OP
Member
LEVEL 3
75 XP
Meera again glanced at her husband and even she too gave a small smile on seeing her husband’s reaction.
The following months went quickly. As the time neared for Gomathi’s pregnancy to come to term, it was Meera who seemed more anxious. She herself asked her husband to find out about Gomathi’s position every once in a while. It was as if she herself was pregnant. She was also making much better progress with Dr. Arul though she still could not behave as a normal wife to Saravanan. She still shied away from his touch. However she actually started gaining a little weight.
Saravanan told her one day, “I just got news, Gomathi has got a baby boy.”
Meera was ecstatic, “Really?? When was he born? How is the child? Is everything okay?”
This was the most she had spoken to Saravanan in a long time.
“Wow .. wow.. wait .. one at a time. The child was born yesterday,” Saravanan couldn’t get himself to say ‘my child’. “Both mother and child are fine.”
“Should we not go and visit them,” first time Meera herself was asking for something after a long time.
Though he didn’t like to disappoint her Saravanan didn’t want to do that. “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” he said noting the disappointment in her face.
For that month Meera would often think to herself. ‘How is the child?’ “Who would he look like?’ ‘My husband?? Gomathi??’ ‘It will be a month in a few days.’ Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Gomathi’s son begot from her husband. She longed to see the child. One day her wishes were fulfilled. It was about four months after the child was born. Saravanan, Meera and the children were at home when they heard a sound of a car stopping at their porch. Saravanan went and opened the door. It was an unfamiliar car and he wondered who it would be. He was pleasantly surprised to see Gomathi and Prabu get out of the car. Prabu must have bought a new car Saravanan thought. Prabu held his elder daughter by her hands and Gomathi was carrying his child. Yes his child, deep down he too wanted to see the child.
As they entered the house and as Meera saw them, she quickly, almost ran to Gomathi, her face all smiles. Meera took the child from Gomathi’s hands and was cooing to the child and kissing it every now and then. It was as if it was her own child.
“See your brother, see how cute he is,” Meera said showing the child to her children who had surrounded her.
It was a norm to call even unrelated children as brother, sister etc but her children did not know how much of truth there was in this instance. They spoke for a while, by they .. Saravanan, Gomathi and Prabu spoke. Meera was busy cooing to the child. Prabu and Gomathi refused Saravanan’s offer of any beverage. They had just come to show them the child.
Prabu and Saravanan went aside to speak for a moment.
“Saravanan, I want to tell you how truly sorry I am for causing you all that agony. Even though I had apologised to you before after my father forbade me to see your wife again, the sorrow at that time was more turmoil caused in my family and the guilt caused by the discovery of the affair. I didn’t really realise the pain that I had caused you.”
“Why bring back the past Prabu. Nothing to be gained by it. Let bygones be bygones.”
“No Saravana I have to get this off my chest for my own sake. You know I realised how you must have felt only when my own wife was in your bedroom with you. What searing pain it was. Hearing her moans were terrible agony. I couldn’t take it and walked out.”
Prabu’s face was sombre as he related that painful episode in his life.
“You know at that time I hated you, I hated my wife. I felt consumed by anger. I actually could not get myself to talk with my wife for many days after that.”
Prabu sighed. “Gomathi made me realise that if this incident had caused me so much of humiliation and agony then think what your actions would have done to you. I had actively pursued your wife to seduce her. What right have I to be resentful at what had happened. It bluntly showed me how despicable my own behaviour was. Saravanan, please please forgive me, I know I don’t deserve forgiveness but I don’t know what else to do.”
“We can’t change the past Prabu, just be true to your wife henceforth.”
“Yes, Saravana, the old Prabu is dead. I promise you that I will take care of the child as my own son. That is the only way I can atone for what I did.”
Prabu and Gomathi left the house after spending an hour there. Saravanan and Meera stood in the doorway waving them goodbye as they drove away. At that time Saravanan’s hand accidently touched Meera’s hand. Meera did not move her hand away as she usually did. Saravanan was surprised. He moved his hand so that the back of his hand touched the back of hers again. Meera’s hand was still. Saravanan slowly entwined his fingers around hers. Meera’s breathing stopped for a moment. She hesitated but slowly closed her fingers over his.
There was a surge of happiness in Saravanan’s heart. It had been a long arduous journey on the way to redemption of his wife and by extension his family. There were dark days and there seemed no way back. For the first time there was a small light at the end of the tunnel. There was still a very long way to go. The days ahead would be difficult with many obstacles to pass but now he could look forward to it with hope. Finally he could get back the family he had lost.
