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| Sunday, 30 April 2006 |
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Short story
Deception I tried to put the scraps of paper together to figure out what it was. It ended up forming a bill issued from a leading clothing shop in Colombo. I noticed these bits of paper in the litter bin because of the soothing blue shade that it had. I prided myself for unearthing a secret which would otherwise have gone undetected for the whole of my lifetime perhaps.
Deceiving women is the last thing men should aim at in this modern world. Women are not so naive and fragile as they used to be in the past. I never thought my being away from home for two day's would invite such a catastrophe to my household. The shop had earned a name for trendy outfits for fashion-conscious people. With whom had he gone there? To whom had he bought such an outfit? It was neither my birthday nor our daughter Himashi's. I strived hard to justify what he did. But I became unsuccessful in all my attempts. Tears trickled down my cheeks. I felt a loneliness which I had never experienced before. Colleague My husband's colleagues came into my mind one by one. Is it Anjela, Shereen or Ruvani? They are the women he often talks of. I have seen them all. But Ruvani is the most beautiful of them all with an aquiline nose, big black eyes and a golden complexion. Certainly it should be Ruwani who's trying to grab Aravinda away from me. He often talks of her at home. I made a firm decision. I'm not going to question Aravinda till I get to know the whole story. Mess The house was in a mess. But I couldn't attend to it because I was so moved by this incident. I went to bed, sleep never reached me. I imagined Ruwani in that trendy outfit, instead. Her shapely figure was glowing in that dress. I felt so jealous of her. Will she be the successor my place in Aravinda's heart for so long? I should be more conscious of my figure and attire. It's true that I've grown a bit out of shape over the years. But Aravinda should have told me that he is unhappy about it. Unexpected things occur at unexpected moments. Life is like that. I sighed in agony. But how can I believe that he was unfaithful. It is men who say that women are shrewd and that they deceitful. So what is this kind of deception? "Amma, where are you?" I heard Himashi's voice as if coming from another world. I didn't even feel like responding to her. I was so perturbed over my husband being unfaithful to me. I never wanted to spend a night outside home. But this time I couldn't say no to my boss. I had to be away from home on an assignment for two days. But I never thought Aravinda would do such a thing in my absence. Throughout the ten years that we were together, things went on smoothly. We were a happy family. He never wanted me to be away from home for long hours. Even when I got late to come home he used to nag me a lot. But I never took them seriously. I should have been more sensitive to what he said. It seems that I have intentionally created an opportunity for him to err. Early "Hi!........ you've come home. I never thought you might come this early." Aravinda entered from the door way as if nothing has happened. Himashi came running to him. He hugged her to which she also responded with eagerness. I pretended to be normal. But it was so hard. Everytime I regained my composure, that incident crept into my heart and shattered the tranquillity of my mind. "Amali, how was your trip? I had trouble with Himashi. I had to take her everywhere to console her." Noticing that there was no response to all these, he said: "You seem so different today. Are you suffering from that usual headache" saying this he placed his hand on my forehead. The touch and warmth which I often craved for didn't have the same healing quality it possessed earlier. This time I felt it as the slimy skin of a serpent. "No it'll be Ok. Dinner is ready. Don't bother me. I want to sleep now." I turned the other way to hide the tears pouring from my closed eyes. How deceptive men could be. Is it only Himashi that you had trouble with? My conscience forced me to direct a question to Aravinda. But I was determined not to show any indifference till I got to know the full version. "Amali, we have a party to attend tomorrow. You can't say no. All my friends will be there. Ruwani and others will really be pleased to see you after a long time. You didn't get to talk much recently. Isn't it?" The mention of Ruwani's name struck me like a thunderbolt. You want me to compete with my arch-rival? I became furious. I will show your real face to the whole world. I'll destroy the facade that you cover yourself in. You are a real hypocrite. The next day I got up late purposely. Aravinda had brought a cup of tea to our room. I never expected him to do such a thing. It appeared to be a thing he had done to compensate his guilt. Such a trivial action will definitely not lesson the gravity of his drastic action. I'm not going to forgive him. I sat on the bed trying to recover myself fully from yesterday's mess. Routine "Amali, what has happened to you? Can't you be lively at least today? Can't you remember this beautiful day ten years ago? Today is our tenth wedding anniversary. That's why I wanted to change the usual routine today. Aren't you happy about it? He placed on my lap a beautifully wrapped present. Without second thoughts I broke the parcel. For a moment I became transfixed. It was a nice frock with a tag indicating the name of that leading clothing shop. My suspicion was totally quenched. I heaved a sigh of relief. Noticing my surprise, he asked. "Don't tell me that you don't like it. I wanted this to be a pleasant surprise for you. It was Himashi who chose this for you. I have invited several friends of mine to share our happiness today. I want to show them how beautiful you still look even after ten years. I think you are more a and more beautiful with the years." I couldn't control myself. Tears poured down. I became furious with my foolishness. How narrow-minded I was in passing judgment on him earlier. I am to be blamed. I was totally wrong. I went to the extreme of forgetting an important event in our lives also. How indifferent and insensitive I have grown over the years. I thought about myself. I felt so grateful to him for reminding me my own faults. I sobbed bitterly. Not knowing the reason, he gently caressed my cheeks. How lucky I am to possess a husband like him. I embraced him with never-ending love. Indu Gamage, University of Ruhuna |
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