Sachin, the Gladiator

In honour of Sachin Tendulkar

Cricket may retire from the God

God of cricket will never retire.  

On the occasion of Sachin’s last and 200^th test on 14-11-2013 at Mumbai  I dug out a poem written on 05-09-2010 at 23.30 hrs about India- Australia cricket match which India had lost by just 3 runs chasing 351. Sachin had made magnificent 175.

SACHIN, THE GLADIATOR

Standing alone,

a alone warrior, a gladiator

pained, anguished and dejected

helplessly watching

his herculean effort go in waste

one after another his team mates

crumbled like nine pins, in haste

fathom not his own agony in the din.

He stood alone to salvage

the honour, the prestige

almost did the impossible

making up for other’s sins.

The hush itself was in hush

he fell , short of victory

he proved his mastery in the field

yet the fate was sealed.

God never fails

Humans fail HIM

Conditions get created

So no one can blame HIM

Sachin reamins the best 

engraved in minds

everywhere in the world

east or west.

--------------------------x--------------

All rights reserved/Tribhawan Kaul

Vindictive

VINDICTIVE

-----------------

Reena closed the door behind her. Crossing the drawing room, she threw her purse and shopping bags on the sofa, loosening her hair, crossed the bed and straight away went into the attached washroom. She came out as fresh as morning dawn with nothing on but a bathing towel. Humming she threw the towel and stood before the dressing mirror watching her entire body from head to toe. “ Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all,” chanting a childhood rhyme, she smiled and slid into the inner wear making her more voluptuous. She was about to put on the red gown when the shrill voice of the door bell made her wear the gown in a hurry while going to open the door. She opened the door and to her consternation, he stood before him smiling.

 She blinked twice and thrice. Inspite of being surprise personified, she wanted to hug him but resisted the temptation as every minute details of some years spent with him in a live-in relationship flashed before her eyes like lightening. Before she could gather herself, her gown malfunctioned and she had no choice but to run inside blushing. A broad mischievous smile appeared on Aakash’s face. He slowly took steps to get inside the drawing room.

                         ---------------------------------------

After half an hour both, Aakash and Reena were sitting at café coffee day chatting and digging the old memories when Reena abruptly asked, “ Aakash, what are you doing in Mumbai.?”

“Work” He replied gazing her face constantly measuring the effect of time on her.

“ Yours own or same somebody else’s work ,” she asked with inherent sarcascism.

“ My own,” he muttered rather unconvincingly.

“So you have set up your own business, at last,” though Reena sounded uninterested but her wide expressive eyes betrayed her inquisitiveness.

“ I am…ah ..was  in escort business. I used to handle escorts and provide escorts to rich and famous.” Aakash replied sipping coffee. It was clear that he was unsure of himself whether to divulge details about his present occupation or not.

“ Used to….and what makes you to meet me? I am sure you will not want me to escort someone rich and famous.” Her tone was again sarcastic .

Aakash became serious. He took the hand of Reena in his own and said, “I am sorry for everything, Reena.  I was a looser and I am a looser. I have lost everything and now I am at the brink of last ……….”. Reena interrupted him abruptly.

“How come ? Where is that wealthy women…what was her name…yeah..Roshini Mamm. As soon as you became an escort to her, you just left me rather threw me out as a fly in your soup.” Her face was reddened with anger while controlling herself.

“You have changed Reena,” he tried to pat her hand but she withdrew it.

“Am I ? You bet. But don’t change the topic. I want clarifications now.” She made him look like a culprit.

“ I realized  that leaving you was a blunder,” his voice started trembling. He folded his both hands, “will you forgive and forget everything ? I again seek your acceptance, Reena, please. For the sake of those years spent together. ” Aakash begged like a begger at a cross road and perhaps this wasn’t enough for Reena.

“ Accha ! what happened to that bitch….did she threw you out or you had had enough of her?”

