Dolly's Dilemma

More often than not we all face certain situations when our entire personal universe could come crashing down at the slight provocation. In such situations, we are at our wit’s end; every road reaches a dead end; prayers escape from our lips rushing from the deepest and darkest corners of our being. We desperately start believing that there is a God. Everything we otherwise disbelieved begins to look plausible. We desperately believe that only if there is divine intervention, will the terrible crisis in our life be resolved.

Dolly was facing the worst crisis of her life. And did not know how to deal with it. With every passing day, the situation seemed to go from bad to worse to worst to beyond redemption. She was now forced to contemplate suicide, though she knew this was no age for her to die. But the truth was that she could no more bear the torture.

The first indication of the crisis came when Rohit wouldn't take her calls. Nor would he respond to her messages on What’s App. A series of failed calls and un-replied messages was a clear indication of something serious brewing. Rohit was upset at something Dolly had done, or not done. What was exasperating was the fact that Rohit was avoiding her when he should be actually talking to her about the “problem”. How infuriating it is when the person whom you dearly love cuts off communication with you. Only if there is communication between individuals will there be resolutions to any problem. Here, she was not even aware of the problem that already became a wall.

Dolly and Rohit go engaged five months ago. The marriage was set to take place one month from now. It was all so well arranged. The two families had done due diligence, checked out numerous references, thoroughly investigated backgrounds and jobs and prospects. Even education qualifications were got discreetly verified, according to certain confidential sources. Finally, horoscopes were matched and second opinions sought on the accuracy of the calculations. They matched house to house, a perfect match. Commercials were discussed and finalized to mutual satisfaction, and the engagement was announced. Now the two families were engaged in arrangements based on intense mutual consultations. The minutest of the details, however insignificant, were discussed, debated and then agreed upon. Nothing was being left to chance, or so the families felt.

Rohit and Dolly were seeing each other with growing regularity. If not meeting, they were online, chatting. They were exchanging everything, news, views, options, everything that would make each other comfortable. By now they were quite intimate. The initial inhibitions gone, they could be seen hand in hand, grabbing every little opportunity to express their love for each other. They had come pretty close to each other. Close enough to embrace and fondle. Closer enough to lock lips passionately. Even daring to do what was reserved until after the wedding.

It was therefore quite shattering that a week should pass with no communications between the two. In fact, when the communication opened, it was only to briefly announce that Dolly could consider the marriage off. Official confirmation will follow shortly.

Her parents sensed trouble, but as is wont, they believed it was a premarital tiff, that would resolve without parental intervention. Their daughter was hardly communicative, choosing either to remain in solitary confinement most of the time or away from home. Even her closest friends found her solitude impregnable. 

On her part, Dolly was trying her level best to find a reason for this standoff and seek a resolution. But she was barely making any headway. Once her parents got the wind of the calamity, all hell will break loose. Termination of the event at this critical juncture could prove fatal to herself and her parents, more for them. With dogged determination, she could finally trap Rohit into a meeting, using all available ingenuity at her disposal.

He was curt and to the point. He knew about her affair with Kumar, who, it transpired, happened to be his friend. She had cheated him and he felt betrayed and shortchanged. He had not yet spoken about this to his parents but had almost decided upon it. She could go back and wait for the announcement. Nothing further could be spoken or discussed as he just got up and left.

Her friendship with Kumar was most platonic. This only she knew and Kumar. Yes, God would definitely know the truth, but he seldom came down as a witness. Rohit believed that there could be no platonic relations between sexes. And at least, he was not going to play the martyr. A girl never forgets her first love-, all India believe this truism, fuelled time and again in numerous movies. How could Rohit lead a happy married life, burdened with the knowledge of his wife had loved once before? And wish as he would, he cannot help imagining what all must have gone into that prior relationship. 

Dolly was almost sure that this mischief was the handiwork of Kumar, but she did not know his whereabouts. And there was no time left to have an investigation done. Anyway, the seed of suspicion had been sown in Kumar’s fertile mind and who on earth could fight suspicion? The problem could be resolved only if Kumar could be traced, but how?

