Granted

As the young couple entered their new home excitedly Doyel watched them wistfully from a distance. Her partner however kept busy with the makeshift shelter he was building for Doyel and himself. Unlike Doyel he did not believe in holding on to the emotions they once had about that land where a brand new one storey house was now standing. Doyel had planned on hating the occupants but on seeing the happy smiles of the couple she could not bring herself to even faintly dislike them.

Inside the same house Preeti and her husband Jay were busy settling down. Preeti was in the advanced stage of pregnancy and they needed to convert the place into a comfortable home as soon as possible. The humble house had only one bedroom, a kitchen, a bathroom and a small living area. But it was a lot for the couple.

Jay’s father worked as a security guard at a bank in the city and he had hastily built the house when he heard that he was about to become a grandfather. The small house was located in the outskirts of the small town where Jay was an employee of a private mill. In terms of money they were quite a poor family and Jay’s father did not think twice when he displaced Doyel and her partner from the plot of land before building the house. To be fair the land belonged legally to Jay’s father and the ageing man was only trying to secure the future of his bloodline when he asserted the same.

Preeti understood her father-in-law’s point and was forever grateful for the home but she still felt a surge of sympathy when she caught Doyel staring at them through the window. Her partner still refused to look in their direction. Preeti set out some rice and fruits in a plate and rushed to offer them to Doyel and her partner who clearly looked famished. It was time for damage control.

But Doyel and her partner were in no mood to make friends with Preeti. They quickly receded into the woods adjacent to the house before Preeti could reach them. Disappointed Preeti stood at the door looking in the direction in which the couple had disappeared. After pondering for a while she placed the tray on the hanging ledge by the main door and retreated into the kitchen.

After some time Doyel and her partner felt the moan of hunger twitching in their tummies. The more they tried to ignore it, the wilder it started to become. Finally they gave up and went to devour the plate of food offered by Preeti. By the time they had finished they had forgotten to even note the taste of the food. But their anger towards Preeti had melted away.

Preeti had gotten busy with the daily chores of her home. It was late afternoon when she felt tired and worn out after setting the house in order. She went out to fetch the plate to wash it and was very pleased to see it polished clean. She looked up and caught a sight of Doyel and her partner. Her partner was shy or perhaps he was still ignoring them. Doyel however looked straight at her and gave her a smile. It was a great feeling for Preeti.

From that point onward, things began to grow better between the two families. Though Doyel liked Preeti she did not make any attempt to reciprocate Preeti’s call to sit with her for a quick chat. After observing them carefully Preeti realized that they spoke in a very different way. They seemed to be forest dwellers speaking a dialect that Preeti was completely unfamiliar with. She sighed; she would have to settle for the silent bond for the time being.

Soon Doyel found out that she too was going to be a mother. The news should have shocked a couple who could barely manage to find two square meals a day. But Doyel and her partner were happy. In their simple life the addition of children would open up new dimensions.

That day as Jay was returning from work he carried in his hands a bag full of ripe fruits. Doyel could clearly see a delicious looking papaya peeping from the bag. She salivated spontaneously. She could eat fruits only when she found them from the woods and did not have the money to buy from the market. And she had not seen a nice and ripe papaya in the woods for a long time. Perhaps other members of her tribe had taken them away quicker but no one had ever offered her a bite of her favorite fruits.

Inside the house Preeti greeted Jay with a big smile and took the bag of groceries and fruits from him. They exchanged pleasant small talk as Jay washed his face and hands and Preeti proceeded to make a pot of tea.

Feeling much fresh Jay sat down on the floor folding his legs. His wife handed him a cup of hot tea along with a bowl of puffed rice spruced up with mustard oil and onion rings. As Jay took a sip along with a mouthful of the delicious snack, his exhaustion seemed to fade away.

 “Eat the fruits…I selected them especially for you.”

“We will share them,” Preeti said as she sorted the stuff.

“No. You eat now. It’s for our baby. We can share later,” Jay insisted.

“You are getting thinner,” Preeti put her hands on the forehead of her husband. “I know you are worried about money. After the baby is born I will work too.”

“What? No. Who will care for the baby then? Besides what work will you do?”

“Don’t worry…I will take the baby with myself. I have seen a few rich homes close by; they might hire me as a domestic help.”

 “Your husband can manage to provide for both his wife and child,” Jay smiled.

He pulled Preeti closer and started kissing her.

