Cricket Anyone? India vs Australia

This is my entry for the Summer Lovin' 2020 Contest. Be warned - it's a slow burn and full of Aussie lingo. Vegemite is consumed.

The story is set around a couple of Indian characters, Madiha and Neha, created by Sweetdreamssss. I collaborated with her extensively for this story. This one follows on from her stories, and I recommend you visit the "Landlord" series to get a bit of background.

Thanks to Bdrew86 and JerseyGirlDownUnder for some excellent assistance, and BelleCanzuto and Bramblethorn for reading it through and making sure it all made sense.

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'NEHA, GUESS WHAT??? I'M GOING ONSITE TO AUSTRALIA!!!'

'Madiha that's great! You're so lucky. You deserve it!' came the reply via text.

Luck had nothing to do with it. Well, maybe a little. It was luck Amit was still Madiha's supervisor at Raspberry Infotech, and that he was more progressive in his thinking than most of his colleagues. Raspberry Infotech was a large Indian based software development company, specialising in devising solutions to allow disparate programs to talk to each other seamlessly. Madiha had been instrumental in devising the breakthrough that allowed this dream of all IT users to occur. Their innovative methods allowed them to further expand worldwide and Madiha had occasionally travelled to other offices, but this was different. This was special. If this was accepted by their clients, then Raspberry Infotech would be rolling out the update to them all. And Madiha would be the project leader.

Amit had called Madiha into his office one morning in November. He had a solemn look on his face, his hands clasped together on the desk. "Please close the door and sit down Madiha. I have to tell you some news about the project."

Madiha sat down, and her heart was sinking. Again she was going to be overlooked for a senior position, she thought. Western women talked about glass ceilings in their professional life, but in India the ceilings were concrete. They rarely broke.

Amit looked down at the desk and took a deep breath. He didn't seem to want to look at Madiha. "I put your case to management. In my opinion, you are the most qualified person to go onsite. They were adamant that Ranjani was as good, but I referred them to your previous work, and to the fact that it was you who finally got the system running effectively. Not him. I insisted that if anything went wrong in Melbourne, you could resolve the issue without needing external assistance."

He looked up at her and broke into a broad grin. "They agreed. You have to be at the Melbourne office when it reopens in January after the Christmas break."

Madiha's mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe what she had heard and asked, "Pardon? I'm going onsite? Really?"

She really wanted to hug Amit, but there were too many people outside his office looking curiously at them. Madiha slowly exhaled and reached over the desk to shake Amit's hand. "Thank you. I... Thank you. It must have been hard for you to get this for me. Thank you for your support."

"You deserve it, Madiha." He started chuckling. "It was very hard for me not to tell you straight away without smiling. That's why I was looking at the desktop. I wanted to see your expression when I said you were going."

He became serious. "So, as of today, you are to transfer your work to the others in the team and concentrate on what you need to succeed in Australia. You have to make this work. I have faith in you, but others will be happy to see you fail. Don't give them the satisfaction."

She left his office feeling like she was walking on clouds. It was unbelievable. She immediately sent a message to her friend, Neha, and started to think of everything she needed to do in the six weeks before she flew out.

The time raced by. She managed to get everything completed on schedule with her team's help. The whole team was excited with her opportunity because, as Madiha happily explained, it was their unwavering teamwork that had made it happen. Even Ranjani, who she thought would be upset when he wasn't chosen, seemed to be happy to pitch in. Training materials were shipped, copies of the software stored on the secure server and backups made. Her work visa arrived, and her flight and accommodation details were confirmed. The only glitch was there were no business class seats available on the first leg of her flight, but Madiha didn't mind. That short hop to Kuala Lumpur was only a small part of the trip.

She was ready and was getting nervous. This was going to be very different from her first onsite trip to Omaha in the USA. On that visit, she had been part of a larger team and there hadn't been a decent sized Desi population in the city. Melbourne was the opposite. There was quite a large Indian community, but Madiha wanted to stay away from that as much as possible. She was there by herself to work, but she wanted to be able to have some fun without having to comply with the usual social conventions Indian women had to deal with.

