The black pant, belt, and the black day

A man suspects his wife's fidelity and pays heavily for the same.

Shyam Babu was a small retailer in Ghee and things like camphor, sandal powder, incense sticks, etc. His wife was Shalini. Shyam married his own sister’s daughter. Though Shyam liked Shalini for her charming looks the reverse was not quite true. But when the elders decided to conduct the marriage between these two, Shalini did not put up much resistance. More so, her father

had passed away only a year ago, and her family was not sound on

the economic front.

 

After the marriage, things appeared to be going alright. Shyam Babu lost his mother in his early years and had his father living with him. 

Except for Monday, which was the weekly holiday for the market, Shyam would leave for his Ghee shop at 10 AM and would be back home for lunch by 2 PM. After having a small nap, he would go to his shop again at 3 PM and would return home around 10 PM. Daily, his father spent three hours, between 6 and 9 PM, in the evening, inside a temple located near their house. Although he wanted to go to the temple in the morning hours also, Shyam, took him into confidence, asked him to stay at home and keep a vigil over Shalini's movements.

 

Once, Shyam had left for outstation on his regular business trip to order and bring ghee products. Due to unexpected reasons, he had to extend his stay at the outstation by one more day. Having overstayed, he went shopping and bought a few saris and other garments for Shalini.

When Shyam returned home, he was given a warm hug by Shalini on seeing the saris and other things brought by Shyam. That day while in the bedroom, Shyam noticed something unusual. The hanger meant for hanging his pants and shirts had some unusual guest. Momentarily he felt a jolt of shock at that scene. When Shalini was in the kitchen, he went near the hanger-stand and found black pants with a black belt inserted in its loopholes. Shyam never used a belt and did not have one at home. Initially, he thought that some of their relatives might have visited and forgotten to take back the pant. He wanted to know this from Shalini but on second thought decided not to ask Shalini. He thought that in case some relative had visited their home, Shalini or his father would inform him. Till next day evening, none of them informed him anything. When Shalini was fast asleep he tried to wear the black pant with the belt, but it was quite tight for him to wear. He made sure the pant he wore was not his. But he felt something inside one of the pant pockets. Out of curiosity he took out the small plastic pocket and found some brown color powder inside the pocket. Shyam thought that it must be some medicine or betel nut powder.

The next day evening Shyam rang up his father from his shop and casually asked him whether anyone visited their house during his absence. His father replied negatively. Shyam felt a disgusting feeling and suspected the fidelity of his wife.

 

Shyam decided to verify for himself who was the intruder in his house. He could easily make out that the visitor would visit again because Shalini was quite good-looking with attractive body features. He was prudent to make out that the visitor would visit again during the evening hours when both himself and his father would not be at home. Shyam closed his shop on a Tuesday evening around 6.30 PM and reached the street corner of his home around 7 PM, parked his two-wheeler, and slowly walked towards his house. When he could clearly get the vision of the movements from his house, he stopped and waited there. Even after an hour’s time, he did not find anyone coming out of his house. He waited till 8.30 PM and left for his shop. The next day, he again paid a visit around the same time in the evening, looking for the suspect. He could not find anyone.

 

Shyam thought that if he could visit on a Friday evening, there was a possibility of identifying the uncommon visitor. On that Friday, he closed his shop early at 5.30 PM and reached the spot near his home around 6 PM. He hid behind a big tree that was located in a small open plot, about 100 meters away from his house. He noticed his father leaving for the temple at about 6 PM. Shyam’s heart started pounding faster and faster as the time reached 6.10 PM. At that time, he noticed a young man, in his early thirties, with a briefcase, entering his adjacent house. He was wearing a pajama and kurta. When Shyam looked anxiously for someone else to enter his house, he was taken by surprise to see  Shalini coming out, locking the door, and entering the adjacent house where the young man had gone inside. Shyam’s anxiety grew. He slowly walked up to his house, it was becoming dark so he could not be spotted easily from the adjacent house. Without making any sound, he entered the compound of his house. He positioned himself in a location that was close to opened windows of the adjacent house. He tried to listen keenly for any conversation. He heard feebly a conversation between a group of people, must be more than two people. In about five minutes, he heard a male singing and someone repeating the same. Shyam could easily infer that the man who entered the house must be a music teacher and the others singing must be learners. Although Shyam did not have an ear for music, he could feel the music was not filmy but something semi-classical. The singing by the man and repetition of the same continued for more than half an hour. Shyam then came out of his house, went to the place where he had parked his scooter, started it, and reached his house. He could still hear the singing going in his neighbor’s place. With the duplicate key, he opened the house and went inside. He bolted from inside and took a seat.  

