FICTION SHORT STORY
THREE CONVERSATIONS
Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE
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Dramatis Personae
Husband
Wife (Nisha)
Wife’s Mother (Nisha’s
Mother)
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3 CONVERSATIONS
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PART 1
HUSBAND AND WIFE
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“I married you to
escape from my mother. And – you have brought her here…?” the woman angrily
says to her husband.
“I thought…” the
husband mumbles.
But his wife
interrupts him and says: “Why did you bring her to our house…?”
“Your mother called
me – she said that she was in distress…” the husband says.
“But you could have
asked me…” the wife says.
“You don’t like to be
disturbed when you are working from home…” the husband says.
“You could have
waited till evening and discussed it with me when you came home after work.
What was the crashing hurry to bring her over here…?” the wife says.
“I told you. She was
in distress. Your mother called me in my office and told me that her landlord
had thrown her out on the street. She begged me to come and take her…” the
husband says.
“She must not have paid
the rent. She keeps blowing up all her money by her reckless spending. It is
her fault – there was no need for you to rush and “rescue” her. You should have
told her to sort out her own problems…” the wife says.
“How could have I
said that…? She is your mother…” the husband says.
“She is a bitch…” the
wife says.
“How can you say
something like that about your own mother…?” the husband says.
“Because she is what
I said she was. I know her better than you. She “killed” my father…” the wife
says.
“What…?” the husband
says, aghast.
“My father was a kind
man. She nagged him throughout – for money, for luxuries – she wanted to live
in style – beyond our means – so – she wanted to have money at any cost. Do you
know that my father died of shock – he had a heart attack when he discovered
that she was having an affair – for money – prostituting herself…?” the wife
says.
“Please don’t say
such things about your mother…” the husband says.
“She is a disgusting
woman. I hate her. I don’t want her in my life. You just throw her out of our
house right now. Do you understand…?” the wife says.
“Okay. Okay. I will
ask your mother to go away. But I will do it tomorrow morning. It’s late now –
and – we can’t throw her out at night. Where will she go…?” the husband says.
“Where she goes –
what she will do – that’s not my problem – nor is it yours. You ask her to go –
right now…” the woman says to her husband.
“Please. Let her stay
for the night – on humanitarian grounds…” the husband pleads.
“Do you know what’s
the problem with you…? You try to show off that you are a “Good Samaritan” –
and this attitude of yours is painful for me. You did the same thing when I
wanted to fire that “nosy parker” maid…” the wife says.
“That maid was with
me for so many years – and she was so old – it was cruel of me to have fired
her – but I did it – I fired her – just to satisfy you – because you threatened
to leave me if I didn’t sack the maid…” the husband says.
“And that is exactly
what I will do if you don’t ask my mother to leave our house right now…” the
wife threatens.
“Please Nisha – be
reasonable – where will she go at night – I will tell her to go in the
morning…” the husband says.
“Okay. I don’t want
to see her in the house when I wake up in the morning. I am going to the
bedroom. I want to be alone. You sleep in the study…” the wife says.
“What about dinner…?”
the husband asks.
“I will take
something from then fridge and eat my dinner in the bedroom. You eat dinner
with your “darling” mother-in-law. I don’t want to see her face…” the wife
says.
“Meet your mother at
least once…” the husband says.
“I met her when she entered
the house with you – in fact – I got a shock of my life when I unexpectedly saw
her with you…” the wife says.
“You were so
disrespectful to your mother – when she greeted you – and you rudely told her
to go inside…” the husband says.
“Disrespectful…? Does
she deserve any respect…?” the wife says.
“I knew there were
issues between you and your mother. But – I didn’t know things were so bad…”
the husband says.
“You needn’t bother
about all that. You just see that she leaves this house tomorrow morning. Do
you understand…?” the wife says.
“Yes…” the husband
says.
“And now – you don’t
disturb me – I want to be alone…” the wife says to her husband – and she walks
away.
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When she is all alone – in the privacy of her bedroom – the wife calls up her lover.
Her lover lives two
floors above her apartment in the same building.
The wife says to her
lover: “You don’t come tomorrow…”
“Why…? What happened…?”
her lover asks.
“My mother is here…”
the wife says.
“What…? Your mother
is with you. For how many days…?” her lover asks.
“I don’t know –
hopefully – she will go away tomorrow – but – till she is here – you don’t come
home – I will tell you when she goes away…” the wife says to her lover.
“Okay…” her lover
says, “I won’t come to your house till you tell me…”
“Can we meet outside
somewhere…?” the wife asks her lover.
“No. No. It is too
risky. Everyone knows us in town…” her lover says.
“I can come up for a “quickie”
to your house when your wife goes out – call me and I will come…” the wife says
to her lover.
“Are you mad…? My
wife hardly goes out – she is working from home too…” her lover says.
“We will have to wait
till my mother goes away and the coast is clear…” the wife says to her lover, “It
is best to lie low till my mother goes away…”
“Yes – that is the
wise thing to do…” her lover says, “Let’s hope she goes away tomorrow. I will
miss you terribly...”
“I will miss you too…”
the wife says to her lover.
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PART 3
HUSBAND AND WIFE’S MOTHER
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The husband and his wife’s mother sit at the dining table for dinner.
“Thank you for coming…”
he says.
“Don’t worry – I will
keep an eagle eye on Nisha – and – I’ll stay here for as long as you want – but
– tell me – are you sure she is having an affair…?” she says.
“Yes…” he says, “there
are so many tell-tale signs – and worse – they are doing it right in the bedroom
– in our bed…”
“It will stop – I don’t
think he will come when I am at home – and – if she goes out – I will follow
her and find out if she is doing any hanky-panky – and with whom…” the woman
says.
“Thank you…” the man
says.
“I told you not to
marry my daughter…” the woman says, “she is half your age – 25 years younger
than you…”
“I fell in love with
her – madly in love with her…” the man says.
“When you had come
home – I thought you wanted to marry me – but you shocked me by telling me that
you wanted to marry my daughter…” the woman says.
“I was crazy about
her…” the man says, “she mesmerized me with her charms…”
“And now – you are
regretting marrying her…?” the woman says, “she got what she wanted – and you…?”
“I don’t know…” the
man says – and he looks very distraught.
The woman takes his
hand in hers – and she says to him: “Don’t worry – you can always come to me if
you want a shoulder to cry on – I will always be there for you…”
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