Confronting Aniruddha – A Short Story

Confronting Aniruddha

Sheena was half asleep and was generally feeling weak. She had to get ready for office but somehow she was not feeling well. Her mother came in her room and started folding her dresses and calling her gently to get up.

Sheena – No Ma! I am not feeling well…I think I will skip office today!

Mother – Why? What happened…..you missed office this Monday as well, today is Thursday, very soon the weekend will arrive…you can rest for 2 full days – why do you want to bunk office?

Sheena – I am not feeling well….rather pukish…I think the Lebanese food I had was stale….cause I have feeling unwell ever since the dinner party!

Mother – But the dinner party was on Tuesday…you bunked this Monday as well!

Sheena – Doesn’t matter – I just don’t feel like going!

Her mother went out and started serving breakfast to Mr. Sen, her husband and Sheena’s father.

Father –  What happened? Sheena is not going to office?

Mother – No…says she is feeling unwell.

Father – Get her blood test done then….you know dengue or viral fever is in the air – she may be suffering from some viral fever…these are the typical symptoms!

Mother – How will we go today…the car will go for servicing….

Father – Ok then, I will return at 6pm and take her for the check up…you can also come along….while returning  buy the monthly stuff from Big Bazaar.

Mr. Sen left for office. Sheena got up at 1pm and nibbled some food and again went off to sleep.

Mr. Sen returned at 6 pm and they went for the check-up. His brother-in-law was a doctor in Hi-Tech Hospital so he got an appointment with him.

Sheena went inside for a general check-up and both her parents waited outside. Suddenly they saw that a Lady doctor made her way into the room where Sheena had gone for a check-up. Minutes later, his brother-in-law asked Mr. and Mrs. Sen to go to the second floor to meet the gynaecologist.

Mrs. Sen’s heart missed a beat! Gynaecologist?! Why on earth!?

Both met the Gynae and she broke the news that falls like a lightening on simple parents of unwed daughters! Sheena was 2 months pregnant!!

Mr. Sen went into complete silence and shock! He had never thought that his little girl is even capable of talking to a guy confidently and here the doctor was breaking the news of her pregnancy!

Mrs. Sen – Are….you sure Madam? Like it is not possible – she is very innocent… she doesn’t understand all this…

Lady Doctor – What? She is 23 years old Madam! She is an adult – what makes you think she is ignorant of the fact that having sex without precautions is dangerous!?…anyway – it is a common happening nowadays…I handle such cases almost daily – every 3^rd household is facing this reality – so please calm down. Do you happen to know who he might be? Like…is she engaged?

Mr. and Mrs. Sen were too shocked to even reply.

They left and all 3 of them drove back home in complete silence.

Sheena knew that her parents would be shocked and she was cursing herself for not taking care before diving on bed with Akash….

Back home, Mr. Sen went to his room and closed the door. Mrs. Sen took tea for him. She saw him totally broken for the first time in her life…it seemed that he was both angry and afraid at the same time. He was lying on bed and Mrs. Sen asked him to take tea.

Father – Did you ask her who is he….was she raped?…because if she was then I will send him behind the bars…no one can play with my daughter’s life and move around happily…I will finish him! Did you ask her? I told you she should not join the call centre…I wanted her to study further….but you all won’t listen! People are waiting out there like wolves to devour young innocent girls….who do you think it would be…did you ask her?

Mother – No…not yet! I made tea and came straight to you – she is in her room…I think it could be Aniruddha….

Father – Aniruddha? Who is he…how do you know him?

Mother – He is her colleague at the call centre, looks from a decent family, he had come with her…some four months ago…she introduced him to me….

Fahter – Come home? You never told me! 4 months ago….you did not even bother to tell me?

Mother – What is there to tell? Often her friends from college, tuition used to come….need I take down their names and report to you every evening…

Father – In that case how are you sure that Anirrudha is the one?…if many of her friends came then it could be anyone of them…

Mother – No…I mean…Aniruddha is her senior in the office….looks mature…so I thought they may be serious …..

