WAS IT LOVE OR HATE?

Away from the shackles of the caste system, they eloped.

Since childhood together they had coped

With the varied hardships that life had offered to them.

Most people they knew were willing to condemn

Love of any sort between two different castes.

None knew that both of them were love enthusiasts.

She was a Shudra and he was a pure Brahmin.

People said," There is nothing between them so common."

Together they moved to a distant big city.

This action of theirs could be said quite gritty.

To them, none of their relatives showed any pity.

With them, the two were no more in great propinquity.

Both got married and started living happily.

Six months passed quite peacefully.

Life was nothing but a bed of roses and fantasy.

One afternoon she saw a handsome man.

She merely glanced at him without any devilish plan.

That day got over and came yet another day.

But something about herself was not quite okay.

She prepared the breakfast and left early for work.

She was in office when her waist muscle gave a sudden jerk.

Her boss offered her to take leave.

When she saw his face, she couldn't believe

That he was the same man whom she had seen a day back.
 In a car near the old racetrack.

Wait! He exchanged an eye contact with her.

Was something going on that was truly bitter?

Some colleagues believed that she used to meet him daily.

This meeting used to be really private and hence done secretly.

One day, the husband invited the boss at home.

They became friends with relations as fertile as loam.

"I love you", said this new man to her.

She retorted," Me too but I just cannot deter

The love that I share with my husband.

Let's forget whatever between us has happened."

However, she couldn't resist her lusty self again.

A gush of adrenaline ran through her body's terrain.

Oh! The poor husband discovered what was kept arcane.

Now, on her body and self who would reign?

The hubby said nothing but suffered a deep pain.

He pushed the other man out of his house in the heavy rain.

Out of her nervousness, on the floor she feigned.

When she woke up, she found herself to be internally stained.

Deep inside her heart and body, the other man's name was ingrained.

She was guilty of her activities so unrestrained

But still wanted to continue the new relationship that was unexplained.

She asked her husband to leave her on her own.

However, the husband couldn't condone

Her sudden urge to be with someone else.

His love for her had turned into something more intense.

He persuaded his wife for a few weeks more

To stay with him and let the love to soar.

To his utter dismay, the wife remained adamant.

He became more aggressive in his bafflement.

One day he said," I shouldn't have married you.

What have you done to me? Do you have any clue?"

The wife smiled and said," You were far away from me.

Since we left our town, you never let me free.

If you will call it love and concern, I won't agree.

I needed the long-forgotten love, not the filigree.

When you came back two months later, I got an opportunity.

You started trusting your friend more than me.

Through him, I channelised my way to be free.

You treated me like some material in your possession.

Step into my shoes and tell what you would have done?

Don't beat about the bush. Give some better suggestion."

He replied,

"Dear wife lets conclude that we both were beguiled.

From our lives, true love was exiled.

What's already lost from both sides, cannot be reconciled.

But, dear, I am sorry I cannot remain mild

On seeing that you are giving birth to someone else's child.

I will never let my love for you go futile.

It shall be eternal and worthwhile.

It was my mistake to let you run wild.

But I will punish myself in a way that is restyled.

I will devoid myself of my beloved.

Without you, my life will be vague and vapid.

I am now enough reviled.

Goodbye, my problem child."

The whole room turned into flesh and blood.

I don't think I need to tell the gory aftermath.

Cremation ground, jail, innocent death or unrequited love,

What won and rose above?

The participants met their destined fate.

But a question remained intact.

'WAS IT LOVE OR HATE?'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------©Radhika Gupta(June29,2018)