“ She ditched me. I lost everything, my health and my wealth. Reena, please I want to come back to you..” Aakash wanted to reach to her face and she immediately jerked his hands away resenting his move. Her patience had been tested and somewhere something snapped in her. She got up, threw a hundred rupee note on the table  and  dashed to the exist leading to a park. Aakash followed her when she abruptly stopped, turned and shouted, “ you b******. You took away everything from me. My reputation, my honour, my family, my love and left me in  lurch. Now when you are nobody, you seek my forgiveness and want to come back to me.”

Aakash stood still. He had no courage to face her. He again pleaded, “please Reena, I am ready to repent. Absence of yours in my life is telling. I was misguided by Roshini. She and her friends exploited me.”

“And you exploited me. You know you have ruined my life. You want to repent. What can you do now?” Astonishingly Reena became a lamb from tigress. She started sobbing. Watching her sob, Aakash was happy that he had broken the ice.

“ I shall do everything for you. Just take me back for the sake of those two years we spent together.” Aakash was now hopeful of homecoming.

“ Can you cure my AIDS ?” her sobbing turned to muffed crying. Stunned Aakash withdrew his hand from hers as if thousands of scorpions had stung him.

“ You too…..! AIDS ?” he almost shouted.

“ Yes, AIDS and you f*****you gave me that…..you b****** I was infected by you…you son of a *****.” She became hysterical catching his collar.

Words betrayed Aakash. His face became grim. His mind started working overtime. Was she then responsible for his own acquired medical condition which has almost reached to a critical stage? Did she use to betray his faith when they were in live- in relationship ? His hopeful face lost its sheen as if someone had taken away the cake from the mouth of a hungry dog. The silence was deafening.

Reena broke the silence, “ would you like to come back to me now, be with me and share my remaining life with this physically acquired ailment?” She came at a kissing distance to him. Aakash immediately backed off. He stood motionless for some time but his brain was working fast.

The word revenge was taking shape in his mind.

“Han….ah…no…can’t…You know I have to reach back. I have a job to do,” he managed to say, “ I am sorry, see you later. Take care.” He rushed to cross the road and hailing an auto drove away.

 Reena laughed loudly. Revenge was on her mind too

                       ---------------------------------

That night she again stood before the mirror after bathing when her mobile rang.

“Hello.” She said watching her body in the mirror.

“Did you tell Aakash that you have AIDS and that you got the AIDS from him.” Other side her cousin Richa sounded curious.

“Yes” Reena replied.

“But why tell a lie. You had undergone the necessary tests when he left you and those were all negative. You could have put him off by simply shooing him off.”

“Because I never wanted that b****** anywhere near me in my life again. This is my way of taking revenge on him. I want him to suffer now. Simple thought of having AIDS acquired from me will make him sleepless.”

“But Reena, Aakash has AIDS ! He has AIDS. Critical stage.” Richa informed her. Reena switched of the phone and threw herself on the bed. “ So that is why he wanted to come back to me after acquiring this deadly disease. Escort duty. My foot. Serves him right.” saying so she fell asleep. After a long time she had a sound sleep.

                         ----------------------------------

Next day Aakash was found dead hanging from the tree in the park near Reena’s housing society. A note in his pocket read, “ Reena is responsible for my death.”

Law then took its own course.

------------------------------------------------------------------------All rights reserved/Tribhawan Kaul

kaultribhawan@gmail.com

kaultribhawan@yahoo.co.in

DO NOTHING AND ENJOY

 Published in

Business Sandesh July 2016

http://www.businesssandesh.in/do-nothing-and-enjoy/

Web link: http://www.businesssandesh.in/july-2016/

DO NOTHING AND ENJOY

-----------------------------------

Before my retirement FAQ was what I would do after retirement. I

was not much concerned about my post retirement financial blues. I

had already got my children settled and would not anticipate any

serious responsibility. My colleagues and friends who had retired

earlier always suffered from retirement blues. Luckily all of them got

placements here and there. This was enough for my better half to

rattle me with her pasted ‘answer me’ look, “why don’t you search

for the job like others ?”

