Fortune Favors Me - Short Story

  Tring... Tring..

“Hello  Senthil..”

“Thank god, Meena where are you ? I have been reaching you for last one hour. What happen to your goddamn mobile ? Do you know what time it is ?”

“Sorry dear, My phone’s battery is down. What is Vimal doing ?”

“He is busy in his homework, Are you on the way ? Whether i will come and pick you ?”

“OOPS, forget the reason for the call. I am doing extra hours today. We need to deliver the project with in tomorrow.  It will take another couple of hours.”

“2 Hours !!! it will be midnight. Are you kidding ? How will you come ? Give the phone to your M.D , i need to talk to him.”
“please, don’t start again Senthil. Other girls are also staying with me. Nothing to worry , Cab will drop me home. I gotta go dear, take care of vimal.”


She hangs the phone. I heard some male voice piercing her name behind. I am pretty sure that is Sam, her colleague. I saw him twice before in her office.  He is a young, smart kerala boy who is in his late twenties. She told me that he is assisting her a lot in her profession. I just wonder, why should he wanna help ? This kind of thoughts raised in me for last six months. That is when she started for going job. Before that, it was never required.

I had worked in a reputed software company for 7 years. We had a perfect life with spacious flat, beautiful wife and lovely kid. Last year, it came to an end. My vision turns blurry as i am working more time too close to system. I can’t identify the words which i am typing. I consult with all eye specialists. They told me that i had a eye deficiency and suggest me never to work in front of the system. If i do, i may turn blind. It is not fair at all, It’s not easy for a man in late thirties to switch the career. But i have none other option left, I joined as a professor in one of the private college. Due to my lack of experience in this field, i made only one third of money which i have made earlier. Lot of debts, bills to paid. In order to maintain the luxurious lifestyle, my wife came up with the idea of her job. I hesitated initially, but my situation demands it. She has been going for this job for last one month.

One problem was solved another started dancing in my mind. I seriously doubt her that she is having affair with someone, i even have some nightmares thinking about it. Meena is not like me, she is in her earlier thirties. But no one will agree that she is a mother of five year old kid. She has stunning personality, rounded face, beautiful eyes, long hairs, whitish complexion. I am lucky to get married to such a girl where i am a fat, bald figure.Well, i was not happy about her job and  ask her to quit the job and be my wife as she was before. But, she never agreed to my deliberation. We often had hard conversation regarding this. Today, she work late hours and I can’t do anything about it. I went to bed with suspicion. When i wake up in the morning, she had already started for work.

“Meena, it’s just 7. What’s the rush ?”
“Board meeting in office, some documents to prepare. Hey, i have made food. Feed vimal, take him to your brother’s house afterwards.”
“Wait, i will drop you.”
“No,  Cab is already waiting for me. Catch you later”

Today is republic day, holiday for me and Vimal. Meena works in a MNC company they never consider government holidays besides she is very interested in leaving us. I bath my son, feed him lunch and took him to my brother’s home  where he will play all day with his nephew. I dropped him and i went to meet my friend.

On the way, i am waiting  for a signal. Suddenly, Meena’s yellow saree got my attention, she was sitting in a bike rear end with someone. They rushed me before, she never noticed me. Tremors started inside my body, swing my head in anxiety,  eyes widened, soaked in all my sweat. All my nightmare came true, i can’t believe my eyes. After a minute, desperation was converted to madness, eyes turn red. I blew my kicker with full strength, started following them. I raised my speed to full, within no time i caught them in a restaurant. Sam parked his bike in the parking lot and went to a table along with her. I hide myself behind the tree and watched them with curious eyes. I can only see only sam’s front and my wife’s back. Sam is holding my wife’s hand, both are smiling at each other romantically.

