The Green-eyed Monster

     “Late again”, commented Ashok wryly.  Sandhya had just entered the drawing room after a particular tiring, but satisfying day at work. 

     “Who dropped you home today?  Was it Suresh? Or Paul?”  Ashok showered a barrage of questions on her.  “Maybe it was Mr. Pradhan?” he sarcastically asked, before she could even fathom what he was trying to get at.

     Sandhya worked as a copywriter in ‘Kruti Ads’ – a reputed advertisement agency in Bangalore.  She was creative, smart and quite attractive.  She had dark eyes which lit up when she animatedly discussed things, a smooth olive-complexion and dark, waist-length, glowing silken tresses.

     She spoke intelligently about almost all topics under the sun, and could hold her ground in any serious debate.  There was an irresistibly appealing aura around her which attracted appreciative looks from everyone – especially men.

     Besides copywriting, she could even visualize an ad.  Her imaginative mind often came up with unique ideas which she’d pass on to the Art Director-cum-Visualizer of the Creative Department; Mr. Ganesh Pradhan. He was open in his admiration for her concepts and praised her lavishly. 

     The client Mr. Mehra was very pleased today, Mr. Pradhan had said when he had that day incorporated one of Sandhya’s ideas in an ad campaign.  Sandhya had been delighted and gracefully accepted his praises.

     “Why don’t we celebrate your success?  Let’s go to a restaurant today evening, for snacks and tea.  The treat is on me.  You can invite your husband too,” he had said in a tone which brooked no refusal.

     Mr. Pradhan had vast experience in the field of advertising and wielded considerable influence on the working of Kruti agency (he was one of the partners).  Unwilling to displease him, by refusing his proposal; she had reluctantly agreed.

     She had called up her husband Ashok’s office to inform him about the treat, but he had been out on official duty then.  She had left a message with the telephone operator, telling Ashok to come to the restaurant.

     When Sandhya and Mr. Pradhan reached the restaurant, there was no sign of Ashok.  May be he was busy, thought Sandhya.  After the treat, at eight in the evening, Mr. Pradhan had dropped her by car near her residence.

     Softly humming a tune, she had pressed the buzzer, happily waiting to tell Ashok of her success. 

     And here she was, very confused and unhappy after Ashok’s outburst.

     “I’ll make coffee for both of us,” she said, wanting to dispel the tense atmosphere in the room. “Go ahead. I don’t want it,” he said abruptly and walked away swiftly into their bedroom.

     Sandhya was perplexed by his behavior. She made some coffee for herself.  Then she sat down on a chair in the kitchen.  “What is the matter with Ashok?  He is so touchy these days.  Where have I gone wrong?”  she wondered.

     “What was it he’d said?  Ah! Who dropped you home today?” Hmm.  So that was it.  The crux of the problem.  He was suspecting her fidelity, she ruminated.

     Suresh and Paul were her colleagues.  They were happy-go-lucky guys who sometimes gave Sandhya a lift home, pleased to escort such an attractive lady.  But they were very decent and respected her.  In fact they were quite in awe of her and very often sought her advice, even regarding personal matters.   And Mr. Pradhan?  An elderly man in his late fifties, he was like a father-figure to Sandhya initially.  Her parents had died in a car accident.  As she had no close relatives, she had been raised in an orphanage. 

     When Sandhya had first started working in ‘Kruti Ads’, it was Mr. Pradhan who had encouraged her and often helped her.  Later though, she would often be irritated by his over-friendly advice and apparently ‘fatherly’ pats on her back.  “Dirty old man”, she’d think uneasily.  She had since then always maintained a polite distance from him.  Many a times Sandhya and Ashok had even joked over the elderly man’s fetish for her.

     “Is Ashok jealous?” Sandhya flinched as the realization struck her.  “Yes, it must be jealously” she re-affirmed her realization.  “Surely nothing else could warrant such derision.”

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     She had met Ashok when she had gone to his firm for getting some additional information for her copy which concerned the services of his firm.  He was a public-relations officer there.

