The Wonder Drug
+ The Wonder Drug
It was one of those days. The sky was blue, the sea was calm, the birds were twittering in the branches-it was a very normal day. Sweta was sitting on the balcony, a soft light shawl over her shoulders, quietly turning the pages of a magazine. An onlooker seeing her would presume that all her concentration was on her magazine, but in reality her thoughts were far away. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand .It was now the eighth year that her husband had disappeared. He had said that he was going to the pharmacy for a few minutes but he had not returned.
Initially she had not been worried. Sweta had presumed that as Ravi was an extrovert,he had met a friend on his way and engrossed in chatting, had forgotten that he had to return home .But the minutes had become hours, hours had become days. She had called on his phone number over and over again but the calls were not answered. She was frantic. As she became more and more agitated, Sweta phoned all Ravi’s fiends to find out if he had gone to their houses but the answer was always in the negative. In the end she called the Police, and gave all Ravi’s details, but day after day elapsed, there was no news of Ravi.
Ravi at that time was at Lucknow. He was roaming around bare-footed, bare-bodied, only skin and bones, with a shock of grey hair which stood like spikes and a vacant expression on his face.
It was a mystery. Why was he in Lucknow and how did he come there! Why was he in such a wretched condition!
Ravi had gone to the Pharmacy where a lady had introduced herself as the Medical Promotional Officer. She had said that she worked for Pfizer, a Drug Research Undertaking. She said that after years of prolonged research the Company had brought out a product which increased the stamina in men. He was free to try a sample. The medicine would start acting in half an hour. Ravi had been impressed and had popped a pill into his mouth.
Then like the tentacles of an octopus pain gripped his head from all sides. It was as if his very brains were being squeezed and compressed into pulp. After that he became light headed and sensed a feeling of elation. Gradually his thoughts became confused and he could not focus or concentrate. Then his own identity faded and he became unsure of himself and lost confidence.
Slowly, hesitatingly he left the pharmacy and looked down the road, not knowing which direction to turn. He started walking and walk he did. He stumbled and groaned and stumbled on. He lost recollection of how many miles he was walking and where he was walking but he walked and walked and had reached Lucknow during the course of the last eight years. The effect of the pill had caused the blood to rush up to his head and the blood vessels had burst resulting in permanent damage to the brain, and dementia. Where he had been or what he had been doing in this period of time is not known for he himself could not recollect.
Late in the evenings when he could not walk any more, his bones seemed to be giving up with excruciating pain, tired and drained of all energy, he would just drop down on the outer porch of a palatial building and go into deep slumber and oblivion. This was his daily routine.
At that time the lady of the house Maya Gupta would arrive in a sleek chauffeur-driven car from her evenings at sundry social engagements. She would step down daintily in her stiletto heels, gracefully lift her expensive sari, touch her soft tresses with her dainty tapering fingers to put every strand in place and then with swan-like poise, proceed to the entrance of the house. She would see the man on the floor, lying in an inconspicuous heap, unaware of the world, without a care or worry. But the woman in her melted her heart and she was moved in deep sympathy for one so afflicted, for someone who had no one to care. She could make out that he belonged to some respectable family from the thick gold chain that hung round his neck and the expensive watch that adorned his wrist. Her heart went out to the man who lay there in a pathetic state with no one interested to find out why he was there, or from where he had come.
Day after day she would carry a plate of food for him and keep it by his side. In the mornings she would find not a grain was left on the plate, so intense was his hunger. One day she could not with-hold her curiosity, and when she alighted from her car, she went up to him and asked him about his background. As her eyes met his, both felt a strange affinity, as if an intangible bond existed between them. He looked at her for a long time as if he were trying to comprehend what she was she saying, then he creased his forehead into a frown and replied that he did not have the faintest idea. She believed every word he said- and could understand his difficulty. Then as she realised that the wayfarer was not only educated but also knowledgeable, she decided to offer him the position of Purchase Manager in her Company. She arranged for a suitable outfit and fixed up a Paying Guest Accommodation for him. The transformation into a gentleman was remarkable. Not only did he look respectable but also appeared good looking and well groomed. As they worked together, Ravi assisting her as Purchase Manager, they developed a close bond and forged a deep friendship. Months passed and eventually he picked up courage to propose marriage to her. She was elated .Both looked forward to the day of their union.