She knew she was fighting a losing battle for her honor, and for her family’s. The situation was seemingly hopeless for Dolly and the time had certainly come to reveal all to her family. Maybe they could talk reason to Rohit and his family. Hoping for anything to happen now, was, against hope. She prayed like never before, beseeching every known and unknown power in the universe to protect her and her family. One little indiscretion on her part had ruined her life and brought dishonor to her family. And to top that indiscretion, Dolly had committed a blunder by giving herself to Rohit, in the smug belief that their life long partnership was a done thing.

The saying “Fortune favors the brave” hardly would apply to Dolly, for at this moment, she was all but brave. But Lady Luck sometimes makes exceptions to her rule and favors even cowards and the meek. At least in dolly’s tale, it seems that fortune was adamant upon favoring her. Luck has its own way of rewarding people, and, as if in answer to her prayers help arrived from the most unexpected quarter.

Rohit, like Dolly at home, had become the source of tension for his parents. Failing to make an impact in breaking his silence or finding a possible reason for his sudden and strange behavior, the parents drafted the services of his bosom pal, Sanju. Sanju too could not make a dent but hit upon an idea. He went straight to Dolly to ask her what the problem was. Unlike Rohit who had refused to entertain any third party intervention, Dolly saw Sanju as Godsentt and poured her heart out to him. Sanju listened to her without interruption, seeking minor clarifications only after she finished. He then returned, after solemnly assuring her his best try to end her misery.

At noon, the day after her emotional outburst to Sanju, Rohit called her up. A meeting was set up at a quiet café. He came, looking grim. She feared the worst, maybe Sanju had messed up everything, whatever was left that is. Rohit came straight to the problem. He was sorry, he mistook her relation with Kumar. He apologized for being childish, not to have believed her. He took her hands and kissed passionately. She was strapped for words, so she thought it fit to shed tears. There was nothing more to be said. The marriage was on and love was back on the rail.

This happy ending to Dolly’s dilemma came as a shock and surprise to her. What could Sanju have done to bring about such an amazing transformation in Rohit? Unfortunately, she would never know. But know we must. 

After his meeting with Dolly, Sanju had gone straight to Rohit. Sanju and Rohit were bosom pals and had shared exciting times as they grew up to be adults. Sanju had access to the most intimate details of Rohit’s life, which, perchance, included certain well-documented episodes involving a couple of girls. These episodes had Rohit hitting the hay with these girls, all in zest and fun. There were, of course, no firm relationships, but the fact remained that Rohit was no less a playboy when it came to his ways with girls. Sanju had actively aided and abetted Rohit in his times of need for money or space. And who knew all this better than Sanju? 

Sanju reminded Rohit of his own errant ways and told him in no mean terms that he was not being fair to his family and Dolly by taking a high moral ground. He wondered what Dolly would do if he told her all about him. Indiscretions happen, people do things in their days and forget about them. These happenings do not reflect their character or personality. Rohit reacted sharply, saying it was none of Sanju’s business to interfere. But Sanju was determined to drive home his point. If Rohit wished to continue in this fashion, the story would be told to Dolly. Maybe she would jump the gun and call off the marriage. The entire world would then know Rohit’s story. His image and character would be tarnished forever. Rohit saw sense and assured an amicable resolution. Rohit extracted a solemn oath from Sanju that he would never, ever, talk about this to anyone. Sanju gave him his word.

Rohit and Dolly were happily married. Dolly was able to resolve her dilemma and avert the crisis, thanks to God’s messenger. She would never ever again happen to meet Sanju. The mystery behind Rohit’s meltdown did often puzzle her. She would sometimes think of asking him about this but would refrain. They had promised to each other that neither of them will ever recall the standoff that almost nearly ruined the marriage. Dolly would live without the knowledge of Rohit’s misdemeanors, and Rohit would live with the knowledge that Dolly had once been in love with his friend Kumar. But what the heck! One has to move on in life and look at positives rather than brood over negatives. Only if we are prepared to put the past behind that we shall be able to take our lives forwards.