Doyel watched in sheer amazement from outside as they started to get intimate. In her culture a pregnant woman would not even think of having sex. She looked at her partner who was preparing to retire for the day. She longed for him suddenly but in the end she chose to suppress her urges.

Preeti was unaware about this little invasion of her privacy and continued to enjoy the loving touches of Jay.

What Doyel did not know was the fact that Preeti too had once seen Doyel in her private moments with her partner. Preeti had gone to close her windows when she unintentionally saw them in the act.

The concept of privacy or the breach of it did not seem to bother these two females. There was no salacious intention in their minds and it was plain curiosity which prompted them to witness the passionate moments.

The unusual and mostly quiet friendship of Preeti and Doyel continued. Since both of them were pregnant they felt the need to look out for each other even more. Sometimes Doyel found herself longing for the peace and security of Preeti and Jay’s life but she was never jealous about their apparent prosperity.

Preeti often offered flavored biscuits and nutritious fruits to Doyel. A grateful Doyel sang out sweet songs of motherhood that she had learned from her tribe. The two mothers-to-be took care of each other as they looked forward to the arrival of their little ones.

Preeti’s health started to weaken as her due date approached. Then one day she told Jay that she was feeling a bit too uncomfortable since early morning. A tense Jay decided to take Preeti to the hospital in the afternoon without waiting further.

Doyel watched with a worried face as Jay helped a fatigued Preeti into the ambulance. She looked up at the sky which looked dark and angry. A storm was about to come any moment. Doyel prayed for the safety of Preeti and her unborn baby.

The storm finally came in the evening. The wobbly shelter where Doyel and her partner lived looked like it would give away any moment as the powerful winds threatened to blow it apart. Terrified they ran under the shade of Preeti’s house and stood clutching each other. On any other day, Preeti would have asked them inside but both Preeti and Jay were gone that day and the house was locked.

Doyel felt scared about the life growing within her and leaned on her partner. Suddenly without any warning a loud shard of lightning lashed down and hit the tree in front of them. In single second a wave of current travelled through the wire Doyel and her partner were inadvertently touching under the shade and snuffed out their lives.

The last sight that Doyel saw was that of their shelter burning down in front of her eyes. Her last thought was of being homeless again as she left the world that had consistently failed to give her much.

After a few days Preeti came home from the hospital with a little boy in her arms. Both the mother and the child were healthy and everyone agreed that it was Jay’s prudent decision to admit her early that day which had saved a lot of unnecessary trouble.

The moment she entered the bedroom, Preeti saw the skeletal remnant of the once large and shady tree standing somberly outside. She ran towards the window as a rush of worries grasped her tight.

“Where is Doyel? Her home is gone!” she asked Jay in a panic stricken voice.

“The birds died in the night you gave birth. It seemed like they got electrocuted. I’m sorry Preeti.” Jay put his hands on Preeti’s shoulders as streams of tears rolled down from her eyes.

Sensing the commotion, the sleeping baby woke up. He looked out of the window and saw with wide eyes the beautiful morning light. A burnt tree caught his eyes and a faint strain of recollection stirred up in his mind. He looked at his mother’s face and felt a deep sense of happiness.

He so wanted to comfort the lovely woman in front of him. He had much to tell her. That Preeti did not have to worry about Doyel anymore. That the dying wish of Doyel had been granted. And that Doyel had been upgraded to human life as her own child.

The baby opened his lips attempting to speak up but only a funny sound and a half smile came out as Preeti looked down in wonder. It was enough to make Preeti forget every bit of grief and return the blissful smile.

The Price of Ego

Vishal looked at the all the pictures intently for one last time on his laptop. Then he deleted the entire folder of memories in one swift motion. An empty feeling washed over him as he leaned back with his eyes closed while his dog Floppy licked his loosely hanging fingers trying to reassure him. But soon an unknown sense of panic engulfed him as he sat up quickly. He opened the recycle bin and restored the deleted folder immediately. Floppy sensed the change and promptly got up on Vishal’s lap and gave him what seemed like a warm hug.

Vishal has been trying to delete Kriya’s memories from his life for the last two months. But every time it was the same routine; a brave deletion followed by a meek restore. Kriya was Vishal’s now estranged wife and at the moment Kriya and Vishal lived separately in the same city. They had too many common friends to be able to avoid each other completely. And they both still had a shred of hope in an unknown corner of the heart which prevented both from relocating to another city.

