Seething with anger, Savitri landed a resounding slap across her daughter Kartika’s face. “You are not a kid.You are a twenty-five year old, with a MS degree from the US and working for a reputed corporate house. Yet you are not worldly wise. I have repeatedly warned you to not loaf around with these unworthy characters. We gave you the freedom to choose your own life partner. I reiterated that these boys are only having a good time with you, when it will come to settling down, they would find you unacceptable. After ignoring all my advice now you are asking me for a way out? Why do you have to seek advice now from your ‘stupid, idiotic mother?’ ‘It’s my life and I will live on my terms,’ is what you always said. Now this is your problem and you go ahead and solve it your way,” burst out Savitri.
It was after a long time of constant requests to marry and settle down, her daughter Kartika had finally said that she had found her ‘Mr Right’. The boy who hailed from a decent family was highly qualified and well placed. Though the prospective groom belonged to a different caste, Savitri and her husband Ashok had agreed to this match. The wedding date was just a fortnight away. “What can be done to salvage this situation? How do I handle this person who is trying to dig up the past of my daughter and destroy her future?” thought Savitri. She had managed to vent her anger at her daughter, but could do nothing to remove the gnawing fear in her heart. She flopped down feeling defeated and helpless.
“So, mother and daughter indulged in a verbal duel again. Angry words were hurled as missiles!!” said Ashok, observing the crackling tension between Savitri and Kartika. “Anyway what is the latest problem?” asked Ashok trying to ease the situation at the dining table. The arguments, fights and misunderstandings between the mother and daughter had eased ever since Kartika’s wedding had been fixed. “God forbid, but did Kartika say that Gautam no longer measures up to her expectations, let us call off this wedding? Savitri, what happened?”
he asked.
“Why are you asking me? Ask your darling daughter,” she snapped at her husband. “What happened Karti? Tell me, my child,” Ashok tenderly asked Kartika. “It is this same pampering that has brought her to this stage,” shouted Savitri. Kartika flung her dinner plate and walked away angrily. “Will you at least tell me what happened?” asked Ashok with unconcealed irritation. “That boy, Dinesh, who used to move closely with Kartika…” faltered Savitri. “Yes, yes. We thought that they would get married. But Kartika herself said that she did not want to marry him,” added Ashok.
“Yes, that same fellow. Now he is resorting to blackmail. He is threatening to stall her marriage by showing their intimate photos to her fiancé.”
“But why is it so? They both had mutually decided not to get married to each other,” asked Ashok with a pale face.
“It was not mutual. Kartika had refused to marry Dinesh. He has been lying low all this while and now that he has come to know of her marriage, his ego has taken a beating. He is showing his true colours.”
“Oh God! What shall we do now? The wedding cards have already been dispatched. What if Gautam comes to know of this?” muttered Ashok. “Why don’t we ask Kartika to confess to Gautam about all this even before Dinesh does anything.”
“That is what I have been contemplating too.
It is better that she tells him everything now
and face the outcome, instead of living in constant fear of what this Dinesh will tell Gautam,” said Savitri.
“Haritha, I am in trouble… I need your help.”
“What is it? What happened?” asked Haritha anxiously.
“That rascal Dinesh. He is blackmailing me.”
“Why and what does he want? “
“Well! He has my pictures in his mobile phone and is threatening to expose them to Gautam.”
“Did you inform your parents? It is better to take them into confidence.” Haritha suggested.
“Yes, mom and dad suggested that even before Dinesh approaches Gautam with the photos, I should voluntarily confess everything. What do you say?” asked Kartika.
“OK. Since today is Sunday and you are free, come over to my place. Two heads are better than one. We will find a way out,” Suggested Haritha.
“You. Why are you constantly sending SMSes to me? What do you want?” asked Kartika in an exasperated tone.
“I want you” answered Dinesh mischievously.
“Shut up! We parted ways five months ago. Now why are you chasing me,” shouted Kartika.
“Distance makes the heart grow fonder, darling.
I am unable to get over you,” replied Dinesh.
“Look! Don’t try to act smart. Just stop this blackmailing business and tell me what you want. You know that I fear none.”
“Stop being so arrogant. You have only two options. Either you satiate my desire or allow those photographs to reach one who should not be seeing them,” said Dinesh, laughing sadistically.
“Look, I want to talk to you. Why don’t you come home?”
“Not home, my dear. I am ready to meet at some hotel.”
