She Dumped Me

SHE DUMPED ME

A Story

Short Fiction

By

VIKRAM KARVE

December 1980

The weekly mailbag arrived in the afternoon.

There was one letter for me.

The letter was from my fiancée.

I was delighted.

I took the letter – and went into my tent.

Then – I opened the letter – and I started reading.

Dear Arun,

This is my last letter to you.

I am posting this letter from the airport.

By the time you get this letter – I would have flown far away to a foreign land.

As you know – last month – I had gone to England for a seminar to present a research paper.

There – I met someone – a Lecturer – like me.

He too had come to present a research paper – on the same subject as me.

It was love at first sight – for both of us.

I feel that he will be the right soulmate for me – and – I want to live my life with him.

So – I have decided to go to him.

I am very sorry – but I am calling off our engagement.

I wish you the best – and I am sure you will find someone better than me.

One more thing – I am taking your engagement ring with me.

I do not know how to send it to you – and I do not want to give it to your parents – or mine – since I have not told them about all this.

Everyone thinks I am going abroad for an international conference – even my colleagues – and – once I go there – and not come back – they will have to accept the situation.

I believe that the country where I am going is quite liberal – and I will be able to stay there – once I get married to him.

Sorry – once again.

Yours sincerely

Smita

35 Years Later

December 2015

I recognized her at once – it was the same ‘Smita’ who had dumped me.

Our eyes met.

She recognized me too.

We smiled at each other.

“What a coincidence – I never expected to run into you over here…” I said.

“I am waiting for a connecting flight to San Francisco…” she said.

“Oh – I am going to Auckland…” I said.

“Auckland…?”

“Tourism – just going on a trip to see New Zealand. And you…?”  

“I am returning from a seminar…”

“Oh – you are still in the ‘teaching business’…?”

“Yes – I went on to complete my Ph.D. – and I am a full-fledged Professor for many years now…”

“That’s great…”

“And you…? Still in the Army…?”

“No. I retired a few years ago…”

“So nice to meet you – my flight will be boarding soon – so I must go now…” she said – and she extended her hand.

I was shocked to see that she was still wearing the engagement ring that I had given her 35 years ago.

“Hey – you are still wearing my engagement ring…” I said to her.

“Yes – do you want it back…?” she asked me.

“No. No. That is not why I asked. I was surprised to see my engagement ring on your finger even though you are married to someone else…” I said to her.

“I am not married. I never got married. I am still a spinster…” she said.

“What…? You never got married to that guy you met at the seminar…?” I asked.

“Well – I dumped you – and he dumped me. It is a long story – and I don’t want to discuss it…” she said.

“I am sorry…” I said.

“You must take back your engagement ring…” she said, taking off the ring.

“No. You keep it. Don’t you like the ring…?” I said.

“I love this ring. It is exquisite. That is why I always wear it…” she said.

“So keep it – the ring looks good on your finger…” I said to her.

“Thanks. Thanks a lot. Anyway – since you have let me keep your ring – I must tell you that I am still available…” she said, with a mischievous smile.

“Ha Ha…” I laughed – and I said to her, “Thanks for your offer – but – sadly – I am not ‘available’…”

“You married…?” she asked me.

“Of course – did you think I would remain ‘heartbroken’ for my entire life…?” I said.

“I didn’t mean it that way…” she said.

“In fact – I came here to pick up a cup of coffee for my wife. Why don’t you come and meet my wife…? There is still some time for your flight. We will have a quick cup of coffee. Come – let’s go – my wife will be happy to meet you…” I said.

“You told her about me – how I broke the engagement…?” she asked.

“Of course I told her – there are no secrets between me and my wife…” I said, “Come – let’s go…”

“No. No. I will go for my flight…” she said.

She smiled at me – and she quickly walked away.

I walked to the coffee shop to get the cup of coffee for my wife.

“What took you so long to get a cup of coffee…?” my wife asked me when I returned to her.

“You won’t believe who I met…” I said – and – I told her the whole story.

“Your imagination is really running wild nowadays,” my wife said, “Please don’t make up stories – at least – please don’t tell me all these fantasy tales – you can write them in your fiction blog if you want…”

And so – I am writing this story in my fiction blog.

VIKRAM KARVE

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Disclaimer:

This story is a work of fiction.  Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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