After making himself a cup of coffee, Vishal came back to his desk and decided to stalk Kriya’s online profile for a while as Floppy obediently curled up beside him. His wife’s public statuses were still visible to him but they never reflected the loneliness or cry for help that Vishal was looking for.

Pretty pictures and witty quotes were splashed all over Kriya’s profile. She was clearly feeling happier to be single. The same spark that had attracted him to Kriya three years ago was back. 

Vishal leaned on Floppy and let a few tears drop from his eyes. Then he resolutely decided to fix an appointment with Kunal on the next day.

Kunal was a therapist Vishal had begun to consult after Kriya left him in shambles. Kunal was a middle aged man, friendly and confident. His experienced counsel and Floppy’s unconditional affection were the only things that stopped Vishal from sinking into clinical depression.

Kunal was able to see him for a session on the very next day.

“So how are you feeling today?” Kunal asked as Vishal clumsily dropped himself onto the leather couch.

“It’s getting worse,” Vishal’s voice was low.

“Talk to me Vishal…don’t keep it within,” Kunal urged.

“You know what…I’ve decided to change the plan. I know I told you I wanted to forget her….but I don’t. I want Kriya back.”

“Hmmm…any reason for the change?”

“Do you know what I saw recently? I saw Kriya talking with Sumit. Sumit and I were really close friends. And then Kriya picked me over him…that’s when Sumit and I had drifted apart. I had thought that Sumit would have the courtesy to stand by me now.”

Vishal was talking too fast and tiny droplets of sweat were appearing on his forehead even in the air conditioned room.

Kunal said nothing but looked straight into Vishal’s eyes. His right hand gently tapped a pencil stub on the desk making a soft and regular rhythm.

“And I had hoped that Kriya would ignore him out of respect for our love…our…our marriage…” 

Vishal’s voice trembled now.

“Look Vishal. You clearly are not over her. And you don’t really want to be over her. There’s only one way to sort this out. ” Kunal paused his pencil and started to talk.

Vishal looked up with hope.

“You two have to talk! You are being too adamant about this. There is nothing to lose by being the one to initiate things.”

Vishal looked away, crushed.

The session went on for an hour. It was a futile hour that failed to offer any peace to Vishal.

He went home feeling disoriented and sad. At night he once more browsed through the old pictures of himself and Kriya as he forced a tasteless meal down his throat.

He lay down on the big bed as Floppy joined him and snuggled closer. Feeling sleepy Vishal decided to look at Kriya’s profile again. Apparently she was listening to “Aaoge jab tum” on Saavn. Vishal smiled spontaneously after a long time. It was the song that he had sung for her on their first date. The sign he was looking for was there…shared publicly for Vishal to stumble upon. He fell asleep without much difficulty that night.

The next few days were not so kind. His sessions with Kunal were not leading anywhere as he kept harping on the same point. And the flicker of hope that he had gotten that night did not really mature into anything real. He decided to meet Kunal again but he promised himself that it would be the very last session.

“Hi Kunal, how are you?” Vishal started as he entered the colourful chamber.

“I’m fine…you seem to be doing better too,” Kunal said.

“Well, not really. I just came over to tell you that I can’t continue with the sessions any more. I want this to be the last session,” Vishal felt a tad guilty. “Please don’t take it personally. I hope we can part on a good note.”

“Of course! Why would I be offended?” Kunal’s smile seemed to be genuine and there was no shock on his face.

“Since it’s our last session, can I ask you a few questions about yourself?” Vishal asked in a hesitant voice. Kunal nodded in assent.

“Are you married, Kunal?”

“Yes,” Kunal seemed amused by the first question.

“Happily married?”

“Yes, happily married.”

“Love marriage? You still love your wife? She loves you?”

“Yes, yes and yes,” Kunal was smiling now. “We got married when we were in our twenties. And it has been a wonderful journey so far.”

“Oh come on…there are no perfect marriages.”

“That’s a myth! I am in a perfectly happy marriage.” Kunal’s eyes shone with a rare kind of contentment. Vishal was wondering for a while if it was real or fake.

“Please tell me your secret then. You can do this much for me…we’re almost friends now.” Vishal sounded childish and desperate suddenly.

“I’d have told you even without you asking me if you were capable of applying my formula. You are not. There has to be another formula for you. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it for you.”

“Just tell me yours. I’ll copy it.” Vishal was insistent.

