Crossing the Mirage:Passing Through Youth

When I’d seen you flirting with Nithya, I didn’t care, as we’ve no love lost between us. But when I saw your letter to her, shaming me, I could take it no more. If it was right for you to goad me to leave the man I loved because he slighted my love, you can’t say it’s wrong for me to leave the spouse who demeans me to curry the favor of another woman.

As I have decided to leave you, it’s only proper you shouldn’t have anything that would remind me of you. So I’ve given away to the needy all those goodies that my father gave us. Any day now you would get the summons from the court and it may be wise for you not to contest, for your letter of shame is in my possession.

I’m going in search of Sathya to make amends as best as I can. If I can’t become his wife, it would still be honorable becoming his mistress. My only regret is I’ve dishonored myself by being your wife for so long!

Never Yours,

Prema.

‘Oh God!’ he collapsed, ‘I’m ruined.’

“Be a man, Vasu,” Nithya said tauntingly. “After all, being a woman, I didn’t cry when you left me in the lurch then. But, there’s still hope for you. If Chandra chooses to leave me, I may still come to you, of course, along with his child in my womb. You can have it as a bonus, won’t you? Moreover, there would be no need to spend on abortion as its no shame conceiving in marriage. Isn’t it?”

“Oh stop it,” said Vasu in exasperation. “Now it’s clear, you planned it all and took your revenge. You’d induced me to write that letter to use it for my ruin. You prompted me for our family friendship to turn Prema against me. Oh, how you poisoned her mind. You bitch!”

“Mind your language, Mister!” said Nithya contemptuously, “and then stop blaming me. Why, I was indifferent to you when we met again and I snubbed you when you came to my place to cajole me and yet you coveted me, didn’t you? Oh, how you had hinted at blackmailing me! You thought I would chicken out and come to sleep with you, didn’t you? Fool, did I ask you to write that your wife is cold? As you sow, so you reap, you better realize that?”

Vasu got up to leave.

“Blame it upon your attitude towards women,” she said as he crossed the threshold of her house. “Blame it upon your lack of character. Blame it upon your mean nature.”