Greed

He really liked her a lot. Have seen her quite a lot but not from close proximities. In the street, in public places, and sometimes in revelries of the housing. She was a very warm girl, from a cultured but very poor family.

 

He has lost his wife when his only daughter sumi was one year old, he loved Mohini so much that he decided to never marry again. Then Sumi started to grow up and by the time she celebrated her tenth birthday he realized why little girls need a mother.

 

Still he was scared to go for arranged marriages. He loved Sumi too much. He did what he thought was right, he asked his mother and sister to see if Shobha liked Sumi. He had confidence on himself because he has often seen her blush at him. He was a very handsome and nice man, that’s what his friends told him again and again. Specially the girlfriends.

 

 

The verdict was passed a few months later; both his mother and sister unanimously said that she was not the right type of girl. He never doubted their decision.  

 

They found out someone else for him, and he got married. Sikta was his sister’s sister in law.

 

He was returning from office that night when he suddenly stumbled into Shobha. She was coming out of a small orphanage situated near his office.

 

“Hi! Visiting?” he asked.

 

“No, I spend every weekend here. I come here after office on Friday and leave on Saturday night. I love children and I love to spend some time with them.” She said softly. “How is Sumi? She asks me a lot about Matrikror (mother’s lap), she was insisting a lot on Thursday when we met, to bring her here.” She laughed a little.

 

“Sumi knows you?” he was surprised.

 

“Yes, of course, she is the cutest child of the housing. She comes to my home every day at-least once. My family dotes on her. You are blessed to have an angel like her in your life.” She beamed.

 

 

“Ma, do you remember Shobha?” he asked his mother the next day, “The girl you rejected?”

 

“Yes, of course. Why not?” his mother replied.

 

“Why did you reject her?” he asked sounding casual.

 

“She was extremely rude and cold to Sumi.” Was her reply, “Why are you asking these questions now?”

 

“Nothing…” he got up and left the room to sleep.

 

“Sumi, do you know Shobha aunty?” he asked his daughter, they were out for a small trip to the local zoo. Only father and daughter. He was about to have his second child, so Sikta was at her mother’s place.

 

“Shobha aunty loves us a lot. We all go to her home to play, learn dance, recitation and songs.” Sumi said. Then she started to speak about Shobha endlessly, it did not took him long to realize that all the children of the housing doted after Shobha.

 

He realized why his mother and sister has rejected Shobha, not because of her nature but because of money. Sikta has brought a huge lump of dowry with her.

 

It was true that Sikta was not unkind to Sumi, but she did not love her either. He wondered what will happen after his mother dies or her own child is born.

Blogging

“You want me to believe you.”

“Actually, if I look back I think it was all my mistake. To lay my blind faith on you, trusting you, thinking that you are my friend.” He said solemnly, in an eerily calm voice.

He, Anil, was a gangster, who has been languishing in an US jail on a life term, was released early because of his good conduct.

The person he was talking with was his white-collared friend in India. Mr. S/K. Khemka.

Anil befriended a girl on internet. They became very good friends instantly. The girl was his only contact with a pure hearted creature. He cared a lot for her. She was the youngest child of a huge family. Both her parents were aged and poor.

Anil formed a deep affection for her and wanted her to get settled in life. He requested his friend Mr. Khemka and he said he will see to it.

He appointed the girl in one of his offices, and introduced him to Anil after a year or so. Anil fulfilled all her whims, finally she married Mr. Khemka’s son and Anil showered her with gifts.

One day, while casually surfing through net he stumbled upon a blog, he saw his own name mentioned there., as the author’s greatest friend. He was surprised and befriended the authoress using a fake name.

He realized very soon that this girl was his actual friend. Who of course has worked for Mr. Khemka for two months and have left him after that because of his extreme misbehaviour. She used to surf from office and have lost the password of the account which she used then.

But, as per her Anil was her friend even now, though he has almost vanished but still he sends her a mail or two once a year.

It did not take Anil much to confirm that she was the genuine girl. He did not said a single word to Mr. Khemka and contacted one of his cousins in India. He found out the whole story within a month.

Mr. Khemka had it all planned before appointing the girl, his computer was bugged, they hacked her account, usurped it and made her leave the job. Then he appointed his son’s fiancé, who was not very averse to freebies in the office, asked her to squeeze the money out of Anil.

He befriended Anil’s actual friend using the mails of one of her friends to keep a track on her. First he tried to provoke her to become a nun, then he tried to get her killed but luck saved her. But she got so scared that she started to live a semi-anonymous life, serving Mr. Khemka’s purpose partially.

He never thought that she will start blogging…..