“Ok…but I’m pretty sure that you won’t be able to use it. In fact you know the formula on some levels already.”

“Oh please…I don’t know...educate me.”

“Hmmm. You have a pet dog…right?”

“Yes, Floppy. He’s my only family now.”

“You love him a lot…take good care of him. Would you say that you would do anything for him? Anything to see Floppy happy?”

“Yes of course. And I know that Floppy would do the same for me. His love for me is so unconditional and pure.” Vishal got defensive and a bit annoyed.

“And yet you never figured out the secret formula! Tsk…tsk…” Kunal looked down and shook his head.

“What do you mean?” Vishal was confused.

“In my home, I’m my wife’s Floppy. When my wife comes home I greet her in a jumpy and excited fashion. I tell her all the time how I need her and give her surprise hugs and licks…erm…kisses. Whenever she is in a dilemma, I behave like Floppy would have…I sit by her holding her hand with my mouth shut.”

“What? You have no self respect. So you are not really happy…you are just a hen pecked husband!”

“What self respect? Don’t you treat Floppy as a family member?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t you say that you’d do anything to make Floppy happy?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t Floppy the most important person in your life right now?”

“Yes…but…”

“There is no “but” here. My wife loves me dearly and she is the one who takes care of me and our home. In fact she is the one who works harder to make the marriage work. Me…I have it easier. I just have to be like Floppy and enjoy being pampered.”

“What about your wishes…your decisions?”

“When Floppy wishes to go out for a walk…do you take him out or not?”

“I always do.”

“Then?”

Vishal kept quiet for 10 long minutes and then he said in an almost inaudible voice, “But you were right. I’d need another formula. I can’t be Floppy…or you.”

“Look Vishal. You can call me after 1 more week. I’ll try to think of something…but there’s no guarantee. ”

Throughout the week Vishal messaged Kunal asking if he had zeroed down on something but there was no reply. After exactly 7 days Kunal sent a text to Vishal asking him to come over.

The next day they worked on a plan together. It was decided that Vishal would pay the full fee only if the plan fixed his marriage and else he would only pay half for Kunal’s time and effort.

That day, while driving back Vishal felt nervous and excited at the same time. Would it work? Would it not? A thousand idle fantasies were running through his mind when suddenly a cyclist appeared in front of his car. Vishal swerved quickly and managed to avoid the cyclist. But his car went off the road and rammed into a wooden lamp post. Vishal head bumped forward and then his body fell on the side. The car door opened and half of Vishal’s body started to hang outside the car. Through corner of his eyes Vishal saw some people rushing towards him before he closed his eyes.

That day was just a normal and boring day at work for Kriya. She was trying to laugh at her manager’s lame jokes at a team meeting when the news reached her.

“Vishal has met an accident…he is at a private nursing home.”

That was all she got to know.

For a long moment Kriya could not react or speak out any word. She just looked numbly at her manager and co workers.

“We’ll manage without you Kriya…obviously. Rush to your husband. And take someone with you. You don’t seem strong enough,” Kriya’s manager was supportive.

When Kriya reached the small nursing home she found Vishal asleep and heavily medicated. A doctor assured her that there was just a small wound on his head and that he seemed alright on first inspection. However they would need to conduct extensive tests to rule out haemorrhage and other risks.

A young nurse summoned Kriya inside Vishal’s room and gave her a chair to sit on.

Vishal’s broad frame looked weak and his handsome face looked very pale. Kriya found herself wishing badly for everything to go right…for one more chance to live with the man in front of her as she gazed at him.

She waited for hours to see him wake up and when he did, it was a very precious feeling for both.

As they stared at each other, tears rolled down their cheeks.

“I’m so glad you came, Kriya,” Vishal finally said.

“I’m happy that you’re safe…I was so scared,” Kriya cried as Vishal held her hands.

It turned out from the tests that Vishal was completely ok. He was released later in the evening. As they drove back together, both of them felt a deep sense of gratitude.

Kriya helped Vishal to eat his dinner as Floppy watched them wagging his tail. This was the least jealous that Floppy had ever been about Kriya.

“Listen I’ll have to leave now…but please call me whenever you need.” Kriya got up before it was too late.

“Won’t you stay back?” Vishal’s eyes were sad.

Kriya took a deep breath and said, “Let’s give it some more time…I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

And after that night Kriya truly came every day to check on Vishal. Every day they both of them looked forward to the days that were fast turning into dates and every day there was something new that they longed to share with each other.

