a strange turn of life

Mridul was deeply in love with Runa, they worked as colleagues in the same office. Runa was the most beautiful girl in the entire Airway office, the smartest, wittiest, and the most charming woman, every one’s dream come true.

Mridul was a small town guy, who has shifted to Mumbai, he was a pilot in a famous airways, he used to visit his home every alternate month, that month when he went home his father called him up for a discussion, his father was a very reserved person of very few words, he asked him to sit down and then told him that as he has crossed his thirties he should get married, and before Mridul could open his mouth, he said that he has fixed his marriage with his child hood friend Mr. Bakshi’s daughter, Ritu she also works in Mumbai.

Mridul was shell shocked but his up bringing stopped him from saying any thing to his father, instead he went out to his best friend Rakesh’s home and asked for his opinion, Rakesh also worked in Mumbai, he said he will think and talk later. Mridul spent an sleepless night and went to Rakesh early in the morning, Rakesh asked him if he would mind if he said an unfair lie to close the chapter and Mridul said he did not cared what he said as long as he is spared from this marriage and his relationship with his parents are not ruined.

Rakesh went to Mridul’s home next day, and asked his father about the marriage, when his father told him about the would be bride he said he will ask some of his friends who work in the same territory where the girl works and some ladies who live in the same hostel.

A week later he came to Mridul’s father with a gloomy expression and told him that the girl he has chosen is a girl of easy virtue, Ritu changes boyfriends like dresses, Mridul’s father was shell shocked, he called off the marriage proposal by saying that Mridul is in love with some one else.

Mridul married Runa, he opened an joint account in her name and bought a flat in her name, and started his life with eyes full of sweetest dreams, but, within a few months his dreams turned sour, every time she used to get pregnant Runa used to have an abortion, whereas Mridul yearned for a child. Slowly their relationship became strained, and very bitter, finally when Mridul returned from one of his trips he saw that Runa has sold off the flat and decamped with all his money. He searched her high and low but could not get her.

When Mridul returned home broken down the door was opened by an unknown girl with a small child in her arms, she was a simple looking girl, she asked him in, after seeing the quizzical look in his eyes she introduced herself as Ritu, his might have been wife who has come to visit his father because he was sick.