Mrs. Sen completely hid the fact that Sheena had straightaway taken him to her bedroom and even locked the door. When Savitri, the maid, had made coffee and knocked at the door, she had opened after 5 mins or so and even screamed at her that unless she asks for coffee or tea, it should not be brought to her! Mrs. Sen had purposely sent coffee because she did not like the fact that Sheena had locked the door and wanted her to keep the door open and talk with Aniruddha! Such things spread like wild fire in the locality. Savitri had been watching the show with a lot of amusement and Mrs. Sen was sure that the news that Sheena took a man inside her bedroom and locked the door behind would reach the neighbourhood before daybreak! She did not dare to tell this incident to her husband or else he would have created another pandemonium at home!

Mr. Sen looked irritated with mention of Aniruddha having come to their house and screamed back at his wife to find out about the culprit from Sheena.

Mrs. Sen went to her daughter’s room. Sheena was checking out good abortion clinics around the city on the internet.

Mother – What are you doing? …you don’t have to..

Sheena cut her short.

Sheena – I am doing what I am supposed to do – it is not a big deal ok…don’t make such a big issue of this pregnancy – stop behaving like uncouth village rustics who cannot take the pregnancy news of their grown-up daughter gracefully.

Mother – What have we done…have we even said anything to you?

Sheena – exactly..in the car – both of you became like zombies….silently driving back as if I have committed some heinous crime!

Mother – So what did you expect us to do – celebrate the pregnancy of our unwed daughter?

Sheena – Just shut-up and leave me alone !

Mother – Don’t be cranky ok…tell us who is he, we will talk to his parents….

Sheena – Parents? For god’s sake I am an adult and so is he – we don’t need parental consent to abort…

Mother – I am talking about marriage and….

Sheena – First let me get rid of this shit…then we will see….

Mother – But what is the harm in telling us the name…is it Aniruddha?

Sheena had to stop this discussion – she was already very irritated with the reaction of her parents…so in order to avoid further discussions…she said – Yes, it is him.

Mrs. Sen then told her husband that her suspicion was right – it was Aniruddha!

She told him that Sheena was very irritated and snappy and said that she is looking for abortion clinics herself. He asked his wife to let her know that her parents were alive and she need not worry about anything! Mrs. Sen knocked at her door to sit with her and spend some time…but Sheena had already locked her door and asked her mom to go.

Next morning, Mr. Sen told his wife that he will fix an appointment with the best gynaecologist in town. Sheena had opened her door and working on her laptop, Savitri was sweeping her room. Mr. Sen had his breakfast and went to office.

Mrs. Sen told Sheena that her father will look for the best gynaecologist for her…so she need not look for a clinic herself. This brought tears in Sheena’s eyes and she hugged her mother. She did not go to office and generally relaxed at home.

Mr. Sen in the meanwhile reached Sheena’s office. He waited at the reception for Aniruddha. Aniruddha came and asked the receptionist as to who had come to meet him. Mr. Sen looked at Aniruddha and found him to be a very decent looking, handsome young man. Mr. Sen had thought of giving Sheena a surprise. He had thought that he would talk to Aniruddha and take him home in the evening…and maybe the question of abortion would not arise at all! Mr. Sen was hasty in doing all this because unfortunately he had visited the hospital where his brother-in-law worked…and the fact that Sheena was pregnant must have reached every relative by morning!! Thus Mr. Sen was trying his best to get her married off in a haste. Mentally he had decided that he would not bother about any religion, caste…..he just wanted to see his daughter happy! Mr. Sen was a very staunch man….followed strict religious principles…but when it came to his daughter – he was ready to give up all his principles and accept Aniruddha as he was!

Aniruddha – Yes, Sir….I believe you have come to meet me?

Mr. Sen – Yes, …hello! I am Mr. Sen…I am Sheena’s father.

Aniruddha – Oh…Ok…how may I help you Sir?

Mr. Sen – Have you noticed that Sheena is absenting often for last couple of days…like she is not attending office?

Aniruddha – Well sir, she is not in my department..so I cannot tell whether she is absenting or not..

Mr. Sen – I am not asking you young man..I am telling you – have you observed…do you keep a watch on her whereabouts?

Aniruddha – I don’t see any reason as to why I should keep a watch on her…..

