Story for Young Couples

Rajesh and Deepak were good friends. A year back they had both got married. Rajesh wed Hema and Deepak wed Malini. Both Rajesh and Deepak worked for a Software Development Company and met everyday in the office. The two newly wedded couples began to move on in life adapting different approaches to what each felt seemed right.

Rajesh did not encourage his wife Hema to continue working after marriage and wanted her only to be a housewife. However, Deepak asked Malini to continue work “if she wanted to,” which delighted Malini very much and she opted to continue working at the office. She worked for a business organization that dealt with dress materials and machines.

Rajesh took pride in his self-assumed “strong principles,” believed it to be right, and thought his marriage was therefore going right. He thought he was “happy” that he had his wife under perfect “control” and she was very obedient to him and feared him.

One day, Rajesh felt “shocked” when he saw his friend Deepak’s wife, Malini, going to a hotel with another man, and as a friend he thought he should warn Deepak about this. He felt happy he did not send his own wife, Hema, to work at an office for “this” was what would happen when women went to office.

Rajesh, however, NEVER knew then that what would follow this “wise tip” to Deepak would result in a drastic change in his OWN attitude. He NEVER knew he would set fire to his own “safe-guarded” principles very soon.

To find out what really happened, dear friends, please read on….

Rajesh: Hi Deepak, is everything okay on your personal front. I mean your family life?

Deepak: Yes, of course. Malini is a wonderful wife. You surprise me Rajesh. Why this question all of a sudden?

Rajesh: No..no.. nothing. Just asked.

Deepak could sense something being hidden. He urged Rajesh to tell him without hesitation.

Rajesh: Yesterday I saw Malini (Deepak’s wife) getting down from the car with her boss Mr. Suri at the Parklane Hotel at lunch time. Both went in together laughing and.. and..

Deepak: and what??

Rajesh: Mr. Suri was patting her back and your wife did not seem to mind.

Rajesh was keenly watching for a reaction which did not come. Deepak was indifferent.

Deepak: Rajesh, did you expect me to be jealous? or overreact to your spy “discovery”? Sorry to disappoint you my friend, but I TRUST Malini. So do not attach a dirty meaning to what you saw.. (and he smiled at Rajesh).

Rajesh: If I was in your place and somebody told me this about my wife.. I would simply go MAD. I would want to YELL at my wife and go kill her boss. I am surprised at your attitude Deepak. Your wife goes out with some other man for lunch looking very happy and cheerful in his company, and it does not make you feel angry… and now, here you are smiling like a fool. You will lose your wife soon I think. Haha.

Deepak: Rajesh, I am surprised at YOUR attitude. You seem to be very possessive about your wife. It makes me curious to meet her. Can I come over today evening to your house please?

Rajesh: Yes Deepak. Sure, after office??

Deepak: Suits me fine. :)

After office as pre-planned, both Deepak and Rajesh enter Rajesh’s house. Rajesh calls Hema. Rajesh’s wife comes out with lot of hesitation. She has a question mark look on her face and looks tense. Rajesh introduces.

Rajesh: Hema, this is my friend Deepak, and Deepak, this is Hema my wife. (Both say hello to each other).

Rajesh to Hema: Where had you been today? What did you do when I was away at office?

Hema: The usual house work and then I went out shopping with Anita (their neighbour).

Rajesh: Hmm… okay, now go and get something for us to eat, and Deepak.. will you have tea or coffee?

Deepak: I will have coffee. Thanks.

Hema goes into the kitchen.

As they sit chatting, a young postman rings the bell. Rajesh opens the door.

Postman: Sir, a parcel for Mrs Hemavathi Rajesh. Is she there?

Rajesh: She is my wife. You can give it to me.

Postman: No sir. I have to take her signature and can only hand it over to her by rule.

Rajesh then calls Hema. She comes, signs the form and collects the parcel. She looks very happy. She asks the postman to wait. She goes inside, brings a glass of water and a cup of coffee and offers it to the postman who takes it and finishes it. She takes back the now empty cup and returns with few chocolates and gives it to him saying “these are for your kids. Thank you for the parcel. I was anxiously waiting for it.”

The postman feels very happy. He bows down to her with respect and says “Thank you for the lovely coffee, maam. I was tired carrying all these parcels and it has refreshed me.” Saying this he simply turns his back and departs.

Rajesh, now, instantly pounced on Hema.

Rajesh: Why did you offer him coffee? He is just a public servant. You should have simply collected the parcel and sent him off. Hmm.. probably you felt attracted by his good looks and wanted to please him. I know.. I know..”

Deepak was SHOCKED!!! to hear this from his friend. He now saw tears of humiliation in Hema’s eyes as she ran back into the kitchen without replying a word. Rajesh then turned to Deepak.

