The River (standard:romance, 28256 words)
Author: Shamoil Ahmad	Added: Jun 10 2010	Views/Reads: 3263/3176	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
A woman hurt by male ego seeks her liberation....

The River Shamoil Ahmad 

One 

As usual, he turned sideways to sleep, leaving her to gaze vacantly at
the ceiling. She felt a sudden spurt of revulsion; that she should be 
thus lying down, battered ....while he, like a satiated pig, should... 

She looked at him disdainfully and with utter contempt as he cracked his
fingers and occasionally coughed to clear his throat. It was disgusting 
to her. She thought that he would soon lapse into uncouth yawning, 
making an ugly sound And as he did that, it filled her with deep 
annoyance and for once she even thought of expressing this annoyance on 
him in some form. But she stayed put. There was no point in doing it 
all, for he was insensitive and lacked aesthetic sense. . She arranged 
her disheveled clothe and left the bed; moved into the bath munching 
this unpleasant cud that he would sleep like a lifeless carcass while 
she would clean up her bodily mess .... 

After a while, she emerged from the bathroom. The shower, however, did
not abate her anger. Instead, her disgust increased by several notches 
as she looked at him, lying moribund on the bed. As usual, he was fast 
asleep already, A tinge of tear suddenly surfaced in her eyes. She felt 
he used her like an instrument: played on it when he needed to and cast 
it aside after he used up and lapsed into deep slumber. Despite her 
best efforts, she could not control tears from rolling down her cheek. 
She cupped her face into her hands and began to sob bitterly. 

It was not like this those days ... Those were the early days and she
kept delving deep into the river... now plunging deep, now surfacing 
for breath in the mysterious blissful moments. How manly was he those 
days! Those hairy hands...his broad and dependable chest...his firm 
grips... his broad and engrossing embrace always reminded her of the 
long and wide riverbed. Her intense desire would then be to lie on it, 
clinging to his broad chest, and fall asleep into his arms. As was his 
habit, he turned his back even those days as he slept, but she coiled 
up to his broad back falling fast asleep. 

She had run into him for the first time at a wedding of one of her
distant relations. He was in a dark grey suit and looked highly 
attractive. The way he was assisting the hosts, it had become plain to 
her that he was a key member of this family and rated highly there. He 
was personally supervising everything and was taking adequate care of 
the guests. He kept visiting each guest to see that they had their 
dinner plates full and well supplied...directing attendants to serve 
here, serve there...serve chicken there...bring some biriyani here... 
some salad there. He seemed to be in everything and she was forced to 
conclude that he was really smart,  He had once come to her as well and 
pleaded with her to take some more pieces of chicken...and before she 
could protest or say anything, he had put a piece of chicken on her 
plate. It had then occurred to her that he had deliberately come close 
to her table. May be, he wanted to have a better view of her...he had 
then turned towards papa as well. She had briefly smiled. She could not 
help stealthily looking at him. 

After the banquet, he took his position at the exit to bid farewell to
each guest in person. He smiled at papa as they began to move. Papa 
appeared impressed. He introduced himself as inspection engineer in 
Gammon India and said that he lived in Grand Apartment located at 
Fraser Road...and informed him that he knew him. Papa had greeted him 
with a courteous smile then, and indicating towards her had said,” My 
daughter...a UGC scholar...” 

He bowed with a smile. She too, courteously, smiled back at him. She had
adequate opportunity to observe him properly, and she had succeeded in 
taking a measure of him. Eyes were tiny and rotund...ruddiness in 
complexion...eyebrows on either side was thick almost jostling on the 
forehead. She felt that there was a trace of listlessness on his face. 
Papa then gave him their address and completed the formality of 
inviting him. In response, he had said that he would definitely take 
the earliest opportunity and in the process of responding to him, he 
had managed to take a long look at her yet again. 

She was in a happy frame of mind when returned home. After changing, she
occupied her usual place on the balcony. On the other side of the road, 


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