Should I Tell? - The Story Without A Climax - CONTEST!

Should I tell?

Rishi came in and shalini was happy to see him and welcomed him with a kiss.
She was very worried from the time Rishi had called to tell about the enquiry that he had ordered on the manager.

She noticed that Rishi was quiet, very unlike himself. Another thing that has been bothering her is that Rishi had forgotten to get a gift for her from this trip. He always got her a souveneir from where ever he went, even if it meant something as simple as the Hotel's matchbox. He called them memoirs.

A few days passed, but there seemed no change in Rishi's behaviour. He would get up early ,have a bath, eat in silence and leave. He would usually come in late, after Shalini would have slept . His face was unshaven and he was beginning to look unkempt.

It was beginning to bother her that for some reason he was talking very less to her and when ever he did, would never look into her eyes. First she thought he was shaken, then she began to wonder if she had done some mistake or that fact that she was childless was bothering him.

Meanwhile Deepa was creating waves in offices. Everyone was wondering what magic did Rishi do that she was changed. She dint yell at people. She would use words alien to her nature like "please", "thankyou", "excuse me". Deepa found so much happiness and peace that she was smilling without her knowledge, but the strangest thing was that she dint think about that fateful night or about Rishi romantically. In fact she hadnt even given a second thought to Rishi. It was as though he was only a medium to vent her feelings with no emotional attachemnt to it.

But she noticed that Rishi was avoiding her and wouldnt look in her face and talk when they were near by. she had even oevr heard his staff complaining that he was being late at finishing work and lot of pending projects werent moving. She found that strange as she saw him going late often lately. she longed to check with him, but dint find a chance.

The weather was beginning to turn windy and rains had started. shalini would wait everyday,but Rishi would come late.and her feelings were slowly changing from pity to anger. She dint know why he was torturing himself and her....She decided to stay up...

Rishi started from office at 9pm. When came down he saw that it was pouring very badly. He went to his car in the basement. when he neared the car, he saw Deepa waiting near his car. He wanted to turn and go, but before he could he saw her coming towards him. He dint want to look at her.

"Rishi- we need to talk." A simple sentence set him thinking so fast. All the possibilities of what she might want to talk, the most negative one started swirling in his mind so fast that he was feeling giddy. Slolwly and shakingly he just managed - " I dont want to talk anything!" and he quickly got into his car . But as luck would have it, the car wouldnt start. Deepa slowly got into the passenger side and sat down. Rishi kept his eyes fixed on the steering unblinking,his head hurting with the tension that came with her proximity.

"Rishi, I have noticed that you have not been your self off late. In fact from the time we came back...I think it is because of what happened that night. I want you know that I have forgotten all that and will never let that pass my lips and effect your married life...You feel it is mistake and I feel it is a new lease of life....You know I actually have never been so happy. Did you know I am going early these days, thats becasue I meet friends, I go out, I have a new life now.... I am ready to forgive and forget and that makes me feel really good.."

The smile in her voice and her easy manner was hurting Rishi. He was holding the steering so hard as though he would break it away any moment. He was wondering how this woman could be so happy when he was so sad and angry and haggard. He begun to feel as though she used him and now his guilt was keeping him away from Shalini also...

As these thoughts were pounding on his head, her voice filled with laughter was continously talking to him in the background. He couldnt take it any more and just yelled out..She stopped with a shocked expression. He just got out and clsoed the door and started to walk towards the exit. She called out to offer to drive, but he dint wait...

Deepa wanted to go with him, but then decided he needed to go alone. Mentally she made a note that she call him in some time to check if reached safely as she knew that he stay just half hour drive away and she went back to her car and went home.

After about an hour she called and Shalini told her that he dint reach yet. Deepa was surprised, but thought he couldnt manage to get a taxi easily.

Shalini was surprised to get a call from Deepa, especially since she knew her reputation of not being very humane as to check the welfare of a colleague reaching home. Shalini was worried with some unknown fear. She shut the TV and sat with a magazine, but soon reallised that she wasnt looking at it. Another hour had passed and there was no sign of Rishi. Once again the phone rang. She ran to pick it, but it was Deepa again...