“What for? Don’t you want me to give you company at home and

watch you doing daily chores since morning till evening and of course

night? I have been missing you always through all these years”

winking I had said. Females, however old, get and feel the essence of

massage and always respond with coyness and pleasing smile. Isn’t it 

so nice of them?

It was not that I was well off financially and did not require additional

income for support. Every penny counts during this century’s

economic upheavals and Sursa like inflation. I had 15-20 years still in

me (GOD permit) due to better medical care, yoga, exercises etc. The

fact was that I had become sick of offering and accepting

salutations.....sir...sir...sir....during the last 37 years of service. I

wanted to get rid of this sir (shit in rest) business. I could not dream

taking up an employment again. Venturing into some sort of business

was out of question.

Secondly the responsibility which I had thought would decrease after

my retirement, actually increased with the passage of time.

Attending to the nitty-gritty of household problems, tending to grand

children, making my own parents live comfortable life,

maintaining/reliving/reinventing social relations with relatives and

forgotten friends, taking my hobby of writing poems and short-

stories seriously apart from looking after self and wife were enough

to keep me engaged, engrossed and occupied.

Then one fine day I remembered William Henry Davies poem ' leisure'.“What is this life if full of care/We have no time to stand and

stare......”

This quotation propelled me to question the worthiness of yet

stressful and busy life even after retirement. The answer I got from

inner self was in negative. I then and there decided to enjoy one day

in a week doing nothing- NOTHING at all. Sundays had become

busier than other week days so I decided the Wednesdays to be the

day to enter into the venture: DOING NOTHING. I really loved it and

shall love to share my experience on doing nothing. Small but

notable things which we are missing to feel, to observe and to

absorb in our daily life. Doing nothing must have some pre-requisites

to start with as under :-

Pre-requisites : Your time, your house, any park, market, cross-road,

hill-side  & beach (if available ) or any place where you can park

yourself and enjoy, feel and sense the happenings going around you.

Mind you, you are not an idler. While doing nothing, you are still an

observer, keen watcher, a knowledge gainer, a commentator. You

will soon develop a sense of belonging to the environment while

doing nothing.

See your toddler grandchild trying to crawl and getting up giving you

his/her innocent smile making different facial expressions like awe,

fear, alarmed, superficial crying and seeking your attention. The

satisfaction you get is immense. Just enjoy and do nothing.

Watch a bird feeding its little ones from its beak from the balcony of

your house and enjoy the motherly love.

Watch a couple of pigeons  on your AC top trying to make nest with

broom sticks, rags, cotton pieces and appreciate the efforts made by

these lovely creatures to build a nest time and again. Time and again

you try to remove these nest, next day you find them there

rebuilding. What a patience and living hard way.

 Watch a house lizard staring and waiting patiently to gulp down its prey.

Stare at the beautiful rising sun bringing sun shine into your

compound and in your hearts early in the morning and observe the

setting of the sun like a fireball going down slowly and steadily. The

serenity of situation will dawn upon you and enlighten you to the

existence of cosmic life. Just do nothing and enjoy.

Watch the laborious ants making a bee line balancing and carrying

eggs and leaves to their holes in corners of your house wall or  under

the tree in the park.

Your neighbourhood will provide you ample enjoyment not available

on your TV screens. Listen to the folk, filmy, devotional music blaring

through loudspeakers. Watch ladies of the locality haggling with the

vendors over the price of vegetables. Car washerman washing the

cars with same dirty & muddy water, leaving these mean machines

spic and span. Children running after ice-golawala and racing on by-

cycles attempting stunts seen on TV ads. People of all ages walking,

jogging ,singing, discussing, playing making the park proud of its

existence. Just do nothing and enjoy.