Mr. Sen was gradually losing his cool with the nonchalant attitude of Aniruddha. He was thinking that Sheena must have already broken the news of her pregnancy to him and he should be behaving more responsibly with her father!

Mr. Sen – Really!? How irresponsible of you ! Has she not told you anything as yet….the hell that she is going through?

Aniruddha – I beg your pardon sir…but I really don’t know what you are talking about!

Mr. Sen – Rubbish!..how old are you…if I may ask?

Aniruddha – I am 28 sir….

Mr. Sen – And you are not even bothered about the fact that a poor 23 years old girl is suffering day in and day out because of you!?

Aniruddha – Sir..I think there is some misunderstanding….please tell me frankly as to what you are talking about!

Mr. Sen – Oh! misunderstanding huh!? Now I guess you’ll say that you don’t even know Sheena…you have never met her…

Aniruddha – Why would I say such a thing – I know her very well..she is my colleague…

Mr. Sen – Oh! Only colleague…so you go with all your female colleagues to their house…and enter the bedroom..and lock the door behind also..is that so?

Mr. Sen’s said in a raised voice.

Aniruddha – Sir, please calm down! …Yes, I did visit her house once and it was she who locked the door of her bedroom…..not me…I had, in fact, asked her to keep the door open because her mother was sitting in the living room and she would feel so embarrassed….but Sheena said that it did not matter and that all her friends – both boys and girls – enter and sit in her bedroom only…so I thought it was a done thing at your house!

Mr. Sen did not see any reason to continue with the discussion and beating around the bush. He came to the point straightaway.

Mr. Sen – Sheena is pregnant – she is carrying your child…will you be decent enough to marry her and take the responsibility of your child?

Aniruddha was taken aback. He stood still for a moment and then he spoke.

Aniruddha – er…like she is pregnant for four months…..

Mr. Sen – What? Why?… how does it matter? She is carrying your child. Period.

Aniruddha – Well Sir, if she is carrying for four months…and if a DNA test confirms that it is my child..then I am ready to bear the abortion expenses.

Mr. Sen wanted to slap Aniruddha tightly!

Mr. Sen – What…you think I can’t bear the abortion expenses….you think I have come to ask you to pay for her abortion…how dare you even speak to me like this…you have any manners? What is your father? Where does he work?…I better talk to your father and ask him why he did not raise you with good manners….

Aniruddha – Before talking to my father why can’t you just reply to a simple question? Is she pregnant by 4 months?

Mr. Sen – How does it matter? 4 months or 3 months…why are you braying like a donkey about number of months?

Aniruddha – Mind your language sir! What I am trying to tell you is that we broke off 4 months ago…so I will obviously not take the responsibility of someone else’s seed…..

It was Mr. Sen’s turn to be taken aback!

Mr. Sen – Wwwhat do you mean – broke off?! Then whose child is she carrying…..

Aniruddha – How can I say that?

Mr. Sen – What do you mean – you just said that you broke off 4 months ago…that means you were in love  with her and now you are saying that you don’t know whose child she is carrying?

Aniruddha – Yes! That’s precisely what I am saying! How will I know whose child is she carrying! She does not believe in having a single boyfriend for long….it is her habit to change boyfriends like clothes…

Mr. Sen – Mind your language young man – you don’t make up nasty stories about my daughter!

Aniruddha – I don’t have to create nasty stories – her  life of full of nasty broken love affairs! But in spite of her nasty past of several broken relationships, I agreed to remain committed to her! I even introduced her to my mother – what other proof do you want of my loyalty towards her…but she is not satisfied with one man for long…it is her habit after all to hop-skip and jump from one man to another!

Mr. Sen – What rubbish! You are cooking up such sick stories to escape your responsibilities..that’s all – your type of men are reason why innocent young girls are left with no option but to commit suicide!

Aniruddha – Innocent young girl….Sheena!? Do you happen to know that her very first relationship was with a man who was 18 years her senior….her English tutor…..some Mr. Prakash Mehra? She was 14 years old..in class 9 I think….innocent girls start having affairs with married mature men so early huh?

