treachery

I

Dusk was slowly settling down in the town when Madhurima stopped her sunny in her courtyard. Three doors opened instantly. A child peeped from one of them and a teenager from the other. She looked up and smiled at her mother who has come out to the balcony after hearing her enter. Next she smiled at the kids who were already near her.

“It’s my turn today.” The teenager girl said.

“You never take me out for a trip.” The child pouted.

“Didi, you took Lina yesterday, it’s my turn today.” A young boy shouted from the doorway.

“Come upstairs and change first.” Her mother said and Madhurima started to climb the stairs after locking the sunny.


She has shifted to a small town in UP to pursue her career. She has lost her father in her childhood and rest of her family lived in a small town in west Bengal. Only her mother accompanied her to this small town. One of her distant relations lived in this town and they were the one who informed her about this job.


They rented a floor of a three storey house. The landlords lived in the top most floor and Madhurima occupied the first floor. The ground floor was occupied by a family. Husband, wife and their two children – one son and one daughter. The son was about Madhurima’s age, he lived in Delhi, worked there. The daughter Kanti was a few years junior than her. Not married yet. Kanti was Madhu’s dearest friend, she trusted her with all her heart.

“You are back!” Kanti opened the door of her flat and smiled at her. “Are you coming in or going out again to give them a ride?”

“I will need your bike for a while when it is free.” She said. She treated her like her own sister and never bothered about formalities like permission. She just informed her like siblings do.

II

 

Madhurima entered Kanti’s rooms after an hour. She was sitting there with Gudiya on her lap. Her brother’s daughter. Her mother has passed away when she was just a baby. Kamesh has left her with his family.

 

Gudiya was a very sweet child; she was adored by every one in the house. She was a very soft and well behaved kid.

 

“Come beta. How are you?” Kanti’s mother Manju asked. “How is your work going on?”

 

“Every thing is perfect aunty. How are you?” she smiled before sitting down.

 

“Ma brings some tea for Madhu. Madhu I am taking your sunny for a while, ok?” Kanti said before leaving. “I will be back within an hour ma; I am going to Saroj’s home.”

 

Saroj was Gudiya’s aunty. Her mother’s sister, they lived a few miles away from here. Saroj often came to see Gudiya and vice versa. But Gudiya doted after Madhurima so much that it was impossible to make her go to any one else when Madhurima was around. She just glued herself to her.

 

Kanti returned an hour later and they both went to the roof, it was a summer evening, and sitting on the roof was a great comfort for anyone. All the roofs were occupied with people.

 

“Kanti, Devesh again tried to talk with me.” Madhurima told her after a while.

 

Kanti took a long time to react, may be she was thinking about some thing. “Give it some time he will move on when he will know that you don’t like him.”

 

“It really does not look like that. I have seen his car following me when I come home from school. He has never tried to talk with me in the road but he follows me all the same.”

 

“You know he is a rich and influential man’s only son. I am scared.” Madhurima was scared.

 

Devesh was the only son of a rich businessman here, a strikingly handsome man. Madhurima knew they were no match so she never entertained him. But he seemed to be obsessed with her. He had a showroom right outside her school and whenever she went to school or came out of it she was sure to meet him. Standing outside his showroom just staring. But his gaze was so intense that she could feel its burning sensation.

 

Not only that he escorts her to her home almost every day, that is, his car follows her to her home every day when she returns from school and she has seen it inching on the road near her home too many times.

III

 

A few months passed by and just like Kanti told her, the scenario did change but it became a perfect nightmare.

 

Devesh was no longer seen in the streets, in place of his car half a dozen cars driven by rowdies started to stalk and scare her whenever she dared to step out.

 

After being saved from sure death a couple of times she decided to leave that place and return to her native town with her mother.

 

Kanti came to bid her goodbye in the station. Her eyes were brimming with tear.

 

She got an invitation to her marriage a couple of months later. To her shock she was getting married to Devesh. It was a arranged marriage. She apologized that she wont be able to attend her marriage because she really hated that place and did not wanted to go there ever again.

 

She soon moved forward in life and time flew away like a bird out of cage.

 

She was running for the train when someone blocked her path. She was about to give him a piece of mind when the man startled her by calling out her name, “Madhurima? Is that you? How is Kamesh?”

 

She stared at the guy. “I am Devesh. You don’t recognize me? I recognized you instantly.” He said in a little complaining way.

 

“Kamesh? Who Kamesh?” she asked.

 

“Your husband.” Devesh replied.

 

“I am not married. Who is this Kamesh by the way?” she asked. She has missed her train already because he did not step aside. They were sitting in the cafeteria of the station.

 

“Kanti told me you are engaged to his brother and later told me that you will marry him…. “He was staring at her with a shocked expression.

 

“How is Kanti? I did not have any contact with her since ages. As for Kamesh, now I remember who he is but whatever Kanti told you is wrong because I have never seen this guy, forget about marrying or loving him.” She answered.

 

“Are you going to Kolkata? We live in Kolkata now. Please come with me and meet Kanti.” He requested.

 

They boarded the next train. Reached Kolkata and Devesh requested her to sit in a restaurant, have a cup of tea. Then Devesh shared a story with her. A story which she will never forget.

IV

 

“I fell in love with you at the very first sight. I still remember how you walked to the school wearing a white sari. Simple yet gorgeous.”

 

 

“I used to stand there just to see you but soon I realized I won’t be able to live without you so I tried to become your friend but you snubbed me again and again.”

 

“Then I befriended Kanti and she gave me a number, telling me it was yours. Believe me that girl had a stunning similarity with your voice and way of talking.”

 

Madhurima remembered Kanti used to mimic her expertly.

 

“That girl kept on squeezing me for more than a year. I have showered costly gifts to her through Kanti because she said that she will meet me only after marriage and for that I will have to wait for a year. She wanted to know how deep my love was.”

 

“The year dragged by and I asked you, that is, her to permit me to meet her mother. She said Kanti will tell me the date and venue.”

 

“I waited for a month for Kanti, and you (she) stopped responding to my calls.”

 

“Then Kanti one day came and told me that you are in love with her brother. She showed me your sunny standing outside his deceased wife’s home. Not once, but at-least a couple of dozen times. For hours at a go.”

 

“I lost my humanity and asked my workers to teach you a lesson. To confirm that you are scared out of that town so that I don’t have to see your face again.”

 

“I married Kanti to settle my scores with you. We were returning from our honeymoon when the car overturned. I was saved unharmed but she lost both her legs.”

“I guess we paid for the sins we did against you.” he concluded the story.

 

“I feel pity for you both but please don’t ask me to meet any of you again.” Madhurima got up and walked away.

 

 

(END)