A Curious Story

A CURIOUS STORY

Short Fiction By VIKRAM KARVE

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PROLOGUE

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This is an odd story – a rather curious story.

I don’t know whether the story is worth telling – or worth reading.

But – I have decided to write the story.

There are two reasons why I have decided to write this story.

The first reason is that I have not understood this story.

So – I thought I should write it down.

When I was in school and college – whenever I didn’t understand anything from a textbook – I would write it down in my notebook – and – this act of writing it down helped me understand it.

Hence – I have decided to write this story – in the hope that when I have written it down – I may get a clearer view of it.

Or maybe – an enlightened reader – conversant human psychology – may tell us why the protagonist acted in the way she did.

The second reason why I am telling you this story is to alleviate the “agony” of bearing this untold story inside me.

The famous American Poet Maya Angelou once said: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”.

This story too was born many years ago – when I observed something – and it aroused feelings in me.

Most stories are born from “observation” and “feeling” – at least for me.

If I observe something – and – I feel about it – a story is born in my mind.

You observe so many things – but you write only about those things that stir your “feelings” – your emotions.

I observed something many years ago – it stirred feelings in me – and this story was born in my mind – and – it was perambulating inside me – till today – untold – and – I was quite hesitant to tell this story – but now – I must tell you this story – and mitigate the “agony” of carrying the burden of untold stories.

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This story happened many years ago in the 1970’s…

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PART 1

Everyone advised Smita to divorce her alcoholic husband.

But – Smita did not divorce him.

Alcoholism is a mystery.

It’s probably got something to do with genetics – genetic predisposition.

All of us used to drink – but – only Smita’s husband Avinash became an alcoholic.

We were all school classmates.

After school – I joined the merchant navy as a deck cadet – but everyone else joined the same college.

They would meet every day – and – I would meet them every evening in our favourite café – whenever I would come ashore on leave from sea.

Then – after college – everyone got a job – and – I had meanwhile become a second officer on a tanker.

They continued to meet every evening after work in the same café – and – I continued to meet them whenever I came to Pune on leave from sea.

Once – when I came home on leave – they told me that Smita and Avinash had decided to get married.

Curiously – Smita and Avinash were not present for the customary evening friends’ get-together.

It happens – in a group of friends – when two decide to get married – they start disengaging themselves from the group – or at least – they reduce the extent of interaction.

So – though Smita and Avinash did not disengage from our group totally – their presence became less frequent – say – once a week or so – and once they got married – their presence at our favourite café became even less frequent – but – they did call us home for dinner once in a while – especially when I came to Pune on leave from sea.

As I said – alcoholism is a mystery – and though we noticed that Avinash was drinking more than usual – we never imagined that he would become an alcoholic.

People give all sorts of theories about alcoholism – about why people become alcoholics.

Some say – people take solace in alcohol due to setbacks in life, due to personal tragedies, or due to problems at work or in personal relationships.

That is not true.

Many people have huge problems, suffer great tragedies – but they don’t become alcoholics.

On the contrary – some people who have everything in life – they become alcoholics.

Take the case of Avinash.

Avinash had everything going for him – successful career, loving wife, a house in the most posh locality of Pune, plenty of money, all the material comforts that one can want – but still – Avinash became an alcoholic.

Yes – he didn’t have children.

But – that is no reason to drown yourself in alcohol and become an alcoholic.

Do all people who don’t have children become alcoholics…?

There is no reason or logic for alcoholism.

Like I said earlier – maybe it is genetic.

Or – maybe – it is destiny.

Avinash was destined to become an alcoholic.

Sadly – you cannot predict destiny – otherwise – had Smita known that Avinash would become an alcoholic – maybe – she wouldn’t have married him – and married me instead.

Anyway – Avinash was destined to become an alcoholic – and he had become an alcoholic – and – Smita was destined to become the wife of an alcoholic.

Can’t destiny be changed…?

Couldn’t Avinash cure himself of his alcoholism – and change his destiny…?

If that didn’t happen – surely – Smita could leave him and change her destiny.

But – she wouldn’t do that – and she continued to suffer – as her husband Avinash sunk deeper and deeper into the abyss of alcoholism every passing day.

Yes – everyone advised Smita to divorce her alcoholic husband Avinash – but – Smita would not divorce him.

“You have a good job – you are financially independent – why are you suffering – you should leave him…” we said.

“No…” Smita said, “I can’t leave him…”

And so – despite our advice – Smita refused to divorce her husband.

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PART 2

As I told you – those days – I was sailing – in the merchant navy – and – I would come home on leave after a few months at sea – and – every time – I would hear that Avinash’s alcoholism was becoming worse and worse.

He had lost his job because of his alcoholism – and now – he was surviving on Smita’s money.