Amit had argued to upper management that her new status required her to fly business class and to have her own serviced apartment. She would be in Melbourne for about three months - maybe a bit longer - so he put the business case that it was more economical to stay in an apartment than a hotel. The company was happy to pay for the serviced apartment, but the compromise was they wouldn't pay for her meals unless they were directly related to work. Madiha was grateful to have the freedom of her own apartment and was happy with providing her own meals. After all, she would have had to eat at home.

She went back to her parents' house to say goodbye and pick up a few things that might be useful. Madiha was surprised her normally very reserved father actually seemed proud of her achievement. Miracles did happen. She suspected that both her parents hoped after this onsite trip she would finally settle down and find a husband. She didn't want to disappoint them, but there wasn't much chance of that happening anytime soon. She was enjoying her work and relatively carefree life too much.

Neha insisted on seeing her before she left. "It's ok. You don't have to come. It's a long way on the bus and it's not like I'm leaving forever," protested Madiha.

"But I want to," replied Neha in her excited high pitched anime voice, "We don't see each other enough now we're in different offices, and I miss you. We should at least get a pizza and maybe go to a nightclub now we're both single again. We might even meet a couple of nice guys. Or even just one to share."

"You are such a sex addict Neha!" Madiha giggled, "Ok, it would be great to see you before I go. So when can you get here?"

They went through their calendars but the only day that would work was the Thursday night before Madiha was to fly out. Neha was working in Chennai, so it would take her nearly eight hours to get to Madiha's home in Bangalore by bus. Neither girl owned a car, and Neha's little motor scooter was not designed for such a long trip. They concluded that the night club might not be a good idea as Madiha had to get to the airport early, but getting a pizza, and maybe the pizza boy, was definitely going to happen.

Madiha met Neha at the Majestic bus station around 6 pm on her own scooter and headed back to her one-bedroom flat, Neha chattering in her ear all the way. Madiha sighed. Neha could be annoying, but she was a good friend. And they did have some fun times.

"I'm glad you got the onsite position," said Neha after the pizza arrived and they decided that the delivery boy could leave safely. "You're the hardest and smartest worker in RI. I don't think I'd be able to do what you have."

Madiha reached over and clinked her cranberry Breezer against Neha's. "Thanks. But you're as smart and have different talents. Things that I'm jealous of. And thanks for taking the day off work. I really wanted to see you before I left."

Neha bit into her pizza. "Phhh..."

They ate in silence for a bit. "Madiha. Thanks again for getting us away from Shrek. I was blinded by the size of his dick."

Vishwa, or Shrek as the two called him, had been their landlord five years ago. He was a fat, ugly and manipulative slug and had used his leverage to worm his way into having sex with Neha, then Madiha. He thought he could fuck them forever, but Madiha stopped that with some devious work of her own.

They laughed, and Madiha replied sombrely, "Fucking ogre. We were becoming his prostitutes so he could get cheap vegetables."

"But I did enjoy my first DP. It was so intense," giggled Neha. She took a sip of her Breezer. "So, are you planning on getting your second 'Mile High' club badge?"

"It would be nice. If I happen to meet a cute guy."

Madiha had fond memories of Jeff initiating her into the 'Mile High' club and hoped she could repeat the experience. This time she was going to be more prepared. She had carefully shaved her pubic area and had selected her clothing so someone could have easy access to her boobs and vagina. But her outfit still looked suitably business-like and socially acceptable.

They chatted more over pizza and ice cream, then went to bed. Madiha only had one bed, so they naturally shared it. They had done this before when they first met, then when Shrek uncle was fucking both of them, one after the other.

Madiha had a terrible night's sleep. She'd forgotten how restless Neha was. Between Neha flailing around like she was having an orgasm, and her own worries about whether she was up to the task, Madiha woke up more tired and grumpy than before she went to sleep.

Neha, on the other hand, had been up for an hour practising her yoga. "Good morning Madiha! I hope you slept well."

Madiha just gave her the eye and went to make breakfast.

She felt better after some food and went off to have a shower and get dressed. Neha had volunteered to clean up the flat and visit occasionally to make sure it was ok.

