Me, My wife and My Girlfriend



Ours was a love marriage. Akshara is the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I was bowled over by her looks, the very first time I saw her. Actually, we never fell in love, it just happened between us. And as every love story would have it, our parents never accepted our love as both of us hailed from highly orthodox families but from different castes.



'21st century and you still believe in caste system…' I argued.



'Computer age… space age… and man is breaking all the boundaries… Why not we…' She argued.



'21st century or 35th century… woman will always give birth to a child. A computer can't do the same. Some traditions and customs need to be followed' they argued.



Nevertheless these arguments continued for a few months before they finally succumbed to our obstinacy. A day which will be remembered as a triumph of love breaking the age old shackles of orthodoxies.



It all started off well, in fact too good to be described in words, our married life. Slowly we forgot the hard times we had been through and squabbles crept in between me and Akshara. At the tip of the iceberg, we knew they were petty quarrels, but what brew beneath the surface was more than that. Ego clashes. Neither of us was ready to confront to the other and ditch our ego.



Years passed and these quarrels became bigger and bigger. If we approached the elders, we knew that they would mock at us, saying that it's our mistake to go for a love marriage. For every petty thing, Akshara would make a fuss out of it. Ofcourse I am a man, I should also do my part. If she can do it 99% well, I should do it 99.1% well.



At the peak of this situation when she was getting onto my nerves, I found a friend, in fact a very close friend in the form of Apoorva. She was 18 years old. I started to confide my problems created by my wife as well as me myself, in her. She always suggested me to be sublime. Ofcourse she's also a girl.



As days passed by, I began to get closer to her. She's more beautiful than my wife, yeah, nothing's wrong in thinking like that. Akshara's image transmogrified into a demon, from an angel. Akshara, my beautiful Akshara looks like a demon… Apoorva's influence, perhaps yes.



I slowly avoided quarrels with Akshara. Whenever she fought or shouted at me, I used to smile at her. I used to hold her cheeks and pinch them or slightly knock her on her head. She was even more angered with this nonchalant behavior of mine.



'You should see her face grow red in anger' I would tell Apoorva and she would literally roll on the bed laughing.



'Aren't you lucky to have Akshara in your life? Have you forgotten the fight you put for marrying her?' And so on, Apoorva asked me. 'But you are more important to me that her, you have made my life even more beautiful than what she's done' I told her.



She looked at me angrily and threw away the book which she was reading at me. 'What's the guarantee that you wouldn't feel the same way about me?' She was furious, 'The lone reason why I hate you males is because of this. You are always behind a girl or a woman and once your desires are fulfilled and you are bored of her or you fight with her for whatever reasons, you see in another girl, a friend…'



'If you have ever tried to convince your wife regarding the same, perhaps you wouldn't have fought with her so much. A clap is a result of two hands. A single palm alone can't produce it. Both of you are equally responsible for any kind of fight between you.'



'Go and convince your wife. Live with her happily ever after. Don't run behind girls like this. Not everyone will be worried like me.' She went on saying.



And I started to laugh. 'When I am saying serious stuff, you are always cool. Why aren't you the same with Akshara?'



'Hmm... I don't know… whenever I see her I feel like whacking her properly on her butt and make her set alright… Except for one thing she ruined my life…' I said with a grin on my face.



'What if she says the same...' Apoorva asked me. And my face turned pale. 'I have provided her all that she wanted. I have never scolded her wantedly...' before she interrupted. 'Believe me, she's never the done the same too...'



'Go to her... speak to her properly, and believe me life will never be the same again. You would enjoy each and every minute with her...' she said.



'I will get married soon. Then who will tell you and take care of you...' Apoorva said. Apoorva, an important girl in my life. More important than my wife and the thought that she's gonna get married wrenched my heart. 'Who will be there for me...' I asked her when she opened my wallet and showed me a picture, the photo of my wife Akshara.



Three years later, at the local airport, Apoorva was going to US after her marriage. Akshara was talking to her and me talking to her husband.



'Dad and mom, I will miss you both a lot' Apoorva said. And she came and hugged me. 'Don't scold mom, ok, and mommy, if he does anything stupid you gimme a call. I will take care of it...' she said.



I kissed on her forehead and bade bye to our good daughter who taught me many things, even when my heart sank.