Shalini was wondering why Deepa was so concerned. Then she was putting a lot of things together. Rishi was like this since his trip with Deepa. He was avoiding her, hurting her. Then one night he doesnt return and Deepa is calling again and again....Suddenly some strange sadness hit her and she began sobbign uncontrollably and fell into the chair. How long she was there she ditn realise till the phone rang again. Now it was 3 pm and Rishi hadnt come home yet...She tried to control her sobbing and picked the phone. Nobody answered her and put down the reciever.

After half hour, she heard the door bell and ran to open asssuming it to be Rishi. But when she opened, she saw Deepa. Fro some unknown reason, she immediately tried to close shut the door, but Deepa's huge frame stopped it as she tried to step in. Shalini stood back in anger and then went and collaped on the sofa. Deepa closed the door and walked up to the sofa and sat down near Shalini. Shalini dint understand why she was here or what she wanted to say...

"Shalini I want to talk to you about Rishi...." and slowly said ..."me.."

She started with how she used to be. In fact she narrated it so amusingly that Shalini would have rolled in laughter anyother time...Then she went on to tell about the incident in Pune, her near accident, they fleeing to the airport and then came the difficult part...She emphasised how scared and worried and shaken she was and how Rishi comforted her...She mentioned that she was thankful to Rishi for that. Then she slowly went to the point that she had come to make about the night they spent together.......

Deepa finished narrating and said that she was sorry that it happened and that Rishi was devastated with the thought that he had broken his marriage committment. She told Shalini how Rishi's performance was effected in office and nothing but her forgiveness can make him a normal person.... Shalini hadnt moved or said anything .... she was staring at Deepa and that was worrying Deepa. Slowly Deepa went towards her and was about to kneel down to touch her hand, that he hear a door bell. In the silence of the night and the darkness that surrounded their thoughts, this sound made them jump out of their skin...

Seeing that Shalini hadnt attempted to move, Deepa quickly got up to open the door...Seeing Deepa in fron of him, Rishi was stunned, then looked past her at Shalini and immediately realised what must ahve happened. He dint know what Shalini would react like. He dropped the bag and went and sat next to her on the sofa. He wanted to shake her out of her stupor and tried to hold her near. She was hurt and in anger she pushed him away and started crying. Rishi couldnt take it any more he began sobbing and knelt in front of her and held her hands. For a while they dint move. Deepa went up to them and they moved away.

She folded her hands and very earnestly requested them to forgive her and Shalini to forgive Rishi. She took rishi's hand and gave it in Shalini's and said that he was a good man and she was lucky.

Just as she started to leave, she said if they ever visited London, they should meet her...Rishi was stunned...Deepa scolded friendlyly that this was news she had told him excitedly in the car and apparently he dint hear her and got angry on her... She was being sent to the London office on promotion

She bade them good nite and went out closing the door behind her. She was happy seeing the sillhuette of them in a embrace from the window as she left the house..........

 

When Rishi came home Shalini welcomed him with a smiling face as usual. Shalini asked Rishi, “Hi, how was your journey? Hope everything went ok for you at work”. Rishi was still in dilemma "Should I tell?" After fininshing their dinner they went to bed.

Next day morning Rishi was getting ready to his office. Shalini prepared breakfast and lunch for him. However, Rishi said, “Shalini today I don’t want
lunch, I will manage outside”. Shalini’s face changed suddenly for this is unusual of Rish, and she thought something is wrong with him.

In the evening when Rishi came from office, Shalini received him with hot tea as usual. After finishing his bath Rishi sat in front of the TV. Shalini then
slowly asked Rishi, “What happened to you? Are you not well? I feel something is bothering you. If you would like to share it with me, go ahead. If you are not comfortable sharing it with me, it’s ok leave it. I feel you are worried about something, but don’t spoil your health and our happiness struggling about it within you.

Rishi heartbeat raised on hearing Shalini. He felt guilt was over powering him and did not want to hide anything further from his wife.

Suddenly Rishi laid down on Shalini's lap and bursted out with tears. “Forgive me Shalini. I love you very much and the mistake I did is what is
worrying me.” So Rishi told everything to Shalini.

