She Won't Reveal 28

            She Won’t Reveal (28)

                      Nidhu Bhusan Das

Nilu and Amal came into relationship, whatever be its actual nature, through physical proximity and face to face interactions. The present phase of relation between Anu and Maqbool’s the consequence of online interactions.Anuradha’s a complete stranger to them. She belongs to the world of fancy they created. They’ve built a fragile house of cards that may crumble any time at a slight tug.

               They’re all millennials, born between 1980s and 2000.Millennials’ve come to know adult relationships with mobile phones. They’re used to keeping options open in terms of building and sustaining relations. This is generally a generation of contradictions. They can bravely let the rest of the world into their online world with gay abandon. They’ve endless options, nothing seems permanent. They mayn’t interact with anyone face to face, if they so decide. A non-committal text may be sent. It merely dangles the possibility of meeting. The social psychologist Ben Voyer warns that while texting and online messaging are perceived to be easier than face-to-face contact or a telephone conversation, in the medium to long term they can make things more difficult. In face-to-face contact we’ve more visual and audio cues to help form an impression of someone. Endless texting can never offer the same insight into someone’s personality as even a single face-to-face conversation does. The-don’t-know-what-is-going-on phase of a proto-relationship may go on and yet it may not be possible to understand the mysterious state of proper Girlfriend and Boyfriend.

           This may lead to disappointment. Psychotherapist and relationship specialist Emma Weighill-Baskerville identifies the situation thus:” The person may not fulfill the fantasy created through literary communication alone – this is only one piece of an individual. With texts, you’re allowing a large space for fantasy to take over.”

           Voyer explains, “People are increasingly constructing two identities – their online identity, and their offline identity.” He points out that “new ways of interacting have widened the gap between our actual selves – who we actually are – and our ‘ought’ selves – who we think other people want us to be.”

             So, proper, honest, face-to-face communication is important. However, for a generation practically weaned on electronic devices, person-to-person communication isn’t exactly the strong suit. Anu and Sujata are friends since schooldays having physical proximity. Anu-Anuradha and Anuradha-Maqbool relationships are online and technology mediated. In the absence of face-to-face communication, Anuradha’s now vis-a-vis a devastating crisis. How she’ll tide over it is a serious question. Besides, she’s a greenhorn in the world of web, and isn’t from a metropolis.Also, she isn’t an alumna of a renowned school, college or university which could make her as fit as Anu and Maqbool for the world she relishes and would like to ascend through love and matrimonial alliance. Unequal relations don’t survive, generally in practice as it may do in dream generated in the make-believe virtual world.

              Maqbool made several calls which’re rejected by Anu.He, therefore, decided to catch the next Delhi-Guwahati flight and reach Amlarem at the earliest to settle the score with Anu.”I’ll remind her how she inspired and directed me to befriend Anuradha.I didn’t know her. It’s Anu who told me to send her a friend request and confirmed that Anuradha’d accept the request. I’ll refer to different situations which speak of Anu’s amours with me. That Anuradha’s marriage with me will be contracted in her presence and we’ll live with her was her suggestion. I was given to understand that Anuradha’d be my contracted wife and Anu’d be the virtual consort. Since she’s a liberal attitude, I thought she won’t mind the bigamy. Also, I thought Anuradha shares the attitude of Anu since, everyone knows, birds of a feather live together. Besides, Anu categorically told me again and over again that Anuradha takes every step under her direction and in keeping with her advice and suggestion. So, I told Anuradha the thing. What’s wrong in this, I’d ask Anu,”Maqbool told to himself, determined.

           Anu’s concerned about the possible strategy of Maqbool.She’s busy drawing up her own plan of action in case Maqbool tries to blackmail her. She thinks it’s most likely.” I ne’er loved Maqbool. When classmates at college jeered at him I felt empathy. He told me his being neglected in the family. He’s three mothers, two being step ones. His youngest mother’s of his age. She would dote on him, take him to her room, talk of tender feeling. His other step mother came to know about it. She told his father and he became furious, and began to hate him and his biological mother who’s his eldest wife. At the request of the mother he’s sent to Kolkata, but he wouldn’t get sufficient money from the father. So, he’d to do different things. But he’s brilliant and did well academically. I helped him which Arup couldn’t like. But I responded to my conscience. If he’d thought that meant my love for him, I’ve nothing to say,” she reminiscences.

“Anuradha’s my cyber friend. I haven’t seen her, heard her once in a while by phone, have impression about her reading what she writes in the chatbox.It appears she’s a good girl. I never encouraged her to have Maqbool as her friend. It’s her decision and they’ve decided to marry on their own. Since they haven’t the means to maintain a family right now, I told them to be with me for the time being. Now my good intention’s being misinterpreted. I’m no longer in it,” she contends.

“I cannot jeopardize my family, friendship with Sujata and lose the affection of Thammi. I must go by what Thammi wants and Sujata and her son suggest. I cannot lose those who’ve been with me through thick and thin for those who seek my protection and would cause trouble for me,” she’s discrete.

              Anuradha’s determined she’d have Maqbool at any cost. She believes Maqbool cannot leave her. They’ve had many an hour of amorous secretion while kissing, licking, sucking, hugging, and lying together orally in cyber chat and telephonic conversation. She’s damn sure Maqbool likes her posture, easy-going-approach and plump face with wide eyes. In fact, Maqbool often tells her eyes are a reassuring shelter for his eros. She finds in him the perfect man with beard to be her partner-in-love-and-life. She’s confident she can have her alone, and dissociate him from Anu.To her, the beard shows his strong masculinity and genital ability. She’s never before found a man with such profound eyes. The dimple, though under the thick beard, is so prominent that to her it suggests his strong passion and amour. Moreover, she believes, being his wife she’d be able to move in the circuit of the socialites in five-star culture which she’s come to cherish.

She pinged him and also made a call. He pinged back. “Are you upset, dear?” she asked in a wet tone.

“No, not at all, honey. I believe you and am sure you won’t misunderstand. I dislike the bitch, your ma’am,” he sought to assure her though he’s desperate to reach out to Anu.

“Forget her, she’s a pervert. I’ll never again communicate with her,” Anuradha committed while she knew she’d maintain liaison with her ma’am.

Throughout the night the trinity continued to devise stratagems, counter-strategies and invented lies to safeguard their individual interests. Sujata, her son, Prafullada and Angshu looked forward to seeing how the situation would develop the following day. None in the house was aware of the plan of Maqbool to reach Amlarem in the evening. However, acting on the dictum’ The sooner the better’ Prof. Sanyal’d the plan to settle the issue in the breakfast meeting and bring order and peace in the house and the reconciliation would be celebrated in a dinner he would throw. ( continued on 27^th November, 2014)