Jennie and Johnnie had been unhappily married for 5 years. They were supposed to be celebrating the unfortunate day of their 5th marriage anniversary when it happened. After a big squabble with Jennie in the morning itself, which lead to both forgetting that it’s the anniversary day, Johnnie left the house in fury and swore never to return. Well, just like all wives know their husbands more than they themselves know, Jennie knew he would be back in the evening itself, so she started to prepare for the big day once she controlled her temper. What big day? Well, I told you earlier that it’s the day of their 5th marriage anniversary.
I feel, now it’s getting confused. Are you confused? You don’t need to be! How can you imagine them to be married five times, looking at the marriage they had. Of course it was the 5th anniversary of their only marriage. What confuses me though was the fact that they were dragging it, somehow? There was no bond; no child to worry about; no compulsion what so ever. But, why am I talking about it all? This is the not the subject of my story. What happened before was a tragedy; of course! But what happened on that day and after wards, was a fairy tale.
Johnnie was lost in his thoughts, sitting by the riverside, his usual place of pondering, and was about to get up and go back home, as always, when he noticed a voice coming from far away. On concentrating a little, he noticed a figure floating in the river and coming downstream. He got up and stood close to the bank only to find a very old man drowning in the water. He jumped right away and saved old man’s life. On coming back to his senses, old man thanked Johnnie and said, “You saved my life, son. I am greatly thankful to you. Tell me what you want.”
“What I want? You don’t seem to possess anything, do you? What can you give me? You tell me, if you need some money or whatever?” said Johnnie smiling.
“Don’t go by my looks, I am magician, just wish anything and it will be granted.”
“Well, I still don’t believe it. But, of course there is no harm in asking. But, what to wish for? Well I have…” and he started to think.
“You don’t seem to have everything. Looks like something is eating your mind day and night, it shows on your face.”
“That’s what I was saying. You see, I have a wife and…”
“Well, everyman has a wife. We all marry and make this mistake. What’s new in that?” and he laughed loudly.
“Will you let me complete?” Johnnie said filled with anger.
Old man sensed Johnnie’s annoyance and became silent and nodded for him to continue.
Johnnie thought silently for a couple of minute and then said very abruptly, “I have a wife and I want to get rid of her?”
“Of course, I can do that. You want me to kill her.”
“No. that’s the last thing I would want to wish for her. I want her to be happy and content.”
“You seem to be a loving husband.”
“Aren’t we all? And I know she loves me too.”
“In that case, why do you want to get rid of her?” questioned the old man filled with curiosity.
“It’s just that our marriage is not working out fine. We don’t seem to be made for each other. Love is there, but love alone can’t make life a fairy tale. So what I want you to do, if you can, is to erase every memory of me from her mind and make her a wife of some caring and wealthy man.”
“Do you think that will make her happy? No matter how good a man is or how good a woman is, they are going to fight after marriage, even those who are made for each other.”
“I know it and that’s what I have learnt from my marriage of 5 years. No matter how many times you fight and vow never to make up, you are going to make up and no matter how many times you make up, you are going to fight again. I am tired of all this and I want to break free. I know they will fight, but that’s none of my business, you see.”
“That’s a good learning but, what about you? You want me to erase the memory of your wife from your mind and marry some other woman, more beautiful and more caring.”
He smiled and said “I am not a man to make a same mistake again. Also, I don’t want you to make me forget all I have learnt, otherwise I will marry again and life will bring me back to the same spot and I know I am not fortunate enough to find you drowning in this river again. Am I?”
“That’s well said. Anything else? Do you want to have a second thought before I say: GRANTED?”
“Now you are making me desperate. What else a man could want? Are you a mad man?”
“Alright. Granted.” said the old man and took his leave.
And for Johnnie, well, he lived happily ever after……
Isn’t that how a fairy tale is supposed to end?
P.S : In the process of writng ’An unmarried man’s Fairy Tale’ and looking forward to suggestions..
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PYAR HUMEIN PHIR MILAAEGA..
