Betrayal

She struggled and writhed under him as he maintained his hold on her. Her nails kept biting into his skin and she struggled to breathe. But he relented, continuing to push until all movement subsided underneath him. Her hands fell to the side and she lay still. He waited until he was sure that the task was completed. He rolled off, tossed the pillow to one side and lit a cigarette. Inhaling deep, he reflected on the events of the months gone past, as the smoke cursed through his insides.

An affair … his wife was having an affair. He wondered how long back was it that the seed of doubt been planted in his mind. A month, two months … and since then he had been heeding his time, spying on her, day after day until the seed had grown, spreading its tentacles, engulfing his ability to think rationally … until today.

For weeks he had seen the young boy enter his house after he had left and leave before his usual time of arrival. He sat in his car every evening, watching him leave, the anger building up bit by bit as he imagined them together, cooped up inside all day.

Today had been his birthday. And she hadn’t even wished him since morning. She had absolutely forgotten it. And that was what had driven the final nail in the coffin. He left for his office, but was back at his usual watchpoint. The guy turned up at his usual time. She greeted him at the door and they both went inside.

He was going to catch them red handed today. He waited for some time and then made his way to the front door. Using his key, he slipped inside, making sure not to alert them. The faint strain of Bach’s Sonata in G Minor wafted through the house. He couldn’t believe that the favourite piece from his collection of music was being made party to this affair. He tiptoed to the bedroom and peeked inside. He saw her dress lying on the bed. But he couldn’t see them. The voices from the study caught his attention and he moved towards it. He was blind with rage, as he pushed opened the door. He had caught them just as he had wanted to ... red handed, right in the act.

He couldn’t wait to get rid of the guy first. After attending to his departure, he turned his attention to his beautiful wife. And then he did what he never intended to all this time.

And now he felt guilty of what he had done. Guilty of doubting her, when all she was trying to do was practice the Sonata for his birthday. Practicing hard with a violin coach every day so that she could be perfect on this day. The table was laid out, the dress was ready. And she had been waiting to surprise him when he returned in the evening.

But he had spoilt all of it with his narrow mindedness. As he turned to face her beaming countenance next to him, he wondered whether he should reveal the shallow thoughts that had invaded his rationality all this while. Better not, he thought as she whispered ‘Happy Birthday, sweetheart’. ‘Thank you, darling. Now how about getting dressed and giving me a proper recital?’

What was supposedly her betrayal had been replaced by his.

Tushar Pai
Tech Mahindra Consultant