After hearing everything Shalini too was in tears. She said, "Rishi, it's ok, forget it. Don’t worry about this anymore. I am happy for the love you have
in me and for telling me the truth. I am very happy that as true couples we don't want to hide anything between us. I hope you won't do the same mistake afterwards."

On hearing Shalini, Rishi felt very realxed and his face turned bright. He promised within himself that he would dare not to do anything against the love he had for Shalini....

They started to love each other more and more and led a wonderful life ever...




Note: I know nobody will accept this one. But if they were true couple means, if they were loving very much each other, from my opinion this will be the climex.

 

It was definitely a breach of trust..

Rishi gains all the confidence and tells everything that happened on the tour. It was a heart-breaking truth that shalini had never expected from her loving husband. She breaks away to silence. After a lot of thinking, she decides to leave home after Rishi was away to office. She leaves a note that she just can't live there anymore, never asks for divorce or anything, never leaves any address.

She moves to a friends (Latha's) place for rent, takes up a job in the same city and tries hard to lead a normal life.. Now her life was just office and home.. As days passes by, she slowly starts mingling with other colleagues. Soon she finds out her married colleague, Neeta's affair with her boss. she's stunned and when she started hating Neeta for it, she also comes to know how Neeta was subjected to such pressure and also finds out Neeta's responsibility of taking care of her kids and drunkard husband, who himself is pestering Neeta to sell herself to his friends. Neither Neeta is able to leave him because of the children nor does she have the support of her family to throw her husband out. When Shalini tries to advise Neeta that she must take another job - Neeta laughs and tells Shalini about the horrid stories faced by woman everywhere.

She also finds out the horrid story of Latha, her owner-frined. Latha seems to be the most happiest person with a loving husband and 2 kids. But the truth is Latha's husband also lives with another woman and Latha couldn't do anything about it as she had nothing to hang on to financially and she knows she'll never be able to give her children the comforts that they are used to and her husband took advantage of it.

Shalini is now looking around the false mask that everyone in the society wears. Shalini is in a fix. she is exposed to the other side of life which she never experienced before. She thinks of Rishi and feels even bad and wonders what he would do now that she's out. She just can't think Rishi would go back to Metha - does she love him still, she herself doesn't know but at the same time something stops her from thinking negative about him.

One day, shalini goes to the hospital to see her colleague who was ill and accidentally sees Rishi there. Rishi doesn't notice Shalini and when Shalini is curious to know why he's here, she also notices a different Rishi. The once handsome and strong Rishi looks ill with unshaven moustache, sunken eyes and shabby clothes. She finds it hard to control herself from moving towards him. Tears shows in her eyes and she watches him move to the psychiatry room. She slowly moves to the same room after awhile and finds out that Rishi was there for treatment. After Shalini left, his life was almost dead. He couldn't concentrate on his job, he fell ill and friends finally put him to the Doctor here. Shalini waits for Rishi to go and then goes to the Doctor treating Rishi and introduces herself. The doctor explains that Rishi is not another ordinary man, he has suffered for nearly 2 years for the one mistake and that his counselling only helped him spend a few days in peace and only Shalini can help him bring back to normalcy. Rishi was just another human who lost his strength to nature but learnt a painful lesson in life. He lost the most loving relationship which looked even great after Shalini left.

Shalini is dumb-struck. She compares her husband with the lot of heartless men around her. Two years was definitely a long period for a man to hold on to his mistakes and suffer and wait for his wife to return.

She now thinks her Rishi is definitely an ideal man and is sure he loves her; she decides to forgive him - she returns home.

That day was the most beautiful day of their life.. she tells Rishi not to utter anything about the past. When they hugged each other, they could feel the intense love that they shared and this time this together ness will only build a even stronger wall which should never allow another mistake in their life. They moved out to a new place and started life afresh; soon Shalini gets pregnant and that child was the blessed child from the most loving couple ever...........

Those two years of seperation gave Shalini the strength and maturity needed to forgive Rishi and as for Rishi it showed life is hell without love.