They Had Just Begun Loving

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 “I am planning to look for a job. It is tiresome sitting here whole day doing nothing, at least I can find someone to talk with.” He was muttering to himself…..lost in thoughts.

His wife was listening to him with suspicion…she couldn’t believe her ears. They have been married for almost forty years, neither of them has thought of getting into some job, worse was her husband’s recklessness which even caused them almost bankrupt today.

“Have you lost your mind…who would give you a job…that too in this age”? She laughed at him.

“You don’t need to worry about finding a job for me….you know, I have been offered one in a hotel in the town”.

“Thank God, any way you have at least a good thought after years of your irresponsible life, I am sure our children would be happy to hear this.” 

For a moment she felt proud of her husband.

“I knew you will realize about our state…” she sighed in hope. “But, I have a request”.

“Okay….go ahead…let me hear.” He said it with curiosity.

“Promise to give me your first salary.” She demanded it having something in her mind.

“Sure…I will”. He replied with anticipation.

It was all for the studies of their grandchild….they had moved into a rented house in the city. She had already attuned to the ambience of the sleepless town, but he longed to go back to where he belonged, the village….he badly missed it. She has a special ability to get adapted to the place easily. She has always been this way. Long back when she was admitted to a hospital in Delhi, she was found talking to the duty doctor in Malayalam and the doctor blissfully replied to her in Hindi, which she understood nothing. But both of them were immersed in the conversation for a long time. He was just watching them talking with each other, even then he said nothing…

He got into his job in the hotel. He was offered three thousand rupees per month. It was not a hectic job, just some front job work. Most of the visitors of the hotel are bystanders of those patients languishing in the nearby cancer hospital. Most of the visitors to the hotel wore a gloomy faces. But he was excited about his new job.

She used to send him off regularly with his food and medicines. She would invariably wait, embracing the wooden pillar at the portico until he vanished from her sight. Somewhere in the corner of her eyes, a drop of tear took birth….”At this age…when everything is heading to its end….” She was excited about the changes seen in her husband.

All these years he lived for himself….completely forgoing all his duties…he was celebrating his life….he was into drinking…he lived for his friends…..he was a total failure as a family man…worse was his claim that he loved his friends more than anyone.

Initially, she used to pick up fights with him…trying to get him back to his senses….but gradually she realized that all her attempts were futile. Life taught her to be more resilient and responsible…single-handedly she raised her children…now that they are all in good positions.   

Whenever children rang her up she told them about their father’s transformation……her excitement was very evident in her words. Children were not so happy to see their father going to work at this age, but they later obliged to her mother’s desires.

He was almost running back to his rented house…the honking vehicles plying to and fro never deterred him from rushing back home. He had the first salary with him tightly held in his hand…..he even refused to hear her out…wanting her to go along with him to get her a saree. As they were on the way to the textile showroom he extended the salary towards her. She took it with gratitude and pride.  A silk saree...that was her dream…all the salary was spent on it. For the first time in his life as a husband, he felt proud of himself. 

She never bothered to enquire if he wanted some money from his first salary.

“I had to wait almost forty years to get this after our marriage”…she kept the saree close to her heart.

“One more thing….I need your next month salary too. I want to get a small ring for me…..look at this…it’s all gone…then you keep all the salaries with you…I won’t ask for it anymore”.

“Sure….I will give you.” He said it with a smile.

He was in a state of ecstasy….he felt that he was beginning to find meaning in his life. Life had begun changing. He even began ringing up to his children, spending more time with his wife…..

The countdown for the next salary had already begun….

She was looking into the mirror anxiously……trying to spot something on her neck.

“What happened…what are you searching for?”

“It’s been long…some growth here….I feel slight pain here….”

Looking out through the window he said, “we will not keep it for long…we will go to see a doctor tomorrow…we will not wait for my salary to come….let’s call any one of our children….they will send the money for sure. I will apply for a leave tomorrow.”

He was restless, sleep kept away from him…..the dawn delayed...he felt that the sun had gone far away from him.

While they were dressing up to go to the hospital she said, “You go-ahead for the duty,…the hospital is just close by here…I will go myself.”

But he wasn’t able to concentrate on his job.

After the initial checkups, the doctor said, “It is an unwanted growth, why should we retain it, let’s get it removed at the earliest, but nothing to worry about.”

She took the phone and rang up to him, “The doctor wants me to get admitted here, he said that there is an unwanted growth…we shall remove it….a small operation…when you come, get me a flask of warm water and a bed sheet….then please don’t be tensed, okay”

She hung up the phone abruptly.

The operation was over….he was trying to look through the window to have a glimpse of her.

He began loitering through the hospital veranda. His children had already reached…..he never spoke even a word to them.

One of the sons approached him and said, “Pappa…. don't worry….”

“But….it is on her throat”

After two hours of procedure and post observance, she was brought to the ward. The children and the grandchildren were thronging around her. Her eyes were searching for him……standing far away he smiled at her. When the commotion was over, he approached her.

“It has been two days you are here in the hospital…..now that all are here….go home and rest for some time…” She sounded feeble.

He sat close to her…took her feeble arms into his palms and caressed it. He said nothing…just looked at her with a smile….

Saying nothing he got out of the hospital and walked towards the home.

“She was all okay”…the son said to the relatives who came to visit her in the hospital.

“Now they are telling that it was the doctor’s fault, she has been shifted to the ICU.”

“Did you inform him?”

“Yes…he is on his way.”

As he reached back the hospital everything was over.

He could hear the wailing of his son….

“They said everything was okay…..but...”

The body was wheeled out of the ICU…

He came close to the body…..took off the clothing that covered her lifeless body….saying something to her he placed few notes into her hand and folded it…..

The salary…..as he promised to her …..

The wheels of the stretcher began rolling again with a shrieking sound……..

They had just begun loving……