short story collection

Nagger

Chapter3: Nagger

She relentlessly nags. I often wonder, that from where, she gets so much energy to go on and on the whole day. Oh, sorry you must be wondering who I am and who I am talking about. I am Raghav, an average middle class man and the nagger is my wife Sophie. I, like any other middle class man have the same angst’s in life like office tensions, deadlines, targets, daily commuting to work in public transport, jostling for space in jammed metro cars. On top of that my mornings start with the daily dose of nagging from my wife which ranges from the wet towel on the bed to how less I earn. Then, of course there is always THE BOSS in office who makes you slog like a slave and in team meetings eventually takes all the credit of your hard work. It’s been four years and I am, yet to get a promotion for all the hard work I have put in. I am in a zone where I am trying to adjust and compromise with all the fallacies of life. But, please do not forget, that after all, I am also human and also feel bad and often in the solitude of my cabin shed silent tears.

The tension of daily drudgery is bottling up within me. I cannot find an outlet. I have to let go but how? Often in frustration, I feel like banging my head on the wall. This feeling crosses my mind lots of time in a day. I have no social life either. My only source of enjoyment is the programs on television. I immerse myself in the maze of lie and deceit of “Desperate wives” or marvel at the crime solving capabilities of “Dexter” and “Mentalist”.

Today is Sunday, and I am still half asleep. My wife has already reminded me to get up from bed. What a bother she is. It’s, only 6am, and like any other day she has already started her daily ritual. I finally give in and get up. Believe me, when I say, that her tirade continues unabated. I have an important presentation to submit in office tomorrow. I make my own tea and breakfast and request her to leave me in peace, but no, she starts how my parents have not made me a part of any family inheritance. I keep quiet and immerse myself in the keys of my laptop.

Its evening and lights in my house are still not switched on. I am sitting in dark finally soaking in the much deserved silence. It’s come after fifteen years of torture. How did I finally achieve the unachievable? It was simple I. I finally lost patience and managed to do what I have felt that I should do all the time. Only difference was that instead of banging my own head against the wall, I banged my wife’s head against it. I had no intention to kill her but this time she crossed her limit and started blaming me for us not having kids. She cal i was jolted out of sleep by the shrill ringing of the phone. It was Neha, Suvo’s wife on the phone. She was hardly coherent but she was trying to communicate that Suvo a healthy person of 48 years has expired. I was not shocked but I still wanted to know that how did he die. Neha said in choked voice that he suffered a cardiac arrest. Irushed to Suvo’s house. Lots of wailing and shrieking greeted my ears when I entered his family house in Alipore.

I am not very good with tears. I seldom cry. I found the whole atmosphere very suffocating. I also did not feel any sadness. Suddenly I heard Neha cry out in despair. The doctor had come and vey smugly declared that inspite of repeated requests from him , Suvo had consumed coffee and cigarettes the Inight before. Neha was vehemently denying it as she knew that Suvo did not even know to light the gas in the house. Only she did not know that I know to light the gas in the house. I was not shedding tears because I knew exactly how it happened that night. I was tired in life waiting for Suvo to fulfil his promise to me. I was 16 years old when my best friend Suvo raped me and I did not tell anyone as he promised me that he will be with me all his life. Then it became a routine and later on he used to send his friends who repeatedly raped me and enjoyed their life. One day he suddenly married a girl called Neha and then also he used to come to me for s*x. He had never loved me and I used to love him from school. I was for him a s*x object and he knew how to play with me. This had to end as now I had Raman in my life and I loved him a lot. He was kind and considerate and my feelings mattered to him. Suvo tried to blackmail me and then he paid the price for it. Yes I came that night when Neha had gone to her parent’s house with their daughter. I got myself raped once again only this time it was with consent. Then I made coffee extra strong and took out cigarettes laden with pot. I knew it was his favourite but barred by the doctor. Coffee had extra sugar and sleeping tablets mixed which was a potent combination for him. Neha was oblivious to the fact that I had killed him. My revenge was complete today. He deserved a painful and common death. He did not deserve to have a valiant death.

led me impotent. The floor is all messy and I also have to call 100. A murder needs to be announced.