🙂
LikeLike
perhaps it’s time for general cleaning of the house that includes getting rid of the husband, too. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha that’s definitely in her agenda next. Thank you
LikeLiked by 1 person
Getting rid of daily stress. Nicely done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Lisa
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cleaning day… trying to wipe away the ugly in her life… one way to cope that doesn’t require her officially facing up to it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She may do that too later. Right now, she is just trying to process the whole thing in her mind. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never considered cleaning as therapy for pain. Chocolate, but not cleaning 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Chocolate sounds good. I may add that detail when I rewrite this story.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think she’s trying to force order into her life, which seems to be spinning out of control. It is a way of channeling anger but I hope she tells her cheating husband to get out when he comes back.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I agree with you, she should just leave him
LikeLike
Dear Piyali,
That’s one way of clearing her mind. Next she should clear his things out, put them in the driveway and start a bonfire. 😉 Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the bonfire idea, it will make the story more interesting 😉 thank you, Rochelle.
LikeLike
Thank you for linking Richa.
LikeLike
Oh wow! Sometimes, people channel their worst feelings into productive things, looking for a distraction. I hope that one day, she’ll be able to cleanse her mind and life by getting rid of that cheating scum.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know. She should get rid of him. Thanks, dear.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You nailed the angst, sense of despair and the overriding sense of routinity that accompanies her realization of her husband’s infidelity and her own place and purpose in the scheme of things.
Very well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the read, Neel.It is the initial reaction after a shocking discovery. People try to numb the pain by focusing hard on the regular routine stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person