Rajesh to Deepak: “You see my friend, if you allow “such” things, then these females will go to any extremes. If we deal with them strictly, they will not dare to disobey or leave us.”

Deepak: NO!!!..I disagree with you completely Rajesh. On the contrary, it will break your good relationship with Hema with this kind of possessive behaviour. I do not see anything wrong in what she did. On the contrary I wholeheartedly appreciate her good nature.

Rajesh (looking annoyed): Deepak, I will follow my principles and you follow yours… okay.?

Then they said bye to each other. Deepak wanted to thank Hema but Rajesh did not even call and inform her that Deepak was leaving.

A week passed. Rajesh again saw Deepak’s wife going with her boss in his car. He thought Deepak was a big fool and his wife would soon divorce him for sure and go away with that other man. He felt proud of himself and his strict principles and was happy with Hema’s obedience.

The much inquisitive Rajesh, however, one day without informing, soon after office went to Deepak’s house (to spy on him) following him unnoticed.

Ten minutes after Deepak had entered the house, Rajesh knocked, expecting to find a “negative” scene going on inside between the couple. Deepak opened.

Deepak: Hello Rajesh, do come in, what a pleasant surprise. (Rajesh felt a lot disappointed to see that hearty welcome and smile)

Malini: (coming out with a wholehearted smile too) Hello Rajesh, welcome to our house. You know me don’t you. Deepak has introduced us when I came to your office, you remember me?

Rajesh: (forcing a smile) Yes yes. I was passing this way, thought of dropping in to say hello to Deepak. Nice to see you again. (He lied but felt good at the warm reception he got from both).

Deepak to Malini: Honey, let us all eat and talk together. Do you need my help in the kitchen?

Malini: No dear, you sit and talk with Rajesh.. I will prepare some pakoras (fried snacks) and lassi (sweet curd).. and we will all have it together. (so saying she goes off).

As Rajesh and Deepak sit chatting, there is a “trrrinnngg” of the doorbell. Even before Deepak tries to get up to attend it, Malini reaches the door, opens it and says “Come in Ravi. How are you?” smiling at a 20-year-old boy. (Ravi was their handsome neighbour lad who had completed his Engineering and the results had been out today.)

Ravi: Aunty, today my results are out. I passed Engineering with distinction. I brought this sweet box, especially for you. I want to thank you for all the help and motivation you gave me. I would not have done so well if it was not for your help and guidance.

Malini hugged Ravi with affection, even as Rajesh’s eyes almost popped out. (How could Deepak allow this??. Ravi was a grown-up boy. Rajesh felt sure this is going to be disastrous to his friend’s future. Allowing anybody to hug his wife?.. Ugh!!! what a bad culture Malini had. He would have killed Hema had she done that).

Malini: I am so proud of you Ravi. Thank you for the sweets. (She introduced Ravi to Rajesh). Rajesh blurted out congrats and did not even shake hands. Deepak also got up with a smile, shook hands, gave a warm hug to Ravi and congratulated him.

Deepak: Well done young chap. Keep it up!!!

Ravi said thanks to both, touched Deepak’s and Malini’s feet in respect and went away.

Rajesh who was seeing all this was beginning to get confused. There was something in this house that seemed to be missing in his own house. But he could not identify what it was.

As they were now having the pakoras and lassi, the maid servant came. Deepak complimented her on her new dress she was wearing and told Malini.

Deepak: Malini, our Champa looks like Katrina Kaif (Indian Hindi film heroine) today.. doesn’t she? (with a wink).

Malini: Sure she does.. haha.. Katrina.. sorry Champa..haha.. there are few pakoras left and a glass of lassi that I kept for you. Have them and then attend to your duty.

Champa: (going red and smiling with pleasure and feeling happy)..thank you Akka (sister).. Master always teases me I know. She went inside for her routine work.

Rajesh again had his “dirty” thoughts. He did not like the way Deepak and Malini treated their maid servant. After all, she was low class and a servant. How can they treat her as equal?

Rajesh could not contain himself any longer. He was burning inside. He felt bold now. He decided to get some straight answers from both Deepak and Malini. So he began shooting up his mind’s ugly thoughts one by one verbally now with a harsh tone.

Rajesh to Malini: Malini, I have seen you going out with your boss in his car often. I also saw you lunching at the Parklane Hotel together. Is that right for you to do so, I mean going out with another man?

