Sunday, February 11, 2018

Humor : Altruism – A Bizarre “Believe it or Not” Story

You are a happily married woman. 

Another woman says to you: 

“It is thanks to your husband that I am pregnant...” 

What will you do...? 

Well – this is exactly what happened in this Bizarre “BELIEVE IT OR NOT” Story...

ALTRUISTIC “AFFAIR WITH A “DAMSEL IN DISTRESS
Bizarre “BELIEVE IT OR NOT” Story
A Fictional Spoof
By
VIKRAM KARVE

I have often paid a price for my altruism due to my “helpful nature” – especially my altruism towards “damsels in distress”.

Here is a hilarious story  from my delightful Navy days  to cheer you up on this bright Saturday morning.

This story happened around 25 years ago  in the early 1990s...


“STEALING AFFECTIONS” FAUX PAS – A Bizarre Story By VIKRAM KARVE 


Part 1 – Mrs. X DROPS A BOMBSHELL”  

Mrs. X desperately wanted to have a baby.

Mrs. X was married for 10 years.

Mrs. X and her husband Mr. X  – they tried very hard to have a baby  but unfortunately  she never got pregnant.

Then  suddenly  one day  at a party  Mrs. X announced that she was pregnant.

Everyone congratulated her.

My wife congratulated her too.

Mrs. X looked at my wife  and she said to my wife: 

“It is thanks to your husband that I am pregnant.”

My wife was shocked on hearing this.

She was struck dumb – speechless – stunned into silence.

Then Mrs. X looked lovingly at me. 

And – in a most affectionate voice  Mrs. X said to me: 

“Thank you so much for you cooperation. It is because of you that I could get pregnant. Had it not been for you  I would never have got pregnant.

“What…?” my wife stammered  trying to recover her wits.

“Yes – had it not been for your husband  I may never have got pregnant...” Mrs. X said to my wife.

My wife gave me a fierce look.

Then  my wife said to me: 

“I am not feeling too well – let’s go home.”

We  my wife and I – we excused ourselves from the party  and we walked out of the officers’ mess towards our scooter.

“You cheat. How could you do this...? Who the hell do you think you are...? Are you some sort of Stud Bull going around impregnating wives of fellow officers...?” my wife asked me angrily. 

I could see that my wife was livid with anger.

“It’s not like that…” I tried to plead with my wife.

But – my wife interrupted me  and she said: 

“The way Mrs. X is yapping – if this gets around – they will throw you out of the Navy for stealing the affection of a brother officer’s wife”. You tell me – if you get kicked out of the Navy  what will we do...? We will all starve – and  it will be such a disgrace – so shameful – just think of the terrible repercussions it will have on our children...? How could you do this disgraceful thing...? I never imagined that you would ever cheat on me…” 

I could see that my wife was going crazy with her imagination running wild.

“Will you please keep quiet...?” I begged my wife. 

“Keep quiet...? Mrs. X is openly going around saying that you got her pregnant – and – you want me to keep quiet...?” my wife said.

It is nothing like that. Please hear me out. Will you please let me tell you the truth...? Why are you just blindly believing what Mrs. X said...? Don’t you want to hear the real story...?” I said to my wife.

“It better be a convincing story – otherwise I am going to my mother’s place tomorrow...” my wife delivered her ultimatum.

Here is the story I told my wife. 

But – before that – let me digress a bit and give you the background. 


Part 2 – A DIGRESSION

Firstly  let me tell you that this story happened more than 20 years ago at a prestigious inter-service training institution.

Now  in the Navy  an Officer is a “jack of all trades”.

An Officer is employed on all sorts of jobs during his career – on ships afloat  and ashore.

When appointed to a shore billet – the Officer is made to do multifarious tasks – since  ashore  the variety of jobs is even more diverse – than afloat.

It is the rare lucky officer who is perfectly dexterous at all the jobs – but in most cases  you are good at some jobs – and  you are not so good at some jobs.

I have the gift of the gab  and  I am academic by nature too  so I had a natural flair for teaching – which was my job at the training institution where I was teaching faculty.

For “X” (husband of Mrs. X it was exactly the opposite.

“X” had absolutely no aptitude for teaching.

Now  “X” was a very bright officer – he was professionally competent  and  he had performed other jobs very well  but sadly – teaching just wasn’t his cup of tea.

Teaching in-house courses is one matter  but teaching a postgraduate course in Engineering was no joke  especially where our student officers had to appear for external university examinations  competing with fresh young engineering graduates.

