Raju's amulet

Raju was leading a very happy life with his wife. It was a care free life where money was in no want as both of them were earning huge salaries. They invariably went out on the weekends to the tourist spots in their car and stayed in starred hotels in comfort and style. On most of the days they ate out in posh restaurants. Even though it was past three years since they were married, it appeared an endless honeymoon for them .Suchi (shortened for Suchitra) is such a lively and fun loving girl that life seemed for Raju an unending bliss. It was then that one day his mother in law (mil for short) descended on them on a very short notice that allowed no room for preventing her arrival.Suchi was her only daughter and both mother and daughter were very close. They looked very different with mil short and plump but extremely fair like his tall and slim wife. He was not the one of the type who disliked mothers in law as we often read in stories. He took her around along with his wife to all the malls and temples nearby within a fortnight in case she had plans to depart early. There was however no talk of such an eventuality. What got his goat was his mil insisting that they both eat at home the hot and spicy food she made both mornings and evenings.Suchi loved her mom’s preparations. Their eating out stopped totally. As if these were not adequate reasons for upsetting him, Suchi loved to see the TV serials along with her mom in the evenings. Somehow Raju had a feeling that his mil did not have a high estimation of his capabilities not withstanding his engineering degree and a M.S from an AmericanUniversity. Be that as it may, the final straw was her oblique taunt that her expectations of a grand child were not met because of some inadequacy in him. When Suchi also started grumbling, he decided to take the bull by the horns.

Raju confided his problem to his close buddy Venkat and sought his advice. Being an experienced guy in this sort of domestic troubles, he suggested that the problem being serious Raju should consult a famous tantric known to him. He said the matter has to be sorted out discreetly only this way without offending his wife’s sensibilities. The tantric looked very professional with several garlands of rosaries adorning his neck, prominent ash mark with a big kumkum dot on his face and innumerable pictures of gods and lamps in his incense filled puja room. He heard Raju patiently and said an amulet costing Rs.500 would witness her departure within a week. The tantric collected the full amount in advance and asked him to collect the amulet on the second day. When he went to meet him on the appointed day, he gave the amulet and asked him whether his mil was short and plump with a large bindi on her forehead. When he nodded his head in affirmative, the tantric said that she had also come to him and procured an amulet for Rs.1000 to make her son-in-law manly to give her a grand child and also make him submissive to her. He added that since she had taken a more powerful amulet than Raju’s, his would not be effective. He suggested that he can upgrade his for another Rs.1000.As he was bent on sending mil out; he readily parted with the amount. When he went again, the tantric said the lady had come again and took an amulet worth Rs. 2000 to nullify the effects of amulet given to him. Raju paid another Rs. 2000 with the request not to entertain the lady anymore. Two days later when he met him to collect his highly potent amulet, he specifically got it confirmed that the lady had not approached the tantric subsequently. Before taking leave of him he casually asked him whether the lady in question was fair complexioned. The tantric vigorously shook his head and said she was very dark and walked with a limp. Raju realized the mistaken identity but kept quiet without revealing his disappointment and foolishness. It is six months since he got the amulet. The powerful device is yet to work on his fair complexioned mil with no plan of her leaving for another year as his wife is now on family way.
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