Love Triangle – Solved – QED

LOVE TRIANGLE – SOLVED – QED

Story of a Possessive Husband, an Unfaithful Wife and her Shrewd Lover 

Adult Short Fiction – A Love Story

By

VIKRAM KARVE 

LOVE TRIANGLE – SOLVED – QED : Fiction Story by Vikram Karve

“Elope? You want us to elope?” I ask.

“Yes. That’s why I have got my bag with me,” she says.

“But where do you want to go?”

“Take me to your place. I will stay with you.”

“How can you stay with me? You are married to someone else.”

“I don’t care. I cannot live with my husband any longer. I am moving in with you.”

“You can’t just move in with me. I told you that. You also know that my parents are coming to spend a week with me in Pune.”

“But you have told your parents about me – haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And your parents have agreed …”

“Yes. They have agreed to meet you. But only after you divorce your husband. And let me make one thing quite clear. My parents are quite orthodox. They will never accept a ‘live-in relationship’. According to them – living together without being married is called ‘living in sin’...” 

She looks at me angrily and says:

“What are you saying...? 

‘Living in Sin’...? 

‘Sin’...? 

That’s funny. 

If we have a clandestine love affair in secret – it is okay. 

But – if we live openly together – it becomes Sin.” 

She seems angry.

I want to reason with her – so I say: 

“Let’s not argue about this. You know that you will first have to divorce your husband – before you can even think of marrying me.”

“He refused point blank. My husband told me that he will never give me a divorce.”

“You asked him?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“This morning. Before he left for Mumbai.”

“Mumbai?”

“He is catching the afternoon flight to Singapore.”

“Singapore? You never told me that your husband was going to Singapore.”

“I did not know till late last night. He said he got a call yesterday evening. It is about some good job offer in Singapore. They called him over for an interview immediately. He is confident he will get the job. He says that the interview is a mere formality – just to negotiate his pay, perks etc.” 

“Oh? So – he will be moving to Singapore.”

“Not he alone – WE – both my husband and me – both of us will be moving to Singapore – he said that I was to go along with him to Singapore too – so even I will have to move to Singapore along with my husband.”

“But what about your job?”

“He said that he will arrange with my company to transfer me to our Singapore office. He said that if my company does not transfer me to Singapore – the he will get me a good job in Singapore. He told me he has enough clout in the IT industry.”

“Of course your husband has big clout in the industry – he is quite a big shot. That is why I am so scared. If he finds out about us – he will have me thrown out my job. He will ruin my career.”

“So you have chickened out?”

“No.”

“Oh, yes – you have chickened out. You are not the same any more. What happened to all that talk about how much you love me – your promises that you would do anything for me. You have had your fun with me – and now when the time has come to do something – you want to run away from a commitment.”

“I am not running away from my commitment. I promise I will marry you. I will convince my parents. But first – you will have to divorce your husband. You talk to him. I am sure everything will work out.”

“Nothing is going to work out. Do you know what he said when I asked him for a divorce this morning?”

“What happened?”

“He blew up into a terrible rage. He told me that I would get divorce over his dead body. And then …”

“And then?”

“He brutally raped me. Like always. He is so rough with me, so brutal. He is a filthy pervert, a cruel sadist. Nowadays he gets rough, very rough, he tries to …” – she starts crying, and then, she sobs, and she says – “… he did it this morning too. It is so disgusting, so painful, so terrible – I think I am still bleeding down there even now. I cannot bear it any longer. His violent sadism is getting worse and worse. I cannot live with him for a single moment longer. If you don’t take me with you – the only way I can get out of this hell is to kill myself – I will commit suicide.”

“Please. Don’t cry. Let’s go to a doctor first.”

“I don’t want to to a doctor. It is very embarrassing. It is easier for me to suffer the pain than bear the shame.”

“Listen. I know a lady doctor. You can tell her everything. She is very nice and she won’t tell anybody. I will take the day off. You ring up your office too. We will go to the doctor now. And then I will take you home.”

“I can stay with you?”

“Till the evening. Then you can go and live with your folks for a few days. Meanwhile we will think of something.”

“Folks? I have no folks, no family – I am a bloody orphan.”