At nearby market place go for window shopping. Watch intense

selling and buying, traffic at snails pace, people laughing, talking,

poking, sweating for parking place.  I am not telling that you have not

been to the market. But then you had a purpose and you had

pressure of time. You were oblivious of surrounding and happenings

around you as your concentration was on your need of coming to the

market. You couldn’t have enjoyed the market scene as one enjoys

standing doing nothing.

Stand at the cross-road and observe the urchins begging or selling 

everything pirated/spurious. Admire their skills at marketing or

begging. They may force you to part with your hard earned money.

See interns of MNCs advertising their new product and convince you

to go for it. Watch a traffic constable more interested in cutting

challans/ or pocketing money instead of managing the traffic when

signal lights are off. Just do nothing and enjoy.

Living near a hill side ( I belong to J&K state) just leave worries at

home. Don’t get involved in daily homely soaps. Wake up to singing

and chirping of birds, listen to the rustle of leaves, feel the

whispering of trees, breezy conversation between streams and water

falls. Enjoy walking on serpentine and zig-zag roads. Look down the

gorge from the top of hill and feel yourself getting sucked in a black

hole or watching the earth moving under your feet. Just do nothing

and enjoy.

As I mentioned already, doing nothing will not label you an idler. An

idler is one who just laze around, totally inactive both physically and

mentally. My version of doing nothing is that you do nothing yet you

gain an immense insight into the working of nature and human

forces and their behavioural pattern just by watching and feeling

which I have been missing throughout  my life till I decided to make

Wednesdays my do-nothing and enjoy days.

----------------------------------------------x--------------------------------------------

Tribhawan Kaul

kaultribhawan@gmail.com

kaultribhawan@yahoo.co.in

Truthfulness

Truthfulness

------------------

 Allow the dreams to make castles in the air

Truth always bare the truth behind a ruse

How much illusions try to circumvent

Rainbows always have the last laugh

After clouds bring rains and deluge.

Peeping into self, awakens and

Zero gets power to bounce

Shaping path of its own

And goals to achieve

Hitting bulls eye

Truth trounce

Falsehood

Ultimately.  

--------------------

All rights reserved/Tribhawan Kaul

मुक्तक/ Muktak

मुक्तक/ Muktak

---------------------

अलसाई सी आँखों में यह कैसा निमंत्रण है ?

सुर्ख होंठ दांतों तले क्यूँ आने को आतुर है  ?

प्यार का आलिंगन तब कितना मधुर होगा

जब नैनों से काजल चुराने को कोई तत्पर है.

Alsaaee see ankhon mein yeh kaisa nimantran hai

Surkh honth daanton tale kyun aane ko aatur hain

Pyar ka aalingan tab kitna madur hoga

Jab naino se kaajal churane ko koyi tatpar hai

--------------------------------------------------------------------

आड़ी तिरछी रेखाओं में यह  जिंदगी उलझी  है

तभी तो एक धड़कन दूसरी धड़कन से कहती है

मेरे बाद तुमको धड़कना ही होगा, मेरी बहन

वर्ना मौत बेखबर जीवन को, क्षण में डस लेती है.

Aadi tirchi rakhaon mein yah zindgi ulji hai

Tabhi to ek dadkan doosri dadkan se kahti hai

Mere baad tumko dakana hee hoga, meri bahen

Verna maut bekhabar jeevan ko, kshn men das leti hai.

------------------------------ x---------------------------------------------

क्या भाषा क्या जाती, क्या कुल क्या धर्म भेद

त्यागो सब एक करो, कुरान बाइबिल गुरुबाणी वेद

कल के साए में क्यूँ ,आज की अर्थी निकली जाती है ?

इतिहास को क्यूँकर अवसर दें, वह जताए कल फिर खेद.

