CHAPTER 5

Lilly was his wife.

And Rakesh was Lilly\'s husband.

He saw her, saw that she is fair, with a voluptuous body and asked.

She saw him, saw that he is healthy with a fire within him and agreed.

And they started living together.

Between his question and her answer, there was no space for a formal wedding.

It just happened out of their needs, to fulfil which the presence of the other was necessary, they thought.

It was about two years after the accident.

Like any other, that too was a heartless accident. Without bothering about the background (or foregrounds) of its Victim.

It only bothered about the here and now.

Accidents only think in present tense. Future and past does not exist for it.

Only the victim and itself.

Just like two lovers or one against many lovers.

And this time, the victim happened to be single.

Her lover.

They had decided to marry and to live together. Forever.

He would have been an ideal husband to her.

They understood each other\'s needs, fears and longings.

But it did not last long. She realized that in Life\'s dictionary, FOREVER also mean NEVER.

They had touched and kissed and even embraced each other, restricting themselves there, but letting their imaginations to wander unbridled into every nook and corner of other\'s, expecting to fulfil their desires in due course.

But he died and she remained alone, without knowing further course of action.

Her first reaction was a deep, deep sorrow. Slowly it became a sense of loss.

Of having lost the casket of dreams. Never to get it back.

The sense of loss decreased slowly in intensity and gradually it became a disappointment.

Like a plant, seeing its sweet, beautiful flower lying on the ground to decay.

Slowly that too vanished leaving behind an occasional wetness in her memory.

But the sparks of desire within her persisted. It needed fulfilment.

A half cooked dish with the fire-beneath extinguished, yet boiling from within.

It either had to get cooked elsewhere OR had to be rendered useless.

And she took the first option and believed that she found the necessary \'Cookmanship\' in Rakesh.

What is there, if she was elder to him?

â€œAfter all a fish needs water to survive.â€ She thought. â€œIt will work out well.â€

But it was her miscalculation.

Because Rakesh believed in his supremacy.

He was a head-load worker. He worked in the market, shifting bundles and loads from place to place, while the insides of his bubble shaped head remained loaded with ideas originated at his self-centeredness.

And Lilly believed that married life is a duet, both performers being equal.

And she did not like it, when she saw that he is relegating her to a mere chorus girl.

As far as she was concerned, married life is like a common balance with each arm up and down alternately.

No higher ups, no lower downs. Both equal.

And she was sure that if the accident had not altered the course of her life, it would have been as she preferred.

The feeling of loss again penetrated into her through the actions of Rakesh.

And there was more to it.

After a few months of their so-called marriage, he began to realize that she was not the only fair female with a voluptuous body.

And he commenced his old ritual of running after various women.

And he could not, rather did not, hide his fancies from her.

And she started blaming him always for being unfaithful.

The self-centeredness did not pay any attention to it.

Their life became a boat being rowed by two rowers in opposite directions.

He roved around loaded with lust.

She ranted aloud loaded with anger and frustration.

A roving husband and a ranting and raving wife.

A libertine man transitioned to a libertine husband and a silent, peace-loving girl transformed to a talkative, nagging woman.

That was the net result of their marriage, which never took place conventionally.

And he was the only friend of Larry.

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ADAM\'S SONS(English Novel â€“ Chapter -5) By Krishna