Those words....! they were the same words he used to win her
love all those years back. Aarti froze,
upon hearing Jay talking to someone else. Her horrors knew no bounds. ‘Else’
here was no one but the other woman. Other woman most of the times cause of
marriage failures. It’s been 7 years of
their ‘beautiful’ marriage. Beautiful that’s what she always thought. She
looked down at her swollen belly; drops of tears fell upon the surface inside
of which a little innocent life was breathing. This man whom she had given her
all; taking care of him; taking care of his family; giving birth to his
children; making everyday sacrifices so that he never gets any chance to
complain. From years she has been cleaning up his everyday mess. How will she
clear this mess of his? She thought. Here she could see her world crashing
down; everything collapsing; all those years she had given to him were a waste.
She felt a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. She wanted to cry and shout,
she wanted to puke on this man’s face, for the dirt he was. The sacred mangalsutra on her neck felt extremely
heavy now, the forehead bindi felt
like a stigma, a stigma of her husband’s deeds.
FLASHBACK
‘Jay..!! Oh my god seriously now stop it’, Aarti
giggled as she tries to catch her breath. Her cheeks were aching from laughing
from past one hour or so.
Jay and Aarti shared a lovely relationship, Jay was
telling Aarti about some school days fun and how he and his naughty friends always
managed to get in trouble every time, all the times.
Jay and Aarti
were college lovers; they did their major in English literature. Jay wanted to
become a renowned author he was talented with words. Aarti fell in love with
his smart trap of phases. That he did very well. Using his talisman of words...
Such a charm, such was his grace. He was a handsome man of 6 feet he had this
clear complexion something not many men have and a lovely smile with cute
dimples. Many girls craved for his
attention, and he enjoyed being the popular guy of the whole college. He dated
many girls back in school and college days. After the realization hit him that
Aarti was the one for him, he fell head over heels for her.
Aarti was a
bundle of innocence; she had these beautiful and big eyes. When highlighted by
mascara those were the most alluring
pair of globular organs of sight you would ever see.
There was something hypnotic about those pearl like eyes. Her dark curly hair
was thick and unruly; she would let them be free and the world would admire her
beauty in awe.
Things between the two of them were fine most of the
times, apart from occasional breaks and interrupts in the steady flow, things were
fine. That’s what she always thought Aarti
being a pure soul not wanting to lose Jay never did anything that could affect
their relationship. Such a stupid, fragile doll she was.
After getting settled with their careers they
decided to move onto next phase. They decided to tie knot. Those were the
happiest days of her life. Jay was a caring husband; they shared so much. The
essence of their relationship kept them both within the beautiful confinements
of their bond. Her happiness was doubled when she gave birth to their first
child. What a moment that was. Holding her baby in her arms; her husband by her
side; a perfect life. She would often gleam to her own self what a lucky woman
she was. A loving husband; an adorable baby; a world so unblemished; happiness
all over.
Jay was a famous author now. He recently published
his third book of his award winning trilogy. He was busy most of the times now.
Aarti tried to keep herself occupied by taking care of her son and household
responsibilities. Jay would spend hours in his study working on his manuscripts
and answering his fan mails or he would go out to his usual club. They hardly
exchanged words. Sometimes he would take her out for she was his trophy wife.
He loved showing her off; he would feel proud when people praised his choice.
This was all that was left. She could feel him drifting apart, this was her
biggest fear. To her dismay he was slowly disappearing, she always knew Jay
needs changes; that to a way too very frequently.
She thought of having another child; she thought
maybe a second child may bring back the missing blossom in their lives. They planned for another child.
When she told Jay about her pregnancy yes, he was
happy. A happiness it was to be a father second time, still she felt that
something was missing, and she could do nothing about it. She accepted her fate
and started taking care of the new life breathing inside her.
‘Jay i have an appointment today, would you like to
see the baby scan?’, Aarti spoke with an enthusiasm. She was lost in her
thoughts, moving her palm over her belly trying to feel her baby, smiling to
her own self.
‘I have to go out; I’ll come with you some other
time for sure’, Jay said. He was busy in
his phone not even looking up once, how uninterested he was. His wife was
expecting and not even once he showed up with her at the clinic.
‘But last time you said next time’ Aarti said with
growing disenchantment
towards him.
‘Sorry
sweetie next time, for sure’, he brushed past her not looking towards her once.
The
journey from her house to clinic was silent and still, silently she was driving
the music today was mute. Just like her. The noise of passing cars and the
occasional honks were disturbing the tranquility
of her noiseless thoughts.
She rushed towards the door, as the door bell rang. She knew
it was her lover, oh what a hard wait
that was.
Opening the door, she rushed in the
embrace of his strong arms. He welcomed her in, inhaling her fragrance. She was
a drug to him to very addictive and so hard to resist. Morphine or heroin or
cocaine, whatever you can name. She was
his release, release from the misery.
‘Hey where were you? I was
waiting’, said she.
‘Oh lily..! The usual, everyday
arguments and fights i am so tired of this woman’, Jay lied.what a profound liar he was. Lying
was his art, his whole life he did the same. Lying from his wife, lying from Lilly. His whole existence was based and
stacked upon thousands and thousands of disgusted lies. Seeking sexual favours outside his marriage was
nothing new he was doing, he’s been doing this since the very day they were
together, even before that.
‘Let me take down your tiredness;
let me pamper you; let me take you away from this reality and into our world of
ecstasy.....’ Said Lily...
After spending say three hours with
her, he left. That was all he wanted, satisfying his cravings and lustful thirst.
Lily would often question herself, her role in his life. He would leave her
even before the bed could turn cold. Was that all she was to him? She would
often disguise her role, what was she doing? What will be the outcome? Being
with him, she was someone not having a respectable place in any society, a
woman he would never claim publicly.