Vishal’s health was restored quickly and the pallor from his appearance was fast giving way to a ruddy glow.

They were both madly in love again but they were just too scared to admit it.

One evening Kriya and Vishal were enjoying coffee and chicken pakoras at the food court of a fancy mall. The conversation was easy and their moods were light and cheerful. Vishal casually picked out a round piece of lemon from the salad and started to poke out the pulp with a fork.

“Oh Vishal…you’re as messy as ever,” Kriya lovingly admonished him and proceeded to fetch a tissue paper from the counter.

When she got back, Vishal was down on his knees holding up a hollow greenish lemon ring.

“My dear Kriya…will you be my wife again?” Vishal said.

Kriya looked around and her cheeks turned red. And then her face broke into a joyful laughter.

“Yes Vishal..yes…I would.”

It was the happiest that they had been in the past one year. They decided to spend the rest of the night in moving Kriya’s stuff back to their original home. The next day would be the first day of their renewed marriage. That night they joked and laughed and kissed as they happily undertook the arduous task of shifting homes.

In the morning Vishal woke up early and saw Kriya sleeping peacefully on her side of the bed. He wrote a small note for her and placed it on the bed side table in an old fashioned way along with a flower.

He needed to see Kunal as soon as possible and he figured that he could be back within an hour or two.

Kunal was jogging in the park when Vishal called him and he asked him to meet there.

“I came to say thank you,” Vishal was all smiles as he wrote out a hefty amount on a leaf of his cheque book as they sat down on a park bench.

“I’m happy for you two. Make it work this time.” Kunal said.

“I was saving up for a vacation in Maldives with Kriya..but it’s ok to wait for a bit longer,” Vishal said as he handed over the cheque leaf to Kunal

“It seems to be a huge amount but staging a false accident requires a lot of work Vishal. It was an interesting plan to work on but it was neither easy nor cheap!!! ” Kunal gracefully explained as he accepted the money.

“It’s ok Kunal. I can make money again. Without your plan I could have never won back Kriya. She seems very grateful that she got me back alive from the jaws of death.”

“Stay cautious…though you can say that the scar has disappeared fast, you are supposed to feel a bit sore on the forehead area for a few more days,” Kunal winked as he waved him goodbye.

Vishal came back home with a huge bunch of flowers.

The mock accident had made Kriya realize that she still wanted him...and he got the opportunity to tell Kriya how much she still meant to him. There was no guilt on Vishal’s mind.

However as he entered his home he could hear Kriya speaking to someone in a low voice on the phone.

“This is probably the last time that we are speaking…I'll never forget you.”

Vishal got to hear these words as Kriya hung up. She swung around to see Vishal standing stone still.

For a moment she was shocked and a look of guilt came over her face.

“Who was that?” he sternly asked.

“No one…it’s not what you are thinking…” Kriya started.

“I’m not thinking anything...I’m just asking. Who was that?”

Kriya looked away…still silent.

“Look Kriya…let’s not complicate things. Tell me the truth…I have the right to know. Did you date someone while we were separated?”

“Noooo….it’s not like that. Please trust me…please.”

Vishal calmed down a bit.

“Ok…but was that a male or a female?”

“I was talking to a man but I swear I have not been romancing him.”

“Then tell me who he is…this won’t work Kriya if you behave unreasonably. There’s no point in getting back together if you can’t be transparent…were you talking to Sumit?”

“No!!! Alright…I’ll tell you but you can’t judge me. He was my counsellor. ”

Vishal’s face was still blank.

“I felt very alone and unhappy after our break up and needed to see a counsellor to fight depression. I just called him to say that I’ve transferred his fee through net banking.”

Kriya came closer and helped Vishal to sit down on the edge of the bed. She sat on the floor in front of him and looked at his face with pleading eyes.

“That’s not all, Vishal,” said Kriya. “When you did not make any attempt to get back together, I staged a false accident with my counsellor’s help. I knew that you were too sensitive about physical injuries and it would be easy to convince you that you were in mortal danger. It gave me the opening to come and see you. I’m sorry but the accident was not real…you weren’t hurt actually. You probably passed out due to fear.”

Vishal avoided Kriya’s eyes and stared hard at the floor.

