WHO IS THE BITCH

From the time Maya returned from her mother’s place, she found Ravi very much disinterested in her. Was he too, depressed like her upon the unfortunate miscarriage, she recently had. No, he might not be. In fact he wanted the baby after a year or two. Then why was he not his normal person. His sullen gloomy irritant behavior towards her was something uncommon. Could it be due to pressure of work at office? “Let me call him at office and find out”, she thought. That was a mistake she did. He never liked her disturbing him during his office hours. He had told her earlier also not to make calls unless otherwise there was an emergency. She had violated his principle at a time, when he was not in good terms with her. Obviously he got wild and she misunderstood that and attributed his rude attitude to his latest indifference towards her. She could not take it anymore. She then immediately called his close friend Sanjay and poured out her agony and anger. Sanjay took it upon himself and promised to get the cat out of the bag.

          He too observed that Ravi was not in his normal form. He seemed to be very tense worried and often under heavy pressure. He could not gauge what was bothering him – certainly not the office work. He recollected recently a lady had come to meet Ravi and the two had something to share secretly. Maya must be correct. That was why, Ravi was unconcerned about her. The other woman must be occupying his mind. No wonder the other day, Maya almost screamed, ‘What the hell is going on between my husband and that bitch?’ Maya’s patience was at its lowest ebb and she was ready to burst.

Sanjay knew that she was serious. ‘Look, Maya. There is nothing going on between the two of them. Just a bit of healthy flirting, I’d say.’

‘Flirting? Healthy flirting? Really Sanjay….’ She rolled her eyes in disgust, ‘That is what you men call it? There is nothing healthy about flirting, Sanjay, not for a married man.

Healthy flirting is a term introduced by perverted men who want to lend legitimacy to their extra marital dalliances. Flirting invariably has sexual connotations to it.’ She got up from her seat and walked around the room gesticulating and muttering something to herself. Suddenly she stopped, turned back, looked at Sanjay and asked, ‘Did my husband sleep with her? You are his best friend. Did he ever tell you anything about it?’

        In a fit of rage, she asked him about her husband’s private matters. What could he say? He thought ‘Does anyone share all these strictly private matters even to a very close friend?’ Even if he had said in Ravi’s defence, ‘no, no, Ravi is not the type’ without knowing or unknowing, whether Ravi slept or not, was she going to believe him. Or for that matter, just to console her, how could he say ‘yes he did sleep with her.’ He only asserted her that Ravi was not the guy to run behind women, crossing all limits. Even if he had gone astray, he would come back to her very soon. Sanjay asked Maya to remain calm and get along with him as usual. It was only a matter of few more days of testing time. He promised to her that he would certainly take up the delicate issue with his close friend, find out details and handle the problem in a subtle manner.

         Sanjay went back to Ravi to find out what is what. He was aware that his friend would be dodging and not come around for open discussion or confession. Or else why would he be so silent all these days? Sanjay had seen the woman talking to Ravi. No doubt the lady was pretty enough, well dressed and well mannered. But Ravi did not seem to be excited or enthusiastic about a pretty woman meeting him. There must be something very fishy about it. So he decided to take him to beach in the name of sharing a confidential matter.

        Late in the evening they sat down at a convenient place. Without any pretentions, Sanjay cut the ice and said, ‘There is nothing secret or confidential about me. It is all about you. What is bothering you? Why are you so gloomy and tensed? All the time very pensive…Is she, the woman who comes to meet you? I saw your wedding card on your table addressed to someone by name Radha. Was she the one Radha and why the wedding invitation came up now after two years?’

         Ravi too wanted someone to whom he could share his mental agony. Sanjay took the lead. So it became easy to open up. He started narrating from the beginning. ‘No, she is not Radha. She is– her name is Jaganmohini, simply Mohini for short. It all happened a fortnight ago. She came looking for me with the help of this wedding card. It was a queer incident by itself where along with my name, my credentials were also available to her. Searching for my office address and then for me, she came to me, not in the form an angel, but as a devil. Straight away she started talking all shit and nonsense about Maya. I was taken aback. A lady whom I had never known or seen before is talking all rubbish and at my place and using my office time! You can imagine how furious I was! Instantly I showed her the door and asked her to get out, without even bothering about courtesy or etiquettes towards ladies. Who is she to talk about Maya, my adoring wife? But, she would not leave. Instead, she annoyed me by saying and that too very loudly ‘what the hell is going on between my husband and that bitch.’ She pressed her fingers on Maya’s name in the card. That was too much for me. Even if she had slapped me I would have tolerated but abusing Maya! I was terribly irritated. All I could say was ‘Last warning, Madam, if you are not leaving this place, this minute, I am calling the Security.’ She left the place with tears in her eyes.’ Ravi took a long pause. Then he continued further. ‘All it took was, a few minutes for her. All of a sudden she came, she poured venom and she went. But, for me, it was a big jolt. It took quite some time for me to come to terms. I was puzzled – why would a woman come searching for me making hundred enquiries throughout, then finally come to me and pour out her absurd nonsense.

       I tried to dismiss everything as a mental cynic woman’s blabbering. But no, I couldn’t. Again and again it was getting replayed in my mind …. All of a sudden she came to see me. Why me? Of all men on earth, why me? – is it because I am Maya’s husband? Is it any new game going on in the city – a new kind of fraud or blackmail? I tried to settle at my work, but time and again, her words were hovering around me. I knew Maya had nothing to do with whatever the lady was trying to projecting or pointing out. If only Maya had known about this, how badly she would be affected. Luckily she was away at her parents’ place then. Already she was down with the unborn baby’s loss and added to that this allegation! Probably she would have laughed at this incident as a good joke. Even I took it as a good joke of the day.’

