Different hues of life

The dwellers
19.11.2009

“Don’t forget to send the car back after reaching office.” He heard her shrill voice ringing.

“Why does that witch uses phones to eat my brain, she can scream from here, I will be able to hear from esplanade.” He smirked inside.

“Masi, Masi!” her voice ranged out again. He smirked this time openly before pressing the lift button. The liftman saluted him and looked at him through the corner of his eyes.

The whole housing had deep sympathy for him. Some of them smirked at his back, calling it result of his greed but still had some pity for him deep in their soul.

He was born in a poor family. People say he was so poor that he did not knew what butter tasted like before he married Sunaina.

They were collegemates and Ajit got bewitched by the cars which used to pick and drop her. He and a lot of his collegemates used to gawk at those cars.. big and shiny.

None of them were interested in the sharp mouthed young girl who came out of those cars except Ajit.

He was tired of hand to mouth life. His poor father has toiled hard to collect his college fees and books. He knew that he will have to do something immediately after college.

When he saw Sunaina he decided his future plans. He did not had to work very hard. Sunaina’s parents passed away in a freak accident, as if to clear his path.

He won her heart while wiping away her tears. They got married and he realized that he has opened the gateway of hell for himself.


The dwelling:

In next ten years he bitterly regretted his decision of marrying her. He sometimes thought that he might have been better off in that one room set with his parents.

Who can say, he might have procured a decent job, but the alley he chose as a short cut turned out to be a blind alley. Now he is stuck in this darkness forever. Every time he thought about leaving her two tiny hands gripped his legs.. his daughter. He knew he will lose custody battle and Sunaina will torment the child to settle her scores with him. Even though she was her own born still she used her to keep Ajit under control.

A couple of hour later he was sitting in his chamber, it has been hardly a minute since he sat down. There was a massive rally in esplanade resulting in horrible harassment of poor office goers.. a divine experience of getting roasted in their vehicles or dragging themselves wearily under the scorching sun.. to reach office in time.

The phone rang and he picked up, “You were supposed to send the car back an hour ago.” A very familiar voice shrieked out of the phone.

He held the earpiece a little away from his ear and explained the reason behind delay then added, “ This is why I ask you to buy a personal car for yourself sunaina.”

“Who will give the money? You? First earn something on your own merit and then gift me a car with that money.” She snickered. “Send the car back now.”

“Its already on its way.” He answered and disconnected the phone.

“Wonderful way of starting a day in office.” He mused within. He was quite habituated of her poisonous tongue but still it sometimes succeeded in stinging him. because it was always looking for new ways..

“Good morning sir!” a soft voice sounded. It was his secretary entering the chamber. She smiled at him apologetically. “I had to walk from howrah bridge, there was a massive rally in esplanade today.”

“I know, I almost fell asleep in the car. waiting for it to pass.” He said. “There is no need to say sorry, I know you are always on time.”


The escapade:

“Daisy, I am leaving for couple of an hour, if madam calls tell her that I am out on a meeting.” Ajit said before leaving.

Just like any hen pecked man, who cant desert the hen Ajit had other ways to entertain himself. He used to go back home sharp at seven, unless he was stuck in traffic jam but was free as a bird 9 to 7, his huge business covering the whole state gave him ample amount of excuses.

He was not a man of easy morale, he was just tired of constant harassment, he had a friend he loved very much, Meeta. Who was just opposite to Sunaina, sweet natured and soothing. He used to spend regular time with her.

She was a decent girl, who attached herself to him to save herself from falling into black abyss. An orphan tricked out of orphanage on pretext of marriage.

Ajit had heard her story and felt nothing but deep pain for her and other girls like her. she was not beautiful, but was cute and attractive. A guy came to their orphanage and asked for her hand. Mother superior made cursory checks, he seemed perfectly fine.

They lived happily for a year. Then they left for his native place. He already had a wife. She but naturally threw her out of the house the moment she knew who she was. He begged for her forgivance and rented a room for her in the neighbouring town.

Soon his visits became rarer, especially after their first daughter was born. One day the child came under Ajit’s car and they became aware of each other’s presence in earth.

Though their relationship was completely platonic, Ajit often used to think about divorcing Sunaina and marrying her. He used to give her enough money so she could live decently with her daughter. She forbade him for spending any thing but that.


The wrath:

Roguishness and shamelessness walk hand in hands. Rogues are born with a deep confidence that they are always right, and they always justify their evil deeds to themselves.. perfectly.

The rogue who ruined Meeta was no exception. He used to plunder on the money which Ajit gave her, soon his greed started to shoot sky high. He spied on Ajit and found out who he was. Immediately he contacted Sunaina and told her every thing about Meeta. He collected his reward and vanished from the town.

Sunaina hired a detective who confirmed Ajit’s regular visit to her home. She had a showdown with Ajit who vehemently denied her charges about immoral acts.

She was now completely sanguine that he was ditching her. How we tend to forget after a few years of conjugal life that our spouses deserve and owe some quality time and love from us. Sunaina too did the same. She forgot aptly that she has forced Ajit to walk that way by taking his love for granted.

She had a secret meeting with some of her friends and one of them, who was quite jealous of her money concotted an outrageous scheme which sank deep in her vengeful heart.

She went through the photographs taken by the detective and made a few phone calls. A few weeks later a mysterious woman rented a flat in a housing just a few blocks away from Meeta’s flat.

Soon her neighbours find out that she lives a dual life, she comes to this flat after leaving her daughter to school for a few hours, entertains her clients and slips back to her respectable flat a few blocks away, her name on housing society’s register was Neeta.

Sunaina ruined the reputation of her rival by the sheer power of her money. She on one hand tracked her whereabouts, and whenever she was out of home Neeta used to pop up in public view in her shady little flat. She has found out a woman with stunning similarity to Meeta. She made arrangements with Meeta’s husband to show up there from time to time so that every one is convinced.

Her poor victim was at her wit’s end, never realizing what was going on, then she thought it must be because of her mixing with Ajit and she told him so. He proposed her to marry him but she refused saying she wont ruin a family. He walked away broken hearted.

He arranged for a job and flat for her in another place. Meeta naturally shared the information with her ex husband and he in his turn shared it with Sunaina, his new mistress, who was paying him a hefty sum of money every month to help her settle her vengenance.

So Neeta followed Meeta to her new town and the misery continued.

One day, when her ex husband was coming out of a bar fully loaded he had a terrible accident and both of his legs were amputated. He called up Meeta and Ajit and told them every thing.

A few months later Sunaina received divorce papers from her husband. “If you don’t sign them, I will furnish all the proofs of your malicious actions against Meeta. Her ex husband will testify to it.”

Six months later she received an invitation to Ajit and Meeta’s wedding who were now settled in an undisclosed place.