The inexplicable power to foresee (914)

 

“What is for dinner? “she heard her husband’s gruff voice as he ambled along towards the dining table.

 Ranjana said “Dinesh, go and wash your hand before you sit for dinner”.

 This made him angry and he pounced on her. Ranjana felt a slice of sharp pain in her arm as she defended herself from Dinesh. He looked scary with bloodshot eyes, slobbering mouth and a scowl of hate on his face. “I hate you, you slut. How dare you to talk back to me’ he said in anger as he raised his hand to slash her again.

She hit him on his wrist and the knife flew from his hand to a corner. He started blabbering and of late she was afraid of hearing him talking in foul language. An alcoholic beyond redemption, he was the antithesis of what she thought he would be, a suave, handsome, diligent, upcoming executive and a loving husband. Her marriage was a total failure and luckily, they had no children.

It was only yesterday evening, she remembered, he was sipping his tea in the sit out while reading the newspaper. Suddenly he put the cup down and said “Check whether Peter’s wife is Okay. She was admitted in hospital I feel. I have a queasy feeling.”

On the next day when Ranjana rang her friend who was living adjacent to Peters, she was shocked to hear that Peter’s wife suddenly took ill only the previous night around 1 am and passed away despite emergency treatment. Ranjana looked at her sleeping husband with horror when it dawned on her that Dinesh had a premonition of the impending death.

She recalled how one day a few months back when they were walking in a mall, Dinesh pointed out to a middle-aged man with baskets on both hands and said that he would fall down on the escalator. She felt Dinesh was talking insensibly as the man appeared strong and walking with firm steps. As they were climbing down to the lower level in escalator, she saw to her great shock, the middle-aged man suddenly folding in two and falling on the moving escalator few steps ahead of her. A crowd gathered and rushed him to emergency. She asked Dinesh how he knew he would fall. Dinesh said it was just a hunch and he really did not know why he felt like that. She had dismissed then the event was sheer coincidence. But, in retrospect after connecting with Mrs. Peter’s recent demise, she was convinced now that Dinesh had some inexplicable power to foresee events.

She looked at her arm as blood was oozing out. He did not stir to help her  but shouted instead,” How dare you hit me, you stinking slut. I hate you and am leaving you for ever. Take it from me, you will see no more of me. You can romance unfettered with your office manager. Don’t think I am not aware of your shenanigans. I am fed up with you.“  He went out blabbering nonstop till she heard his car start and leave the house hurriedly.

She was outraged at his insinuation though there was no such romance with her colleague except they were good friends. Her boss knew she was married and maintained the friendship at a decent level. She would often feel that he would have been a better choice than Dinesh but knew the mistake had been made.

She did not feel like eating after Dinesh’s sudden exit without a trace of remorse. She became morose that her marriage had entered the shoal of mutual dissatisfaction and incompatibility. All her efforts could not wean him away from excessive liquor into a responsible and understanding way of life. She went to the sofa to calm down her agitated mind and fell asleep. She must have slept long for it was 3.30 AM when the telephone rang shrilly.

A sudden fear engulfed her. She did not like Dinesh talking of leaving her permanently. There was a cramp inside her stomach as she clutched the receiver to hear a male voice. “Is it Dinesh’s house….? I am sorry, madam, to disturb you. Are you Mrs. Dinesh? Oh oh….er …er. There has been a ghastly accident. Maybe he drove while fully drunk. Can you come to the hospital at…”

She did not want to hear anymore, knowing what was in store. She slammed the phone down She dreaded to visualize what must have happened, as memories of the middle-aged man falling on the escalator and Mrs. Peter’s sudden death rushed in her mind.

The phone rang repeatedly. She decided finally to listen, come what may. As she held the phone on her ear, she heard the same voice telling her surprisingly in assuring tone, “Do not fear as all is well. You did not allow me to complete. Your husband is miraculously safe and free from danger despite many fractures and abrasions in many places. It will take a long time to become alright. He is now fully conscious and wants to have a word with you even as I hold the phone near his mouth.”

“Terribly sorry, Ranju. It will never happen again, I promise you. Won’t you come immediately to see and caress me?” he pleadingly mumbled in a slow voice.

“Do not worry. I will be there within 30 minutes,” she assured him.

Ranjana’s spirit soared as she happily realized that his dreaded power was just sheer coincidence even as she called for an Uber taxi.