        Sanjay remained silent and Ravi continued… ‘After a few days, the mad woman came again, this time, with a handful of photos. She spread out and said, ‘Come on, look at these photos. Who is flirting with my husband? Is that not flirting? There is nothing healthy about any flirting, not for a married woman, mind it. Flirting invariably has a sexual connotation to it and I shall not tolerate it. I came to warn you. Check your wife. The other day you pushed me out in disbelief. So I had to bring all these to show you. ’ She was about to collect the photos and ready to go. Then I stopped her. In all the photos Maya was smiling, laughing, jumping, dancing and what not. Clearly Maya and Maya only was seen in different poses. I could not believe my eyes. My wife Maya in someone’s arms!! How shocking and painful it was. But that was no more a joke. The earth was crumbling under my feet. That was the first time I became suspicious… Maya, a true and trustworthy wife, is unfaithful to me! An extreme thought occurred. Was it really a miscarriage or an abortion? I am sorry to confide all these to you …., but I cannot help it. Till now, and even now, I am suffering a silent anger, self-pity, disgust -- call it anything. Why should Maya fool me around? I have been very true and loyal to her and why she could not be?’ Ravi was high on his self pity.

        Sanjay then interrupted, ‘All is fine. But you are a fool! A real stupid fool! Have you ever spoken to Maya about this, or questioned her? Abortion or miscarriage, it can be easily found out from the doctor who attended on her. Some foolish stupid lady came and weaved a long story and you instantly believed her without a question, whereas, your better half – your own heart and soul, your wife -- you did not care to ask a bit from her, nor even bothered to know her side of the story, something about the photo, about the guy, for that matter anything about the illicit affair. You were brewing your own suspicions and blaming her for everything. Was it not possible that before her marriage, Maya and the ‘notorious’ guy had been getting along for some time and later parted ways – I am sorry, I call him notorious because, I cannot take that mischievous fellow as any normal person who is still holding on to those photos even after his marriage to another lady.’

         He continued, ‘I remember very vividly what you told me just a few days before your engagement to Maya about her in high appreciation for your policy that you were not at all interested in knowing about her past affairs with her boyfriends, love failures, broken engagements, etc…. The photos could be from one such fellow.’ Sanjay allowed Ravi to delve into the issue and have second thoughts on his ‘misconceptions’. Possible that Ravi could see the problem from a different angle. The dark clouds might disappear, paving way for a clear sky.

       Though he put Ravi on a different track, Sanjay was still not clear on few things…. Even if it is assumed – just an assumption only -- that JaganMohini was right in her allegations, certain loose threads were not getting connected… first of all, how did JaganMohini, the torturing woman, identify the lady in the photos as Maya, when she had never known or met her before. Agreed that it was okay & fine. She could find out and reach up to Ravi from the office details available in wedding invitation card and that too because, he had not changed his job. But how could she know Maya? Who told her? By the way, who was Radha and why the wedding invite meant for Radha and family was in the hands of JaganMohini. What was JaganMohini’s husband doing? Was he a scoundrel or was he just cutting a practical joke on his wife by showing some old photos, whereas, this torturing lady, on the contrary, took it very seriously and started probing and unnecessarily disturbing all those involved and also resort to mudslinging on Ravi and Maya.

        Among many things, he realized one strange common behavior between the two women, Maya and Mohini. Both were using the same language when it came to flirting…the other woman with their husbands invariably had to be a bitch… nothing healthy about flirting…. it ought to have sexual connotations to it etc. Surely both the women were on the same wave lengths. For them a coin did not have two sides, -- only one side, the same side as they believed.

        Having given enough time and space for Ravi to ponder, Sanjay asked him whether he could do anything to solve their problem, -- if necessary, meet both husband and wife and bang them or at least one of the two. That lady visiting him again and again should be stopped. He wanted to know whether there were any dates on the photos. He knew that in some photos date and time were also displayed on the print out. Ravi sadly admitted they had a date but of recent months. Sanjay remained silent for a minute. Suddenly he jumped in ecstasy and burst out. ‘You silly goose, you need to be banged, not the duo. Recent dates? Maya was pregnant then. How can a pregnant woman be dancing and singing even if she wanted to? Clearly the photos were all morphed. Do you understand what is meant by morphing? None of them was a real one! That ‘gutter guy’ must be wanting to leash out his harassment on Maya. In the meantime, his wife, the ‘bewitching bitch M_o_h_i_n_i came to you with those morphed photos. You, my dear Simpleton, nicely got fooled!! Now go home and explain to Maya what a dunce you were, as you used to be ever before! the only difference being this time it is all- time- high. May be this gutter guy could be her college mate and had a crush for her and it is quite likely Maya despised him and his advances then and then. Quite likely that she sent her wedding invitation to all her friends including this mad chap, ignoring his admiration for her. Those singing, dancing jumping etc. in the photos could be a part of a video of her collage program. You had told me that she was actively taking part in all cultural programmes. Now go and tell Maya. Talk to her openly and get things clarified. Don’t be brooding nor be an irritant husband. If need be, go with a pack of ice cream to keep you, cool.”  

Sanjay was happy that he could intervene and somewhat solve the issue. Both the ladies were adamant in their belief that their husbands had some illicit affair. Mohini came to Ravi and banged him directly. But Maya met Sanjay and vented out her anger on Ravi. Sanjay was the mediator to settle scores between these two possessive women, who did not like the husbands to have some healthier flirting. Now the ball was in Ravi’s court. Once he sorted out, he could easily handle Mohini.

Ravi, not bothering about Sanjay’s scornful taunting, for the first time, after a long time, smiled and this smile was sure to stay for long. Why should he be satisfied with only a cup of ice cream? He would go with a brick of ice cream.