lack of honest communication meets unforgiving social pressure.
The Delivery Man’s Nightmare:
Sunil had a terrible day yesterday. He'd missed his third food delivery, arriving over ten minutes late – the strict limit. The customer absolutely laid into him over the phone while he was still on the road. Sunil risked everything, speeding on his scooter and running red lights, but still showed up seven minutes late. Even then, the customer was incredibly rude when taking the food. Later, they slapped him with a one-star rating, which would seriously damage his performance and bonus.
Today, Sunil was completely preoccupied with not letting it happen again. He adored his wife, Smita. She was loving, cooking his meals and making him tea and biscuits when he got home in the evening. They'd always talk about the little things that happened during his day.
After a loving goodbye, Sunil started his scooter for work. His first job was quick, run. He made it on time and felt a bit better. The second delivery also went smoothly.
His third drop-off was close to his own flat. He thought he’d be able to pop home afterwards. He picked up the parcel and headed up to the second floor of Raj Apartment. When he rang the bell, the man who opened the door was wearing shorts and no shirt. He took the delivery and went straight back inside. As Sunil turned to leave, his eyes caught on a pair of women’s slippers outside the door. He looked again and again, trying to work out who they belonged to.
Sunil went back downstairs and hid, needing to see who would eventually come out wearing those slippers. He waited for about half an hour. He had no idea what was about to happen.
Then, Smita walked out of the building. Sunil was stunned. His whole body began to shake with shock and fury. He somehow managed to calm himself enough to go home. He tried to act normally, but he couldn’t manage it. Smita noticed he was acting strangely and asked what was wrong. Sunil just held back his anger and pain and stayed silent. The day passed like that.
The next morning, as Sunil was getting ready for work, Smita asked him to buy a pregnancy test kit on his way home that evening. Sunil simply said, "Okay."
Still in a foul mood, Sunil finished work early that day. Smita wasn’t home. She came back a few hours later. When Sunil asked where she’d been, she said she’d popped to the market because they were out of vegetables, and showed him the shopping bags.
She then asked if he’d bought the kit. Sunil handed it over. Smita went straight to the bathroom and emerged a minute later, beaming with joy. She told Sunil she was going to be a mother.
Sunil showed no happiness. A terrible thought was spinning in his head. He grabbed Smita and demanded to know whose baby it was.
Smita yelled, “What nonsense are you talking about? Don’t you trust me? I’m your wife. Of course, it’s our baby.” But Sunil shook her violently and kept asking, “Whose baby is this?”
After a few minutes, Smita collapsed and finally told the awful truth. She explained that they had been married for seven years with no success. The doctors had told them there was no problem with her. She said that’s why she had chosen this way.
Sunil’s entire world was shattered.
The next day, Sunil contacted a local tough and bought a revolver, which he hid in their room. Later, during another nasty argument with Smita, Sunil stormed out of the house with the gun. Smita tried to stop him, but he was gone.
Sunil walked to the nearby riverbank and just sat there for a long time. Countless thoughts were crashing down on him. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet and rushed into the nearby woods. A few minutes later, a single gunshot echoed out – the sound that completely destroyed their lives and their dreams.
This is a devastating illustration of what happens when a lack of honest communication meets unforgiving social pressure.
Smita’s Secret: Smita, feeling the immense pressure of their childlessness and trusting the doctors’ opinion that the problem wasn't hers, chose a radical, secret solution instead of discussing alternative options with her husband.
Sunil’s Isolation: Sunil, devastated by his wife’s infidelity (or his perception of it) and still reeling from the pressure of his delivery job, dealt with his pain in complete isolation. He allowed his grief and anger to build until they manifested in a single, irreversible act of violence.
Marriage and life cannot survive without a foundation of complete trust and open, honest communication. Secrecy, especially around life-altering decisions, is a bomb waiting to explode. In any relationship crisis, the moment you stop talking, you start breaking.
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