The warmth of the water soothed his aching bones. His joints were sore after the workout. He should have just done a warm up and a couple of stretches then light weights. No, for some inexplicable reason, he decided to do something new and now he was suffering for it. He closed his eyes and sighed. His body was crying out because of the stress he had put it through.
Why did he do it? He must have been out of his mind. Thankfully, it was Friday evening so he had the long weekend to recover. It was too bad he had to scrap his plans to go out tomorrow night for wings with his friends and then shoot some pool afterwards.
When he got out of this tub, he would put on his pajamas, make it somehow to the kitchen to fix himself something to eat and stay on the sofa until it was time to go to bed. He didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. He just wanted to be left alone to get his body back to itself. It was going to be a recuperative and binge watching weekend for him. Hopefully, by Monday, he would be right as rain again.
Half hour later, he got out of the tub, grimacing although the aches and pains weren’t as bad as before. The soak in the hot water had helped. He stood on the mat and dried his skin. Then, after dumping the towel in the laundry bin, he made his way slowly to his bedroom to get dressed. He had just finished pulling on his pajama bottom and was reaching for the shirt when the doorbell rang.
He froze. Who was it? He wasn’t expecting anyone and he really wasn’t in the mood for company. Maybe if he ignored it, the person would go away. He waited but the doorbell rang again. Grimacing, he went to see who it was. He looked through the keyhole. It was Pia.
He opened the door. She looked startled to see him shirtless and tried to avoid looking at his bare torso. If he weren’t still achy, he would have found her behavior amusing. “Hi,” he said.
“Don’t hi me. Did you forget that we were supposed to go to the movies this evening?”
“I’m sorry, I completely forgot.”
“What’s the matter with you?”
“My body’s still feeling sore.”
“Sore? What have you been doing?”
“I overdid it with my workout today and am paying the price now.”
“Ok. What have you done about the achiness?”
“I had a hot bath which helped a little.”
“You should know better than to over exercise.”
“Would you like to come in?”
“Sure. Why don’t you go and finished getting dressed while I fix you some Apple Cider Vinegar?”
He made a face. “Apple Cider Vinegar? What’s that for?”
“It’s recommended for sore muscles because of its anti-inflammatory and alkalising properties. It helps to reduce muscle pain and inflammation. I can either mix a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in water and you take it or you can apply it directly to the affected areas.”
“I think lots of rest and a hot water bottle will suffice.”
“Do you have any Ginger Oil?”
“Yes.”
“The next time you take a warm bath, add a few drops of the Ginger Oil.”
“All right, I’ll do that.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No.”
“Go and put on your pajama shirt while I fix you something to eat.” She had been over at his place often enough to know her way around the kitchen.
It was good having her there and after he finished getting dressed, he went into the living-room and sat down on the sofa. The soft cushion felt great against his sore muscles. He leaned his head against the back and closed his eyes.
“Here you are.”
He opened his eyes. Pia was standing above him with a plate of pasta which looked and smelled really appetizing. “What’s this?”
“It’s Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta.”
He took the plate from her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Enjoy.”
“Aren’t you going to have any?”
“No. I ate before I came over.”
“Will you stay for a while?”
“Yes. We can watch some TV while you eat.”
Sources: Times of India; Nezza Natural; The Modern Proper
Notes to Women 