Wednesday, June 24, 2015

WOMAN IN RED DRESS

WOMAN IN RED DRESS
Short Fiction – A Love Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE
 
From my Creative Writing Archives: 

Here is one of my recent short stories – WOMAN IN RED DRESS

I wrote this story 6 years ago in the year 2009. 

By the way  this is FICTION  my imagination running wild  as always.

Do tell me if you liked the story


WOMAN IN RED DRESS – A Love Story by Vikram Karve

For those who have been lucky to have a love marriage  there is an important day to celebrate called wedding anniversary.

For me and my wife  surviving one of those quintessential loveless arranged marriages  our wedding anniversary is just another day.

That is why  instead of romancing each other over candlelight dinner  my wife and I are browsing books at the bookstore.

Suddenly my wife says to me, “Arun, look...!”

“Where?” I ask.

“There, near the window – look at the woman in the red dress,” my wife says, pointing her hand.

I look at the woman in the red dress.

“Don’t you know who she is?” my wife asks excitedly.

“No,” I say.

“She is Nisha – the famous romantic author,” my wife says ardently.

“I have never heard of her,” I say nonchalantly.

“You come with me,” my wife says.

I follow her towards the bestseller rack near the entrance.

My wife she pulls out a paperback from the shelf  and shows me the photo of the woman in the red dress on the back-cover.

“Yes  it is her,” I say, “now let’s go home.”

“Come on, Arun  let’s meet her and get her autograph on this book…” my wife says.

“No…” I interrupt, “she’s browsing – and she is a celebrity – she won’t like to be disturbed – let’s go…” I say  and I turn towards the exit.

“Please…” my wife says.

“No – you don’t give these authors too much importance – let’s go home…” I say irritably, motioning my wife with my eyes.

“You go. I am going to get her autograph on this book,” my wife says  and she starts walking towards the woman in red who is still absorbed nose deep into browsing the book in her hand.

I turn and I quietly walk into the philosophy section and browse books.

After a while  my wife comes  and she says to me, “She wants to meet you…”

“Who?”

“Nisha – the author – she wants to meet you.

“But I don’t want to…”

“Hi Arun  remember me?” the woman in the red dress says  suddenly appearing in front of me.

I am terrified, struck dumb, speechless. 

I shiver in trepidation as I stare at the woman in red dress standing in front of me.

“Arun and me had a real good time together in college – we were going steady for a long time – your husband and me we were very close once upon a time...” the woman in the red dress says to my wife.

My wife looks confused.

I remain silent.

Then  the woman in red dress looks at me  and she says, “Do you remember what all we did – the great fun we had together  those intimate moments – don’t you remember, Arun – or have you forgotten?”

I avert my eyes and look down at me feet  and I wish the earth below me would split and swallow me up.

“Hey Arun darling  I am sure you have told your wife all about us  or haven’t you...?” the woman in the red dress says loudly  digging her fangs into me like a snake.

Seeing the horror-struck expression on my face  the woman in the red dress turns and she speaks to my wife, “I am really sorry  but I thought there was no place for secrets between husband and wife. I thought Arun would have told you about me….”

My wife looks at the woman in red dress defiantly, directly into her eyes  and then my wife emphatically says to her, “Of course Arun has told me everything about you. Yes  Nisha  I know everything about you and Arun. He has told me every single thing. Like you said  there is no place for secrets between husband and wife – my husband has told me everything about his past – including about you.” 

Then  my wife turns to me  and she says, “shall we go home, Arun ?”

Mesmerized, awestruck  I look at my wife.

For the first time in my life  I feel a flood of love for my wife.

That is the moment I fall in love with my wife.

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © 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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Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

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