REVENGE

Everyone, now-a-days says me, my face looks lugubrious but nobody tries to know the reason behind this melancholy. My in-laws know this but why they will put efforts to make me feel elated. After all they are also responsible for this dismay.

More than 6 months have passed by of being married but still I haven’t been anywhere with Raj for honeymoon. I used to hear that excitement, ravishment, broad smile always appear on new bride’s face. A unique glow reflects on bride’s face till some months after marriage. Newly married couples leave no chance to enjoy or romance with each other but when I got married to Raj, my life took a different direction. In my married life there was everything apart from excitement, romance, exhilaration and blush.

Raj married me not because he needed wife but he needed a maid. Some duties were assigned to me such as moping and swapping, dusting, cooking and serving to in-laws and guests.

These duties can be fulfilled by an amateur maid as well. If they needed a lady for household work only, then why did they make me married to Raj? This country is not deficient of domestic servants after all. They could easily get any servant.

My father made hasty decision about my life. I didn’t want to marry Raj. I kept urging my father that I didn’t like this person but no word got into his thick head. Indeed he intentionally was not trying to understand my feelings.

In fact I don’t remember how many times I showed him reluctance but he was getting nowhere else.

I was preoccupied by these thoughts but suddenly a door bell broke the train of my thoughts.

I opened the door and saw a postman, little bit short and stout, carrying a bunch of letters in his right hand.

“Yes, why are you here?”
“Are you Nidhi Aggarwal?” – Postman asked

“Yes, it’s me.”
“This letter is for you. Please sign over here.”

I received the letter in my left hand and turning it front and back to see the name of sender but the postman intervened – “Please sign over here.” I made the signature and the postman left.

It was first time when I received a letter after my marriage. I was curious about it. I immediately opened it and read the letter. It had only one statement which was signed by Ankur.

“Hi Nidhi, I am back”

As I read the statement, I got tickled pink. The letter filled me with rapture. I was full of beans. As a barren land yearns for rain desperately similarly I was dying for one glance of Ankur.

For a while, I felt as if I have got all the happiness of my life in that single moment. It was getting difficult for me to keep my feet on the ground. I thought that the letter brought a ray of hope in my life through which, I could meet all my desires.

Suddenly my phone rang up, it displayed Raj on the screen and as I saw it all the clouds of imagination, I had, shattered. I didn’t want to pick up the call but what could I do else. I received the call in spite of being unwilling to attend it.

“Hello” (in a very dull voice)
“Hi, Nidhi, how are you? – asked Raj

“I am fine”
“What happened, you sound very dull. Is everything all right?”-asked Raj

“Everything is ok, don’t worry” – I replied
“Well, I called you to inform that I am coming tomorrow.” – said Raj

I was not happy at all though I made like to be happy. I replied –“I will be waiting for you. come soon.”

This was the first time when I was not happy for Raj coming here. This unexpected behaviour put me into contemplation that a woman who was always hungry for spending time with her husband, getting the open opportunity today but was not pleased. Why? It had been over 3 months since I hadn’t met Raj and when he was coming back home I was not happy. How strange behaviour! But I was not getting.

****

Next day I got up as I usually do, to make tea for my in-laws and me. My mother-in-law came to the kitchen and asked me to cook favourite dishes for Raj.

I came to my bedroom with a cup of tea. SMS tone rang, I picked up phone, and there were messages of Ankur.

“Hey Nidhi..”

“H r u ?”

“Missed u a lot..”

“Wanna meet u..”

“Will u come?”

“If yes…today eve at 5:00 in the same coffee shop where we used to meet a time ago.”

I replied evasively – “I will manage to come, but confirm you at 4 o’ clock.”

I evoked my past memories with Ankur. That was the best time of my life which I spent with Ankur after all he was my first love. I can’t forget him even though I wanted to. But we can’t change our destiny.

It was afternoon time when the door bell rang. I opened the door. It was Raj.

“Hi Nidhi, how are you, so glad to see you” – said Raj while hugging Nidhi

“I am absolutely fine” – I replied keeping fake smile on my face

Raj went inside towards drawing room and touched his parents’ feet and took their blessings. Raj’s parents became emotional to see him after a long time. Raj solaced them and said soon he was going to be transferred to home town branch and he would become permanent PWD Engineer in that branch.

I interrupted and asked everyone to have lunch. We lunched together. Raj asked me to have dinner with him in hotel but I denied. Then Raj went to the bedroom for rest. After cleaning the kitchen I also went to him. In presence of Raj I could not go to cafe thus I thought to drop a message to Ankur. When I went to the room I saw Raj had my mobile phone. I got startled by his behaviour.

