Playing With Fire

It was raining hard as I drove slowly down the road heading for the Cafe. It was almost 8 at night and it had been raining for the past two hours. Traffic was sparce and hardly any pedestrians were to be seen. As I drove slowly down I remembered a similar evening. It was almost a year and a half now.

I had been married for almost two years to a girl I had been dating for a few months. My wife is pretty and smart and it was her smile that I fell in love with when I met her. Our marriage was going smoothly and none of us wanted any kids till a few years later. She had a job, I had mine. But somehow, after a few months of marriage, the chemistry between us was not working. We were becoming too involved with our own individual existence. But we rarely quarrelled and had our own sweet moments.

It was at such a juncture that I met Rebecca. She worked in the office right across mine. She was a marketing executive. We met at the local coffee shop during lunch break and hit it instantly. She had a tantalizing charm and I was my chivalrous best. Soon the meetings at the coffee shop became a regular affair. I did not turn up one day and she called me up on my cell phone to know whether I was fine. It was a great friendship and slowly it became more than that – much more than that. She became my passion, my obsession. We exchanged sms and often called each other up secretly.

I became a changed man. I was enthusiastic to go to my office for the first time in my life, spent lesser and lesser time at home, the dinners became more silent and I slept well. I began to spend time with Rebecca after work, calling up my wife to say that I had some work and would be late. Rebecca was unmarried and did not mind the fact that I was. We got drunk and things proceeded to the ultimate level. But this was to become a ritual.

But the ease with which I had got involved in the relationship with Rebecca was slowly passing. We were two months in the relationship and I was a feeling very slightly guilty about cheating on my wife. Not that I cared about her too much, now that Rebecca had completely charmed me.

It was my wife’s birthday the next day and Rebecca had also asked me to come over on the same day because she wanted to celebrate her promotion. She promised me a great time and I was looking forward to it. I had got her a necklace and was dying to see it on her neck. My wife had other plans though. She wanted to throw a small party for our close friends at 9 in the evening and Rebecca had asked me to come over at 7. Now, who is going to go to a birthday party? I told my wife that I had some work at the office that I had to finish that night and so would be late but I shall surely do my best to come home early for the celebrations.

Office got over at around 6:30 and it was a 40 minutes drive to Rebecca’s place. It was raining heavily, like it is now, and it was darker than usual. I had to drive slowly in the downpour and as I reached the main road the engine gave a grinding sound and stopped. I checked my fuel meter but it did not indicate any problem. I tried starting the car but it was no use. I got out in the pouring rain and opened the hood to check what was wrong. Smoke was coming out of the engine and there was the smell of burnt rubber and metal. I realised that it was not something I could fix by myself.

It was 7:30 already and I decided to call up Rebecca and say that I would be late, but that was not to be. I had kept my phone in my pocket and the rain water had ruined it. I was now stuck. There were no phone booths in sight and none of the cabs that passed me were empty. I could not even call the garage. I was soaking wet by now and did not want to get into the car as it would ruin the new seat covers that I had installed. I stood there outside my car trying to figure out my next plan of action – how do I reach Rebecca’s place or inform her.

A car screeched to a halt a few meters ahead of me and them reversed to where I was standing. The window rolled down to reveal a friend. He offered to give me a ride – home! He did not even ask me whether I wanted to go home and I refrained from speaking my mind.

Drenched to my bone, I reached my home at around quarter to nine. My wife was clearly very pleased to see me. She looked at the packet under my arm and asked, “Is that my gift?”
I fumbled and handed the packet over to her. I did not know what else to do. I was not prepared to meet my wife. She opened the packet and found the necklace that I had planned to give Rebecca.
Her joy knew no bound. This was the first gift I was giving to her for months.
“It is very beautiful. You got this for me?”
“Do you like it?”
“Do I like it? I love it. Thank you so much.” And she gave me a tight hug, as she had never done. She held my hands and said, “I have something to tell you. Come with me.”

She led me to the bedroom, made me sit down on the bed and stood in front of me. Looking at me long and hard she said, “I know you have been having a relationship with another woman for sometime now.”
I gulped. I had been caught. This was the end of it all. Why was I such a fool? Why did I have to run after another woman when I already love my wife? She was standing there right in front of me, looking gorgeous in her blue dress and somehow I did not want to lose her now. I felt so guilty that I prayed the earth would swallow me. I tried to speak, tried to tell her that I was sorry, that I loved her – but no sound came out.

“You had been acting weirdly for the past two months and I suspected that something was wrong. Then when you started staying late in the office regularly my suspicion rose. I called your office five different days and every time they told me that you had left a long time back. My suspicion was confirmed when I saw you in the evening one day with a woman with your arm around her. I even saw the sms she sent you yesterday asking you to come over this evening. So I decided to test your love for me. If you had not come home for my birthday you would have had it from me. But since it seems you still love me and care for me enough to leave that woman and come for my birthday party, and cared to buy such a lovely gift, I will give you a chance to redeem yourself and come back to me. Look dear, I love you. I really do. What is wrong with us that you need another woman in your life?”

I was speechless. I somehow felt very guilty and relieved at the same time. I held her close to me and professed my love and told her how sorry I was. I asked her to give me another chance and told her that I would break up with Rebecca the next day. We cried together and I had never felt happier with my wife. The birthday party was just so great. I could not take my eyes off my lovely, amazing wife. Destiny had averted a catastrophe and I thanked the powers to be for saving our marriage. I broke up with Rebecca the next morning and never met her or called her again.

That was almost a year and a half ago on a night like this. I am still with my wife, who has now gone to her parents house for a few days, and I still love her. I drive slowly towards the cafe which is still a few kilometres away. A woman is waiting for me there. Her name is Alice and she is just gorgeous. She is witty and has mesmerized me. My wife does not know about it, I am sure. At least I have learnt something from my last mistakes.