Life, Lilies and Surf

Chapter 18

Latha could think of Krishnan and called him to her house.  He came promptly the same evening.  As soon as he came, he asked, "Where is your husband Bhaskar ?  Is he not at home ?" 

Latha without a word gave him the brown cover that contained the lawyer's notice.

" What ? Again a posting order ?", he asked.  The government departments invariably used despicable brown covers to send their letters and transfer orders generally came in such covers.  

"Yes.  It is a sort of transfer of status", Latha said.  

"Oh ! You are getting promoted ? Can I read the contents ?"

"That is why I called you."

"I am sure it would be transfer to a good station or better still, a deputation to another department of Central Secretariat as Joint Secretary or a promotion order."

He opened the cover and found not one sheet as posting orders do come but a bunch of sheets.  He started reading the pages.  As he was going through the pages, his visage showed signs of startle, disbelief, anger and finally remorse.  Latha who was watching him change colour and expression felt that he was after all a good friend to be so affected.  

After reading the notice of divorce, he put it down, took his handkerchief mopped his forehead of its perspiration and looked at her. He asked her in somewhat frustrated angry voice, "What is  all this nonsense ? What does he think of himself ?  Having loved you and married you and got a child that too a girl, he is doing like this.  Has he gone mad ?"  

He could not contain his anger and anguish.  " Why all this ? Has he found new pastures in Delhi to graze ?  Is there another woman ?"

Latha tersely told, "Yes, one of our colleagues, who is old and not married and very liberal in views."

"What liberal ?  Coveting and attracting some one's husband is not liberal or laudable. Why she could not find a free man or a crusty bachelor ? I am really angry. Even if such creatures walk on earth, what business Bhaskar has to cultivate her?  Is he going to marry her after ditching you ?

"Yes, that is what it looks like.  That seems to be her plan and Bhaskar has very much fallen into her net".

"You talk of this as an episode of a poor fish trapped by fisherman in his nets.  It is nuts to say a grown up married man could do it.  He is not a fish.  This means that the fishy thing must have been going on for quite some time when you were both in Delhi.  Is it not ?  Is she also there ?"

"Yes to all your questions.  I had all these time a feeling that Bhaskar was moving away from me and our family and straying out somewhere.  Being quite busy and engrossed in office work and in my baby, I did not perceive the change and the fast down trend in our relationship.  I took it as a passing phase.  I was stupid.  But you know I never believe in having designs on any one much less on my husband even prior to marriage, when I knew him"

Krishnan did not know what to say.  Latha kept quite for some minutes.  She looked pensively through the window, where the setting sun was turning into an orb of orange and disappearing behind the dark clouds at the horizon like passage of life and relationships plunging into nothingness.  

"What do you propose to do now ? Can I meet him and talk to him ?  Will it help ?"

"I very much doubt it.   He may totally deny his escapade.  He may even question your genuineness in talking about me to him."

"Is there no way to set things right ?"

"I am quite shaken.  It is a bolt from the blue.  I have not talked to him after he marched out of the house.  When I tried to contact him over phone, it never went through as he did not take the call".

"What about your mother or father meeting him and talking to him to withdraw the notice ?  And come back and live with you and his daughter like a decent man.  He always professed himself as a devoute  Hindu and that angle should be used to touch him ".

"It may not help.  He always considered my father as an outmoded century old man with dead ancient ideas.  He never had a smooth relationship with my mother as mother-in-law. Though she does not know it, I know it for quite some years.  The male chauvinism dressed up in seeming equality and liberal attitude is only skin deep in his case.  It looks like a dead end.  In fact, he was not quite attached to his baby girl even."

"What a way to go ?  What do you propose to do then ?   Can I be of some help ?" 

"There is only one thing to be done.  Get a good lawyer and let me face the case in the family court, where it will come up.  Do you know anyone who can take up my case ?"

"Actually, it is all new to me.  Anyway, I will find out and let you know.  You are a brave person.  Don't lose spirit.  Life is not coming to an end.  You have a lovely baby girl, a good respected job and a place in the society.  As a man I can tell you, we always consider a man who cannot manage to live with this wife and his family as a foolish retarded rogue."

After silently sitting for five minutes, he said, "God be with you", and left the house.  The evening sun had set and dusk was slowly enveloping the firmament  with darkness, with the sky waiting to see the moon rising. 

End of Chapter 18.