“Don’t say that. I know that your parents are divorced. But you are not an orphan.”

“I don’t even know where my father is – he left 20 years ago – when I was just 5 years old. And my mother – she got married to this horrible man – my so-called “stepfather”. Lecherous bastard. He always had his eyes on me. He tried to … he did … so many times. And he kept threatening me … that he would throw us out of the house … I could not tell anyone … no one would believe me. Outwardly – my stepfather looked like a respectable gentleman – just like my husband. Those days were terrible. I just hate him. I am still so scared of him. It is to escape from him that I got so hurriedly married to the first boy I saw. I never imagined I would land up in a worse situation. I jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Now you listen to me – I am telling you for the last time – we have to elope today – if you ditch me – I will commit suicide.”

“Don’t say that. Something will work out. We will find some solution to the problem.”

“Solution...? There is no solution to my problem. My husband won’t give me a divorce. You won’t take me into your home till I am divorced. For me – it is a “Dead End”...”

Suddenly – someone turns up the volume on the TV in the Coffee Shop.

They all look at the TV screen.

There is a “Breaking News”.

There has been a terrible accident on the Pune Mumbai Expressway.

They show visuals of a mangled car smashed into a truck.

The news-reporter is saying excitedly: 

“… the speeding taxi lost control, jumped over the road divider and crashed into an oncoming truck. The driver of the taxi miraculously escaped with injuries – but the passenger – a renowned Software Engineer – was killed – and he died instantly. The name of the Software Engineer who lost his life in the accident is …”

“Hey. See the TV. It is your husband. That is your husband’s name. Your husband died in the accident. Your husband is dead…” I say, stunned.

“Yes – it is husband’s name – they are saying that he has died in the accident...” she says, looking at the TV – her face expressionless. 

We sit in silence – watching the news of the terrible accident – in which her husband has been declared dead.

After a few moments – she lovingly takes my hand in hers – and she says to me: 

“It looks like the knotty problem has untangled itself – Yes – ‘Love Triangle’ – Solved – QED.”

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

 

This is a Revised Version of My Story First Posted by me Vikram Karve in my blog at 5/14/2013 10:45:00 AM at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/05/blog-fiction-story-no-40-problem-and.html  and re-posted at urls: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/07/love-triangle-solved-qed.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/12/the-story-of-love-triangle.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/08/love-triangle.htmland  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/08/love-triangle-story-of-possessive.html

Humor in Uniform – “Ordered” to have a “Good Time” – NDA Style

Humor in Uniform at the Literary Festival

I am looking forward to attending the 4th Pune International Literary Festival 2016 (PILF 2016) scheduled next weekend on 2, 3 and 4 September 2016. 

This evoked memories of a hilarious episode which happened at the literary festival last year at PILF 2015.

Here is the story for you to read and have a laugh... 

THE STORY OF THE LITERARY “FAUJIS” – “SHANGHAIED AND SHIPPED” TO THE LITERARY FESTIVAL – AND – “ORDERED” TO HAVE A “GOOD TIME”

A Spoof

By

VIKRAM KARVE 

MILITARY LIFE – A CRAZY AFFAIR

Many years ago – much before I joined the Navy – when I was in school – I read a book called CATCH-22 

I am glad I read this inimitable war novel – which marvelously brought out the rather bizarre aspects of military life.

“Catch-22” helped me understand military life – and it saved me from going crazy during my long navy career.

While I was in the Navy – almost every moment – I saw similar characters – and parallel situations – like those in Catch-22.

Life in the military is a crazy affair – universally – and I marvel at the ingenious way in which Joseph Heller has portrayed this “craziness in uniform” in his all-time classic World War II novel “Catch-22”.

Now – even after my retirement – whenever I come across “Faujis” and “Faujans” – I realize that nothing much has changed in the military – and – in fact – things in the “Fauj” are going even crazier day-by-day.

Well – in military parlance – “Fauj” is a generic term for the Military – Army, Navy and Air Force – and hence – a “Fauji” is a Military Man – and a “Faujan” is a Military Wife.

(By the way – it was an Army Wife who introduced me to the term “Faujan”…).

