Perfect Wife

                                                               

 

Veena Gupta always believed in destiny. More than she believed in God. For it was her destiny that Amit Gupta her husband, who was a terrible life partner one could ever image. While she was B.A. and good looking, Amit was an avenger looking college drop-out.

 

But her parents thought that Amit was the right one for their daughter, after all they had four more daughters after Veena to look after and Veena was lucky to get a small time businessman who was ready to take her without any dowry.

 

Veena was not only the obedient daughter, but someone who had learned to sacrifice her dreams at a very young age. She was the one who had always given her new clothes and toys to her younger sisters, who always made sure that the last chocolates was saved for the youngest one. Who never ask for things, and never mind when she had to wear the last year clothes even on her birthdays, she was the one who loved her family even though they never gave her the same love and affection.

 

So marrying Amit Gupta and living her home town to settle down in a lonesome small city was something she took for her destiny.

 

Veena wanted to study more and be a lawyer. But her in-laws and specially Amit just wanted a girl who was homely? So without arguing she discontinued her studies and became a good wife, a good daughter-in-law cum servant.

 

At the age of twenty she tries to be all the things which one becomes at the age of thirty. She loved her husband and obeyed him, making sure not to upset him even for a slightest bit.

 

But it was her destiny that no matter how much she did, she got abuses and curses from her in-laws and beating from her husband. The beating began first as a tight slap and later turn into punching and kicking, belting and caning, sexual and mentally. But Veena carries on, taking it all as her Destiny.

 

Years passed and Amit Gupta shifted from his small town to Bombay. His parents didn't want to leave their huge house and their relatives and friends. So the couple left for their new home.

 

Amit had opened a new store in Bombay and it was running successfully. And with time things changed, new style, new clothes, new friends, but the same old beating.

 

While Amit run his store, Veena runs his house. She was now a young woman of 30 years old, but as charming and beautiful as before.

 

One evening Amit came and saw Veena smiling.

 

“Why the stupid smile?” He asked as he loses his shirt buttons.

 

Veena rushed towards him and holds him tightly.

 

“Huff! What is it?” he said pushing her away.

 

“I’m pregnant.” Veena said.

 

“What?”

 

“You heard, I’m pregnant, you’re going to be a father.” Veena said, playing with his open buttons.

 

“Are you crazy, we can’t have a child?” Amit said turning around from her and removing his shirt, the lean body with a pounce made him looks like a cartoon.

 

“Why?” Veena asked, tears were beginning to blink in her eyes.

 

“Because I don’t want a child?” Amit said as he unbuckled his pant belt.

 

“But I thought we could………” Veena stopped as she saw the angry look coming in Amit eyes.

 

But she will not give up this time, this time she will see that he takes her for a human and not only for a sex machine.

 

Amit sad down on the chair and began to UN-do his shoes laces.

 

Veena rushed towards him and sat down at his feet, taking his leg on her lap she UN-did the lace and pulled off the shoe. “Amit please let me have this child.”

 

The next minute as if a thunder flashed, and Veena found herself on her back as Amit kicked her hard. He got up, shaking like a mad bull and took hold of her long silky hair, pulling it harder and said.

 

“We’re not having this child and you’ll see that it doesn’t happen.” He said. As he slapped her hard on her face drawing blood for her lower lips.

 

Veena wept hot tears and looked at Amit as he walked out of the room as if nothing has happened.

 

The next day she aborted her child and did the weekly shopping as if nothing had happened.

 

Once again she forgot her own self, she forgot that she was as human as any other person and went back living like a machine. Serving good food on the table and good service on bed.

                                                               

                                                                        *

 

Amit Gupta had joined a trekking group who were young couples like them and once in month they went to trekking. This time they were planning to trek at some mountains. The weather was cool and there were rains falling at some places.

 

The group was all young couples like Amit and Veena, some of them newly married. They were jolly groups. Most of them liked Veena at the first meeting, but were not so close to Amit.

 

All of them understood what kind of relation Amit and Veena were leading, some of the women in the group felt pity and angry towards Veena, how could she take it. The insulting.

 

But they thought that who they to advise her were. After all it was just matter of one week and then all of them will be back in their own lives. Yet most of them found Amit disgusting.

 

They had climbed a small trekking mountain and were planning to go to the other one which was a bit higher and had an old fort which had a history and they wanted to see it.

 

But the sudden rain fall had made them camp out at the bottom of the mountain. Though they knew that the rain wasn’t that heavy falling yet the land was sliding and none of them wanted to take chances. Except Amit who thought that they all were turning sissy.

 

“Come on guys, what’s wrong with you all, we haven’t come here to camp all and play cards.” He said as he watched the rest of them lying and playing cards. “Come on get up, it’s just drizzling.”

