Wall

Neena was sad about the death of her pet dog. He was very cute and obedient. She was thinking of buying a new one. She was a wealthy woman working in a higher post.

Her mother, who, too, was a wealthy widow, said to her, "you should think of marrying a wealthy man instead of thinking of buying a new dog."

Her daughter replied, "Mom, dogs are obedient. As far as men are concerned, I am looking for an obedient man. But I have not found any so far. The search is on."

Her mom retorted, "but when will you find your obedient man? You are going to be thirty-five next month."

The evening, Neena was with her female friend Asha, who was like her a rich lady but have a husband. She, too, advised her that before it was too late Neena should get married.

Neena said to her, "I want a rich and successful man as a husband. And he must be handsome and henpecked."

Her friend said, "rich, successful, and handsome men don't like to be under the control of their wives. Why don't you go for a poor man?"

Neena said with contempt, "I can never think of marrying a poor or middle the class man even in the wildest dream."

"You can not find your all criteria in one man, " her friend remarked.

Ajay was an engineering graduate. After losing his job due to heavy inflation, he was nowadays unemployed and was dependent on his parents. Fortunately, his parents were supporting him. He was in search of a new job for him and he was ready to do any job. He was handsome and his manners and attitude were as if he belonged to a rich family.

One day Ajay happened to meet with one of his old friends named Vikas. Vikas in his childhood was a poor boy and his father was a small shopkeeper. The income from the small shop was hardly enough to fulfil their all requirements. But now Vikas was a rich man having a big house and an expensive car. Ajay was impressed with the progress Vikas made in the short period.

Ajay and Vikas became again good friends. Vikas used to go with Ajay to clubs and parties thrown by rich people. This allowed Ajay to come into contact with other rich people. One day Neena threw such a party and invited Vikas and Vikas attended this party with Ajay. Vikas introduced Ajay to Neena as his friend. She could not remove her eyes from him. She found something special in him. Perhaps she fell in love. At the party, her eyes were searching him and looking at him. Her friend Asha noticed it. Asha knew Ajay very well.

After the party, Asha reached Neena and said, "what is the matter! Your eyes were on him." Hearing this Neena smiled shyly.

Asha remained silent for a little while and then said, "I think Ajay can be a good match for you."

"How?" Neena asked.

Asha replied, "he is well educated and handsome. But he is an unemployed and middle-class man. His unemployment and money problem will make him under your control."

Neena said, "what! He is unemployed and belongs to the middle class. Omg, he seems to be a rich man by his personality. Thank you for telling me about him. I hate to be a wife of a middle-class man."

Hearing this Ajay said, "you are an idiot. It was very hard for you to make a rich man dance to your tune. You should play a safe game. It was easier for you to keep him under your control."

This speech from Asha made her think about Ajay.

Neena soon got a second chance to meet Ajay. They saw each other in a club. Neena could not refrain from waving a hand to him.

She was trapped in his attraction in such a way that she could not refrain herself from going near to him. She broke the ice. Vikas knew Neena very well. Within a minute, he took leave of them. Now Ajay and Neena were alone. They talked for a long time. It was his first chance for talking to any woman for a long time.

After this meeting with Neena, Ajay was impressed with her. Her confidence and pretty face impressed him.

The next day, Vikas asked Ajay, "how did you feel about Neena?"

Ajay with a smile, "she is a pretty and good girl."

"She can be your if you try, " Vikas said.

Ajay got a little surprised at this. He said, "what do you mean?"

Vikas remain silent for a little while and said, "listen to me, Ajay. You are a well-educated and hardworking man. You worked for a long time for getting a salary and a day come when you lost your job. You are still jobless and then your chances of getting a job are getting fewer day by day. You should do something such as that would make you rich and secure your future."

Ajay said, "I am doing my best."

Vikas said, "take the advantage of the opportunity. Win the heart of Neena and marry her."

Ajay began to look at him. Vikas continued, "you have talent, and Neena has money. This combination would give you more than you want."

Ajay thought for some moments and then said, "ok, but why will she marry a middle-class and jobless man like me?"

"Because she wants a man who dances to her tune, " Vikas said without any emotion on his face.

"And she likes you as well, " Vikas said after a short pause.

Ajay began to think something. Vikas was looking at his face. After a little while, Ajay said, "so that's a matter."

He thought and thought over the matter and reached his conclusion. The easy and short way of getting rid of all his problems was before him. He began to take interest in Neena. Ajay and Neena began to meet each other.

After some days Asha said to Neena in one evening, "so you got the man as you want."

Neena said, "yep." Saying so she lit her cigarette, took a deep puff, and began to look up at the wall of the room. Her legs were spread on the side table.

Reema said with a playful smile, "so now you don't need a pet dog."

At this Neena began to laugh. She is going to marry Ajay.

When Neena told her mother that she was going to marry Ajay. She thought for a little while and said, "something is better than nothing." She was not happy. She wants everything in life.

She said to Neena, "you don't need to tell anybody about his real social status. If somebody especially our relatives asks you about him, tell them he belongs to a rich family. Are you getting it?"

Hearing this she felt awkward for a moment. She said in a low sound, "got it." All the desires of one can never be fulfilled, something or the other remains unfulfilled.