The bitter reality she failed to accept was she was a mere mistress, a
keep, a play thing.
Oh what a disgrace she was.... if only she knew, she was the
other woman.
When they met...
It was a random day, maybe just
another lonely Sunday. The club was usual crowded and loud, people were wasted
all over. A man came over, had that been some other man, she would have brushed
him off without a second thought. Here what was so special about him that she
went along with him? Danced with him all night, heard his sad story. Maybe it
was his good looks; maybe it was the effect of alcohol; maybe that feeling of
desertion was a way too high that day; maybe... the endless possibilities of
maybe to should be. After spending hours with a random stranger she bid him
goodbye, only to meet again next time. He was a married man, stuck in a polluted and suffocating relationship. Well,
that’s what he told her, his sad story. She fell for that, in an attempt to run
away from her own misery and haunting loneliness. That’s how it all started.
She was an independent woman, smart
and capable of taking control over her life, her actions. She worked hard, paid
her own bills; she had built a good life for herself. She was so proud of her
own self and her morals. Though it felt
odd to be involved with another man, who was married, but he would soon be
separated that’s what she always thought.
A wait, no one knows how
long that would last, maybe some months, some years, forever? Who knows?
Neither her, nor him, or anybody else.
PRESENT DAY
It was hard, very hard for Aarti to
accept this reality. Her whole life
seems a lie now. She gaped for air, her vision was blurred with tears and hurt,
upon encountering what her husband was carrying out. She was pregnant, carrying
his child. Their elder son not even 6 was sleeping soundly in his room. She
should have shouted on him, should have confronted him, and should have spit on
his face. But rather she chooses to
spend a sleepless night beside her son, stroking his soft baby hair. Occasionally
pressing her lips on his cheeks, showering an affection his father failed to
give him.
She managed to get that woman’s
number from his phone easily. With trembling hands she dialed the number, of
that person who created a disaster, in her life.
The ringing bell, accelerating her
heart rate.
‘Hello’, a faint voice answered.
‘What type of women you are’, she
sobbed.
‘Excuse me! Who is this’, lily
inquired.
‘You do have the guts to ask who i am.
Really? You must be knowing me’, Aarti continued.
‘Ok can you tell me who this is,
you are pissing me off’. Lily said.
‘Oh really i am pissing you off,
and what about the way you spoiled my life, what a filth you are. Getting
involved with a married man, who is already having a 6 yrs old child and eight
months old expecting wife. How could you possible do this? You... people like
you, spoil so many lives, breaking homes, and shattering families. What a
disgrace woman like you are to this society. You are a stigma. ’ Aarti spat these
words like venom.
Hearing all this, Lily was in
tears, she couldn’t believe her ears. What all she heard, was a shock, a huge
shock. She tried to gulp down those words. Never in her life had anyone pointed
at her character and morality. Yet today she was the reason of shattering so
many lives, she imagined Jay’s wife sobbing on the other side of the phone with
a swollen belly, with a six year old small child. Words chocked her. She could
say absolutely nothing.
‘But i never knew that he was a
father too... And besides...’ she couldn’t complete the sentence...
‘Stop it will you... you whore, you
spoiled my life and life of my innocent children, god will never forgive you’,
with these final words she ended the call.
‘No please listen to me’, was all
she managed to say even after the phone went into beeps...
Shattered and shocked she was...
what had she done...!! Someone just called her a whore... was she a whore...? NOOOOOO she would forever hate herself for this. How could
she do this? Not knowing anything about this man? He was a father; she never
knew... oh what she had done. All his words were a lie, he was just playing
along.
She was his keep?
Without saying anything to Jay,
Aarti left Jay’s house along with her son, while he was out.
After what felt like eternity,
Lilly pulled her tattered pieces together and dialed Jay’s number..
‘Can you come over; i have a
surprise for you Jay’
‘Ohh yes.. You do...? I’m on my way
sweetheart’, Jay replied.
As soon as he reached her house,
lily hugged him tightly, told him how much she missed him; how incomplete she
was without him. Not parting from him even for a moment. She continues to hold
him tight while swaying to the beats of music.
‘Hey what has gotten into you
today... hmm? And what is the surprise?’ Jay asked kissing her passionately.
‘Ohh yes the surprise’
She parted from him, having a last
look at his smiling face, registering his expressions in her mind. This is how
she would always remember him now. She pulled out his surprise... which she was
hiding from him.... she stabbed him hard right in his stomach... not just once...
Twice... Thrice... four times... five times... until she forgot the count... he
couldn’t even scream, couldn’t even shout... that was all... that was his
end... that’s what the other woman
did erasing a disgrace... That stained her character and that stained several
other lives. An end to everyone’s sufferings. She saw his lifeless body in a
pool of blood.
This was a gift from the other woman to this world, lessening a burden of some filth from this earth.
She cleaned herself, hummed some melodious tune, for she was
free from a burden. She stepped outside her house inhaling the air of her
purity. She was not the other woman anymore
She sat in the Starbucks cafe, sipping her coffee and staring out of the
window. The blood stained knife lay next to her handbag, covered with her blue
silk scarf. ..
She looked at the knife and smiled
to herself. Other woman no more a
stigma, no more a dirt. She was clean.. For she had cleared the dirt upon her,
dirt questioning her morality.
Had Jay been loyal to his wife, all
this would not have happened in the very first place. Was being loyal so
difficult, was abiding by the promises and keeping faith in his relationship so
difficult? We are living in a society today where loyalty seems too expensive
to offer. Very beautifully putting all the blame on woman. Giving her names
like mistress and other woman. Why
not other man? Why not blame him and disgrace him instead of putting all the
blame on a woman. He is responsible too.
Why not other man? And why only the other woman?