Mr Sen became silent for a moment. He recalled a tall and dark man who wore spectacles and was rather uncouth but spoke good English! Initially he used to come at home to take tuitions but after two months he insisted that for tuitions , the students will have to go to his house and Sheena had refused to change the tutor and insisted that she will attend his classes only. Mrs. Sen had to drop her to his house after school and she used to come back alone in the evening.

Aniruddha continued….

Aniruddha – Then later she fell in love with the head boy of her school and often bunked classes and went to the nearby motel to spend time together……and by the way, this is not the first time she is pregnant as you might be thinking – she got pregnant in class XII…with the same head boy she was pally with….and I believe she made an excuse that her friends are going on an excursion but she had actually gone for an abortion….see- she managed to dupe both of you- quite a smart daughter you have there!

Mr. Sen- Who told you all these stories? It is all bullshit you are telling me – I don’t believe a word of what you said!

Aniruddha- Suit yourself! But all these things I have heard from the horse’s mouth…how else will I know such minute details of English tutor Mehra….I wasn’t stalking her since she was 14! In fact best would be to ask her yourself! …instead of coming in the office and screaming at me and calling me names..better ask your daughter to mend her ways….

Mr Sen – I see….so when you agreed to forget all about her past and start afresh….why did you break off with her?…..you said 4 months ago you broke off…why? you got bored of her…..

Aniruddha – I did not break off….I found her having an affair with the floor manager…she was 2 timing me! Here I had introduced her to my mother and was taking her suggestions for the colour of the walls and curtains for our room and there she was happily sleeping around with Akash!

Mr. Sen – Akash!? Who is Akash now…then let me talk to him…

Aniruddha – You may talk if you so wish …but he is a married man…and even a father of a kid…so at the most even he will offer to pay for the abortion expenses of your daughter….

Mr. Sen was left speechless after this. He quietly picked up his briefcase and headed towards the exit gate. His asked the driver to go homewards and then he closed his eyes for a fleeting glimpse of the entire timeline of his daughter…how she was born, how she learnt her first steps…how she cried when something was not given to her..then suddenly the face of Prakash Mehra came up and his heart burnt! He could not imagine his daughter to be such a sex-starved poodle! He remembered how she had asked him money for the excursion…..which was first denied but when she started to sulk…they had allowed her to go for the excursion…which was basically an abortion! How easy it was to befool him..he thought!

He reached home and went straight to his bedroom. His wife came with tea and asked whether he found a good gynaecologist. He snapped back and said – let her find the same doctor who aborted her earlier.

Mr. Sen – Tell me frankly…who was there in your family who was sex-starved or whorish natured? Because from my side of the family, no girl would ever go ahead and dive on bed at the age of 14! Your great daughter has had an abortion at 18….remember the Dehra Doon excursion she fought with us for…well, she was actually going for an abortion not excursion! What a liar – I am so ashamed…I felt so little and insulted by a 28 years old fellow….I was unable to face him after he made such dirty revelations about Sheena…..

Mr. Sen broke down and started weeping bitterly!

Mrs. Sen – What nonsense are you talking about? You trust a complete stranger and not your own daughter? He must be lying!

Mr. Sen – Really? He knows about Prakash Mehra….how will he know the name of a tutor who taught Sheena when she was 14?!..he also talked about Vinod..the boy I could not tolerate at all…he used to spend hours talking to her on the cell phone…she got poor marks in Class XII because of him…and he not only ruined her career..but even made her pregnant and happily washed his hands of her!….gosh!…tell me have I been a miserly father? Have I not fulfilled any desire of hers….yet she did not think twice before lying to us….what a failure I have been….

Mrs. Sen – But Sheena confirmed yesterday that she was carrying Aniruddha’s child…he made up stories and you believed him!

Mr. Sen – SHUT UP! She is probably carrying a married man’s child…some Akash….and he is a father of a kid already! He will obviously kick her out .

Mrs. Sen – I will ask her…I believe her totally… Aniruddha is lying….I trust my daughter totally….she can’t do any such thing..

Mr. Sen – Give her money – ask her to abort from wherever she can…and ask her to get lost…I cannot see her face…or I will kick her to death! She has blackened my face…I am ashamed of myself…please ask her to pack her bags and go to any hell she wants to go…she is dead for me.