In the meantime Sweta had put in an insertion in the papers in the Missing Persons column with Ravi’s photograph and detailed description. She would not give up hope. She would still toss and turn and call out Ravi’s name in sleep. She could not get over the fact that Ravi was not there and was miserable. She only hoped and prayed for Ravi’s return.
On the other hand the atmosphere in Lucknow was charged with activity and excitement. Maya was transported to a world of dreams. She looked radiantly happy. Her milk-white complexion looked fairer. Her cheeks took on a rosy tinge .She fluttered about like a child with a new toy. She became extremely busy getting her trousseau ready. She decided she would wear a maroon sari for her wedding .Maroon was her favourite colour which looked good against her fair complexion. She had ordered a similar Panjabi Kurta set for Ravi with gold Zari work on it. She could imagine how handsome Ravi would look in it, almost like the Princes in the Medieval Ages. She had also arranged for a white car which was going to be decorated with maroon roses for the groom to be brought to the venue. The decorators had been contacted and caterers had been instructed to present a lavish menu.
It was then that one morning Maya’s eyes fell on the insertion in the Paper with Ravi’s photograph. The likeness to Ravi arrested her attention. She hoped against hope. She felt faint with suspense. She must find out whether he was the same person. Her head had started to throb and she felt dizzy. But she had to do the needful-she had to find out though it could mean the end of all her happiness, all her dreams could turn into ashes! She wrote a short note to the person who had put in the insertion and invited her to visit Lucknow to identify the missing person.
When Sweta read the note she almost burst with excitement. After being enveloped in darkness from all sides, at last she detected a faint ray of light and she clung on to the hope as if her existence depended on it. She made a phone call to the Airlines Office and made a reservation for an Air ticket. She had saved up some money and thought nothing of the expense though she was facing financial difficulties without Ravi’s income. She dressed anyhow, ran a comb through her thinning hair and almost ran out. Perhaps God had at last answered her prayers. At the Airport she could not sit still, and flew helter skelter like an agitated shuttle cock between two players. The flight seemed to last for a century. She kept on imagining how Ravi would react on seeing her, would he rush towards her and take her in his arms or would he lift her up in ecstasy as he used to do in days past. When she disembarked she could not find the address of the place where she had to go, as she was beside herself with excitement. -she became confused and almost disoriented with tension. With an effort she took control of herself. Eventually she managed to find the scrap of paper with the address written on it. Sweta immediately hailed a taxi and with her heart pounding in anticipation proceeded towards Lal Chowk
As Sweta pressed the bell ,four servants came rushing She was shown into a spacious sitting room very elegantly decorated .Feeling herself to be out of place and incongruous in the environment, she quietly sat down on the settee on the far corner of the room. As she sat fastening and unfastening the clasp of her handbag, Ravi and Maya entered the room, both laughing and enjoying some joke. Both of them looked at each other as if there was deep understanding between them .Ravi enquired politely if Sweta had had a comfortable journey. He looked at her impersonally as one does a stranger. Sweta felt she was nearly choking. A big sob threatened to escape and cause her embarrassment. She quickly clenched her fist under her sari to gain control of herself. What had she imagined and what was taking place! She felt as if a bolt of lightning had passed through her body and she was turned into fossil. Maya was saying something but nothing was registering in her mind. Perhaps Maya was giving all the details of how she had found Ravi and what a big asset he was. Sweta was not interested, she was beyond caring. The words flew past her ears like dried autumn leaves of no consequence. Sweta noticed enviously how caressingly Ravi’s eyes rested on Maya. Sweta was shattered and shocked, she felt she could no longer stand the ordeal. But her mind was made up .She would pretend that actually she was under a misconception. The person was definitely not her husband though he looked very much like him. After emphatically stating this, she would go out of their lives. For her, Ravi’s happiness mattered the most and she would sacrifice herself for him. She felt her body tremble but she would not falter! Then with a wry smile she told them that unfortunately she had made a mistake in identifying and she was sorry to have taken up their time. She got up slowly and tried quickly to make her exit from the door before her streaming eyes would give her away. Ravi and Maya blissfully unaware of the tumultuous storm that was raging in Sweta’s heart, felt that they could not be happier and gave a sigh of relief. Then they sealed their commitment to each other in a rapturous embrace.
The story ends here with the newly married couple living happily ever after and Sweta the doting, self- sacrificing wife disappearing into darkness and oblivion.
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