Kya bhasha kya jaati, kya kul kya dharm bhed

Tyago sab ek karo, Kuran Bible Gurubani Ved

Kal ke saaye mein kyun, aaj ki arthi nikaali jaati hai

Itihaas ko kyunkar avasar dein, vh jataye kal phir khed.

---------------------------------x--------------------------------------

दुःख, तू भी कभी ग़मज़दा हो, तो तुझे मालूम हो

ख़ुशी भी कोई शह है जहाँ में, तुझे मालूम हो

तेरा आगमन बेशक, लाता है वेदनाओं का तूफ़ान

जिंदा है ईश्वर तेरी वजह से ही, तुझे मालूम हो.

Dukh, too bhi kabhi gamzada ho, to tujhe maloom ho

Khushi bhi koyi shah hai jahan mein, tujhe maloom ho

Tera aagman beshak, laata hai vednaon kaa tufaan

Zinda hai ishwar teri vajah se hee, tujhe maloom ho.

----------------------x--------------------------------

सर्वाधिकार सुरक्षित/त्रिभवन कौल

kaultribhawan@gmail.com

kaultribhawan@yahoo.co.in

The Martyr

The Martyr

---------------

Lotus blooms only in mud

bleeding wounds do give solace

colour, caste, religion matter not

flag of pride and ownership do.

Nectar and poison drawn

from churning a rouge entity,

for everyone to reap

gruff of a lion is enough for sheep

yet clever is fox in numerous garbs.

Poison of hatred everywhere

drink like Neelkantha*,spare the nectar

for those, who need it the most

heaven is hidden somewhere there

raise the bar there is nothing to fear

your body may be consigned to flames

But not YOU, never ever.

_____________________________

All rights reserved/Tribhawan Kaul

*Hindu religious scriptures (mainly Shiv Puran) say that during the great churning of sea by Gods and Demons, nectar and poison both were produced . None was prepared to consume poison (Halahal) but that had to be consumed otherwise that would have made entire sea poisonous. So Lord Shiva took the poison for the benefit of all but did not swallow it and kept it in his throat making his entire neck bluish . The Lord since then came to be known as ‘Neel Kantha ‘ ( Having Blue coloured throat) also.

 A martyr is also like  Lord Shiva who gulps down/ embraces the poison of Martyrdom so that people of his/her land of his/her country remain safe. Enemy country is like a sheep which dare not take on direct confrontation but send terrorists who come in various disguises. These terrorists sometimes succeed in their misadventures succeeding in killing brave soldiers fighting for their motherland.

-------------------------x---------------------------------

kaultribhawan@gmail.com

The Saviour

 The Saviour

----------------

One day.

Time : 1700 hrs

Place : Sanjay Park, New Delhi-23

From the distance it seemed they both were arguing. The man was trying to pacify the woman. The woman was not listening. She got up. The man seemed to plead but in vain. The message in woman’s action was clear. She did not want him to follow her. She left leaving some onlookers and courting couples  bemused.

                                         ---------------------------------------

Time : 1830 hrs.

Place : Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi-24

Mukta threw herself on the bed. She was profusely perspiring. Breathing was heavy. She hid herself in the pillow and sobbed uncontrollably. She got up after a little while, went to the washroom and freshened herself. She saw herself in the mirror. “ What has become of me,” she uttered whipping towel on her face. Putting light makeup, she came out quickly changing into an embroidered top and jean. The top was somewhat transparent and her black bra was visible in contrast. She deliberately ignored the transparency while watching herself in the dressing mirror.

“Isn’t it in thing now ? Anyway who cares.” She comforted herself, picked her purse and went out of the room, down the stairs to the main road. She called for an auto and hopped in. “ Challo, coffee house, CP.” After 20 minutes of auto ride she was at the  coffee house.

