This was the first crack in the their union. At first Isha couldn't believe that Ravi could behave in such a manner. "
But soon she encountered such traits of his personality often.
Once a couple of Isha 's friends had come. When after chatting and enjoying themselves they left, it was evening. When Ravi came home, dinner was still not ready. He got annoyed and said : You haven't cooked still?
Assuming that hunger had made him impatient she said casually: 'It will be ready soon. My friends had come visiting therefore it got late.'
Ravi said in the same loud voice : 'What do you mean by “had come visiting”. Do I have to remain hungry because of your friends? Let me remind you that dinner should be ready when I return from office'
Isha was not the one to be cowed down. She said: 'When you go out with your friends, don't you also return home late?'
Ravi said: 'It does not matter if I am late. Mine is a different story . .
- Different story...
. Shyam's story was different. . Reason?
... She began to remember so many incidents while packing her suitcase.
She would sit to do a rangoli, she would get irritated if her pencil point broke. If it broke twice she would hurl it and get busy with something else. When she came back she would find placed on the sheet of paper a finely sharpened pencii..
And now
One day she had to go out. She went to have her bath quickly. She couldn't find her blouse. 'Oh Ravi, could you please find my blouse?'
Reading his newspaper and without raisirig his head he said : Do I have to find out where' your blouse is?
The word 'I' was spoken with such vehemence that Isha stood rooted for a moment holding the stopper. !!
She knew that Ravi had not taken any notice of that moment of shock. .
. And the very next day leaving for his office he said in the usual way: 'Where is my handkerchief? And bring my sün glasses too. And just see where I have kept the file I brought yesterday?
i brought yesterday? Give that also to me...
Ravi's story was ‘different Why?:.... .
..The neighbour's girl had wanted to learn a song which . she'd wanted to sing for her school programme. Isha had said:
'I will come at eight o'clock at night.' That same day Ravi had brought two tickets for a play. For Isha , keeping her word was very important. 'I have promised her, I must go.' But Ravi brushed that promise away as insignificant and saying: 'Oh what a big promise!, dragged Isha away for the play. Isha didn't say anything to avoid a flare-up. But she was extremely hurt. Her devotion to duty, her promise - Ravi had no value for any of these things. Yes, Isha had to remain duty-bound but only with regard to her relationship with Ravi . Her integrity was not required anywhere else - not even to herself.
This was not merely anger, not merely the desire for Isha 's company. This was clearly a show of Ravi's superior ego. It may have been insignificant but even if a thorn is tiny, doesn't it prick?
'
. She loved cleanliness and order. Ravi had the habit of leaving things scattered. During the early happy days she would pick them up in the natural course. Sometimes she would scold him and he;.smiling sharnefully, would pick up the clothes from the chair and hang them on the peg..!