Smita tried everything – all cures – counselling – rehab – medical and psychiatric treatments – but nothing worked – and it seemed that Avinash would finally die because of alcoholism.

After 20 years at sea – I was offered the job of superintendent at our shipping company’s headquarters in Norway – and – I decided to give it a try. I could always return to sea if I didn’t like the shore job.

This time – I was going to be away for a long time – at least one year – maybe two – so – my friends decided to give me a farewell party.

Smita came alone. She had come straight from office. She looked terrible – haggard – as if she had recovered from an illness – all her beauty faded away.

“I dread going home…” Smita said, “Avinash has started drinking country liquor. He goes to the country liquor shop and drinks with all sorts of unsavoury drunkards. Sometimes – when I reach home – he is lying drunk outside the door – dumped there by someone…”

“You must do something – send him to rehab – to a deaddiction centre…” I said.

“I have tried everything…” she said, “nothing worked – now – I have resigned to fate…”

“Then – you must leave him – divorce Avinash – start a new life…” I said to Smita.

“Start a new life…? What do you mean…? Do you want me to divorce Avinash and marry you…?” she said angrily.

I was taken aback by her words.

“I am sorry if I hurt you – I didn’t mean that…” I mumbled.

“Then what did you mean…? I know you wanted to marry me. I know that you were disappointed that I chose to marry Avinash instead of you…” she said.

“Please Smita – don’t say such things…” I said.

“Ha. Ha. – “Don’t say such things” – …” she repeated my words and mocked me – and then – Smita said sarcastically to me: “So you are pleased aren’t you…? You must be so happy to see me suffering. I may have made the “wrong choice” – marrying Avinash instead of you – but – I don’t regret it. And – I am not going to divorce him – I will stay with him and “suffer” – you enjoy your life and don’t worry about me…”

Her vicious and sarcastic suggestion – that I might be happy at her misfortune – it hurt me more than anything else.

I didn’t say anything.

“Goodbye…” she said, “all the best in your new job…”

And then – she walked away and went home to her drunkard husband Avinash.

A few days later – I flew to Norway to take my new job.

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PART 3

When everyone had given up hope – a miracle happened – Avinash was cured of his alcoholism.

A de-addiction treatment had finally worked – and – Avinash was cured of his alcohol addiction.

My friends wrote to me that Avinash had given up alcohol and become totally sober – and – he had got a good job in Singapore – and – Smita and Avinash had relocated there.

(Dear Reader – remember – this story happened many years ago – before the advent of the internet – and writing letters was the common mode of communication – as – even international calls were very expensive – and unreliable too…)

When I went home on leave after two years – my friends told me that they were not in touch with Avinash and Smita – who probably wanted to move on – cut-off from old friends – and be aloof – and lead their new lives forgetting the past.

While flying back to Norway – I was in transit at Paris Airport – when I suddenly ran into Smita.

I don’t know who was more surprised – she or me.

“Oh – it is so good to see you after so many years – what a delightful surprise – what are you doing here…?” Smita said.

“I am on my way back to Norway. Mumbai – Paris and Paris – Oslo…” I said, “and you…?”

“I am on a Europe Tour – finished Europe – flying to Istanbul – a bit of touring there – and back home to Singapore…” she said, “I am with a group…”

I looked at her – she looked good – and happy – much better than when I had seen her last.

The joy and relief of her husband Avinash’s recovery from alcoholism was visible on her face.

“Where is Avinash…?” I asked her.

“He is not here…” she said.

“Oh. He didn’t come on the tour…?” I asked her.

“No…” she said.

“I heard he is absolutely okay now…” I said.

“Yes…” she said.

“That’s great…” I said, “so you are the perfect “made-for-each-other” couple now – like when you got married…”

“Well – we are not a couple any more…” she said, “I divorced him…”

“What…? You divorced Avinash…?” I asked Smita, stunned.

“Yes…” she said, “I divorced him…”

It was unbelievable.

When her husband was an alcoholic – a terrible obnoxious man – she looked after him.

When he was cured of his alcoholism – when he turned a new leaf – and – he became a good man – she divorced him.

“But why did you divorce Avinash…?” I said, “you said that he absolutely okay – that he was totally cured of his alcoholism – didn’t you…?”

“Yes…” she said, “he is absolutely okay – in fact – he is doing very well…”

“Then why did you divorce him…” I asked her.

“He doesn’t need me any longer…” she said.

“What…?” I said, confused.

Smita looked at me – and she said: “Earlier – he needed me to take care of him. Now – he can take care of himself – he doesn’t need me anymore…”

I remained silent.

“It’s time for my flight…” Smita said, “Good Bye – have a safe journey…”

And then – Smita walked away towards the departure lounge.

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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. 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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