                                     ----------------------------------------

Time: 19 hrs

Place : Same Lajpat Nagar

“ What the hell, she thinks of herself ! I am not going to take the things lying down. How can I spend whole life with someone who does not trust me?” Manoj was furiously throwing things upsetting the decor of the room.  “Couldn’t she once ask me the reason of being with my boss?  How mean of her even to think of….shit…disgusting?” He picked up one shirt and then threw it. Picked up another, matched that with a pant and started pulling himself through. Belting the pant, he searched for the socks and found it underneath the bed.

“ Look, what has she done to my room. Not a single thing is in its place and she boasts of being meticulous.” So grumbling, he came out of the room, went down the stairs, to the main road and hailed an auto.

“ Challiaye coffee house, CP.” Hopping into auto, he started dialing a number. Getting no response, he furiously worked on mobile keys and pressed the send key. While closing the mobile, the image of Mukta and his own cropped up. He knew where he could find her.

                                    --------------------------------

Time : 20hrs

Place : Coffee House, Connaught Place, New Delhi-1

Mukta was sitting in a corner. An empty coffee cup was on the table. She was thinking fast. She thought of growing live-in relationship with Manoj. She had put everything on stake for this relationship to survive but Manoj seemed to have taken her for granted.

“ How can he be with his boss, that bitch, whole night ? What was the urgency? What were they doing ? Project work- my foot. Project work is simply a ruse to hoodwink me.” She was totally engrossed in her thoughts when she heard Manoj.

“ Mai bathun? (Should I sit down?)” She was startled seeing Manoj standing in front of her.

“ You….how could you show face to me ?” she almost shouted hardly restraining herself.

“Cool down, just cool down. You are neither listening to me nor understanding the circumstances……’” Manoj tried to put some sense into her.

“Why should I listen to you?….and what is there to understand?…you have betrayed me, you have destroyed me…,”Mukta almost became hysterical.

“ No, you got everything wrong”, Manoj said firmly raising his voice. People around then were keen to listen.

“ Look Mukta, never think me of betraying you. Reema had asked me to give finishing touches to an already completed project  before morning. It was too urgent to be ignored as tomorrow a demo is to be given before a foreign delegation. I had to stay in the office whole night.”

“ OK, so far so good. Why was Reema there all night with you?” Mukta asked sarcastically.

“Well because she happens to be the super boss monitoring the project. The whole project is her baby and she wanted the report to be 100 % perfect.”

“Oh,yeah. I know that bitch since our college days. Wasn’t She your classmate. ? Remember”

“ Don’t dig graves, Mukta. It will lead us nowhere.”

“ Why not? She had always been between you and me”

“ Now, she is not. Even during college days, there was nothing serious between us and you know that. She is married now. Destiny made me to work in her husband’s firm and I am placed under her without my knowledge. I was not aware that she was going to be my boss being the director of the firm. The fact is she only came to know about my existence in the firm only when she was introduced to me and my team.”

“ He is right, Mukta.” A third voice interrupted them. While Mukta became speechless finding Reema standing behind her, Manoj wore a thin smile which faded soon.

Reema continued, “ when my husband Rakesh asked me to take up the responsibility as the director of the firm, I never knew that Manoj was part of my team heading it. The project is very important to clinch a foreign deal. Manoj being an expert only could have handled it.”

 Reema settled down on a chair and Mukta still gathering her composure and seemingly unconvinced retorted, “you were there too, Reema. Isn’t it? Whole night”

“Yes, I was. Whole night. But does that mean………”

Cutting her short, Mukta made no attempt to hide her contempt for Reema, “ yes, I mean that. You had planned it. Your husband was out of town. You always wanted him from the college days, and how come you are here,” she asked sarcastically.