Coming back to “Catch-22” – let me tell you about a hilarious vignette that I witnessed last year at the Pune International Literary Festival 2015 aka PILF 2015 

“ORDERED” TO HAVE A “GOOD TIME”

But – before I do that – I shall briefly summon up an amusing anecdote from Chapter 3 of “Catch-22” – which has a remarkable similarity to the incident I am going to describe.

A “pen-pusher” Colonel from Rear-Headquarters comes to a frontline airbase – and the Colonel peremptorily orders Combat Officers to attend USO entertainment shows.

The Military Bureaucracy back home has organized these USO shows to raise the morale of the officers fighting the war.

However – the combat-weary officers are least interested in watching these boring USO shows.

The officers just want to survive the war – complete their required combat missions – and go home in one piece at the end of their tour of duty.

The only thing that will “raise the morale” of these warfighting officers is “orders shipping them home” – not USO entertainment shows.

So – in a “role reversal” – as per directives of higher-ups who have arranged these USO Troupes – the Colonel orders all Officers to attend these USO shows in full strength in order to “boost the morale of the artists” of the USO troupes.

The Colonel assembles all officers and gives them a “pep talk”.

Referring to the USO troupe artists – the Colonel says: “…these people are your guests – they have traveled over three thousand miles to entertain you. How will they feel if nobody wants to go out and watch them? What’s going to happen to their morale? ... I want every one of you who isn’t sick enough to be in a hospital to go to that USO show right now and have a good time – and that’s an order.”

The Officers were not interested in attending the USO show.

But – they were being “ordered” to go to the USO show and have a “good time”

Yes – the Colonel was ordering his officers to “enjoy a boring event” – like the USO show – just to boost the morale of the artists.

Ha Ha Ha – what an irony – instead of the entertainers boosting the morale of officers – the officers are asked to boost the morale of the entertainers. 

The Colonel was not concerned about the morale of his own troops.

He was more interested in the morale of the artists (who had come all the way to boost the morale of the soldiers by entertaining them by a USO show in which the troops were least interested).

Ha Ha – the demoralized Officers were being ordered to boost the “morale” of those who had come to raise the Officers’ morale.

It is true – in the military – you can be “ordered” to have a “good time”.

Such incidents happened many times during my Navy days – when we were ordered to attend events which we were least interested in watching – just to boost the “morale” of those who had come to raise our morale.

It must have been in similar style that – military cadets were ordered to go to the literary festival to boost the “morale” of the author who had written a book to boost the morale of the cadets. 

“SHANGHAIED AND SHIPPED” TO THE LITERARY FESTIVAL

As I told you earlier – last year – I attended the Pune International Literary Festival 2015 – a truly delightful event.

On the last day of the Literary Festival – a Sunday afternoon – there was a book launch of a “military novel” on cadet life.

The author is an accomplished creative writer – a successful novelist – and – in her earlier days – she was a prolific writer of short fiction – and I loved reading her stories published in many magazines.

Also – the author is a “Faujan” (Military Wife – or rather – a Veteran Military Wife).

So – who better than a “Fauji” Army General to launch her book (a “Literary” General).

Oh yes – for the book launch – along with the “Literary” General – there was a “Creative” Police Officer too – who regaled the audience with yarns from his police academy days.

Well – the book launch was at 3 PM in the afternoon – and we sat eagerly in the hall – waiting for the event to start.

Suddenly – we saw one of the organizers going berserk – a young girl – who frantically asked us to move forward as she screamed crazily:

“We need 300 chairs – the cadets are coming – the cadets are coming – 300 NDA cadets are coming…”

I am sure you know that “NDA” is the acronym for the elite “National Defence Academy” located at Khadakwasla near Pune.

The panicky shouts of the girl:

“NDA Cadets are coming – NDA Cadets are coming…” reminded me of the Hollywood Comedy Film I had seen almost 50 years ago in the 1960’s: “The Russians Are Coming – The Russians Are Coming…”

I was flabbergasted.

NDA Cadets – in a Literary Festival – it was unbelievable.

