In the cottage,
Norman debated with himself whether to broach the topic of her fainting spell
with Martha. After a lot of intense deliberation and after seeing Martha so
relaxed and chirpy, he desisted from his urge. He’d let sleeping dogs lie for
the moment. He didn’t want her to have nightmares that night, alone in her
cottage, after he left. He couldn’t possibly stay there overnight, much as he
wished to as it wouldn’t be encouraged by her. As he stood up to go after
having the coffee, he remembered her words. I was just hoping that I could see you and speak with you right now. Why
had she said that? So he said in as casual a tone as he could muster, “Martha,
you wanted to tell me something, I suppose. What is it? Can you make it fast?
I’ve to be back home in an hour’s time as I have promised to Nancy that I’ll
speak with her on the phone.”
“Norman I….” she began and stopped. Then again she picked up the thread
of her words. Fearing his temper she cautiously said, “Norman, I owe you an
apology!” As he stared at her, she continued “I’ve been writing again. In spite
of your warning I have been writing and had another fainting spell just before
you arrived. Some stranger revived me and just vanished into thin air.”
Norman barged in saying, “Why did you faint Martha?” Gulping nervously
and unwilling to relive her horror at seeing Juan at her doorstep, she fibbed,
“I’m sorry but I don’t know why.” Not removing his eyes from her pale face he
said, “You saw someone didn’t you? The hero of your novel, right?” It was her
turn to gape at him, aghast. How did he know? Was he so intuitive? Then it
struck her. Probably that Samaritan had informed him. Quickly putting two and
two together, she blanched visibly as she realized belatedly that that
Samaritan could’ve only been John D’ Costa! Juan! No wonder she had fainted. No
wonder, she had been revived.
It must have been John who had come to her cottage to meet her, unfortunately
witnessed her fainting spell on seeing him, revived her with the smelling salts
from her kitchen and then phoned Norman. He had then wisely gone away, not
wanted her to be frightened again after gaining consciousness. After all, she
had fainted because she had seen him! She felt wretched as it struck her that
John must have been shattered on discovering the ugly truth. Oh John! How I wish I could make up for it
and assuage your hurt feelings! I don’t abhor you. I am just tormented by the
thoughts of the unhappy suitor in my novel as I’ve created him and his misery.
It isn’t your fault that you resemble him!
Sheepishly she agreed. “Yes Norman. John had come home probably to meet
me and I passed out on him, not even giving him a chance to greet me. I’m
rather ashamed of myself. In fact, I’m nervous about the fact that there has
been no improvement in my mental condition, at all. I’m still under the spell
of my novel’s characters. That is what I wanted to talk to you about. Norman, I
can’t help writing, as you know that writing is the raison d’etre for my
existence. At the same time I think that it is not fair to John to be drawn
into my misery. He is wholly innocent. I feel wretched that I can’t talk to him
and meet him everyday. We are colleagues, damn it! As she swore, she reddened.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to lose my cool.” She said as she realized that her
voice had raised several notches higher than usual.
Out of the blue Norman questioned, “What’s going on Martha? What’s going
on between you and John?” The sudden question threw Martha completely off
track. She had forgotten how astute Norman was! Carefully she considered her
reply. Seeing her silent, he prodded again. “Do you have any feelings for him?”
Seeing her completely still, as if she was being guarded, he pressed on “Are
you in love with him?”
As tears sprang into her eyes and
she collapsed on the couch with a strangled moan, he realized that his grilling
had made her giddy again. Why had he been so persistent? Was it because he
loved her or was it because he couldn’t brook any competition, least of all from
John D’ Costa, his employee? He couldn’t bear to think that Martha found John
better than him! Not after all that he’d done for her!
Brusquely he
said, “I’m sorry Martha, I didn’t mean to frighten you out of your wits. Take
rest right now. We’ll talk tomorrow. Take care, darling. I love you.” Leaving
her more miserable than ever, Norman walked away after closing the door behind
him. And he was supposed to be her
fiancée? Martha shook her head. Oh,
God, what a mess her orderly life had become!
******************************************************************************
Martha stared
at the closed door for a long time; her mind in turmoil. Norman had said that he loved her, but he
surely didn’t look the part; of a lover, that is! May be it was his ego that made him fly into
a rage. He didn’t want to become the
laughing stock if Martha ever chose John over him. What would everyone in the office say, “Look,
there goes the jilted Boss!” And laugh behind his back. “Imagine, John ‘The Great’ stole the Boss’
fiancée from right under his nose!” they’d sneer and that wouldn’t do for
Norman. So yes, in a sense, it was a
prestige issue for Norman. For better or
for worse, Martha was his and would remain so, until he decided otherwise!
Martha
shuddered at John’s fate too. Would
Norman sack him forthwith or would better sense prevail? After all, John was his right hand. Firing him from his job would be like cutting
his (Norman’s) nose to spite his face.
Norman was far too practical and sensible for such a rash action. Though he was tempestuous, he did think his
decisions thoroughly beforehand.
Probably he had decided to marry her also because of such
forethought.
He could have
a ‘tailor-made’ employee in her, to do his bidding at the office, after
marriage. Though she wasn’t a pushover,
she could be super-pliant at times! She
hoped that her thoughts were off the mark and that Norman had no such fanciful
notions. She prayed that he really loved
her, for that was all that she needed in life.
To love and be loved! But somehow
she felt that Norman was too practical to be in love. He wasn’t romantic enough!
To be continued...
The copyright of this novel is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.
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