The end.
The following months went quickly. As the time neared for Gomathi’s pregnancy to come to term, it was Meera who seemed more anxious. She herself asked her husband to find out about Gomathi’s position every once in a while. It was as if she herself was pregnant. She was also making much better progress with Dr. Arul though she still could not behave as a normal wife to Saravanan. She still shied away from his touch. However she actually started gaining a little weight.
Saravanan told her one day, “I just got news, Gomathi has got a baby boy.”
Meera was ecstatic, “Really?? When was he born? How is the child? Is everything okay?”
This was the most she had spoken to Saravanan in a long time.
“Wow .. wow.. wait .. one at a time. The child was born yesterday,” Saravanan couldn’t get himself to say ‘my child’. “Both mother and child are fine.”
“Should we not go and visit them,” first time Meera herself was asking for something after a long time.
Though he didn’t like to disappoint her Saravanan didn’t want to do that. “I don’t think that would be a good idea,” he said noting the disappointment in her face.
For that month Meera would often think to herself. ‘How is the child?’ “Who would he look like?’ ‘My husband?? Gomathi??’ ‘It will be a month in a few days.’ Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Gomathi’s son begot from her husband. She longed to see the child. One day her wishes were fulfilled. It was about four months after the child was born. Saravanan, Meera and the children were at home when they heard a sound of a car stopping at their porch. Saravanan went and opened the door. It was an unfamiliar car and he wondered who it would be. He was pleasantly surprised to see Gomathi and Prabu get out of the car. Prabu must have bought a new car Saravanan thought. Prabu held his elder daughter by her hands and Gomathi was carrying his child. Yes his child, deep down he too wanted to see the child.
As they entered the house and as Meera saw them, she quickly, almost ran to Gomathi, her face all smiles. Meera took the child from Gomathi’s hands and was cooing to the child and kissing it every now and then. It was as if it was her own child.
“See your brother, see how cute he is,” Meera said showing the child to her children who had surrounded her.
It was a norm to call even unrelated children as brother, sister etc but her children did not know how much of truth there was in this instance. They spoke for a while, by they .. Saravanan, Gomathi and Prabu spoke. Meera was busy cooing to the child. Prabu and Gomathi refused Saravanan’s offer of any beverage. They had just come to show them the child.
Prabu and Saravanan went aside to speak for a moment.
“Saravanan, I want to tell you how truly sorry I am for causing you all that agony. Even though I had apologised to you before after my father forbade me to see your wife again, the sorrow at that time was more turmoil caused in my family and the guilt caused by the discovery of the affair. I didn’t really realise the pain that I had caused you.”
“Why bring back the past Prabu. Nothing to be gained by it. Let bygones be bygones.”
“No Saravana I have to get this off my chest for my own sake. You know I realised how you must have felt only when my own wife was in your bedroom with you. What searing pain it was. Hearing her moans were terrible agony. I couldn’t take it and walked out.”
Prabu’s face was sombre as he related that painful episode in his life.
“You know at that time I hated you, I hated my wife. I felt consumed by anger. I actually could not get myself to talk with my wife for many days after that.”
Prabu sighed. “Gomathi made me realise that if this incident had caused me so much of humiliation and agony then think what your actions would have done to you. I had actively pursued your wife to seduce her. What right have I to be resentful at what had happened. It bluntly showed me how despicable my own behaviour was. Saravanan, please please forgive me, I know I don’t deserve forgiveness but I don’t know what else to do.”
“We can’t change the past Prabu, just be true to your wife henceforth.”
“Yes, Saravana, the old Prabu is dead. I promise you that I will take care of the child as my own son. That is the only way I can atone for what I did.”
Prabu and Gomathi left the house after spending an hour there. Saravanan and Meera stood in the doorway waving them goodbye as they drove away. At that time Saravanan’s hand accidently touched Meera’s hand. Meera did not move her hand away as she usually did. Saravanan was surprised. He moved his hand so that the back of his hand touched the back of hers again. Meera’s hand was still. Saravanan slowly entwined his fingers around hers. Meera’s breathing stopped for a moment. She hesitated but slowly closed her fingers over his.
There was a surge of happiness in Saravanan’s heart. It had been a long arduous journey on the way to redemption of his wife and by extension his family. There were dark days and there seemed no way back. For the first time there was a small light at the end of the tunnel. There was still a very long way to go. The days ahead would be difficult with many obstacles to pass but now he could look forward to it with hope. Finally he could get back the family he had lost.
The end.