     “Yes, what can I do for you?” he had enquired politely.  His eyes had twinkled at her then.  For a brief moment, Sandhya’s poise had been ruffled as she was caught off-balance by his innocent charm and confident demeanor.  May be he had been aware of this effect on her as he had shown her to the concerned department.  With a smile, he’d said casually, “See you again.” She had just nodded.

     “So this was love-at-first-sight,” she’d thought then and almost missed what the Ad Manager was telling her.  She had been very amused by the revelation considering that it was she who had always been condemning this very phenomenon.  “It’s just not possible,” she would declare, vehemently denying this favorite theory of her ‘Mills and Boon’-fed friends.

     And here was the same Sandhya, she thought guiltily; hopelessly in love with a stranger.  Simultaneously, Ashok too had been fired with a never-before-felt yearning to befriend her.  Soon they had started meeting each other frequently.  Both believed in the ‘chat mangni pat shadi’ dictum, and were thus soon married.

     They had been so happy together, Sandhya reminisced.  Ashok proved to be a considerate partner. He shared the housework with her and even accepted her odd office timings without demur.  Though arguments were common, both respected each other’s opinions.

     Soon their friends and relatives had started referring to them as the ‘made-for-each-other’ couple.

     But in just over a year, the green-eyed monster had reared its ugly head and smothered all sense of reasoning in Ashok.  He had become more possessive of his wife.  He, who had never interfered in her friendly relationships with her male colleagues, now spared no efforts at taunting her with scarcely – concealed barbs. 

     “You’ve many admirers”, he’d say apparently in a lighter vein, but the tone would be undeniably possessive.  Sandhya reveled in his possessiveness, because it obviously meant that he loved her very much.  However these comments had now become a daily routine.  Sandhya felt suffocated by his obsessive nature.

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     “I must do something to revive the lovable, charming side of Ashok’s personality.  I’ll spend more time with him and lavish all my attention on him,” she resolved.

     Having prepared a simple meal, with his favorite dessert of caramel pudding; she dressed for dinner in a rose-pink sari and matching accessories.  He did like pink, didn’t he?  she thought fondly.  Then she carefully applied make-up and went to call him for dinner.

     Ashok had propped himself against a pillow in bed and had covered his forehead with one hand.  His eyes were closed.

     “Ashok,” she called his name softly, and lightly touched his hand. He opened his eyes and looked at her.  He caught his breath as he thought “Oh!  How pretty she looks”.  Immediately however, his expression changed to one of calculated unconcern.  He stared ahead without looking at her.

     “Please will you come for dinner now?” she asked in her most appealing tone.

     “I’m not hungry”, he said gruffly and turned on his side, facing away from her.

     Seeing his uncompromising, stiff back, Sandhya added, “I know you are angry with me.  But won’t you forgive me?  May be I don’t spend enough time with you, but does that justify your anger?”

      Sensing that she was getting nowhere, she strengthened her plea.

     “Ashok, you’re the only man I’ve ever loved.  No one else, I repeat, no one else can take your place in my life.  I respect and value your opinion.  If my work displeases you, I’ll hand in my resignation tomorrow.  But you shouldn’t nurture wrong notions in your mind.  I’m just friendly with my colleagues.  They respect me and I guess you know that.  If you are still angry with me I’ll not be able to bear it…” so saying, she lowered her eyes and started sobbing.

     Suddenly she felt Ashok’s hand on her arm.  He then tilted her chin gently and saw her tear-streaked face.  His heart was wrenched apart when he saw how unhappy she was.

     “I’m sorry Sandhya.  There’s no need to hand in your resignation.  I’ve been a brute, haven’t I?  I was jealous because I love you very much and couldn’t bear to see you with anyone else.  Due to my stupid ego, I failed to realize that it’s all a part of the day’s work.  Can I ask you to forgive me?” he asked with those same charming, but now pleading eyes. 

     Sandhya happily smiled through her tears.  Everything is going to be all right, now that I’ve vanquished the green-eyed monster, she thought, as Ashok took her in his arms.

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The copyright of this story is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.