A love life gone awry

By Ananda Agalakada

Malkanthi was a comely village lass. Her doe-shaped eyes and pink rosy cheeks would attract any man and the village men were no exception. She was married to Sumanasena who was also from her own village. She built her marital home with Sumanasena who was a carpenter and they subsequently had three lovely children. They had come to live in the beautiful village of Urubokka. For some time life went on as usual for the family. Sometimes, Sumanasena's job took him away from home and for days he was away. Malkanthi was at home with her three children but when they went away to school she was alone at home.

Try as she might to keep herself occupied, time hung on her hands and at times she did not know what to do with herself. She was being closely watched by Priyantha who was eyeing her and was waiting for an opportunity to prey on her. Malkanthi was also giving him the glad eye. Priyantha's youthful exuberance was no match to her husband Sumanasena who was a simple quiet man.

At the beginning, Malkanthi resisted his advances but later on she gave in. Priyantha gladly crept into the marital bed and the two of them had a rollicking extramarital relationship. Sumanasena got wind of the goings-on in his home during his absence. Villagers around his house gave him all the information.

One day he confronted his wife and pleaded with her to give up the affair for the sake of their children.

Affair

Malkanthi agreed and all was quiet for a while. Priyantha, however, was not one to forget Malkanthi and move away.

He relentlessly urged Malkanthi to continue the relationship with him and once again they renewed the affair. Sumanasena was by now getting bits and pieces of the continuing relationship with Priyantha and he was fed up with his wife's behaviour. He decided to send her out of their marital home.

She was now pregnant and had to leave the house and then went to live with her paramour. Priyantha was more than happy to live with his lover and life went on as usual. Priyantha was a construction worker and his job took him away from home on most days and Malkanthi was alone at home with her infant. She was once again left to her own devices and now she once again built a relationship with another youth from Urubokka in the absence of Priyantha.

When Priyantha found out that Malkanthi was having an illicit affair with another youth from the village, he flew into a rage and confronted Malakanthi. She dismissed the allegations saying the villagers were cooking up stories and assured Priyantha that she had nothing to do with anyone else.

He believed her and went back to work. No sooner he started working he was inundated with calls that a village youth was once again visiting Malkanthi. Now he could not contain his anger.

He flew into a rage and took the first bus home. He questioned Malkanthi but she vehemently denied having any affair with anyone.

He still believed his wife and wanted to see for himself and confirm whether the villagers were telling the truth because he loved Malkanthi more than his life.

Love

Instead of returning to work he hid in the roof of the house to verify for himself whether Malkanthi was in fact in tow with the youth.

To his consternation he saw the youth creeping into the house and the two of them were preparing to make love when he pounced on the couple and mercilessly stabbed Malkanthi. She succumbed to her injuries while being taken to the Heegoda hospital.

Malkanthi’s little daughter rushed and informed her uncle that her mother had been stabbed. The uncle rushed to

Malkanthi’s house and saw her lying in a pool of blood.

The OIC IP H.T.M. Thushara and a police team rushed to the scene and took Malkanthi to Heegoda hospital. Priyantha was arrested and the little girl was handed over to the Children's and Women's Bureau in Matara.