Manoj could not tolerate more and kept his hand on her mouth, “ Mukta, talk sense. People are watching. Don’t create a scene”

“ No Manoj, you keep out of it. Now it is between Mukta and I.” Reema was cool. She saw red faced Mukta into her eyes, “ look Mukta, let by gone be by gone. Once upon a time, I had a crush on Manoj, you know that. But it is all over now. There was nothing serious between us neither then nor is now. He is and has been all yours. I love my husband Rakesh. There has  never been anything between  Manoj and I”

Mukta started sobbing. “ Please don’t try to save him. Whole night you were with him and think of a man and a woman, in a room…how could not an old spark rekindle the fire”

“ Dirty mind can think of dirt only. You are paranoid, Mukta. You will soon lose Manoj the way you mistrust him”

“ I trust him, I love him  but I don’t trust you Reema”

“ Ok , why don’t you then listen to him and believe?” Reema asked.,,,,,,,

Manoj who was patiently listening both of them stood up, “ no use, let her get some peace and make her mind up as to what she wants.”

Mukta also got up and caught hold of Manoj, “ no, you stay. You can not leave me in the lurch. Swear on your mother that you two did not indulge in…ah…ah… I mean did nothing to betray me. Can you prove it.”

Manoj and Reema were both taken aback. It was the most silliest question. Silence fell around them. Imaginary things can never be proved. Manoj was at loss of words at Mukta’s behavior whereas Reema was stunned at Mukta’s bluntness.

“Yes, I can prove it.” An unfamiliar voice filtered into the air. Whereas Mukta and Manoj were inquisitive, Reema was surprisingly happy to see him and immediately stood up but was gesticulated to sit.

“ I saw them both doing nothing. Both of them. A man and a woman. In a room. All alone. Doing nothing. I saw these fools doing nothing whole night except discussing the project.”

Reema could no longer hold herself and she jumped and hugged him.

“ What a surprise Rakesh?” she hugged her husband tightly and introduced him to Mukta and Manoj .Manoj shook her head in approval and Mukta made no attempt to hide her despair but she was not the one who could simply yield.

“ How do you know, Mr. Rakesh. Weren’t you out of town ?” she asked.

“ yes, but I had come yesterday night itself and my journey was preponed. I drove straight to office for safekeeping of some important documents. When I reached office, I saw the lights on in the main hall. I saw Reema and Manoj engrossed in finalizing their project . They did not even once noticed me not even then when I settled in the dark corner cubical for rest.”

“ So nothing happened……” Mukta muttered

“ What did you want to happen Ms.?”, asked Rakesh with some sarcasm.

Mukta could not keep eye contact with anyone present. She was feeling let down by her own jealousy and guilt. Her eyes became moist and she started to leave when Manoj held her hand in his. She turned weeping and hugged Manor in full view of the entire coffee house. Wet eyed she asked Manoj  and Reema for forgiveness. Manoj patted her as if assuring her of her sound relationship. Reema also hugged her indicating the turce. Both went saying good bye to Reema and Rakesh.

                                              ----------------------------------

Time: 22 hrs

Place : Outside coffee house, CP New Delhi.

Reema was anxious, very anxious to know. She could not wait to reach home.

“ How did you manage to come yesterday, Rakesh dear.? You were to come today. Where were you whole night and till now and don’t tell me that crap again ?” she bulldozed Rakesh with the question.

Reema’s curiousity made Rakesh to laugh. He brought Reema nearer to his and whispered, “ No, I did not come yesterday. I arrived an hour before. On reaching home I found your note that you would be at coffee shop as you had received an urgent sms from Manoj. I came here and heard everything unnoticed.”

“ Wow. That is great Mr. Rakesh. But how could you say that we did not…I mean Manoj and I….what ?” Reema’s  naughtyness was coming to fore.

“ Because I trust you. If a wife and husband don’t share the trust between them, life is going to be hell for both.” Saying so he planted a kiss on her lips.

Reema at that moment was the proudest woman on the earth. She could express her happiness only by hugging Rakesh tightly.

“ Saviour. I am proud of you. You saved not one but two relationships today.”---------------------------x-----------------------

All rights reserved/Tribhawan Kaul

Disclaimer : This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Tribhawan Kaul

kaultribhawan@gmail.com