Adultery Indian Social Worker and the Bully by shiprat

[Ramesh_Rocky]

He had been staring at the table until then. At her touch, he first looked at her and then at me. For a second I felt like there was a flash of anger in his eyes. But it passed. And he started talking.

"Yes, thank you very much, memsaab. I know I have not been a great husband. And I have made a lot of mistakes. But in the future, it will be different. I love my wife and my daughters, and will do anything to not lose them. I will change."

Although his words sounded very genuine and sincere, there was a hint of rehearsed pretense to the way he said them. I did not believe he could change. More than that, I did not believe he wanted to change. I had handled many such cases, and the patterns are predictable.

I wasn't sure what to say. I just looked at him and nodded. That's when my cellphone rang. It was a cousin calling.

"Excuse me, I have to take this." I said to the couple in front of me and answered the call. "Hi, Priya, what's up? I am at work. Can I call you back in a little while?"

"Shikha didi, this will only take a second. I'm sending out the wedding invitations today and I just realized I don't have your new address."

My husband's project had entered a critical stage and he had to go to the US nine months earlier than the original plan. Our lease was almost up anyway, so we had given up our old rental apartment, and after he left, I had temporarily moved into a house belonging to his cousin who was also away in the US with his family.

"Oh ok...I will text it to you."

"Could you just tell me right now? I am typing out the labels and I have to get this done soon." she said.

"Alright it's House number 134, Sector G4..." I gave her the address right down to the pin code.

"Thank you, Didi. Bye."

I hung up the phone and got back to Parvati and Lallan.

"Well, I am happy you recognized the error of your ways." I said.

"I really have." he nodded. "I haven't touched alcohol in a week, and I have been hired as a cleaner by a transport company. I will be accompanying trucks on long haul trips to Bangalore. In fact I am leaving for my first one tomorrow."

"That's good. A steady job is the backbone of a healthy lifestyle." I said, while thinking to myself, it's good that he will be away for many days, and have less time to beat up his wife.

There was a little more polite small talk, and then they left, looking very happy together.

But I was troubled. I did not think Parvati was thinking straight. If she had been alone, I could have at least tried to talk some sense into her. But bringing the husband along meant that my options were limited.

I called up Inspector Dubey next. He and I had gotten to know each other well over the years. He was that rare honest cop who also had empathy. While most cops in Delhi believed NGOs were a waste of time, Anil Dubey was different.

"Shikha...I have been expecting your call." he said. "I guess you heard about Sunita."

"No...what about Sunita?"

"Oh sorry...I thought you heard. She was...found dead yesterday. Stabbed. Her husband is on the run."

"Shit!" I felt sick to my stomach. I had tried really hard to convince Sunita to leave her husband just like I had with Parvati. But it hadn't worked. I said, "I wish I could have done more, Anil."

"You did all you could, Shikha. There's only so much you can do. Anyway, what were you calling about?"

"About a similar case...Parvati and Lallan...let me get you the case number."

"Oh, you don't need to. I remember that case. Same old story. She agreed to press charges. We had the husband in the lock-up for a few days. But then she came and took the complaint back. We had to release him again."