Ajay and his parents were excited for they were going to be a part of the high society. It was an opportunity for them.

They got married in a month. They threw a party. Her relatives and some other rich people were invited to the party. When introducing Ajay to her relatives, she represented him as a rich man from a rich family. Ajay felt awkward at this false introduction. She didn't introduce his parents to guests. Ajay had faced many awkward situations and he was used to it but on this occasion, it pinched him harder than ever. He felt petty before the guests. Despite this odd, he was happy. After all, they were just married and on their honeymoon period. After the party, Neena changed her clothes, lit a cigarette, spread herself on an armchair, and got absorbed in her thoughts. Ajay did not like smoking. After smoking she wished him goodnight and went to her room for sleeping. He had a separate room to take sleep.

Ajay's mother said to him, "don't take it to heart my son. Time is almighty. Time shall make all well."

That day Ajay was in a romantic mood. After smoking, when Neena was about to go to her room, he held her hand and kissed her gently. Although he was expressing his love to her, she got angry and jerked her hand free and said in a sharp voice, "you idiot." Saying so she moved to her room. He felt insulted and he caught her by arm and said in anger, "why are you doing so?"

She replied in anger, "leave my arm."

He shouted, "I am your husband."

She looked into his eyes in anger forced her arm free and said, "only for show off. You don't deserve to touch me."

It was enough for him but he kept himself from more argument. For him, life was full of things that were more important than love and relation.

Days and months passed by but they did not come close to each other. He always tried, but she kept herself from him. There were two worlds isolated from each other under a single roof. Neena was still flirting with the rich men. Nowadays she was in contact with a rich man Saleem. All that she knew about him was that he is a rich man having property worth millions. She didn't care about the rest of his characteristics.

She used to return home till midnight but that day she did not return home after midnight. For Ajay nothing new in her coming home late. He was sleeping in his room. In the morning, her mother knocked at the door of his room. She was worried.

"She is not returned home till now. Her mobile phone is switched off, " her mother said to him when he opened the door. Hearing this he too got worried.

He got busy searching for her. They phoned all their relatives and her friends but she was nowhere. At last one man unformed then that she was seen last time with Saleem.

"Who was Saleem?" Her mother asked. She was trembling with the fear of something happening wrong with Neena.

Ajay thought for a while and then began to phone his relatives and friends to find out who Saleem is.

Somebody told him that Saleem was a spoiled son of a spoiled wealthy man. He also told him that Saleem was also a criminal. Hearing this he began to think about what to do next.

Just then Neena's mother got a call someone threatened her by saying that her daughter Neena was taken hostage and if she want to see her daughter alive, she had to give twenty million rupees as a ransom.

Hearing this, Neena's mother got shocked and ran to Ajay.

"We must report the matter to the police, " Ajay said when she told the matter to Ajay.

She cries with fear, "no son, if we inform the police, they will kill my daughter. I do not want to lose her. She is my only child." She was trembling in fear.

Seeing his mother-in-law in this plight, he got emotional. He thought for a while and then said to his in-law, "I think Saleem is behind this kidnapping. Don't be afraid, I will arrange to get her free from him."

His suspicion was right. The next call was for him from Saleem. Saleem was demanding ransom. Ajay worked wisely and assured him of giving ransom and asked him for the address to send the ransom.

After this Ajay phoned his old friend who was a police officer and told him the matter.

The next day Ajay took a briefcase and reached the spot mentioned by Saleem. The spot was an abandoned building out of the city. No one was around the building. Ajay had not to wait for a long time. After a while, a man came out of the building and waved his hand toward Ajay. Ajay came near to that man and said, "where is Neena?"

The man replied, "where is money?"

Ajay showed him a bag and said, "here is money. But first hand over Neena."

"Come with me, " that man said to him.

He took him into the building. Ajay found Neena tied on a chair in a room. She was tired, in pain, and trembling with fear. Seeing Ajay, she cried with the hope of getting free from these criminals. Saleem was in the room. Saleem said, "so you are Ajay. Come to save Neena.'

Ajay put the bag on the floor pushed it toward Sameer and said, " here is your money. Take it and leave Neena."

Saleem said, "why not." And moved towards Neena. Just then the man who brought Ajay in jumped on Ajay from behind. But Ajay was ready for this. Ajay ducked and without wasting a second delivered a kick on his groin. The goon could not bear the pain and fell on the floor. Seeing this Saleem took out a knife and jumped on Ajay. This time Ajay could not save himself and got injured by the knife. Saleem again stabbed him in the stomach. Seeing this Neena began to cry with fear.

In the nick of time, the friend of Ajay reached the room and fired the shot by his revolver at Saleem to prevent him from stabbing Ajay. Receiving a shot Sameer fell on the floor. His friend arranged to call an ambulance and police.

Ajay had to undergo a major operation in the hospital. When he came round, he found Neena sitting on a chair near him. He said in a low sound, "Neena..."

Hearing this, she came to him, put her head on his chest, and began to weep.

He took her in his arms. She said while weeping, "I mistreated you but you put your life in danger for me...." She could not say anything more. He took her in the arms. There is no need for more words between them. She wept for a long time. They were happy at each other's arms. The wall between them had been washed away by tears and a new way full of happiness was before them.