The Duel!

“Oh, you’ve come at last! I phoned you several times, you didn’t bother to answer...okay, what did the doctor say? Has your thumb healed?”

“Actually, I had to sit there for nearly one hour; but the doctor hardly took any time. I walked out just after 7 PM, I wanted to call you then; but thought you must be on the way back home, and so decided to call later....actually, one of my friends lives nearby, she called me when I was waiting at the clinic; she invited me home. She came up to take me from the clinic. Their flat is nice and cosy...”

“That’s fine...but what did the doctor say?”

“...not like ours—congested lanes and non-airy—homely locality. I was also feeling tired after a hectic day...she offered to make tea...”

“But what did the doctor say?”

“You’re always impatient and rude! Just want to know what you want to know, quick and fast! All males are like that! Wait, I’ll come to your point shortly...she made a very nice and tasty roll; I really enjoyed with the tea, and relaxed. Meantime her sister called from our native town. Actually, her sister lives just behind our ancestral house...I never knew that, and never met her there. My friend handed me the mobile to say hello to her. We talked a lot. You know, we met in school days only...she married much before me, and went from place to place with her husband’s transfers. Now they’ve settled in our place...”

“Your friend lives so near to the clinic...so many times we went there, and she never invited us to their place...”

“Again you’re diverting the issue, I’m not talking about that, I’m telling you of my acquaintance with a lady after so many years. Next time we visit our native place I’ll definitely meet her...”

“What you say and do is always right. You see, I too need to speak my mind sometimes...but you hardly give me the opportunity, and get angry whenever I intervene. Okay, forget it, just tell me what the doctor said and advised.”

“Now, you’re starting it all over again! We can hardly discuss anything nowadays...we just land up with a bitter quarrel...”

“Nobody is quarreling now. I’ve not started anything; I only wanted to know what I needed to know...”

“I know....you’ll never admit. You’re always right! Fine, I’ll not tell you anything now...”

“Damn it all! Tell me, why the heck I should listen to you talking about some lady I’ve never known or never met even after enjoying more than fifty beautiful springs of my life!”

“Then why at all you’ve come to talk to me?”

Thoroughly fed up, the husband stomped out of the room, resuming his television news watching in the living room. The wife, sprawling comfortably in the double-bed, coldly opened the social media app in her mobile, and got busy.