Adultery DISEASE

[OLDWINE]

Vishal


I never thought I would be one to deceive people, but here I am, pretending to suffer from Alzheimer's disease at the ripe age of 52.


 It all started when I coincidentally visited an older woman's house with my Psysician buddy, Arun. We were hanging out together, and he had to take the emergency house call.

At the patient's house, I noticed the increasing attention the elderly woman was getting from her family and friends. Everyone was constantly doting on her, making sure she was comfortable and taken care of. And as a bachelor with no immediate family, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

All my life, I vowed to spend my life without a family and leave this world without any heir. I  planned my life that way and was spending my life as such.

But seeing that woman cocooned with affection from her near and dear ones changed something in me. I  felt that I had been missing a significant life experience and might have committed a colossal blunder by choosing to live a solitary life.

On my way home in the car, I casually threw the idea of pretending to be an Alzheimer's patient to my physician friend, Arun. Arun has a morbid sense of humor, and he agreed that would be a wicked prank to pull on our friends.

So thus, it began.

Next week, I decided to bring up the topic of Alzheimer's disease during a casual conversation with my friends at a house gathering. I acted as if I was speaking out of genuine concern and curiosity, but secretly, I was testing the waters to see if anyone would pity me if I were to pretend to have the disease. And to my surprise, my friends seemed to buy into my act.

From that point on, I would subtly drop hints about my supposed forgetfulness and confusion. I would ask the same questions repeatedly, forget important dates and appointments, and even need clarification about familiar places. And with each act, the attention and sympathy poured in.

Arun, my doctor friend, was my partner in crime in this. He backed me up by lying that he had checked me and found I had a few early signs of Alzheimer's. With the support of my friend's professional opinion, people around me began to treat my fake disease as accurate. I started noticing how people would look at me with sympathy and treat me with extra care.

My neighbors started to treat me like a fragile man, always offering to help and checking up on me. They would even come over to my house to make sure I had taken my medication and to help me with simple tasks like grocery shopping. But the best part was the attention I received from some of my neighbors who never really bothered to strike up a conversation with me before this. People were more patient with me, offering to carry my bags or holding doors open for me. And I have to admit, it felt good to be taken care of.

At first, I just went along with it for fun. I would pretend to forget things or get confused with simple tasks. My neighbors, friends, local shop owners, vendors, and tuk-tuk drivers would be worried sick, but I found it amusing. They would constantly remind me of things and help me with daily chores. It felt good to have all this attention and feel like the center of their world.

But as time went on, I started pulling bigger stunts. I would pretend to get lost in familiar places or have random outbursts of anger or confusion. I even started faking panic attacks, causing everyone to rush to my side with concern. 

I know it may seem cruel, but I couldn't help but enjoy the attention and care I was receiving.

It has become an addiction now. Of course, I had to be careful not to overdo it. I had to play the part just right so that people wouldn't become too suspicious. I started to study actual patients who have Alzheimer's disease, trying to mimic their behavior as convincingly as possible.

But as much as I enjoy the attention, I know deep down that I am being selfish and manipulating those around me. I can see the toll it is taking on my conscience, and the guilt is starting to eat away at me. I should stop, but I can't find the willpower to give up the attention and care.

However, my little game took a dark turn when one of my neighbors who works at an NGO invited me to speak at a charity event for Alzheimer's patients. I prepared a fake speech filled with exaggerated symptoms and my supposed daily struggles. But as I stand before the audience, I see the tears in the eyes of those who are actually suffering from this disease, and I am hit with a wave of guilt.

That night, I stayed up late and decided to put a stop to this little prank of mine.

I was genuinely prepared to discuss this with Arun the next day, but something unexpected happened the next couple of days.

My neighbor's son, Pritam, was getting married, and the moment I saw his new bride, Natasha, a shiver ran through my spine. At that moment, I knew I wanted her.


Natasha

I had always expected marriage to be full of love, happiness, and a new beginning. However, as soon as I stepped into my new home, that picture shattered into a million pieces. The house is beautiful, but it came with a catch – a creepy middle-aged neighbor, Vishal Gupta.

I despised the way he would stare at me every time I walked past his house. I hated how he would come over unannounced and start rambling about his past, not caring if I had other things to do. And most of all, I couldn't stand the fact that he seemed to have no respect for boundaries and would often show up at our doorstep uninvited.

As a newlywed woman, I kept my cool and kept my displeasure to myself. It was too early to bare my claws in my new surroundings, and I had a honeymoon to look forward to.

It was a beautiful Autumn day, and I had just returned from my honeymoon with my husband. As I was unpacking, I heard a faint knock on my door. I opened it to see my neighbor, Mr. Vishal, standing there with a weird smile.

'Welcome back, dear. How was your honeymoon?' he asked in his usual creepy manner.

His intrusion took me aback. Who was he to ask about my personal life? I snobbishly replied, 'It's none of your business, Mr.Gupta. I suggest you keep your nosy questions to yourself.'

He looked hurt, and his smile faded. But I didn't care. I was in a bad mood, and his presence annoyed me. I rudely shut the door on his face and continued with my unpacking.

Days turned into weeks, and I found myself constantly bumping into Mr. Gupta. Whether it was at the grocery store or while taking a walk, he always seemed to be around. I started to despise his company even more, and my behavior towards him became more and more unpleasant.


One day, as I was trying to relax in my backyard, I heard Mr.Gupta yelling at his TV in his house. This was a common occurrence, and I had enough. With annoyance building up inside me, I stormed over to his premises and confronted him about his disruptive behavior.

I didn't hold back my frustration and vented out all my annoyance towards him. To my surprise, he didn't respond but instead looked at me with a blank expression. Feeling accomplished with my outburst, I stormed back to my yard.

That night, I finally disclosed my displeasure about Mr.Gupta to my husband, Pritam, and told him about the confrontation. Pritam looked shocked and informed me that Mr.Gupta had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. My heart sank, and I felt immense guilt for my behavior towards him. Other people did tell me that Mr.Gupta was sick, but they did not tell me that it was Alzheimer's.

I had no idea he was struggling with such a devastating disease. As I reflected on my behavior, I realized that his actions were not out of malice but out of confusion and memory loss.


I couldn't believe it. All this time, I had been so rude and dismissive towards this man who was battling with such a dreadful disease. The guilt overwhelmed me, and I knew I had to make things right.

From that day on, I made an effort to visit Mr.Gupta every day. I would take him for walks, read the newspaper to him, or sit and listen to his stories.