The Other Woman

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?