Sunday, July 26, 2009

The sixth finger

Priyanka is a bubbly young software engineer with high ambitions. An extrovert she loved all good things in life, she had a disdain for anything that is conservative. Immaculately dressed to kill and with an attractive face, she was the heart throb of many in her office. She mixed with all freely. Being very good at work, she was noticed by the higher management and quickly rose to supervisory position. Her parents were pleading with her to get married ever since she found the job. She had been putting off waiting for the right person. There was this Sunil in her office who is sharing the same cabin with her. A tall and handsome guy with a curly hair and sixth finger in his hand, he had made several advances but Priyanka chose to ignore them. She was not sure whether she was put off by that protruding finger. This did not deter Sunil from his amorous endeavours.But she never encouraged him and kept him at a safe distance.

It so happened that when her parents showed her the photograph of Anand who was a management graduate working in a multinational bank, she could not say no. He looked charming with a twinkle in his eyes. His parents were known to the family and he was one among several brothers.Priyanka agreed seeing no specific reason to reject. It was all hunky dory initially. They had a spacious apartment with all facilities. As months elapsed they found they could hardly find time to spend together. She left early in the morning after breakfast and returned around 8pm after a strenuous day. Anand left at 9am and returned not earlier than 10pm.Weekends were the only time but even this was disturbed frequently as Anand left for office on Saturdays too to return dog tired by 6 in the evening. Anand was a serious guy given to intellectual pursuits and reading. A man of few words, he was the antithesis to Priyanka who kept talking and giggling all the time. There was an emotional chasm growing wider as days went by. Their love life was nothing much to talk about with both of them spent out by the time they returned home. In the three years that went by there was no sign of any child. Anand was unwilling to seek medical opinion. She would be watching the TV and sleep off in the sofa. He would be browsing the net till late into the night till he dozed away. In between he went on tours for three or four days twice a month. Life was mechanical and insipid with frequent quarrels on inconsequential matters.Priyaanka found excuses to go to her parents’ place at the drop of hat.

Sunil on his part pursued paying attention to her. He surmised that things were not going well between the couple. He spoke to her in comforting ways and helped her in her work that was falling behind. Gradually he endeared himself to her and Priyanka too derived the comfort of sympathetic shoulders to rest upon. On days when Anand was on tour, she went out with Sunil to malls, theaters and restaurants. One thing led to the other, she was soon on very intimate terms with him. Things brightened up and she looked forward to each day and contrived ways to attend office on Saturdays too on some pretext. While their torrid love affair went unnoticed and unrestrained, Anand was happy that there were no frequent tiffs at home. He worked harder to get a lift out of turn.

It was then one day when Priyanka told her parents that she was on the family way, their joy knew no bounds.Anand too was excited that he hugged Priyanka with delight. He thought with a child at home, it would become a haven of happiness and harmony. The affair with Sunil meanwhile continued unabated with Priyanka brimming with ecstasy. Months went by and soon she gave birth to a baby boy. Her parents, Anand’s parents and Anand were all waiting eagerly for the nurse to bring the babe from the delivery room. When the baby boy was finally brought wrapped in blanket, all of them exclaimed in unison the baby was a replica of Anand and taken after him in features and complexion.Anand’s mom however said the baby is having curly hair unlike Anand but that made the baby cuter. Priyanka heard all these wearing a smug smile. Anand was in cloud nine thinking of a housewarming after she returned home. Later when Priyanka was nursing the baby, she found to her horror the baby had a sixth finger.

16 comments:

  1. A well-narrated story. I find Priyanka to be a selfish and confused person. But, such is life. Your stories depict life with all its double-standards and ugliness.

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  2. i am totally against this affair thing, BTW they say people with the sixth finger are lucky , in this case it was true

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  3. the sixth finger, as venky says is supposed to be the lucky charm.. its said that people with the 6th finger are amazingly gifted in someway or the otherway :D

    now on the post, doesnt that ring a bell of extra marital reln? happens in the present family conditions, atleast in a minimum families.. natural that people get busy, but its hard when they dont find time for their family.. after all life isnt all about money and job :) good story sir.. liked it.

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  4. dear partha,
    i could guess the end of the story!these affairs are happening everywhere.
    my cousin has sixth finger;and i used to avoid looking at his hand.
    whenever i see the extra finger hanging,i used to feel very uncomfortable.
    so,your value for the day is,give time and be together!great!
    but,it is also told that opposite poles attract each other.right?
    then why didn'that relation work out?
    happy blogging..........
    sasneham,
    anu

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  5. That was a very realistic story. Brings out the missing ingredients of what a happy marriage should be. The lack of which propels one to seek for it outside.

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  6. Amazing twist at the end :D
    Loved it... Very well put Sir :)

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  7. Now Priyanka has to continue living in horror!

    By nephew had a sixth finger, whcih was surgically removed when he as one or two years old. :-)

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  8. Whats with the sixth finger can anyone tell me...why is the story outa the scene..the sixth finger seems to be the main protagonist!lol

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  9. Pranam!
    "The baby was a replica of Anand"
    Thats how the world judges!
    Thats how the world celebrates!
    Thats how the world is qualified!

    Its simply great with many many aspects left up to the reader to think of! I am following you as you have a rare angle to see the whole, to show the whole as how the whole is a whole!

    Then,

    I replayed in my post also, still I feel I should make it reach here!
    forgive me!

    Pranam Parthasarthi,

    A “sorry” from people like you always can put me in to a feel of self pity or guilty, so please don’t make it flower at my garden of Summer!

    I am happy that you red my posts.
    I am a person, always going with the opinions of minorities than majorities, because majorities always have an art of generalizing the whole, where minorities have the rare quality of the rarest! I am never hurt, off course I was upset that I fell myself in to a deep contemplation on assessing the whole past of mine, the whole fights of mine, where I never made a single kick at the bare soft underbellies to celebrate a fabricated victory!
    That always made me outspoken, but true, I could have offered my flowers nicely than throwing it towards all. Even though flowers are flowers, offering it and throwing it, do make a difference no.

    I admired you and received you in the right sense and that can be seen in my next post- “Son&Sun”. I red your posts and what I got from there made me convinced to the core that-“Parthasarathi-A person with a meaningful business”. So you have all the rights as you are the right person to advice me, to guide me and even to scold me!

    I love people who can say “sorry”, because they feel sorry for the happenings around where they are helpless to act.
    That’s why “sorry” is getting delivered. I am also a mother, always pregnant with 10000000 sorry, what to do, the Time made these type of “divine pregnancy”!
    I am honored with your 1st visit, do expect your visits again and do respect your suggestions and that is the rays paving my paths. Thank you!

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  10. Everyone is special in their own way.One shud appreciate what one has.

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  11. The title of the post had me guessing the climax before i completed reading. A different title would have kept the suspense i guess :)
    This post reminds me of your another post "The seventh commandment" - Never commit to adultery
    Time and time again your posts reminds the readers of the main ingredient necessary for a lasting relationship - Time

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  12. This story was very very nice.Enjoyed it.I feel that the title should have been different, because towards the middle of the story I guessed the end.

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  13. Very nice.I enjoyed very much reading it.I heard that having sixth finger is very lucky and ofcourse very rare.

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  14. lol..the sixth finger...loved the story...so wat happens next?
    does the lover get married to someone else or the love affair continue? sequel please

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  15. Managed to read a few blogs after a gap... Interesting story... Is this a story with a "happy" ending ?

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  16. Hmmm....the ending was indeed a lovely twist sir. So, the cat is caught, ah?!

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