“Please forgive me…I love you so much. You can talk to my counsellor when he is back from Maldives. He is leaving today with his wife but he can clarify things if you don’t trust me. He is a nice person…his name is… ”

“Kunal…his name is Kunal,” Vishal picked up from mid sentence. It was Kriya’s turn to be surprised. “And he is enjoying what was supposed to be our vacation. He was my counsellor too.”

They sat face to face; silent for long.

“Well…we still have many more holidays to look forward to,” Vishal finally said as he held out the flowers he had bought earlier. “And many opportunities to prove to my wife that I’d never pass out due to fear!”

Kriya giggled in agreement as she accepted the bunch.

A Full Circle

Dariya was seated in front of the mirror doing her hair while her husband Rishi waited for her on the comfy leather sofa with an air of apparent calm.

It was like a silent game between Dariya and Rishi. Any sign of restlessness from Rishi would make Dariya slower than she already was. Inside Rishi was fuming because the movie that they had planned to watch was about to start in less than 10 minutes and the multiplex was 30 minutes away from their home.

Dariya could smell the angst in her husband and she secretly felt very happy. Her shade of lipstick seemed to match perfectly with the highlights in her hair but she suddenly wanted to erase it off and apply a new shade that went well with her scarlet outfit.

Some very rude words almost flew out of Rishi's lips but with extreme restraint he shut his mouth. Pleased Dariya applied the new colour quickly and presented herself in front of Rishi.

“How do I look?” she asked him.

“Like a princess out of an exotic fairy tale.” Rishi answered truthfully as he sprayed a musky perfume all over himself. Dariya was not happy with the answer. But she could not fight a technically correct answer so they both had to settle for a draw that day.

Dariya and Rishi had started off as a happy couple who got married out of their own will. But they now got pleasure only from enraging each other and in proving each other wrong. It was a marriage that had started with heavy duty passion and none of them had any idea that things would go so wrong one day.

Dariya used to be the class queen in her college days. She was the girl everyone wanted to be with. A hand-picked bunch of tall and sculpted boys had been allowed by Dariya to be a part of her friends’ circle. Many of them had come to realize that it was just too much work to have Dariya as a girlfriend and had given up on that dream. But there was one El Kay who became Dariya’s boyfriend. His original name was Lokesh Kumar but he conveniently abbreviated it to make it sound cooler.

El Kay and Dariya made quite an adorable couple and for a long time they were very much in love. Rishi also went to the same college but he was a year senior and also studied in a different department. Initially they were unaware of each other’s presence.

Rishi and Dariya had first met in the crowded college canteen. The students were scattered in random bunches all over the place. Some were humming new tunes while some were playing cards. Others were quite content with being aimlessly loud and boisterous.

Dariya entered the canteen and looked around for her friends. None of the known faces were present. Feeling off already Dariya walked up to the middle of the canteen. She never loved corners. She had this unquenchable need to be at the centre point of everything. A boy was writing something at the corner of a rather long table. Dariya looked around for an empty table but all the other tables were already taken by other groups who were already casting appreciative glances at her. Pleased with the attention Dariya sat herself at the long table and pretended to be aloof to the very palpable excitement in the air caused by her presence.

But a cursory glance around told her that she had gotten the attention of all but one. The one boy with whom she was sharing the table was still focused on his exercise copy.

He was Rishi. Now Rishi was an average guy in all respects. He looked average, thought average and even aimed to blend into the multitudes of average. The thought of standing out in a crowd made Rish panic and unlike many others he was quite happy by the mediocrity allotted to him by nature.

He was trying to write a poem for Manisha. Manisha had been his friend for around a year and throughout this whole year they had both tried to pretend that they were not interested in exploring anything that cannot be termed as platonic. But then came a point when they both just gave in to human physiology and admitted their feelings for each other.

Rishi often composed songs and poetry for Manisha. She too was an average looking girl with average ambitions out of life. When she found Rishi, her senses experienced perfection for the first time in the effortless blending of their personalities.

Dariya’s first emotion at seeing Rishi was probably the truest. His refusal to be stunned by her presence enraged her. She inched closer to him seeking a suitable moment to start a conversation.

Rishi never looked up from his exercise copy. Forgetting all her manners she started to read the poem. It was beautiful one comparing the beauty of a river to an unnamed woman. She was in the middle of the second stanza when Rishi audibly cleared his throat.

Dariya looked up and found Rishi looking at her with an offended countenance.

“I’m sorry…I just love poetry and hence I peeped over without asking,” Dariya decided to become a poetry lover instantly.

