Two Lives
As Meera stood by the window of her apartment, watching people struggle their way home, the raindrops splattered on the glass loosing their form. The traffic on the road was in a chaos due to immense rains since morning. It was just 6:30 pm in the evening and the sky looked already too dark and fierce. Looking up in the sky she could make out the sky was full of thick dense clouds with no signs of rains coming to a halt. Just then the door bell rang and she rushed to open it. "It must be Shyaam" she thought and she was right.
As Shyaam entered the door he remarked “Ah! this rain” taking the bag off his shoulders. “Oh common don’t be so cynical; rains bring life” added Meera taking his lunch box from his hands.” I wish everybody out there could think the same way” he replied back. As Shyaam went to take a bath, Meera got a cup of tea for him. He settled on a sofa and picking the remote up, started changing the channels in search of some sensible news. After switching back and forth for some time he settled on with IBN Live. The news on the channel flashed - 50 fishermen feared dead after a cyclone hit the east coast near Orissa.” The only thing that has no value in our country is people’s lives” Shyaam stated as he drowned himself in the television set when Meera suddenly called "Dinner is ready".
Shyaam walked up to the dining table and waited for Meera to serve.He started to change the channels again when Meera scolded ”The food is getting cold" passing his plate to him.They had just begun to eat when the lights went off leaving them in total darkness. Shyaam cursed "Damn this country cannot change". Meera stood up and rushed to bring a candle from the kitchen. Hearing her fumbling through things in darkness to find a matchbox, Shyaam felt for his pockets.He rememebered he had left one there in his kurta's pocket after last night's smoke.He followed Meera to the kitchen and lit the candle for her. Relieved to see some light they both started walking towards the dining table. "You have started smoking again.” asked Meera with a look of annoyance in her eyes. ”I have reduced.It is just one or two per day and that too when I get too tensed.I need to release my stress” replied Shyaam in an attempt to defend. “I get tensed too. Will it be fine if I start smoking too?” Meera instantly replied back knowing her remarks made futile attempts to make Shyaam quit smoking. "Well I know you won't" replied Shyaam with a smile.
As soon as they finished their dinner, the lights came back illuminating the whole house. Shyaam walked to his bedroom to retire for the day when the phone bell rang. He could hear Meera pick that phone up in the other room. It was her mother. She loved speaking to her mother. Shyaam remembered how he used to spend long hours speaking to Meera. They used to spend a lot of time together doing all those simple and silly things from watching television to watching people from the balcony passing remarks on the passersby and going for long walks. But now things had changed. The stress and their busy lives had taken toll on their lives and relationship. They were slowly finding no time for each other. Shyaam missed the Meera he knew and he felt she no longer realized or understood how much he missed those moments. On the other side of the house in the next room, Meera hung her phone with a sigh and returned back to the room. Seeing Shyaam asleep, she realized how much she missed speaking to him. She silently laid down on the bed.The night settled, the rains got softer and the night became silent.
As Shyaam entered the door he remarked “Ah! this rain” taking the bag off his shoulders. “Oh common don’t be so cynical; rains bring life” added Meera taking his lunch box from his hands.” I wish everybody out there could think the same way” he replied back. As Shyaam went to take a bath, Meera got a cup of tea for him. He settled on a sofa and picking the remote up, started changing the channels in search of some sensible news. After switching back and forth for some time he settled on with IBN Live. The news on the channel flashed - 50 fishermen feared dead after a cyclone hit the east coast near Orissa.” The only thing that has no value in our country is people’s lives” Shyaam stated as he drowned himself in the television set when Meera suddenly called "Dinner is ready".
Shyaam walked up to the dining table and waited for Meera to serve.He started to change the channels again when Meera scolded ”The food is getting cold" passing his plate to him.They had just begun to eat when the lights went off leaving them in total darkness. Shyaam cursed "Damn this country cannot change". Meera stood up and rushed to bring a candle from the kitchen. Hearing her fumbling through things in darkness to find a matchbox, Shyaam felt for his pockets.He rememebered he had left one there in his kurta's pocket after last night's smoke.He followed Meera to the kitchen and lit the candle for her. Relieved to see some light they both started walking towards the dining table. "You have started smoking again.” asked Meera with a look of annoyance in her eyes. ”I have reduced.It is just one or two per day and that too when I get too tensed.I need to release my stress” replied Shyaam in an attempt to defend. “I get tensed too. Will it be fine if I start smoking too?” Meera instantly replied back knowing her remarks made futile attempts to make Shyaam quit smoking. "Well I know you won't" replied Shyaam with a smile.
As soon as they finished their dinner, the lights came back illuminating the whole house. Shyaam walked to his bedroom to retire for the day when the phone bell rang. He could hear Meera pick that phone up in the other room. It was her mother. She loved speaking to her mother. Shyaam remembered how he used to spend long hours speaking to Meera. They used to spend a lot of time together doing all those simple and silly things from watching television to watching people from the balcony passing remarks on the passersby and going for long walks. But now things had changed. The stress and their busy lives had taken toll on their lives and relationship. They were slowly finding no time for each other. Shyaam missed the Meera he knew and he felt she no longer realized or understood how much he missed those moments. On the other side of the house in the next room, Meera hung her phone with a sigh and returned back to the room. Seeing Shyaam asleep, she realized how much she missed speaking to him. She silently laid down on the bed.The night settled, the rains got softer and the night became silent.
Comments
keep posting!
- A frustrated monotonous self proclaimed poet
:)
Another thought - Is a modern woman weak?
Great piece! Very thought provoking! Best always... :-)
And definitely women are not weak.People who think so are little narrow in their thinking.Woman have amazing emotional strength and are so creative.And these days women have achieved and done so much in different fields and areas.But I feel they still have a long way to go.
Thank you for posting in your feedback.I really appreciate it.Keep posting:-)
Modern woman is equally educated as her male counterpart and is equally capable of taking her own decisions in life! She can be vocal and define her stand in life without having to worry about what some man will think and how it will affect her life!
May be Meera portrayed the typical teleserial good bahu, who cooks and serves her husband, as it happens in many households!
May be you could write various stories depicting different scenarios and develop a chain of stories which could eventually be published as a collection! :-)
There are just so many life situations like those of love, sacrifice, compromise, exploitation under difficult situations, success stories which could come under this theme!
Today's youth probably approach love and relationships differently but their expectations are not very different! Men will be same always! They are most expressive when courting, showering all the attention, sweet words and gifts! Once they get what they 'want', they are back to their primate state where they expect their spouse to understand every need without expressing it!
Modern man may appear to be a better package deal, but incidents of wife beating, domestic exploitation, eve teasing or sexual assualts are no lesser today, even in the educated or elite community!
Do keep writing. Will look forward to more stories on this theme!
Good luck! :-)
Hope to read more stuff from you.
Best wishes.
Looking forward to your participation. Best wishes always :)