Martha was very
pleased with herself as she retired for the night. She slept very soundly. The
next day as she was having her breakfast the phone rang. Thinking that it was
John, she picked it up excitedly and was surprised to hear Dr. Hussey’s voice
instead. ‘Think of the Devil’ she thought and said, “Hello Doctor. Good
morning. I was going to call you today. How did you guess that I wanted to
speak to you?” He replied evenly, “I was thinking about you since yesterday. I
have come to a conclusion about your peculiar dilemma. I suggest that you
finish your novel at the earliest to prevent your recurring nightmares and
delusions. In fact, I want you to do it in my house, under my supervision, if
you don’t mind! Thus I’ll be on hand to administer to you in case of any
eventuality.”
As she mulled over
his unusual solution, she wondered whether she should tell him her version of
what she wanted to do in his presence. Talk with John D’ Costa! Would he
consider her suggestion foolish or would he consider it seriously. She had to
tell him that as John would be banking on it!
Cautiously, she
said, ‘Well thanks Doctor. But I wanted to have your opinion on another more
important matter. “I want to have a conversation with John D’ Costa in your
presence so that you could actually see my reactions on seeing him and counsel
me. It is imperative that I get over my hang-up over his physical resemblance
to the hero of my novel. I, we have decided to give our fledgling romance a
try,” she felt her cheeks flaming as she said that.
Thoroughly
disappointed that he was nowhere on Martha’s personal radar for a real
relationship, the Doctor gulped silently and said, “Sure Martha. But only after
you get that darned novel out of your system!” He knew that he was buying time
but wasn’t prepared for her infectious enthusiasm. “Thanks so much Doctor, I
will do as you say. When should I come over to your apartment for writing the
remaining part of my novel? I propose to do it in a week’s time at one stretch.
I’m sure that Norman will be convinced about this exercise if you could speak
to him and arrange for my absence from work the next week.”
Not happy with
the way Martha had controlled the situation, Dr. Hussey could only say a
reluctant “Yes.” He regretted his suggestion as things were moving too fast for
his liking. If Martha had her way, she’d complete her novel, meet John at the
clinic and get married to him, all in the space of a fortnight! She certainly
seemed determined to have her way. He’d have to find a way out of that
imbroglio. He had to ensure that she remained his and didn't belong to anyone else! Of course,
he had the pawns in his hand. He had to only play his game well enough to
declare “Check-mate” at the end. The Queen would be at his command! Martha was
his Queen!
Blissfully
unaware of the turbulence in the Doctor’s mind, she happily wished him a nice
day and ended the call. In a pleasant frame of mind she called John and briefed
him about the conversation with the Doctor. Again she pleaded with him,
“Please, have you cancelled your reservations as yet? Promise me that you’ll
not leave for India right away?”
Patiently he
reminded her, “Martha you have the next week to finish your novel, don’t you?
I’ll not be needed then. I suggest that I go and join my new job and come back
the week after next. I cannot just wait around agonizing over you and my life.
I need work to keep me constantly occupied. I hope you understand that. I
promise that I’ll return after 8 days and call you. Meanwhile, we can keep in
touch over the phone. Will that be O.K. with you?”
She guessed
that she had sounded selfish. Yes, she couldn’t expect him to just sit around
at home twiddling his thumbs while she went about her job. That would be very
unfair. Hence she acquiesced with a heavy heart. She had to go to Norman’s
publishing house for two more days this week. She couldn’t wait enough for the
weekend.
The next day,
Martha sat till late after office hours, completing editing of that voluminous
tome that he had given her the previous day. Norman worked in his cabin and she
in her department. Much to her relief, Norman hadn’t mentioned anything about
the previous day’s conversation. He wanted to let sleeping dogs lie. After
working till 9 p.m. Norman dropped into her department and was pleased when
Martha told him wearily that her work on that manuscript was over.
It had been decided
earlier that day that the manuscript would be edited and changes recommended to
the author, who if pliable, could revise it or the publishing house would
publish it in exactly the same way as it then stood! They had to do it to keep
the firm running as the author could turn to another publishing firm who would
be only too pleased to publish that boring novel. Though Martha resented the
inevitability of publishing it and Norman’s commercial stance, there was little
that she could do about it. He knew better and she had long ago decided that
she’d not interfere in his decisions.
It only gave
her one more reason to question her relationship with Norman. If she were to
continue working with him even after their marriage, she’d have to reconcile herself
to be relegated to the background in the face of such important decisions. She
had a mind of her own and would certainly not take it lightly if her
suggestions were never heeded to. She couldn’t even imagine such an unpleasant
scenario. Could they ever remain really happy?
Then she
chided herself. Whom was she kidding? Was she really contemplating their
marriage when her heart just yearned for John? She was really losing it!
To be continued....
The copyright of this novel is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.