“You write really well. Actually I’m not sorry that I read your poem. I’m glad that I did.” Dariya said with a voice that sounded the musical bells of a temple.

Rishi thanked her in an uncomfortable tone. He also added that he was trying to write a poem for his girlfriend.

This was the point where he truly managed to capture Dariya’s fancy. In her experience men usually looked up when she was in close proximity. Secondly, whenever she had introduced herself to a man, she had always found them claiming to be single.

Dariya could not get her thoughts off Rishi ever since their first meeting. The first whiff of challenge made Dariya’s primal hunting instincts come alive.

Rishi on the other hand forgot completely about Dariya the moment she left. To him she was a very beautiful and somewhat weird girl who was most definitely out of his league. Moreover he was truly happy with Manisha.

But he had no idea what being happier felt like…

Dariya turned up at the most unexpected moments to catch up with Rishi and despite his best efforts to resist the invasion, Rishi started to enjoy her company.

Then a day came when Dariya sadly confessed to Rishi that no one has ever written a poem for her. Rishi stayed up that night writing the most beautiful poem for Dariya.

There is nothing quite intoxicating as the hint of new love and that night Rishi let his feelings pour freely into the cast of poetry.

The next day Rishi waited for Dariya in the desolate lane behind their college. A gentle breeze seemed to soothe Rishi’s nerves as Dariya joined him. The fragrance of some unknown flowers combined with the mellow wintry sun to cast a spell on Rishi. He forgot all about his commitment to Manisha and told Dariya that he loved her.

In reply Dariya stared at him for a long while without a word. And then she guided Rishi through the meandering lane to a pond and sat him down on an abandoned log. She herself then sat by his legs and rested her head on his lap and uttered just one word, “Yes.”

The joy that Rish felt at that moment was incomparable to anything else in the whole world.

El Kay and Manisha were broken up with the very next day. El Kay was rude and sore about the episode while Manisha reserved her tears for the hours beyond midnight.

El Kay was actually an honest guy with a good heart and a frail ego. Within a week of the unceremonious dumping he used his family contacts and got himself engaged to a beautiful coy maiden which promptly erased the potential tarnish on his social image.

Manisha was an introverted woman who never let anyone know what the snub felt like to her. She did not keep in touch with Rishi and he was kind of relieved to know that he would not have to deal with the burden guilt over and over again.

Rishi and Dariya were quite jubilant as a couple. Rishi realized that he could achieve so much more than just average with Dariya by his side. May be it was the lack of motivation that made him lead a lack lustre existence.

His career path shone and he went on to bag one of the most prestigious jobs. Dariya too was elated to be with Rishi. His love was something that she had to fight and earn for herself. Everything else had come to her too easily except for Rishi’s adulation. That she had to work for and that brought the maximum pleasure to her.

Years passed and Dariya and Rishi had gotten married too. Problems started when Dariya’s high from acquiring Rishi started to wear off. She needed the next challenge and Rishi failed to provide one.

Rishi too was unhappy in certain ways. Yes, he had won a trophy wife who pulled him out of his comfort zone and pushed him beyond it but there were times when he wished to be pampered as well. But Dariya could never understand that need.

Whenever Rishi complained of an illness Dariya talked about another illness of her own; whenever he suggested a trip to somewhere Dariya managed to edit her preferences into it and whenever he suggested a new position Dariya certainly decided against it due to some kind of life threatening risk.

Resentment started to build up although they kept on pretending that nothing was amiss.

Then one day Rishi came back from work unhappy and sullen. The promotion due for him had been given over to the guy he hated the most.

And all Dariya that could offer was a hug and the words, “I will always be there for you.”

The right answer was, “You are so much better than him.”

And from that point onward Rishi too decided to stop fuelling her ego. He cut off his doses of compliments and decided to be truthful all the time.

Honesty can be quite a dreadful thing for a marriage. And when the little compulsory lies went missing from their marriage, Rishi and Dariya slowly turned into foes who fought mind games day and night.

It was at this point of time that Rishi happened to run into Manisha. He walking upto his office on a cool and bright morning when an attractive face caught his eyes. Within a few seconds he got a big shock to realize that it was Manisha. She was dressed in a pair of trendy jeans and cold shoulders top. The streaks of red in her hair gave her a fancy appeal that Rishi could not trace back to the past. Manisha seemed to look straight at him from behind her photochromatic glasses.