I immediately drove him to distraction. “Raj, you must be exhausted, you should take some rest and you have started operating my phone. Have I ever restricted you to see my phone? Then why are you spying on me like this?”

“No, Nidhi I am not spying on you. Actually your message tone rang, that’s why I thought to see. If you are hurt then I am sorry but I don’t have any intention to spy on you.”

Rather replying to Raj, I rushed to Raj and snatched phone and came out of the room.

It was Ankur’s message – “Are you coming?”

I replied, “Sorry Ankur, I can’t make it possible today but soon will meet you.”

I put my phone on screen lock because I didn’t want Raj to see this chat.

I was not happy at all to see Raj in the house. I wanted him to go as soon as possible so that I can breathe freely. I was not even interested to talk to him. I was feeling suffocated every moment. I felt as if I had been imprisoned for no reason. I was feeling my life like a hell since the time Raj came back home.

I laid down on bed on the left of Raj. Usually we used to take one single bed sheet or blanket over us but today I took separate blanket. Raj astonished to see this unexpected behaviour but he didn’t react. He kept laying calmly. Few minutes later he came close to me to take our relationship step ahead but I was not willing and hence denied. Raj backed off and put his face inside the blanket and slept.

Suddenly some questions bothered me. “Why I denied Raj? Afterall he is my husband; he has a right over me. I was getting mad for Raj’s love and attention and when he is ready for it then I stepped back why?

Rather spending time with Raj, I was taking dreams of Ankur. Whole night I was disturbed as I was dying to meet Ankur. I was madly over heels in love with him. I was not able to control my emotions and therefore I called Ankur and confessed my love for him. He became exhilarated and asked me to meet him next day. I had fire in my belly thus next day I befooled Raj by making excuse that my best friend, Shivani is in the hospital so I had to leave for. Raj asserted and I left home to meet Ankur.

Next day I met Ankur not in cafe but in a hotel. I rushed to the room no. 526. I knocked the door. Ankur opened it; I was so delighted to see Ankur. I immediately hugged Ankur and said “I love you Ankur.”

Ankur hugged me so gently and lifted me into his lap, kissed my forehead and made me laying on the bed. He also confessed his love for me.

Somebody knocked the door, Ankur asked “who is there”? ”room service, sir” – a reply came from out of the door.

Ankur opened the door, it was not waiter but it was Raj. Raj pushed him a side and entered to peep into the room. I was shocked and got up from the bed immediately when I saw him in the room.

“R… Ra..a..a..Raj You”

“Yes my dear wife, it’s me. You were supposed to go to the hospital to meet Shivani then how you came here? Oh, now I got it Ankur is Shivani, well first time I can see, a hotel room has turned into a hospital room for you, right Nidhi? Do you think I am a fool?”

I fumbled up, I was embarrassed. Before I could say anything, he outburst his rage.

“What is this Nidhi, why you made lies to me and mom and dad? How long it has been going on? How long this affair you have been sustaining? You married me and enjoying married life with this moron. How can you do this? I am totally shocked to see that my wife is betraying me. She is cheating on me.”

“Raj you misunderstood the whole situation. Just listen to me once.”- I begged him.

“You really think you deserve to say anything after creating this mess in our lives? Thank God, I saw messages on your mobile which stated that Ankur wanted to meet you at cafe. I made like I am unaware about and when you saw this you got discomfort and locked the screen of your mobile. This was the first moment when you sowed the seeds of doubt.”

“Not only this, you had always been complaining for not spending time with you and when I took the initiative, you took back steps. Now I understood why you had problem to have dinner with me because Ankur is your prince.”

“Still you must be thinking how I have come to know that you are in the hotel. I tell you, when I came close to you and you showed reluctance, I understood something is wrong. Thus I pretended sleeping. That night you were very anxious, you started roaming around in the room and few minutes later you called Ankur and confessed your love for him. I heard your whole conversation with Ankur. I felt as if somebody pulled rug under from my feet. I became extremely upset to know my wife loves another guy.”

“If I wanted, I could catch you on the spot but I didn’t do that because that day I realized you are cunning and could easily befool me to defend yourself. Thus I thought to nab you in the hotel room. Why did you do this Nidhi, why, tell me, speak up.”

“Because I love Ankur. He is my first love. Can you hear me? I always loved him.” – I screamed.

These words spread poignant serenity all around the room. Raj placated down. He was all ears to know the reason behind this pathetic situation.

