Being unfaithful
Rayees Ahmad Kumar
After many years of wedding, Mumtaza wasn’t able to conceive a child. However, it was only after meeting a God fearing saint and consulting a top gyneacolgist that she became the mother of a baby boy. They were thrilled with joy to welcome the new born baby. Besides the couple everyone in the family treated the baby with affection and utmost love.
When the child turned five, he was admitted in a school. Due to poor income sources couple lived the life of a destitute. They could hardly bear the educational and other expenses of their son. In a couple of years later, she became the mother of two other children. Now they have three children to feed and Look after.
They left no stone unturned to impart good education to their son. They themselves lived a poor life but their son was never left in worry. Nobody from the friend circle or relation ever bothered to help them. They toiled hard day and night to manage the family affairs and to meet the expenses of their children. Mumtaz’s old age and bedridden father and mother in-law are also completely dependent on her husband. Few years later both of them lost their battle of life.
Mumtaza used to the do job of cleaning of houses in the market. Especially on the festival occasions she earns good money by cleaning the houses of urban residents. Her husband also works in the market.
He runs a cart to carry the loads from shop streets to bus stand. It is his daily routine to go market in the morning and return home during evening. He also earns a good amount through this job. Both the spouses are working hard to feed their children and give them a good education.
After clearing his matric exam and then his intermediate class, their elder son Majid succeeds in getting a government job. Now he has been posted in the city. He enjoys working in the city where he meets people of varied interests and thoughts. His parents are overjoyed to see the good days ahead. Now they will no longer be the destitute instead will live a comfortable life because the financial problem which earlier had compelled them to work day and night for the family and live a poor life will not be a barrier now. Their son will bear all the expenses and manage the family affairs with utmost zeal and zest. They won’t die of hunger.
For a couple of years Majid runs the family affairs and looks after his siblings and parents with noble intentions and good heart. He works in the office with enthusiasm and selflessly looks after his family members. Six or seven years later, one of his colleagues arranges his marriage with a city girl. Initially his parents were against this proposal but when Majid tried every source to make them believe that he has decided wisely, they didn’t create any hindrance.
For a couple of years Majid and his wife lived peacefully with his parents at their residence but soon his wife developed strained relations with her in-laws and frequently forced the husband to leave the village and settle somewhere in the city. Majid knew how both of his parents have lived a poor life and taken care of his education and other expenses.
So he was reluctant to leave his parents who took care of him in his childhood selflessly and spend days with her wife. But when his wife developed the habit of repeating the shocking episodes of her life while being with her in-laws to Majid every evening, he was compelled to make some new arrangement.
Colleagues and friends also supported Majid in building a new house in the city to relieve himself of the mental trauma because they were often acquainted by his wife about the ill-treatment of her in-laws. Now he is living with his wife and two kids in the city. Rarely now he gets a chance to visit his parental home and meet his parents. The validity of their comfortable and good days lasted for only few years and again they had to face the troubled times as before. Their health and strength is deteriorating with each passing day. Majid along with his wife and children is enjoying his days in the city. He hardly bothers to visit them and take care of their old age ailments. They find it difficult to manage the family affairs and pay for the medicines which doctors prescribe them as they are suffering from many ailments.
Majid never visits his parental home because he knows if he does so, neighbours and relatives would condemn his disloyalty for his ailing parents who brought him up through their blood. His wife never asked him to pay a visit to his parents and at least give them some money to buy the medicines. She is happier than ever before.
On a Sunday morning Majid is sipping the tea in the front lawns of his newly built house. A newspaper is also lying on the table. Suddenly he sighted the news about the demise of his father. He was shocked to know this and was unable to think about what to do now. When his wife too knew the bad news she was also shocked and didn’t understand how to face her in-laws. When she opened the door of bedroom, Majid was lying on the bed in an unconscious state and it was revealed that he has ended his life by committing suicide.
(The author is a columnist and teaches at Govt Secondary School Anderwan Ganderbal)
KV Network