After the first few moments of hesitation they started to walk together towards a tea stall. A cup of tea and a lot of shared laughs…that was what their past was like. They talked a bit about routine stuff and Rishi found out that she was currently working in the building next to his office. Standing by her side Rishi looked around. Screeching cars, beeping phones and rushing people were seen in all directions. Amidst such chaos the presence of Manisha seemed to wash over him like waves of peace and calm.

They both walked away with smiles and without exchanging numbers. Rishi was absolutely against any affairs and with her it was never going to be just friendship.

Around the same time Dariya received a friend request from El Kay, who she was surprised to found out, had been recently divorced. Dariya too was not keen on having an affair. It looked nice to have a stable marriage. But at the same time she could not resist the temptation of the potential barrage of compliments that she could get from El Kay.

A few months went by.

Rishi began to meet Manisha for lunch every day. They were obviously in love again but like earlier they pretended that they could stay just supportive friends to each other.

Dariya and El Kay too talked on the phone every day and had gone out exclusively for a couple of times. Each time Dariya complained to El Kay how Rishi had changed and how he blatantly neglected his marital duties. El Kay’s shoulders were very comforting in these trying times. He too told her how wrong his past wife had been and how she could never fill the emptiness in his heart left by Dariya.

Rishi knew from the beginning that Dariya had started talking to El Kay again. After all anything started over social media is known to the whole world. It made him angry on various levels and at the same time it also empowered him to meet Manisha regularly.

Dariya too did her research about Rishi. But Rishi’s recent online searches all showed up random males. She decided that he must be networking with these men in search of new career options and went back to her life in peace. What she did not know was that these men were not random at all. They were all men from Manisha’s current friendlist.

The two parallel affairs went on for a few months till it reached the point when both Rishi and Dariya wished to end their marriage and were only searching for a plausible pretext. It came soon.

Rishi being the more informed person in this case almost pushed Dariya to create the exit-situation.

Dariya had decided to give her marriage one last chance. So one day she recreated her look from the past. Blunt cut hair with fringes at the front. A fitted black top paired with a gypsy skirt. And she truly looked like the flawless queen from years ago. Satisfied she went up to Rishi hoping to see a sparkle of surprise in his eyes.

But she only saw a glare that scared her and scarred her deeply. Rishi saw his perfect looking wife and remembered the treacherous girl from his past that had willfully destroyed the peace of his life and had made him her own. He felt a seething hatred towards Dariya and the injustice done to Manisha years ago began to burn him.

That day a tearful Dariya ran to seek refuge in El Kay’s open arms and did with him what became the reason for divorce between Rishi and Dariya. It was a mutual divorce and both of them left with no regret. Dariya’s happiness stemmed from the fact that she had cuckolded Rishi successfully while Rishi’s joy came from the fact that he would not have to pay her any alimony at all. He was truly free again.

He sat in his balcony having a hearty breakfast of chicken chowmein and chilled beer. There was no Dariya to lecture him about the inappropriateness of such a meal at such a time. The view from the balcony presented an orderly array of large trees. The buds in the branches looked ready to burst into colours. The chirping birds among them looked free and content.

It was the same view for the last 3 years but today they seemed to echo freedom and order at the same time. It was an unlikely and precious combination and it made Rishi very happy.

His phone started to sing the newly set ring tone in between. It was Manisha. Rishi’s face broke into a smile as he picked up the phone.

There was no exchange of sugary sweet mush. They both talked about normal stuff and it still felt cuter than the tiniest pup. Before hanging up Rishi decided to alert Manisha about one important thing.

“Listen Manisha we will have to be extra careful now. I’ve just divorced from Dariya and getting caught now will simply undo the work we have done in the past few months. We need to be patient for around 5-6 months. After that we will get married.”

“And what should we do in these few months?” Manisha asked.

“Think of a viable story about how you counseled me out of depression after my wife dumped me!”

They both laughed a cunning laughter.

Manisha disconnected the call and looked back into her computer screen. Rishi had no clue how she had devoted 5 years of her life into meticulous planning. Breaking El Kay’s marriage was the hardest. Getting the job by Rishi’s office was the easiest. There were many small tasks that she had accomplished and many people that she had hired to stitch together the final story. Some of it was easy…some of it was hard. And then there was luck who had decided to be in her favor this time. She has waited years to see this happen…she would happily wait out the proposed six months too.

Manisha took a sip of coffee and proceeded to format the computer.