 

“Mr Gupta, you don’t know this trekking roads, they are so muddy and slipping. It’s risky.” Rosy Singh who had come with her Husband Veer Singh. As much as she likes Veena the same way she dislikes Amit Gupta.

 

“Pah! You jerks!” Amit Gupta said. Suddenly getting upset.

 

“Mr Gupta...now listen this is no way to talk.” Veer Singh stood up.

 

Amit looked at the six feet tall Sardar and took a step back causally.

 

“Amit, I think they are right, we can wait till the rain stops and then take the trek.” Veena said.

 

Before everyone’s shocked eyes, Amit turned and slapped Veena hard on her face, making her eye string with tears. Veena steadies herself before she could stumble.

 

“Advice when asked, understood.” Amit said and then picked up his bag and turned around as if nothing had happened.

 

Veer Singh moved ahead, but stopped in his track when Veena moved her head in no. Then she smiled…a forced smiled and followed her husband.

 

“Where are you going?” Debu Baja the leader of the team called out.

 

“Towards the fort.” Amit called out.

 

“Mr Gupta…..” Debu Baja called out but everyone knew that he would be just waste his time.

 

For Amit Gupta was nothing but a brainless stubbed bull. All of them felt pity for Veena. Who was following her husband like millions of wives who were more of a puppets and slaves in the name of wives?

 

“What shall we do? One of the women said.

 

“Forget, he is the stupid man I ever came across” Veer Singh said.

 

“Poor Veena, how much I pity her.” Another woman who was newly married said.

 

“He is nothing but a brute.” Rosy Singh said.

 

Then all of them sat down in their camp and continue with their playing and resting.

 

The rain begun to pour down harder.

 

                                                                         *

 

“Did you see that Sardar’s wife? Stupid woman, trying to tell me what to do.” Amit said. As he walked slowly on the muddy trek.

 

Veena was following him from behind, taking small steps and praying. Both had ropes tied to each other’s waist. So that in case of any danger to the first person the second person could pull him or her.

 

Veena vow to herself that next time she will make an excuse but won’t come to such adventures.

 

She looked below and holds her heart; all she could see was nothing but rocks and wildness. They were 6 feet above where they stood.

 

The rain pours down and then suddenly it stopped.

 

“Once we will reach up to the fort and I’ll show those stupid people how to trek.” Amit said.

 

Veena didn’t say anything she just followed her husband like a scared blind mice. How she wishes she had said no to this trip.

 

“Hurry a bit; you’re not walking in a garden.” Amit said pulling the rope.

 

Veena stumbled and cried out.

 

Amit turned around and seeing his wife on her bended keens with mud on her pants and hands felt angry. “Stupid, Idiot, can’t you see where are you going, what are those eyes for. Bloody woman.”

 

Veena got up slowly. She wiped her muddy hands on her pant and fixing the rope tighter around her waist walked again, following her husband.

 

The two of them kept on walking. The fort looked near to them, and so Amit moved more quickly.

 

“Amit, please slow down, be careful.”

 

“Come on, I know what I’m doing.” Amit said and for a minute he turned around to see how much gab was there between him and his wife.

 

The next second the most terrible thing happened. Amit lost his foot and slid down, with a cry he grab little wild grass and try to find some support.

 

“Amit, oh Amit.” Veena cried out, she laying down on the muddy trek. For a minute her brain stopped working and she really didn't know what to do.”

 

“Help! Veena helps me, pull me up, please come on, and pull me up.” Amit cried.

 

“Yes, yes, wait; just hold on, oh my god!” Veena said.

 

Few of the loose rocks fall down making no sound. And the rain began to pour heavily. Making things wet and more slipping.

 

“Veena, you idiot, don’t lie there, come on pulled me up.” Amit shouted in the sound of the heavy rain fall.

 

His word snapped Veena out of her thoughts and fear. She looked at Amit and then slowly got up, and stood up.

 

She looked and found a heavy rock a pace away from where they were. Quickly she tied her end of the rope around the rock and again walked slowly towards her husband.

 

She watched him sweating and trying to hold on to the grass and rocks, his hands were bleeding.

 

Than what she did next was something no other wife would ever do…UN till someone like her who had bear too much unbearable things by the hands of her husband.

 

Veena took hold of the rope tightly in her hand and from her bag’s side pocket she removed a pen knife.

 

“Veena, what are you doing?” Amit said and then the horror look came into his eyes. He saw dead standing in front of him.

 

Veena cut the rope in the middle and deaf her ears to the pleading of Amit cries. She stood up and walked away, not waiting to see his dead fall.

 

                                                                   THE END