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.
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