Why on earth would NDA Cadets want to waste a precious Sunday afternoon at a Literary Festival – when they could enjoy their well-earned “liberty” gallivanting on Main Street or FC Road – or “birdwatching” in a Mall – or watching a movie in a Multiplex...?

NDA Cadets on a Sunday afternoon at a Literary Festival...? 

It was baffling.

There could be two possible explanations for this.

Version 1: (Highly Unlikely)

Nowadays – things have changed from yesteryear – and – NDA is full of “literary” cadets.

Now – these budding “litterateurs” were extremely keen to spend their Sunday afternoon liberty time attending a Literary Festival rather than having a good time hanging out in Pune or sleeping in their cabins.

Version 2: (Most Likely)

The “Literary” General had “desired” that he wanted to see a “house-full” – he wanted the entire hall packed with “captive” audience – when he launched the book. 

So all Cadets enjoying their Sunday afternoon siesta in their cabins were rudely woken up – and – they were rounded up – and “shanghaied” into a bus – which brought them straight to the Literary Festival venue in time for the book launch – to fill up the hall with a “captive audience”

A witty young “faujan” sitting next to me commented that cadets were being given a taste of the “fauji” life they were going to face later as officers – when they would be on duty 24/7 – even in salubrious peacetime stations – and most of their Sundays would be ruined

We waited with trepidation for the onslaught of cadets – but there were no cadets visible even till 3:15 PM.

It seems that punctuality is no longer the hallmark of the defence services.

The organizers waited for some time – and – at 3:20 – they decided to start the event.

However – the “Literary” General and “Faujan” Author wanted the NDA Cadets to be present when they launched the book.

So – the author spent time in “small talk” about how her “Fauji” husband had inspired her to write about cadet life.

It was quite clear who was the “protagonist” in her novel – maybe the “Fauji” husband wanted vicarious creative fulfilment – and he had asked his accomplished “Faujan” wife to write his “slice of life” story.

Around 15 minutes later – well past 3:30 PM – the NDA cadets arrived.

When asked why NDA Cadets had arrived more than 30 minutes late – we were told a “Tall Story” that the NDA bus had broken down midway.

Maybe the NDA bus had really broken down – but this was quite unlikely in view of the high standards of vehicle maintenance in the military.

Or – maybe – it had taken considerable time to search and round up “volunteers” to have a “good time” at the literary event – since most cadets must have gone into hiding trying to escape from being “shanghaied” to the literary festival.

This second explanation seems more likely – since – instead of the much touted figure of 300 cadets – there were just around 50 “literary” cadets – who the NDA authorities had finally managed to “capture” and “shanghai” to the literary event.

(It is also possible that some cadets may have escaped to Pune City when the bus broke down midway on its journey to the literary festival).

The noisy cadets – dressed in the prescribed “mufti” civil uniform – soon settled down – and the book launch began in right earnest – and the book was released from its gift wrapping.

The author spoke about her book – and her earlier one – both stories based on cadet life in the premier military academies – NDA and IMA.

The “Literary” General narrated “memoirs” of his NDA days.

Not to be left behind – the “Creative” Cop harked back to his Police Academy days.

It seemed that these reminiscences certainly struck a chord with the “captive” audience – who were probably “enjoying” similar experiences during cadet training at the academy.

Suddenly – the author saw a “celebrated” novelist sitting in the audience.

The author invited the “celebrated” writer on stage.

The “celebrated” Writer told us that – many years ago – he too had been selected for NDA by the Services Selection Board (SSB) – but was rejected on medical grounds.

The Writer lamented that had he been medically fit – he would have joined the “XXX” course of NDA – and – he wondered what rank would he have achieved had he joined the NDA.

A smart young man in the audience stood up and he said that he was from the same “XXX” course – and he informed us that was a Lieutenant Colonel.

The “Literary” General commented to the “Celebrated” Novelist that maybe his getting medically rejected was a “blessing in disguise”.

I wonder what the “Literary” General implied – was he saying that the Writer would not have been able to achieve much in the “Fauj”...?

Was the “Literary” General saying that being a Published Author is much better than being a run-of-the-mill “Fauji” Army Officer…?

The cadets were listening intently.

Or – at least they were making a pretense of attentiveness – because – when you are a cadet – you even learn to sleep with your eyes wide open.

