Quick-reads

Namita gets a boon from a Yaksh – one that she can neither give up nor endure.

Namita and Shekhar were in love since college, so it was understood that they would get married once they were settled in their jobs. Their destination wedding was an event to remember not only for them but also for their friends and relatives.

Very much in love, they promised to always stand by each other and never leave.

After their honeymoon, they moved into their new home. They spent the whole day setting up things and cleaning. When they were tired, they ordered dinner and ate while chatting. Shekhar went to bed early for he was tired.

Namita was on the porch watching the stars and sipping tea. She was spotting constellations – the ones that she knew – when she saw something flying slowly near the trees. Wait, it wasn’t something… it was someone. A beautiful man dressed in silk robes, bedecked with jewelry, smiling. Namita thought she was dreaming so she took out her phone and clicked a picture to show to Shekhar.

As soon as she did that, the man was right in front of her floating in the air, his displeasure etched on his face. ‘What are you doing?’ he asked Namita point blank. ‘You cannot tell anyone you saw me. I was going to meet my love and you…’

‘What… who… I’m sorry, are you real?’ asked Namita.

‘Yes, I am a Yaksh. We come from the celestial realms. We never pass by earth this way but today I had to. You cannot tell anyone that you saw me otherwise I will have to put a spell of misfortune on you.’

‘No, please don’t do that,’ Namita pleaded. ‘I won’t tell anyone but can you grant me a wish?’

Yaksh – ‘Under certain conditions, yes. What do you want?’

Namita – ‘I want my husband to be healthy and happy always and may he never get bad karm for his actions. Please destroy all ill and make him blessed.’

Yaksh – ‘But that is not possible dear lady. I understand you love your husband a lot but no-one can escape karm – not even God himself. If at all, it can be transferred to someone but it will come.

Namita – ‘Then transfer it to me. Let the ill befall me not my husband. May only good things come to him. May he never be sad. I’ll bear the burden of his karm.’

Yaksh – ‘Are you sure? This very decision will bring karm to you.

Namita – ‘Yes yes Yaksh ji. I am very sure. I can do anything for my husband’s happiness.’

Yaksh – ‘Then listen. There are three conditions: 1) You cannot tell him about this wish otherwise all the negativity will fall on him, 2) You cannot tell him about me otherwise there will be misfortune and 3) If you fall sick, it will not be detectable in tests, etc. and you will have to endure it.’

Namita – ‘I agree.’

Yaksh – ‘Your wish is granted,’ saying this he turned to stardust and floated up in the sky again.

Namita went to bed happy and satisfied that she had protected her husband forever. Little did she think of what was to come.

Over the next one year, Namita took very ill and wondered what was going on. She first got herpes sores all over in a severe form. She was given medication and cured but Shekhar started questioning her fidelity and Namita started questioning his loyalty. A deep chasm formed between them and neither of them could talk about it.

That same year, she got typhoid but no tests revealed anything. Her condition deteriorated severely and she lost a lot of weight. At this point, Namita was even out of a job because of frequent leaves.

Shekhar was inconsiderate to say the least. He started saying Namita was putting up a front. All the tests were clear! Their relationship reached a breaking point.

On the sly, Shekhar was getting closer to an office colleague. A newly married couple, with no intimacy and sickness always can be a marriage stressor.

Shekhar and his friend started having an affair.

One evening, on their second marriage anniversary, Shekhar came clean. He told Namita that he had been feeling empty in this marriage. They could neither go out nor express any love. Neither was there any love left. He asked for divorce.

Namita knew this was coming. She still thought about his infidelity and asked him if there was someone else. Shekhar revealed that there was. And they decided to go their separate ways.

While leaving the house, Namita had a cup of coffee with Shekhar and said ‘Shekhar, I wish you all the happiness but be careful what you ask for.’