The Wretched Snakes

Short Story Infidelity – The Wretched Snakes
Photo credit: sssh221 from morguefile.com

I was hurrying up on the platform. There were just three minutes for the train to depart. I clutched my handbag tightly to my chest and ran. I could just manage to get a foothold on the train when it gave a jerk and began to pull off. I heaved a sign of relief,not because I didn’t miss the train , but because it would be taking me away from her, from her city , hopefully from her memories… I desperately wanted to forget her, the cruel , sly , two timing sl*t! There I said it! Although I had wanted to use many more adjectives  for her, I couldn’t make myself  to even think of her as bad…you see I had loved her! Genuinely..as far as love could go..maybe I still do ….Anyways, now I would be away from this wretched city.

As I hurried to find my berth in the compartment, it dawned on me that it was quite past the midnight hour. The lights in the compartment were dimmed, and most of the people were under the covers. Some sleeping, some trying to. But nobody like me I thought. I soon found my berth, it was  lower one. All the other berth were occupied, they were asleep I guess. It was nearly 3’o clock at night. I spread the sheets on the seat ,put the handbag as head rest and lied down. But I couldn’t sleep. My mind kept returning to her , my lovely wife , whom I had married just a month ago!! All of it was a dream , a fantasy….I had fallen in love with her the first time I set my eyes on her… rather her “Feet”! Strange as it may sound , I had seen her feet first, with a beautiful tattoo of  the word  “Love” on both the ankles and “payals” in the shape of snakes!!

I was fascinated . She was sleeping at the only bed in my cousins studio apartment. I was visiting the city for work and had just called on my cousin .That’s when I had seen those striking feet with those strange anklets.

They claimed they were working on a project together late at night ,so she had to spend the night there. I was so naive. I had taken them at face value. And over a period of two weeks we met often at my cousin’s place. She always used to suggest we meet there, and used to stay back even after I left. At that time I was so blinded by love, I never thought twice about anything. But now everything seems to fall in place.

We had got married about a month back. It was a low key affair with only my cousin from our side and one of her friend from hers. She didn’t have any living relations, she had claimed. The first week was bliss, as any newly married couple would agree. I used to stare at her ankles with the tattoos and the” snakes” on her feet. They were made of gold. She said she was  attracted to snakes so she had got herself these strange anklets.

Things had started to change the week after the marriage. Now my cousin used to visit us everyday. And they used to meet up even on the weekends for various projects . I was never included in these. Fool that I was , I never realized the truth, even when it was staring at me right in the face! But last week her friend told me .. but I had to see to believe. I caught them red handed at his apartment . I was devastated. Both of them didn’t even bother to give an explanation. There was just one thought consuming me. Why did she marry me?? What was my role in her life? For what purpose was I used?  Had she ever loved me ? Questions, but of which answers I would never get. I was bewildered , I just couldn’t accept my fate…

She just left. He came for her things the next day. I haven’t seen them since. Its been a week now. I don’t know their whereabouts. My wife’s friend said they were planning to leave the city . But she too didn’t have the details.

My life will never be the same again. I have lost my belief in love, in woman! I hate her. I never wanted to see them again. For that I was fleeing.. away from them..

I closed my eyes , trying hard to block all these thoughts from my mind. That’s when I heard a woman whisper . she was on the top berth , diagonally opposite to mine. She was whispering to someone who was above my berth asking him to join her! I was shocked, couldn’t they wait till they reach home or wherever.. maybe they were too much in love..maybe they were newly married.. I smiled at myself, maybe there were still people who love each other, people who don’t cheat on their husbands…

I couldn’t see them , the light was dim. The guy above was getting ready to jump to her. She moved , making space for him . Suddenly the blankets shifted, revealing her feet. My heart missed a beat . There were a pair of snakes glinting on  her ankles!

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