Mrinal was in a very much awkward position and finding no suitable answer said, ‘It is none of your business. Women should take care of the house and Men outside it.’ Mita understood that this was not her husband’s true nature. It was the dialog of a typical conservative Indian husband. Mita’s face turned grey with gloom. Mrinal had never before behaved in this rude manner. Any way she said nothing then. During dinner neither of them talked to each other. Mrinal was feeling repentant for his rudeness as it was her wife’s birthday. He was not finding any excuse for his fault and was feeling guilty. He was short of words with which he could at least start a conversation with his wife. At bed Mrinal found that Mita had turned intentionally in the other direction. She was facing the opposite wall and giving him almost no chance to talk to his wife. After about half an hour later, he came closer to his wife and put his hand on her shoulder. She quickly pushed his hand off and said, ‘Do not touch me. Let me sleep.’ Mrinal could understand that Mita was crying slowly with the bed sheet covering her face. Mrinal felt all the more helpless. Gathering courage he came closer to his wife and turned her forcefully in his direction and said, ‘Please don’t cry Mita. I can’t see you crying like this. You know that I love you and I have no one except you as my own.’ Slowly Mita opened her eyes. Mrinal’s heavy breath was falling on her face. She wiped her eyes and said, ‘Why are your eyes red then?’ She wiped Mrinal’s eyes with the end of her saree. Her lips showed she was smiling, an indication for Mrinal that Mita have forgiven him.
After about two months later, the same phone rang up and this time it was Mita who answered. The voice of the person seemed to be harsh. The person enquired if her husband was at home. She asked to hold and called her husband. The same scene followed and Mita saw his face go faded. His hands began to tremble with fear. Mita could not make out head or tail of the heated discussion. Mrinal simply answered in short ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Lastly, he said, ‘I only need atleast two days. Luck is betraying me for the last two days.’ The phone slipped from his trembling hands and he dropped on his bed. He covered his face with both his hands and shaking his head he was murmuring something to himself. Mita encircled her husband with her arms and asked him looking straight at the face, ‘What is the matter with you, what is the problem? Who is the person talking with you in such a bad manner?’ He gave some lame excuses and forcefully asked her to go to sleep and not to worry. He falsely snored in his sleep so as to make Mita believe that there was nothing to worry. This time it had no effect on her wife. She also had to spend a sleepless night. On the day of her anniversary of marriage she was sure to receive a present from her husband...
He was feeling a bit drowsy by now. Dr. Ajitesh said not be asleep as the climax was still to come. He noticed that the story had till now nothing unnatural or frightening but it gripped his mind all over. Such, is the direction of the story as said by Dr. Ajitesh; He felt as if he is a person involved in the incident itself. He sat comfortably on the sofa and by now the cogniac bottle was empty. The doctor host rubbed his spectacles and handed him a fan to get rid of mosquitoes. In forests especially at night it is troublesome. So, after a pause, continued the story as it goes on his version… Mrinal’s wife had prepared the typical Bengali fashioned delicacies for him. His wife was eagerly waiting for him. As her husband entered he wore a serious look but tried hard to smile at her. She knew that there was a great turmoil deep down in his heart. This time again when the phone rang again a threatening from there. He put down the receiver. This time unable to bear no more he broke down to tears. His wife though helpless, was not able to perceive the depth of his problem. He was a good student at the Presidency College but he had a bad habit of gambling with his pocket money. But being an expert he amassed lots of wealth. But his ill luck was that due to this habit he once stole a large amount of money from the cash counter of his office. He was given one year jail. But due to his clever and his wife’s belief in him he only had to say that he was going on a country wide tour. His wife was unaware of the fact that came in her life before marriage. In the last few days he started losing huge amounts of money in gambling. To gain more and more and to make up for the loss he went to an underworld don for a large amount of money. The don had the confidence in Mrinal’s luck in gambling and so gave him the money. As luck would have it, Mrinal lost the money in gambling. The don was locally known as Umesh Bhai. He threatened Mrinal with an ultimatum of a day and said that he would be killed if the demand is not met with. His eyes glistened with hope as Mrinal’s eyes fell on Mita’s jewelry. He asked for the ring that he had given to Mita two months back on her birthday. Mita suddenly seemed to be a stranger for Mrinal. She snatched herself away for the eager outstretched hands of her husband. Mrinal seemed to get the shock of his life. She got up from the drawing room and went to her bedroom. She never thought for a moment that the ring can save her husband’s life.
After about two months later, the same phone rang up and this time it was Mita who answered. The voice of the person seemed to be harsh. The person enquired if her husband was at home. She asked to hold and called her husband. The same scene followed and Mita saw his face go faded. His hands began to tremble with fear. Mita could not make out head or tail of the heated discussion. Mrinal simply answered in short ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Lastly, he said, ‘I only need atleast two days. Luck is betraying me for the last two days.’ The phone slipped from his trembling hands and he dropped on his bed. He covered his face with both his hands and shaking his head he was murmuring something to himself. Mita encircled her husband with her arms and asked him looking straight at the face, ‘What is the matter with you, what is the problem? Who is the person talking with you in such a bad manner?’ He gave some lame excuses and forcefully asked her to go to sleep and not to worry. He falsely snored in his sleep so as to make Mita believe that there was nothing to worry. This time it had no effect on her wife. She also had to spend a sleepless night. On the day of her anniversary of marriage she was sure to receive a present from her husband...
He was feeling a bit drowsy by now. Dr. Ajitesh said not be asleep as the climax was still to come. He noticed that the story had till now nothing unnatural or frightening but it gripped his mind all over. Such, is the direction of the story as said by Dr. Ajitesh; He felt as if he is a person involved in the incident itself. He sat comfortably on the sofa and by now the cogniac bottle was empty. The doctor host rubbed his spectacles and handed him a fan to get rid of mosquitoes. In forests especially at night it is troublesome. So, after a pause, continued the story as it goes on his version… Mrinal’s wife had prepared the typical Bengali fashioned delicacies for him. His wife was eagerly waiting for him. As her husband entered he wore a serious look but tried hard to smile at her. She knew that there was a great turmoil deep down in his heart. This time again when the phone rang again a threatening from there. He put down the receiver. This time unable to bear no more he broke down to tears. His wife though helpless, was not able to perceive the depth of his problem. He was a good student at the Presidency College but he had a bad habit of gambling with his pocket money. But being an expert he amassed lots of wealth. But his ill luck was that due to this habit he once stole a large amount of money from the cash counter of his office. He was given one year jail. But due to his clever and his wife’s belief in him he only had to say that he was going on a country wide tour. His wife was unaware of the fact that came in her life before marriage. In the last few days he started losing huge amounts of money in gambling. To gain more and more and to make up for the loss he went to an underworld don for a large amount of money. The don had the confidence in Mrinal’s luck in gambling and so gave him the money. As luck would have it, Mrinal lost the money in gambling. The don was locally known as Umesh Bhai. He threatened Mrinal with an ultimatum of a day and said that he would be killed if the demand is not met with. His eyes glistened with hope as Mrinal’s eyes fell on Mita’s jewelry. He asked for the ring that he had given to Mita two months back on her birthday. Mita suddenly seemed to be a stranger for Mrinal. She snatched herself away for the eager outstretched hands of her husband. Mrinal seemed to get the shock of his life. She got up from the drawing room and went to her bedroom. She never thought for a moment that the ring can save her husband’s life.
Contd...P/6
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