“I will not come to any hotel. Let us meet at Haritha’s apartment. We will meet at 11 am tomorrow after she leaves for her office. I will borrow her keys.”
“But look! Don’t try to act smart. Remember that it is your life and reputation that is at stake. I have nothing to lose,” warned Dinesh and disconnected the call.
“Oh good! You have come as promised.
Thanks for still having a soft corner for me. Do you think we erred by splitting up?” asked Dinesh while walking nonchalantly into Haritha’s apartment.
“Look, I haven’t come to discuss the past with you. Just tell me what it is that you want,” said Kartika in an exasperated tone.
“I have already told you what I want. For once you will become mine. It is a very simple desire, don’t you think so?”
“And if I say that it is not possible?” Kartika asked him point blank.
“Ok, by this time tomorrow along with your fiancé, the entire world will see the pictures of our intimate moments on Facebook,” said Dinesh arrogantly.
“Oh. You haven’t yet posted them on Facebook. It appears that I am faster than you. I have already posted them. Would you like to take a look?” said Kartika while taking out her iPad from her handbag. She opened the Facebook page and thrust it into Dinesh’s face. “You need not take the trouble of reading it. I will read it for you.” “Please pay attention”, she said looking at Dinesh’s shell shocked face. “The person in this photograph is Dinesh. He is a cheat. Girls beware! Do not trust him. He is a roadside Romeo who is adept at trapping innocent girls, and after having a gala time with them, he dumps them unceremoniously. He does not stop at that. He uses the photographs to blackmail his former girlfriends. This is his favourite pastime. He is a sadist. I warn all the girls out there to not trust this fellow and fall into his trap. This is a fervent plea of a girl who has been a victim of his cruel machinations.” Kartika completed reading and looked triumphantly at Dinesh and said, “The entire world will see this in a few minutes. You know what Facebook is all about, don’t you?”
“You…Kartika” uttered Dinesh and sprang
at her.
“Hey! You better stop there,” shouted Haritha coming out of the bedroom. “Shut up and sit quietly. Even slight movement from you will force me to call the police,” threatened Haritha, while rudely pushing him on to the sofa. Dinesh looked at them pale faced.
“Dinesh, you are under the impression that you are very smart. If you blackmail and threaten us, we are not going to suffer in silence. We both moved around as friends. We mutually decided to part ways when we realized that we were not compatible. You thought that you could continue to blackmail me and that I had none to turn to for support. I have saved all your SMSes. I have also recorded all our conversations ever since you started blackmailing me. These are more than sufficient to lodge a complaint with the police. Tomorrow I will meet your boss, expose you and have you fired from your job. You don’t take the trouble of telling anything to Gautam, because I will tell him everything even before you do. Just apologise for your criminal behavior and leave. If you think you can still continue with this harassment, you are sadly mistaken, because now it is your life that is at stake.” said Kartika.
Haritha snatched his mobile phone, deleted all the photographs, hurled it back and banged the door on his face.
“Don’t waste any more time. It would be best to let Gautam know about this. Go and tell him everything,” urged Haritha.
Gautam patiently listened to Kartika and lightly brushed aside the issue saying, “Kartika, ever since your mother came yesterday and told me everything, I have been hoping you would come and honestly tell me all that happened. Thanks, you did not let me down.”
“My mother came and told you all this?” Kartika was surprised.
“Yes. She said that due to your foolishness, inexperience and know-it-all attitude, you had got yourself into this mess. She was worried whether you would follow her advice of telling everything to me, so she personally came to tell me everything. She said that any decision that I take after listening to her would be acceptable to your family. She does not want you to live a life of constant fear by concealing these facts from me. I was mighty impressed by her honesty and forthrightness.”
“I wanted to come yesterday and tell you everything but before that Haritha and I decided to teach that rascal such a lesson that he would never dare to harass any girl in the future. Having told you everything,I am feeling relieved now,” Kartika said, sitting down in a relaxed manner.
“Kartika, shall I tell you something? Your mother is right. Nobody is trying to confine women to the kitchen. But, if anyone crosses the boundaries of decency, then they are sure to land in trouble.” said Gautam.
“You’re absolutely right, Gautam. My ‘know-it-all’ attitude did not allow me to realise that I was on the wrong path. Your maturity has made me realise how lucky I am to be tying the knot with you,” said Kartika sincerely.