"I might use it as my Bangalore love nest," she said, laughing.

"Fine with me. As long as you tell me the details," replied Madiha. "And if you break the bed, you replace it. I know you. You'll get three guys here fucking you all together, and my bed won't carry all that weight."

"I promise to put the mattress on the floor. If I have more than two guys here," Neha giggled.

Madiha called a taxi to take them to the airport for her midday flight. There was no way two suitcases and a box of IT gear and training materials would go on her scooter, so Amit had agreed to the expense.

"It's your project, and your budget," he said a week earlier, as he slid a new corporate credit card across the desk to her. "As long as you keep the receipts and can justify your claim, there won't be a problem."

He did wonder about taking the box of training material, but Madiha said she wanted to be sure the training version of the software was safe and that the latest version of the manual was ready for the first scheduled meeting.

Amit just shrugged. "Ok. I'll get someone from Melbourne to meet you at the airport. And Ranjani's organised for your phone to be placed on international roaming. Use it until you get an Australian SIM card from the Melbourne office."

Madiha and Neha arrived at Bangalore airport in plenty of time to check-in for the first leg of her trip. This was a hop to Kuala Lumpur for a stopover, then an overnight flight for a 9 am Saturday Melbourne arrival.

The two girls had a final cup of tea before Madiha had to go through the security checks and to her departure gate.

"I will miss you Madiha. Let me know when you arrive in Kuala Lumpur, and in Melbourne," Neha moped, "But I like your choice of clothes for flying. I hope it works for you."

Madiha laughed and brushed her hands down her chest. It was summer in Australia, so she had picked a red short sleeve cotton shirt that was tight across her boobs, a grey linen flared skirt that finished above her knees, and underneath a lacy front hook red bra and a matching thong. It looked professional but still sexy.

"I'm prepared. I don't know if anything will happen on the first leg, being daylight but you never know." She stood up and straightened her skirt. "I'd better go. Thanks for seeing me off."

They hugged and Madiha picked up her carry-on bag, said "Bye!" and headed off through security. She looked back over her shoulder but Neha was already lost in the crowd. Madiha now felt truly alone, even with hundreds of people milling around. She was a little scared of where her adventure would take her. One deep breath to settle her nerves and Madiha walked quickly to the airline lounge near her terminal gate.

She found a quiet spot and looked around. A waitress came over and asked if she would like a drink. "Tea please," she replied.

'Wow,' she thought, 'Travelling as an executive certainly has its privileges.'

Madiha sipped the tea and admired the large group of very fit men in blue shirts occupying one corner of the lounge. It looked like the business seats had been booked for the Indian men's hockey team. Madiha unconsciously licked her lips. She would have liked to have had a game with a couple of them...

"Hirogaru yami no naka kawas..." started blasting from her phone, startling her from her daydreaming. Madiha quickly rummaged through her bag and answered the call. She knew from the "Death Note" ringtone that it was Neha. She hated it, but Neha insisted she kept it as it was still her friend's favourite anime cartoon.

"Hi Neha. Oh, the spare key is where we always left it. Sorry about that. I forgot to tell you. I think I know why I'm in the economy seats. I'll send you a picture... You'll like it... I'm boarding in about a half-hour. A lovely lady brought me a cup of tea, and I'm admiring some very fit men... Well, a couple have been looking at me, especially when my phone rang... Can I please change your ringtone? It's very embarrassing... Yes, I'll change it back when I'm back home. I'd better go. Bye!"

A short while later the waitress came over and asked her to move to the boarding gate, so she gave the hockey team one last lingering look as they also left.

Madiha boarded the plane and found her window seat. As she suspected, the sportsmen had made their way to the front of the aircraft. She sighed, disappointed she wasn't there with them. She quickly stored her carry-on bag as the rest of the passengers started boarding, wondering who her neighbour would be.

She didn't have to wait long. An obese American male fell into the aisle seat next to her with a loud groan. Just the exertion of getting up the ramp to the plane seemed to have been too hard for him. He was puffing, deep red in the face and sweating profusely. Madiha just looked at him in horror. He looked like Jabba the Hutt crawling down the aisle and into the seat beside her. She could feel his fat creeping towards her like some evil presence, and he smelled like stale KFC chips. This was the grossest possible situation she could have imagined, the stuff of nightmares. She glanced sideways and shuddered.