Around 8.30 PM, he heard the calling bell and opened the door.  Shalini was standing outside, surprised to see Shyam so early at home. She smiled at him and told she had been to the neighbor’s house.

Shyam asked her “What for you have gone there?

Shalini said” My friend Seetha is learning semi-classical music. I am fond of learning it.  I have gone there to see what and how the teacher teaches. If you permit me I will learn semi-classical singing.”

Then he asked her” How about the black pant with the black belt? Whose pant it was that was hanging in our cloth-hanger stand last week?

Shalini replied “Oh, it was the one given by our other neighbor Savita Ji. She took it back the next day.”

Shyam asked “Are you telling me the truth?

Shalini at once went outside and from the compound fencing shouted at her neighbor “Savita Ji, Savita Ji”. Savita Ji without any hesitation came to their house immediately. Shalini told her “Savita Ji, my husband has a doubt about the black plant you gave me the other day for custody and took back the next day. Please clarify him”

Savita Ji told “ Shyam Ji, I am ashamed to say that my son is into taking drugs in recent times. I had come to know about that from one of his friend’s mothers. She told me my son Sunil and her son Sunny were taking drugs for the last few months. She informed me that day that Sunil kept a small packet of brown sugar with him. When Sunil was not at home, I checked all his bags, and drawers and found nothing. Then something struck me. I checked his pants. In one of his pants, I found a small packet with some brown-colored powder in it. I suspected it was a drug and in my anxiety, I took that pant and handed it over to Shalini to keep safe and return the next day. I told her about my son and his drug addiction. “

Shyam said “Thank you, Savita Ji. Your son will quit this habit soon. Don’t worry.”  

After Savita Ji left, Shyam told Shalini not to take his actions seriously. 

In the meantime, the neighbor's friend Seetha came to their home and told Shyam “Sir, I have been learning semi-classical music from a music teacher. Shalini is very fond of learning and singing semi-classical music and visits my home often whenever I learn it from the music teacher. Why don’t you please allow her to learn?

Shyam said “Why not, by all means, she can learn. What are the monthly fees?

Seetha said ‘Rs.500 only”

Shyam was surprised “Oh, so much money?

Seetha said “Weekly five classes. Each class’s duration will be around one hour.”

Shalini intervened “Presently we are paying Rs.2000/- PM to the servant maid for sweeping, mopping, and dishwashing. From next month onwards I will do dishwashing  myself and save Rs.1000/- You pay me Rs.500/- for my music classes.”

Shyam said “that is a good arrangement’.

In the next four years Shalini, with her dedicated and committed practice, not only learned semi-classical music singing but also started teaching others. She interacted with the neighbor’s son regularly and made him quit his drug addiction. Savita Ji praised her like anything.

The two incidents involving black pants and the music teacher degraded the image of Shyam not only in the eyes of the neighbors but also in Shalini. His greed for money was also exposed when he felt glad about Shalini doing the dishwashing by her own self. An invisible veil cropped up between the couple after the two unpleasant incidents.

 

One day Shalini told Shyam “From tomorrow we will be separated once and for all. I will take care of my life by myself.  I won’t ask for even a penny of help from you. Thank God we don’t have any children“

Shyam felt his stomach turning upside down. For a moment he thought, about whether it was a dream. Realizing that it was real, he pleaded with Shalini to forgive him and stay with him, promising he would mind his behavior.

Shalini said in a determined voice “I was mentally out of this house from that day when you suspected my fidelity and ill-treated me when I wanted to learn music. I waited these years to complete my music. Now I have become a proficient singer and am earning a reasonable amount through music teaching. I also proposed to sing in concerts and TV shows for which I have been already offered.  Enough of the tasteless, flavorless ghee-life.  Since I happen to be your sister’s daughter, we may be meeting occasionally in my mom's place and that’s it.” 

 

That night happened to be the last night of the couple,  and a black day as well in Shyam Babu's life.

Author's Note

This is a short story in the Indian environment.
shall be glad to receive feedback about the style of writing and presentation for my future writings.