Malini: Rajesh. My husband NEVER will ask me this question, do you know why?… because I TRUST him and he TRUSTS me. We are made for each other. I DON’T like your question Rajesh and there is NO need for me to give YOU an explanation too but since you are Deepak’s close friend I will answer your dirty question. My boss Suri trusts me to do my job well. On the day we went to Parklane Hotel, he had promised me a treat if I helped him get the 1-crore business deal through my participation in a meeting. I was able to make my presentation good enough at the meeting that WON us the project for the company, and so he kept his promise. He was happy with my efforts and even patted me in admiration of my work. I felt happy to be successful too. And… to further clean up the filth in your mind Rajesh.. you should have noticed that the Rakhee he wore on his right hand, the big blue one, was tied by me. You know what it means don’t you? (the “Rakhee is a sacred string that is tied only by a sister to her brother in Indian tradition).

Rajesh (feeling ashamed): I am sorry Malini. I did not mean to pry. It is that I am just confused about myself now. I also saw just now how you hugged Ravi, how Deepak treated the servant maid. According to me, I felt it was all very wrong and improper. My principles are totally opposite to this. I do not allow this liberty in my house. I don’t like it one bit.

Deepak: Rajesh my friend, it is because you do NOT TRUST your wife or anybody else. You are very possessive and always suspicious about her movements, her thoughts, and her feelings. You treat her like a slave who has to be whipped and who has to be at your command. I was truly shocked the other day the way you treated her. You made her cry for a petty issue. When I told Malini about my visit to your house, she hugged me and said “Thank God you are not Rajesh-type. I would not stay with you for one single day if you were like him.” So you see Rajesh. TRUST and LOVE will never ever part us from each other. Only where there is “misunderstanding, lack of affection, and suspicious nature” relationships are sure to END soon.

Rajesh: But how can we allow so much liberty to wives?.. We will lose control.

Malini: Rajesh, married life is NOT about controlling, spying, catching the other doing wrong, and punishing. Married life is about trusting each other, having faith in each other, supporting each other at all times, and complimenting each other’s positive attitude. This strengthens the bond of LOVE.. and without LOVE, Rajesh, life is nothing short of HELL, believe me. So do TRUST your wife, trust your friends, and learn to appreciate more for the good in them rather than find petty faults with others all the time.

Rajesh: But will such type of closeness not lead to EXTRA ATTRACTION towards another person. This is definitely wrong isn’t it?

Deepak: Rajesh, dirty mind will think only dirty things. The “Extra Attraction” you are referring to is called “LUST”. Only dirty characters and evil minds develop these devilish thoughts. When your SOUL is pure, your good and sensible virtues will always stand by you and NOT allow you to take a devil track.

Rajesh: (thinks hard for 2-3 minutes and then) OMG!!! Now I see everything. I feel like whipping myself for the way I treat Hema. She is such a lovely wife and I only try and find faults with her. OMG!!! Will she ever forgive me for this?. How cruel I have been and I never even knew. ( he has tears in his eyes).

Malini: Rajesh. You don’t have to worry about that. As soon as you show a “changed YOU”, Hema will be too thrilled and she will be more than forgiving. She will start LOVING her “transformed” husband and feel proud of him as much as I feel proud of my dear Deepak. So good luck to you both. (she smiles).

Deepak: Rajesh. Malini is absolutely right. My good luck to you both too. Hope you will be a happier person very soon.

Rajesh: (Getting up to go). Thank you Deepak, thank you Malini for this torchlight of understanding you have given me. I just feel like I am coming out of a sermon. God bless you two. Bye.

As Rajesh stepped out of their house, a few paces later, he crossed Mr. Suri who was proceeding towards Deepak’s house with a bouquet in his hand. Rajesh’s sharp eyes caught the label which read “To Dear Sister Malini.” That helped dispel completely any last bit of suspicion that Rajesh had about Malini and her boss. His soul was now thoroughly “cleansed” indeed.

As he went home, on the way, he bought a beautiful pink saree and flowers for his wife Hema. He really wanted to change for good. All his “headstrong” principles had gone up in flames now.

He, however, never told Hema about his visit to Deepak and what happened there but from that day Rajesh was a changed man and for Hema, that was a wonderful wonderful thing indeed. Hema noticed the change and now began to feel more attracted towards his loving and trustful nature. Very soon LOVE grew between them strong and they proceeded to live as a happy husband-wife couple from then on.

BOTTOMLINE: We all must remember that every person is a “HUMAN” that would love to live with “dignity” and “respect” be it man or woman. In a one-sided relationship where possessiveness and mistrust factors exist, LOVE will never grow and the relationship gets SICK and may even DIE. A little bit of understanding, care, and share devoid of comparisons or expectations will definitely allow LOVE to bloom and flourish. Hope you liked this story. A comment from you will be truly appreciated. Thank you friends. :)

__END__