He looked at her like the way Shrek had and nodded, his tongue just quickly darting out between his thin lips. His eyes never left what her tight shirt was covering. She cringed and put her headphones on, then stared out the window. This was going to be a long flight.

Once they were in the air the American tried to engage her in conversation. His name was Randy, and he was an IT consultant from San Francisco but heading to Sydney. Where was she going?

Madiha rolled her eyes. Of course he was Randy, and he looked every part the clichéd American IT worker. She tried to cut off any more conversation by answering in short, direct sentences. Madiha. Umm... meeting my husband in Melbourne. He's a software engineer. No, I don't want to see your hardware improvements...

The Hutt kept trying to converse. So she was Indian. She didn't look it. Much lighter skin than the Indians he'd met. More like those special Thai ladies. He liked Thailand. The women were very friendly. Very friendly, he repeated slowly and winked at her.

Her skin felt like it was trying to escape out the window. She hit the buzzer for the stewardess and pleaded for a pillow and blanket. The monster didn't take the hint and continued talking at her. And there were so many people in India. It smelt funny. And what was with McDonald's having no Big Macs? And no pepperoni pizza? Vegetarian and chicken only? How were they going to get tourists in if they didn't sell beef or bacon?

Madiha glanced at her watch from under the blanket. They'd been in the air for nearly three hours and she really needed to pee but didn't want to climb past the mountain of lard beside her. She breathed deeply and started to meditate. Some of Neha's yoga lessons were finally being useful.

At Kuala Lumpur, the American left her for a different flight. He made one last attempt to flirt with her and handed over his business card. Madiha took it reluctantly and shredded it as soon as she could dispose of it. She made a mad dash to the toilet and watched forlornly as the hockey team headed off in a different direction.

She headed to the transit lounge as there was about a three-hour wait until her next flight. Madiha frowned as she tried to call Neha. She had no cell phone reception, but she assumed Ranjani hadn't thought to include Malaysia in the roaming package. It wasn't a big deal - she just sent a Whatsapp message using the free wifi saying she had landed but didn't have any fun on the flight, adding the details of her neighbour.

'Eww. Gross!' was Neha's reply.

A very nice dinner was supplied, which she wolfed down. She hadn't had anything by choice on the first leg of her trip, and she was ravenous. She looked around the lounge, but there was no one who excited her or took anything more than a curious look at her in return.

Her flight departed at 10 pm local time, and there were about another eight hours in the air. In business class, she had a seat with no neighbours. It was quite a difference to the economy seats she had travelled in previously. There was no chance of any close introductions, even if there was anyone else she thought was interesting in the cabin. Eventually, she slept.

She woke up when breakfast was being served to find she was now over Central Australia. Curious, she looked out the window but couldn't see much below. The thought of waking up and suddenly being in another country got her excited about her adventure again.

The plane touched down and they disembarked around 9.30 am. The Captain had informed them that it was going to be a very hot 41 degrees celsius, along with a strong northerly wind. Madiha was used to hot weather, so she just shrugged while packing up her carry on luggage. Annoyingly, her phone still had no reception. She connected to the free wifi in the airport and sent Neha and Amit a message. Amit's message was short and terse, asking him to get Ranjani to sort out her phone. Neha's was a bit longer but also included all Amit's contact details - just in case he wasn't checking his email over the weekend. She was feeling a bit lost with no phone to keep her company.

Madiha collected her baggage and pushed the trolley towards Customs. She hadn't heard anything from the person who was to take her to the apartment, and she fervently hoped they were outside waiting. Her luggage weighed nearly as much as she did, and she didn't want to have to carry it anywhere.

Customs was thankfully just a formality. The Sikh Customs Officer checked her documents and asked in Hindi, "Do you plan to watch some cricket while you're here?"

"Maybe," Madiha replied in English, "but I'm sad that I missed the Boxing Day Test Match."