The “Faujan” author read out interesting excerpts from her novel on cadet life.

Then – there was a quiz for the cadets – and winners were given autographed copies of the book.

And – all of a sudden – the organizers announced that time was up – and the next event was about to begin in the same hall.

And so – the literary event ended.

All’s well that ends well. 

THE EX-NDA AUTHOR

I walked down to the lawns to attend another event of interest to “Faujis” – a book reading by a Retired Naval Officer who was the first Indian to circumnavigate the world solo under sail.

Yes – this redoubtable Navy Officer had achieved this awesome maritime conquest of sailing around the globe in a sailboat all alone – solo – and the Navy Commander had written a fascinating account of his adventures on the high seas during his solo circumnavigation of the earth in a boat.

I thought the NDA cadets would be interested in hearing the Navy Veteran narrate his nautical adventures first-hand from his book – especially since the Veteran Naval Officer was an ex-NDA cadet.

But – the NDA cadets were nowhere to be seen. 

The NDA Cadets had attended the book launch of a “Faujan” Military Wife.

But – these same NDA cadets were conspicuous by their absence at the book reading by an ex-NDA Navy Veteran who was narrating his fascinating experiences at sea while circumnavigating the globe solo under sail. 

Maybe – the NDA Cadets were not attending this Navy Veteran’s book reading because they had not been “ordered” to do so (and they had attended the Military Wife’s book launch because they had been “ordered” to do so). 

In the Military – you blindly obey “orders” – you never use your discretion – even in literary matters.

Since they were not “ordered” to attend the ex-NDA Navy Veteran’s book reading – most probably – the NDA cadets had rushed to Pune City to enjoy what was left of the Sunday liberty.

Or – maybe – the cadets had been “shanghaied” right back into the bus – and transported back to NDA – now that their “Mission Book Launch” was over.

Also – I had expected the “Literary” General to attend the book reading session of his “brother” ex-NDA Navy Officer and listen to his seafaring exploits.

However – I saw “Literary General” driving off arrogantly in his “staff car”.

The ex-NDA General had no time for his fellow ex-NDA Officer who had written a fascinating book.

Maybe – the “Literary General” had to attend to his more pressing Sunday Evening “Duties”.

Introspecting of the conspicuous absence of the ex-NDA Cadets and Officers at their fellow ex-NDA Naval Officer’s book reading – and that too a book on a real life Naval adventure – I wondered: 

What has happened to all that “camaraderie” – that ex-NDA officers boast about...?

Hey – I am digressing.

This story was about military life – “humor in uniform” – about how you are“ordered” to “volunteer” – like the NDA cadets who apparently had been commandeered and transported to the Pune International Literary Festival –“shanghaied” and “shipped” – to the book launch – and instructed to have a “good time”.

In the literary festival – on the one hand – I observed the languid NDA cadets – and in contrast – I looked at the lively college students of the same age group.

And – I realized – that – though the world has moved on ahead – the military is still stuck in the past – as if in an antiquated “time warp” – at least culturally.

I was reminded of many such episodes in my Navy life – when we too were “detailed” to “volunteer” – and I must tell you about them – but not now – maybe some other time – right here – in my blog.

That’s the beauty of military life – you learn to have a “good time” – even when you are “ordered” to do so.

And – if you are thinking of joining the Armed Forces and having a life in uniform – do read “Catch-22” – it will save you from going crazy. 

EPILOGUE 

I wonder whether NDA Cadets are being “Ordered” to have a “Good Time” at the Literary Festival this year...? 

That – we will come to know next weekend – at the Pune International Literary Festival 2016. 

See you there...!!! 

I hope you are coming – or – do you want me to “Order” you to have a “Good Time” at the Literary Festival...!!! LOL 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

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.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

     

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

This is a revised re-post of my story SHANGHAIED TO THE LITERARY FESTIVAL posted online by me Vikram Karve earlier in my blog Academic and Creative Writing Journal on Sep 10, 2015 at url: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/09/humor-in-uniform-shanghaied-to-literary.html  and revised and reposted at url:  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2016/05/humor-in-uniform-literary-faujis.html