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Balancing Act - Short Story continued

by Rashna Minoo Patel
(Mumbai)

She tried calling Ed several times on his cell, but it was unreachable. Meanwhile, she heard the click of the main door and realized Karl was home. She had to get her balancing act right and behave normally. Karl walked into the bedroom. His eyes were red, his hair dishevelled and his energy looked sucked out.

“What’s the matter Karl dear?”

“Oh just extremely tried, but at the same time very happy. There’s this guy working as a sales and marketing manager in my client’s company. He tried to play a game with me and I’ve managed to checkmate him. I’ve just come from the police station after seeing him get some good hard punches. Trying to play games with me, yeh.”

Sales and marketing manager!!!! Was not that what Ed had told me his designation was. Means, means, Karl had seen us together and he was now taking revenge. So Ed must be in the police station right now. That’s what he meant when he said ‘there has been a huge problem’. Take it easy Cynthia, balance yourself and try to find out more about him.

“Karl that poor guy must be going through so much torture.”

“This is nothing my innocent little Cynthia. I will see to it that his life is screwed forever.” Karl picked up his towel and walked towards the bathroom.

“Errrr….what is the guys name you said Karl?”

Karl walked towards her slowly and whispered in her ears “Edwin.”

He banged the bathroom door close. Cynthia realized that the most beautiful chapter in her life had also been closed forever. She lost all her senses for a moment, but accumulated whatever bits of strength that were left in her. She had to think of some way to save Ed, her Ed.

Karl came out of the bathroom looking victoriously fresh. He whistled the tune of the song Careless Whisper and held Cynthia tight from her waist. “Hey baby you look so hot in this black gown. Feel like making love to you all night and make you mine all over again.”

Cynthia pushed Karl with all her might. “That’s what you’ve always wanted right Karl? That I be a dutiful daughter-in-law to your parents, a meticulous maid to run your house, a beautiful doll to be displayed to your friends and a hungry woman in bed. But I have never been truly happy with you. For me, happiness is not just the intended side effect of materialistic pleasures you provide, it is the by-product of succumbing to someone else whose importance in my life stands greater than my own

existence. I have no shame in saying that Edwin, my Ed, is and will always remain my true happiness.”

“There is no need to look so astonished Karl. I’m stating the fact. For the world adultery may mean deception, but for me it means liberation. For you I was always your wife, but for Ed I was always Cynthia. And, that made all the difference,” Cynthia’s soft voice got more courageous.

Karl kept looking at her blankly.

“Why isn’t he saying something? Looks like his over bloated male ego can’t accept the fact that his wife has got herself a voice. But then, I really shouldn’t have opened my mouth so much. I don’t care if this man leaves me, I’ll rather feel free. But I still have to save Ed. Ed is in deep trouble, Karl can be extremely vindictive. Besides, he knows with his high-profile influences lined up he can get away with anything. Think Cynthia, think. Don’t get emotional. Switch on your balancing act. Ed’s life is at stake.”

“Ok Karl. Here’s a deal. If you let Ed go, I’m willing to be your slave forever. I’ll do only those things that please you. You will dictate my life. I will dance to the tune that you set for me. Just don’t let anything happen to my Ed. Please Karl, I beg of you.”

Karl was just about to speak when Cynthia’s mobile let out a few rings. Before she could lay her hands on it, Karl leaped on it and put it on loudspeaker. It was Ed at the other end.

“Hey Baby, sorry for not being able to speak earlier. You know my old neighbor Mr Shah who greets you whenever you come to my place, well he had a massive heart attack and I had to rush him to the hospital. Besides, none of his relatives were around so was not sure whether I could be back from hospital. It’s only after his son came to the hospital that I’ve come back home. Anyways sweetheart, how are you? Missed me? By the way, is that jerk of your husband back home?”

Cynthia went numb for a few seconds. It took a while before she could absorb what had just happened. So it wasn’t my Ed whom Karl was talking about all this while and I, I just let things out. Why, why, why did I get carried away!

Cynthia knew that this time her balancing act had gone horribly wrong. She remembered what Ed had once said, “But sweetheart, this rationale doesn’t work in matters of love.”

End

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Jul 31, 2011
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hi
by: Anonymous

superb .. just love the story.. learnt somethings out of it... :)

Jul 12, 2011
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Thanks!!!!
by: Rashna

Thanks Vimala for your encouraging words. I personally believe that guilt is one incurable disease which can never let a human being live peacefully.

Jul 11, 2011
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Story
by: vimala ramu

An excellent story of misdeed and nemesis. You can live with anything but a guilty conscience.

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