Family Story – First Wife
Photo credit: clarita from morguefile.com
After getting a job in a MNC, everyone at home wanted me to get married. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a single man with bright future must be I want of a good wife!! And very soon I found the girl I was looking for. And she was Sapna!
Even her family happily agreed and it was an arranged marriage which took place very shortly – which ended my dry days as bachelor and started happy married life.
Sapna was highly educated and working in a Government department in the same city where I was working. Her parents stayed in another city along with her younger brother. When I asked her if she had any plan about going to honeymoon, she looked at me and said,”Ajay, we both need some more time, we are not prepared to have a child right now. We have to look after our careers.” She sat near me and said, “I have to take some exams for getting increments and promotions, even you have to get better job now, as there are plenty of opportunities”.
She held my hand tightly in her and said “see Ajay, its just you and me and we can have honey-moon everyday!” and we both laughed. Our married life began as I expected.
We rented a flat in the city, decorated as per our mutual understanding and liking. We had our everyday routine. We both used to leave for our respective offices in the morning and come back in the evening together after spending our time in the evening. We used to spent time – sometimes for shopping, sometimes in coffee-shops, gardens or cinema halls. We made a good couple. We understood each other well. Like a good wife she, she cared for my likes and dislikes. She spent her time in kitchen learning new recipes which I liked most. I too gave her all my time – sometime helping her in kitchen, sometime taking her out to friends and parties. The days were passing like a dream.
As the month pass by – I got my salary. I remember handing it all to her along with my bank details. I expected the same from her but she didn’t do as I expected. I thought may be she needs more time. Another two months passed. I always handed over my salary but she never bothered to share any details with me. I never thought of pressing her for it, till she decides herself.
Later in the next month, when my salary got delayed and I had to ask her about her salary. She looked at me strangely and said “Ajay, it’s my salary and I have to give it to my parents as I always do.” I was bit confused but she continued- “My parents have done so much for me and now it is my duty towards them”. I did not know what to say and I kept quite. But this incident has created a slight rift in my mind.
I never asked her again and got back to into the life as usual. She too was doing her duties at home along with her job. One day, when she was not well. She was suffering from fever and cold. She had to take leave from work.
When I went to the office in the morning, I had call from my father. When I told him about Sapna being not well, he thought of visiting us with my mother on week-end. I told her, about father’s plan to visit us along with mother.
The expressions changed over her face; she looked at me strangely and said- “No, Ajay please ask them not to come.”
I was puzzled – “But Sapna, they wanted to visit us, its long time they have not seen us and…”
She stopped me and said, “I don’t want them to come, when I am not well. Let them come once I get all right, ok?”
I agreed. I felt she was right and I immediately called my father and asked him to postpone the visit under the pretext of heavy workload in office.
That evening was the most delightful evening of my life. I did not allow her to get up from bed. I prepared the dinner for us. We had good time talking and laughing with each other. Though the food I prepared was ordinary but she praised it and ate it all as I spoon-fed her.
The door bell rang around 6 o’clock in the morning and when I opened it in half-a-sleep to find her uncle and aunty standing with baggage. It was surprising for me but what was more surprising was the way Sapna jumped out of bed and then prepared breakfast for the guests. As it was week-end, we went out with them for outing. We both had good time and we enjoyed their company. After two days, we went to the station to see them off. I thanked aunty for their visit and said “though it was surprising, it was very nice of them.”
But aunty looked at me in a shock and said “Was it surprise? No, we had informed Sapna much before, may be she had forgotten to tell you.”
I looked at Sapna but she was busy talking to uncle. When we returned, I was upset. There were so many questions I had in mind, for which I wanted answers from Sapna.
Next morning, while having tea, I asked her- “Sapna, din’t you know about uncle’s visit before?” she nodded. “Then why didn’t you tell me?” I asked her. My voice was getting louder with rage, she looked at me, she had the same strange look on her face, as if she did not like what I asked, “Even you never shared any of your personal details with me. Neither you told about your about increments nor about your salary?” I was angry and my voice was getting louder.
She looked down not answering any of my questions and that made me furious. I move closer looking at her and shouted, “You never wanted my parents to visit us because you were not well and see, how you were jumping when your uncle had come?” I felt helpless and angry at same time. She got up and was moving away,I tried to hold her hand in sudden move. She backed a little and lost her balance. Her face hit the table as she fell down. I tried to hold her but she moved away in anger, “Don’t touch me!!” she whispered and she ran away inside the room.
I tried calling her but in vain. After sometime, suddenly the door opened as she came out. She had a bandage over her chin and a small bag in her hand. I went after her but she passed me quickly, out of house, banging the door on her back. I had terrible feeling that something has gone wrong with my life.
In the evening I waited but she didn’t return. I tried calling her mobile but it was switched off. I called her mother at night to find that she was at home with her parents. Next morning, I reached to her parents’ place. I found only her mother waiting for me. When I started asking about Sapna, her mother told me not to meet her now and she asked me to leave her on her own for few days. I was bit shocked but I had no other option.
Few days passed by, my parents tried their best to mend the relations but Sapna never responded. I later heard that she had transferred her job to some other city. And one day, for my surprise I received a court order regarding her divorce application. It was so shocking that I felt as if my world has been destroyed. I tried to meet her but I was never succeeded. As a defeated person, I accepted the life as it comes to me. With the help of mutual efforts from lawyers and friends the divorce case was settled outside the court and we were granted the divorce.
The time went on. It took me nearly one & half year to accept the life and to come in terms with it. I was like a man with no hopes. But things started to change slowly. It was Anita who understood me and helped me to get back in the life.
You must be wondering, why I am writing this story today? I will tell you reason now in a short while.
Five years passed. I was transferred into a new city. That day I took my four year old son to the nearest garden. I watched him running around the park with his ball. I was speaking over a mobile, when I saw the ball hit a lady sitting on the bench in the corner. My son was scared and came back to me saying” Dad, I accidentally hit the ball to the aunty, will she give me my ball now?” I told him to go back to her, “Say sorry to aunty and she will give you the ball back”. I said it in an encouraging tone.
I followed him as he went to her. I watched him. He went near her and said sorry for hitting the ball. The lady gave him the ball back and he came back shouting. “Dad, Aunty gave me the ball back!” We walked back slowly as I turned my head to look at her. She too was looking at me. And she was Sapna!!
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