STORY-SEPARATION

SEPARATION After retirement, I wanted to stay on in the Project area, as we did not have even a plot of land in Keralam. My wife opposed it. Her father had promised to give ten cents of land from his ancestral property, to build a house. I did not receive any dowry and this can be treated as compensation, according to him. Somehow I did not like the idea but the will of my wife prevailed and we came to stay in her home, till construction is over. It took about two years to complete the work. My wife (Sarala) took full charge of, not only the kitchen, but agricultural activities too, as she liked it . Both my brother-in-law and his wife had to go to school and Sarala enjoyed the work. We had no children and she lost enthusiasm in sex. In short I became disappointed in all ways. Naturally Father-in-law sent me for all work in the market . I became like a servant in the wife house. I remembered the days spent in the Project. As I was a Gazetted Officer and obliging to all, I was popular and respected. Our neighbor was a Gujarathi widow, a teacher in the school. She had one son, who was master in computer work and got a job in the US. Sarala was secretary of the Women’s Club and was often late in coming home. The teacher (Meeraben) used to entertain me, whenever Sarala came late and our friendship thickened , in course of time. She was always hungry for sex . She went to the US after retirement and we lost contact. One day I got a phone call from her:”Halo! How are you Sukumaran? Could you recognize me ? I am back in India and in fact I am here in Kerala . I got down at Palakad on a tour of South India. Give me your address.” “Wait at the Railway Retiring room. I shall come within an hour. Note down my address.” I told my wife. She too was excited . When I reached Palakad I was surprised to see a boy with her. “This is your uncle about whom I used to tell you.” The boy bent and touched my feet. Somehow I felt a glow of warmth at his touch. We returned in a taxi car. “Why didn’t you buy a car?” “We never used to go on tour; you shall see when we reach home.” The boy was very excited to see Keralam. The guests stayed in the upstairs room of our house. The view from the top of the hill is really fantastic. As her father was bedridden, she was unable to accompany us in our tour of South India. We bought a car (it was her money) and went from place to place, covering both temples and picnic spots. Her son , now married and with a kid, used to call her daily. At Goa we spent a week , enjoying various beaches. At Dona Pola, the boy was enjoying the ride in water scooter. I casually asked her:”Who is this boy?” She smiled and said:”Your boy. Before you left I had become pregnant. As the nurses in our Project knew I am a widow, I went to a Hospital in Gujarath far away from home and my friend looked after the boy. When I retired and went to the US, I took the boy named Gagan with me . I told my son that he is adopted by me. Still I have not disclosed the truth to him. But I told him about our friendship. I do not know how to explain it to him.” I kissed her. Our journey continued and it was Pondicherry that she liked best. I knew a friend there and we discussed about buying a plot of land near the sea. I too liked it. It was always my dream to settle at the sea shore. “I have a plot in our Project area. That time I got it cheap. As we know the people there, life will be easy. What do you say? Shall we settle there? Or here?” I said :”I have to be near my wife; so it is better here.” We stayed with my friend till the completion of the preliminary works till the consultancy agreement was signed. Then we proceeded to Tirupathy. We enjoyed the tour of Andhra Pradesh and then the Himalayas . Finally it was back to Pondicherry. By this time, our house was ready and we settled down. Gagan was put in the school. We gave our names as parents. Once every year we went to my wife house.