THINK BEFORE TAKING SUCH STEP

Jaibhagwan was with me in one of the organisations. We were together for a number of years. He was looking after stores and dispatches. Very honest and upright man basically because of his upbringing and semi rural background. A staunch believer in values. He kept in touch with me even after I moved out to another organization. He too settled down in Delhi after retirement. We speak to each other a couple of times a month and meet once in a couple of months or so. We attended marriage of his son about 6 months ago. He is manager in a reputed MNC. She is in HR of a reputed organization.

His unexpected visit about a fortnight ago was a pleasant surprise. He looked a little worried. After some time he told me he wanted to discuss something in private. We went into bedroom where he told me that he needed help in a very difficult situation and he was confident that I can find solution as he knew my way of working. He told me that I was aware of his son going abroad about a month after marriage for office work. He was to return in 3 months but it got extended and he was still out. His wife could not go because of her office. He said that she normally comes back at 10 pm. Few days earlier he had to go out for some work and when he was returning around 10 in the evening he saw a car parked near the gate of their locality. The road is very isolated and almost dark at that time. He saw a couple standing on the off side of car and kissing. As he moved a few steps further he saw them breaking off. She walked towards the gate while the man got into the car and drove off. As she neared the lights on the gate he was shocked that she was his daughter in law. He thought his eyes were playing tricks but on reaching home he found her in the same dress. He was dumbstruck to say anything. Next day he again went out at the time of her expected return and positioned himself behind a tree near the same place where he was on the previous day. Again he saw the same happening. He sought my advice as to what to do. I was quite taken aback by this. This brought back memories of an earlier sad incident which I had shared with you all in February this year. I did not want any repetition of that. I told him that times have changed a lot since our days and most of the youngsters do get into relationships before marriage. I reminded him that did we too not harbor feelings for some girl or the other in our younger days. Some find it little difficult to come out of that after marriage or are emotionally blackmailed. I told him that no girl will admit such thing after marriage and it will be futile to confront her. I promised to help him.

So a couple of days later after confirming that she had gone to office, I went to his locality late in the evening. I called him out to the gate. I told him not to tell anyone that I was there. On his showing me the spot, I parked my car a little distance away at the appropriate time and sat in a way that I was unnoticed. A while later I saw a car driving up and parking short of the gate. A girl got out of passenger side while a youngman came out of driver seat and moved towards the girl. They embraced and kissed for a while before she moved towards gate and he drove off. I followed her in the car and intercepted before the gate. She seemed scared to see me there at that time. I asked her to sit in the car as I wanted to speak to her. She quietly got in and I parked near their house. I just looked at her without saying anything and she started crying. She asked me not to tell anyone what happened. She told me that she was in relationship with that boy for about 3 years and they were very close. His parents did not agree for inter-caste marriage and he did not want to disobey them. She consented for marriage as per her parent’s wishes. She tried to move on and did not keep in touch with him though he kept calling up or sending messages. After her husband went abroad, she felt little lonely after two month of separation. One day he visited her office and requested her to meet him after work. She spent some time with him that evening in a coffee house. That meeting opened floodgates of her pent up urges and emotions. She met him regularly thereafter and redeveloped their old relations. I asked her if she understood consequences of what she got into. She said that she was aware that this would lead to messy situation and maybe divorce but she could not control herself due to feeling of loneliness and his show of love. She added that she knew that he cannot marry her. I advised her to get out of that without any further loss of time. I asked her to take leave for as long as she can get and stay home. I further told her to utilize time for some productive work to divert her feeling of loneliness. She agreed. She asked me to call up that boy and tell him not to contact her as she might not be strong enough to do that. She gave me his mobile number. So I went with her to their residence. There I told that I was in the near vicinity and on seeing her coming home I accompanied her. I called him out and told him that he should not speak about whatever he had seen and give her a chance to get over that. He promised that.

I am so glad that she took leave for a month and is coaching her sister in law for her upcoming MBA examination. I told that boy to keep off or I will have to do something drastic. She has confirmed that he never called up after that day.