“I never wanted to marry you. I always love Ankur. I tried to explain this thing to my father but he never paid attention. He always wanted me to marry a Govt. employee. When Ankur came to my father with his parents to ask for my hand, he rejected the proposal bluntly and affronted him because Ankur had private job. After that incident, my father hurriedly started looking for Govt. employees and made me married to you.”

“In the meanwhile, I came to know Ankur had gone Dubai because he was establishing his import-export business unit there. I couldn’t contact Ankur further because I didn’t have his contact details. When I married you Raj, you were always busy due to your transfers. You didn’t get time to spend with me. In fact we couldn’t go for our honeymoon. I always felt that you needed a maid who could serve your parents. I wanted to be treated like your wife not as a servant. Sorry, Raj, I can’t sustain this marriage further, I want divorce.”

When Raj heard these words he shattered completely, He couldn’t say anything for a while. He was as silent as grave. He got to know if he gave any chance to make everything alright even then nothing would be normal, thus he asserted to divorce and left the room.

****

When I reached home, I saw my in-laws, Raj and my dad all were gathered in the drawing room. My mother-in-law came to me, she was very furious. She slapped me and gave me what for to do shameful activity.

“Bloody b##ch, how dare you to spoil my son’s life? Haven’t you been ashamed of it? Do you have any idea how demeaning activity you have done? If you loved Ankur so much then why had you married Raj? And Mr. Desai, when your daughter didn’t like my son since starting why forcefully you got her into this relation? Because you wanted a Govt. employee Son-in-law. You found only my son to spoil his life? What should I mean it; your covetousness has brought my home on the ropes.”

“How apprehensible it is, ultimately today my home is shattered like a dry leaf. And Nidhi you are responsible for this. Why didn’t you tell the truth, at least you could tell me. I could try to take out a solution but you betrayed me.” – said Nidhi’s Mother-in-law.

“Nidhi you betrayed me, hurt me, I curse you one day someone else will come in your life and break your faith and when you realize your faults, it will be too late by then.”

I was quiet, my father left for his home and Raj and in-laws got into their room.

Next day I and Raj went to court to file divorce. We took divorce paper, filled our details and handed over the papers to clerk along with his fees. In the whole trip we didn’t talk to each other. When we came back home Raj packed his bags because he had to leave for his job. Raj touched his parents’ feet before leaving home. He didn’t look at me. But I didn’t care at all because now Ankur was everything for me.

****

My dad and my in-laws stopped talking to me. My in-laws always behaved like I am not present in the house. I started meeting Ankur more times than before, which grooved the proximity between us. Most time I started spending with Ankur. We were so desperate for each other’s love that we even didn’t think about the importance of marriage.

Whenever I had to go to the court for hearing, I always accompanied Ankur. It could be shameful for our society but I never felt insulted. Hardly 5 months passed by, the court gave its verdict and permitted separation of me and Raj.

Since the day, the court announced divorce; I left my in-laws house and started living with Ankur. I was so happy. When I reached to Ankur’s place, I was dazzled to see the decorated room with candles and roses. Bed was also embellished by beautiful and fresh roses.

“Darling, I know you were waiting for this night for a very long time. I will make this night a memorable night for you. You will never forget this night. And tomorrow morning there will be a great surprise for you, which will change our lives forever.” – said Ankur

I was so happy for taking a good decision of being with Ankur. I said –“Ankur now, I am all yours. I love you so much.”

Next morning when I stood up, I saw myself alone on the bed. I thought he must be preparing for the morning surprise. I got up, managed to wear gown and started searching him in the bathroom but Ankur was not there. I went to kitchen, lobby and balcony, everywhere I searched him but he was missing.

I thought to call him therefore I came back to the bedroom to take my phone. When I picked up my mobile, I saw there was a letter under my cell phone, ’Surprise’ was written on the letter. My heart beats were rising up. I opened the letter, it was written by Ankur.

“Good morning Nidhi,

Remember the day when I came to your house with the proposal to marry you with my parents; your father affronted me and my parents so badly just because I didn’t have Govt. Job. And you were standing calmly. You didn’t speak up about our love to your father. He was saying nonsense on my parents face, and you were just watching the drama. That day I realized that there is no respect for me and my parents in your eyes. Since that day I decided to take revenge on you.

And see today I am succeeded. I have spoiled your life in the same way as you spoiled mine.

Good Bye! And one thing more, never try to search me because I have left India.

I hope you have got your surprise, and I promised you that you were not going to forget it. So I made my promise darling.

Good bye forever…

Your love……”

 

After reading this letter I was absolutely shocked and this incident remind me the curse that my mother-in-law gave me.

–END–