Sheena had been listening to the conversation. She was glad that her father was ready to give her the money to abort…and the fact that he wanted her out of his house! She herself was looking for ways to shift to a new city and live independently…because she lived with her parents, she was unable to enjoy her life to the fullest! She wanted to shift to a good metropolitan city where the night- life was more happening!

Sheena packed her bags and left after a week. On and off she asked her mother to send some money to her. She soon became a high profile Escort Girl because she always wanted a rich and sassy life. Along with being a sex-worker for the rich males, she continued working in the Marketing Dept. of a company so that people don’t question her. Once she became a much sought after Escort Girl, she stopped asking for money from her mother! She lived happily ever after with several males falling to lick her feet.

Her father’s confrontation with Aniruddha was a boon in disguise for her!

Sheena’s father, in the meantime, had a massive heart attack….ever since he spoke with Aniruddha, he used to curse himself and grumble all the time. He made the life of wife extremely miserable. Few months later he lost his job because of his health conditions.

Mrs. Sen had to do all the work herself because whatever saving was done got spent in Mr. Sen’s treatment. Sheena hardly spoke to them and she was not even bothered about them. She was enjoying her life and freedom.  Mrs. Sen’s did all the house hold chores plus looked after Mr. Sen – from giving him a bath to cleaning him, cleaning his toilet to changing his diapers – everything was done by her. Her only respite was the maid – Savitri, who knew everything about the family. Whenever Mr. Sen got a bit well, he used to curse both Sheena and Mrs. Sen. He had become very cranky and abusive. Mrs. Sen cursed the day she conceived Sheena and cried silently in the corner of her bedroom after Mr. Sen went to sleep. Their relatives showed a lot of sympathy towards them but laughed at their back!

Mr. Sen’s health deteriorated further more. He had weakened a lot – both physically and mentally and of course he had become a complete emotional wreak! One day he mentioned to Mrs. Sen –

Mr. Sen – If we again meet in our next life and you become my wife, I curse you today that you’ll be born barren in your next life! I will not waste my next life bringing up a thankless prostitute!

Sometimes when he was angry he would say:

‘Why don’t you also go and join your daughter, together both of you can serve clients and make money…why are you lying with a failure like me – go away – get out…get lost..’

He often screamed like this and collapsed. Mrs. Sen cried bitterly but this had become a routine with her. She cursed Sheena several times daily as this was all that she could do! Mr. Sen died after suffering for four years. Mrs. Sen sold the cursed house and shifted to a smaller rented house and lived alone. Savitri continued to serve her.

Years later, when Sheena was around 38, she married a 62 years old Business tycoon. Both her parents were dead so no one was bothered about the age difference! She slept with the old hag at night and in the mornings, she enjoyed sex with his 30 years old married son! She lived a very comfortable & lavish life.

She then became a fashion model co-ordinator who launched young girls in the world of modelling and acting. She basically had become a Madame who supplied young girls in their 20’s to old hags in their 60s. She soon became a fashion icon. Since she had become filthy rich, her other relatives forgave all her past escapades and fell at her feet – she was rich and had good contacts with several CEOs and owners of big organisations (remember she provided escort girls?)! She helped most of her relatives to get good jobs in big organizations.

She lived lavishly ever after….no till she was 52. She met with an accident and broke her lower back spine. She was admitted in the hospital and money was spent like water for her treatment. It would have continued like that had her husband not died suddenly! He was 76 and had gone to a strip tease night club – after giving a bunch of roses to his dear wife Sheena of course – where he took an overdose of Viagra and died.

Almost immediately his son shifted her to a Govt. hospital because he was not ready to spend a single dime on the whore who had taken away his father and left his mother die in an asylum! Although he also enjoyed sex with her but later he hated her because she had not let him marry the cabaret dancer he was so much in love with! He was forced to marry an ugly looking daughter of a rich businessman who had made his life a living hell! Sheena was then transferred to a dilapidated home for the aged and she lived there till she was 72. She lived for 20 years – all alone, not a single soul came to meet her for she had no one of her own. In some distant realm several ghouls were drawing a sadistic pleasure by watching her suffer that way! They were happy to see her suffer miserably.