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
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.
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Thank you 🙂
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Channeling her feelings into housework as a form of therapy, but I wonder how long she can keep up the pretence.
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Thank you, Lain
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A good form of therapy. Great story Piyali
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Thank you, Kamal
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Welcome
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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
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Thanks Susan
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Stress therapy I must say! 😉
Great write!❤
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Hahaha, her confused mind 😉
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Such a sad story, I hope she finds peace.
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I hope so too. Thank you, Michael
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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.
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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 🙂
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Time for a clean start. Skillfully written Piyali
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Thank you, Keith
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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.
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Thank you, Stuhn. This was her initial reaction, hope she arrives to a decision soon.
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Nice description of her state of mind, channelling her pain into cleaning and keeping up appearances.
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Thank you, Kirst 🙂
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perhaps it’s time for general cleaning of the house that includes getting rid of the husband, too. 🙂
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Hahaha that’s definitely in her agenda next. Thank you
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Getting rid of daily stress. Nicely done.
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Thank you, Lisa
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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.
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She may do that too later. Right now, she is just trying to process the whole thing in her mind. Thank you.
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I never considered cleaning as therapy for pain. Chocolate, but not cleaning 🙂
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Chocolate sounds good. I may add that detail when I rewrite this story.
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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.
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Yes, I agree with you, she should just leave him
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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
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I like the bonfire idea, it will make the story more interesting 😉 thank you, Rochelle.
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Thank you for linking Richa.
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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.
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I know. She should get rid of him. Thanks, dear.
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Exactly!
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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.
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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.
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