CONDOLENCE CALL - My Favourite Short Stories Part 85

My Favourite Short Stories Part 85

CONDOLENCE CALL

Short Fiction - A Very Short Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE

 

From my Creative Writing Archives: A Very Short Story - Flash Fiction 

The moment I returned they all asked me anxiously, “What happened? What happened? You found the place?”

 

“Yes,” I said, “I found the house and paid my condolences to the bereaved wife.”

 

Suddenly they all started speaking together, “His wife… widowed so young…poor thing…so unlucky…such a pity…so sad…tell us…tell us…how has she taken it… what was she doing?”

 

“She was in bed,” I said.

 

“In bed?” they all exclaimed simultaneously, and then there was a cacophony of remarks: “Oh My God…how sad…what a terrible way to lose her husband…she must be so devastated that she still hasn’t recovered from the sudden shock…how cruel fate is …she’s so young…she must be totally shattered…poor thing…it’s been three months now and she’s still bedridden with grief…”

 

“She’s not bedridden with grief,” I said.

 

“What?” they all said in chorus, and then the voices started off again, “Was it an accident…fracture…heart attack…stroke…depression…due to the unbearable sorrow…poor thing…lying ill in bed for three months…she must have taken it very badly…you should have gone immediately…helped her out…shared her agony…but how could you…you didn’t even know…you were abroad…you were not even here…but you immediately rushed to mitigate her distress the moment you came to know… ”

 

“Please, please,” I interrupted loudly raising my finger, “She’s not ill, she’s not had an accident, heart attack, stroke, nothing, she’s not in distress, she’s not taken it badly at all; in fact she has taken it rather well. She wasn’t alone in bed when I suddenly reached her house early in the morning – she was in bed with someone else.”

 

“What? Impossible…tell us…what happened…tell us…”

 

“What’s there to tell?” I said, “I reached Delhi in the evening and went to the address I had with me, but she’s shifted to Gurgaon, bought a swanky apartment in a posh township…”

 

“Must be with the insurance money…”

 

“Maybe, it is possible,” I continued, “By the time I found her place it was quite late, but I rang the doorbell. She opened the door, dressed in a flimsy nightie. I told her who I was. 

She invited me in, offered me a drink, and poured one for herself. 

We sat down on the sofa. 

I didn’t see any signs of sorrow or grief on her face – in fact she seemed quite happy, pleasantly high, when suddenly a man’s voice called her out from inside the bedroom, ‘hey sweetie pie, what are you doing out there? Come fast, I’m getting cold’ and she answered back, ‘someone’s come’ and he shouted, ‘just tell him to vamoose’. 

So I gulped down my drink, bid her good bye and beat it.

Then I went straight to the airport and caught the first flight back to Mumbai.”

 

“Bloody hell, she must have been two-timing her husband!”

 

“Maybe!”

 

“Maybe her husband knew all about it!”

 

“Maybe!”

 

“Maybe he didn’t fall off the balcony accidentally – maybe he jumped off!”

 

“Maybe!”

 

“Or maybe they killed him!”

 

“Maybe!”

 

 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 2012

Vikram Karve has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. 

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Did you like this story?

I am sure you will like the 27 short stories from my recently published anthology of Short Fiction COCKTAIL
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About Vikram Karve

A creative person with a zest for life, Vikram Karve is a retired Naval Officer turned full time writer. Educated at IIT Delhi, ITBHU Varanasi, The Lawrence School Lovedale and Bishops School Pune, Vikram has published two books: COCKTAIL a collection of fiction short stories about relationships (2011) and APPETITE FOR A STROLL a book of Foodie Adventures (2008) and is currently working on his novel and a book of vignettes and short fiction. An avid blogger, he has written a number of fiction short stories, creative non-fiction articles on a variety of topics including food, travel, philosophy, academics, technology, management, health, pet parenting, teaching stories and self help in magazines and published a large number of professional research papers in journals and edited in-house journals for many years, before the advent of blogging. Vikram has taught at a University as a Professor for almost 15 years and now teaches as a visiting faculty and devotes most of his time to creative writing. Vikram lives in Pune India with his family and muse - his pet dog Sherry with whom he takes long walks thinking creative thoughts.

Vikram Karve Academic and Creative Writing Journal: http://karvediat.blogspot.com
Professional Profile Vikram Karve: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
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Email: vikramkarve@sify.com      
vikramkarve@gmail.com

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.