And – since “X” did not have a flair for teaching – he was having a very tough time – since the students were very demanding  as they wanted the entire syllabus to be covered meticulously and taught well  which was a must  if they wanted to do well in the university exams.

“X” hated teaching.

He had tried his best to avoid this instructional appointment.

But – in the Navy  there is a mistaken belief that: 

a good student makes a good teacher...

And since “X” had topped this very same postgraduate course a few years ago  the powers-that-be had sent him down here to teach the same course.

Hey  I seem to have digressed  so let me come down to the actual story.


Part 3 “DAMSEL IN DISTRESS

Every evening  after my evening walk in the sprawling verdant campus  I would spend some time reading in the officers’ mess library.

On most evenings  Mrs. X would be there in the library too.

Mrs. X seemed to be fond of reading  just like me.

In the evenings  most other wives of her age would be busy playing with their young children in the park.

But since Mrs. X had no children  she preferred to spend her evenings in the library.

Our common interest in literature got us to be friendly  and sometimes  after our reading session  I would walk her home  which was on the way to my house.

One evening  while we were walking home  Mrs. X suddenly said to me: 

“I want to make a personal request to you – in the strictest confidence...”

“I will be glad to help if I can...” I said.

“Can you take my husband’s classes...?” she asked.

I was a bit baffled at her strange request.

“You want me to take your husband’s classes...?” I asked, puzzled.

“Yes. Can you take my husband’s classes...? Can you take his teaching...? Please...?” Mrs. X asked me again.

“Yes  I can take his classes  but – I am already very overloaded...” I said.

“I know. You are teaching three subjects in this semester – and – my husband is teaching only one subject in this semester. But he told me that you have the capacity to take all four subjects...” she said.

I was quite perplexed at her strange request  so I did not say anything.

Mrs. X looked at me and she said: “I’ll be very frank with you. We are desperately trying to have a baby – there is some complex fertility treatment going on too – but my husband gets so stressed out at night that…”

Maybe she felt a bit embarrassed  so Mrs. X paused for a moment.

Then  Mrs. X continued speaking: 

“My husband spends the whole night studying books and anxiously preparing his lectures – he is so nervous about teaching – he feels so tired and stressed out – and – day by day – it is getting worse – he is never in the mood – and my clock is ticking…”

I nodded.

She smiled unspoken thanks.

Next morning  on my table  I saw a file. 

It was the leave application” folder of “X”

“X” had applied for 60 days leave.

I observed that on the noting sheet “X” had written that I had agreed to do all his instructional duties during his absence – and – he wanted me to confirm the same. 

I committed in writing on the file that I would perform all his instructional duties  and – I endorsed the noting sheet accordingly.

A few hours later  the phone rang  it was the Dean speaking.

“You have committed to take the lecture load of “X”. Are you sure you can manage...? I see that in this semester  you are heavily overloaded. Now – “X” wants 60 days leave – so he will be absent almost till the end of the semester – so – if you take on the entire lecture load of “X” – you will have to take lectures for almost the whole day...” the Dean said.

“I will manage, Sir...” I said to the Dean, “please let “X” go on leave – he has urgent domestic commitments of a passionate nature... 

“Passionate...? Did you say passionate...?” the Dean asked, with surprise in his voice.

“Sorry, Sir – slip of the tongue – I meant compassionate – “X” has an urgent domestic commitment of a compassionate nature...” I said.

“Okay. Since you say so  I am granting “X” his full 60 days annual leave – but you make sure that you take the lectures properly and cover the entire syllabus – the students must do well in the university examinations...” the Dean said. 

“Yes, Sir...” I said. 

So – Mr. and Mrs. “X” – went off on a 60 day “honeymoon”.

Around 3 months later  one month after Mr. and Mrs. “X” came back from their romantic sojourn – their aspiration achieved – we had this officers mess party  where Mrs. X committed the faux pas of saying to my wife – “It is thanks to your husband that I am pregnant”  which put me in a most unenviable situation with my one and only darling wife...


EPILOGUE

Now  Dear Reader  this is the real reason why Mrs. X told my wife: 

“It is thanks to your husband that I am pregnant...”

Thanks to her “Faux Pas” – my wife did not believe me then. 

And  I doubt if she believes my story even now. 

But – after this episode – I kept clear of “damsels in distress”.

Yes – no more altruism towards “damsels in distress”...

Dear Reader:

Do you believe the story I told you...?

Or – do you think I am spinning a yarn – telling you a tall story.

You may or may not believe this story. 

But – one thing is sure  I am not a “Stud Bull” – I do not steal affections – I am a simple altruistic person  believe it or not. 

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 
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Disclaimer:
1. This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.
2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories 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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