Thousand thoughts went on my mind. Whether i am gonna kill them ? Whether i am gonna kill them in this public place ? What will happen to my son, if i went to jail ? One thing i am very sure of, i am gonna kill sam. My wife even not allow me to touch her before marriage. How this bastard turned my lovely angel to a bitch. I am gonna rip him in to half, drink his blood, throw his bone to dogs. Soon, reality caught my attention. I can’t watch them together anymore. So, i made a safe plan of assassinating him. My plan is to incision his bike’s brake wire and then present me before them. So, my wife will come with me and Sam will go alone in his bike.

I watched carefully that no one is noting me. I dropped my purse near his bike, so i bend forward and took a knife from my pocket. My hand trembles, i imagine the wire is his throat. With in one swing, i slash it off. May be, his brake wire is already in fault or my anger execute it . I put the knife and purse in my pocket and walked away from the parking lot. Before, i reach them. I noticed my wife is talking to another young girl. I saw sam getting out of the restaurant, moving towards the parking lot. I hide behind the door to watch him taking his bike. I know this is the last time, i am seeing him. As soon as he kicked his bike, I rushed to my wife, pretended that i am meeting her first time here. She was really shocked, but she pretend to act normal. She asked
“What are you doing here ?”
“I have to ask that, is this your office ?”
“Ah, Sam is getting married today in register office. She is Arthi, his girlfriend and this is Aarthi’s brother Baskar. We are getting them married today in register office.”

I was completely off by her reply. I glanced her hand where Sam touched her few minutes back.
She shook her hand and told
“Look, Sam tied me rakki. He always told me that i am his big sister. I finally got my first brother”  
Aarthi also joined her
“We just talk about you, Meena bhabhi just told me how she loves you . You are a lucky guy, senthil ji”

Meena had no brothers before. She told me that she like brothers and one day she will have. She even bet me in that. Tears dropped from my eyes as i turned back and wipe it,  give them a fake smile. I can’t act normal. My heart beats fast like a wild horse, I panicked myself regarding what i have done ? I presume that Sam might have dead by now and. I tried to take some water, most of it drips on my shirt. I stood up from the chair abruptly.
“Excuse me, ladies”

Meena noticed that something is wrong in me, she had a worried face. I rushed to parking lot. I don’t see Sam neither his bike. I went to washroom, look my face in front of the mirror. I am very angry with myself. So, i spit on my face in the mirror, slap it with my hands. My brain told me to act normal, that no one should not guess me. I cleaned my face also the grief inside it. I went there and sit near my wife.
“What happened ? Is everything ok ?”
“Yeah, just dropped my key in bike itself. So, went to parking lot and grabbed it”
“You should be more careful..”

Half an hour gone, there is no news about Sam. Aarthi called his number, no one picked the call. There is a drop of sweat falling from my forehead to my neck. Inside my heart, i prayed for him. Finally Aarthi received a call, she got no signal. So, she went some far distance and give some serious voice. I stand from my seat and noticed her with . My wife raise a hand with “hi” to someone. I turn back and see Sam coming back to the restaurant. He was walking towards us with his legs. He has legs, thank god, he is not a ghost.
Aarthi asked in frustration
“Where the hell you gone ?”
“Chill sweat, My bike is got repaired. Workshop is nearby, so took it there”

I stammered  him
“w wh wha What happened to the bike ?”
“Nothing  Senthil ji, just my accelerator wire cut off. Couldn’t rise the bike. It was already very loose, now totally gone off”
Aarthi starts again
“Why don’t you check this before ?”

I just lauded and ask him
“Did you say accelerator wire ?”
Sam nodded his head positively, where Meena startled
“Is that important ? We got a marriage to held.. come on everyone.. ”

Of Course it’s not important to anyone, besides me. I lived in the hell for last few minutes. A sense of relief came to me finally in this restless day. I give a little blow to my back head and to my thinking. I laugh myself, thinking of it. We then move to register office along with the bride and groom.

Meena grabbed my shoulder and whispered in my ears. I loved her when she does that
“You don’t like Sam, that’s why i have not told about his marriage plan today. Don’t be mad at me..”
I hugged her and told
“Never ever...”
I don’t know how, but all ends well.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda