House of Cards: A Novel Read online

  ‘Mridula, what do you want?’

  Mridula was taken aback. She was unable to pinpoint what she wanted. Even though she had everything, she felt inadequate.

  Dr Rao continued, ‘In most marriages, women don’t know what they want and men don’t try to understand. The reverse is also true. Hence, spouses start blaming each other. I want to tell you a story.

  ‘A long time ago, there was a handsome prince. He was defeated in a war and an emperor took away his land. The emperor wanted to kill the young prince but when he looked at his youth and intelligence, he changed his mind. The emperor said, “I’ll give you a year to answer one question. If you answer it properly, I’ll give you your freedom and your kingdom. Otherwise, you’ll be executed.”

  ‘The prince asked, “What’s the question?”

  ‘“What does a woman want from a man?”

  ‘The prince travelled to different kingdoms and asked many people but could not find the answer. Eventually, he learnt that there was an old witch who might be able to help him. When he approached her, she said, “I’ll give you the answer, but my fee is high.”

  ‘“Please tell me.”

  ‘“You must marry me.”

  ‘The prince had no option and he agreed. The witch then said, “Every woman wants to change her life but no man understands how. He showers his wife with gifts that he likes but not with what she wants.”

  ‘When the emperor heard the answer, he was happy and the prince got his kingdom back. But now, he had to marry the old and ugly witch. On their wedding night, he was scared to sit next to her, but to his surprise, there was a beautiful maiden waiting for him. She smiled and said, “My prince, I appreciate your patience and word of honour. I have great power and I can remain beautiful either through the night or during the day. Which would you prefer?”

  ‘The prince was lost in thought. If she looked beautiful during the day, everyone would appreciate her, but at night, she would become a witch and it would be difficult for him to handle. And if she looked beautiful at night, it would be awkward to have an ugly queen during the day.

  ‘But by now, the prince knew what a woman wanted. So he said, “You can choose whichever you want.”

  ‘And the witch decided to stay beautiful all the time.’

  After sharing this story, Dr Rao said, ‘Mridula, in a male-dominated society like ours, all the important decisions are made by a man, including choices about what his wife wants. Every woman values her freedom to choose—much more than her husband’s money or position. When I look at your life, you’ve been brought up in a progressive family but then you got married into a family with a different culture and economic status. That’s also one of the reasons for your problems.’

  Incidents flashed before Mridula’s eyes.

  Once, Sanjay had told her, ‘Mridula, I ordered a new car for you because I really like it.’

  ‘My car is only three years old and I like it just fine. I don’t want to change it right now.’

  ‘No, you don’t understand. The car is old now and doesn’t suit our status.’

  Mridula had not known what to say.

  Another day, Sanjay had said, ‘I saw an advertisement for the new Siemens phone and told Rosemary to order one for our house.’

  ‘Why? We don’t need it. We barely make any calls. Sishir isn’t here to use it either.’

  ‘No, I want the latest technology in our house.’

  At that time, Mridula had lost her patience and snapped, ‘Is our house a laboratory that you want to keep getting new things and experimenting with them?’

  ‘You can think whatever you want. This is my home and my decision is final.’

  Mridula sighed and looked at Dr Rao. Though Mridula had not disclosed her husband’s identity, Dr Rao was aware of who he was. But he kept this to himself.

  During another session, Mridula told Dr Rao, ‘Doctor, I respect my brother’s wife, Vatsala, but she’s not friendly. My sister-in-law, Lakshmi, also doesn’t respect me. What’s wrong with me?’

  ‘There’s nothing wrong with you, Mridula. In India, when you marry a person, you also marry his family. By default, people expect you to adjust to the husband’s family. When a girl becomes a daughter-in-law, she’s subjected to unnecessary criticism, irrespective of her good qualities. But look on the positive side. Your mother-in-law doesn’t trouble you. Your husband isn’t having an extramarital affair and your son doesn’t have any bad habits. You should be grateful for that. Yes, your husband has cheated you financially. But there are men who cheat in ways that are much more hurtful. If you were a little practical and street-smart, things wouldn’t have been so bad.’

  ‘Do you think that Lakshmi could have been easily cheated like me?’

  ‘I don’t know Lakshmi and I can’t answer that. Usually, people who are sensitive need more time to understand the real world. People who’ve been brought up in a tough atmosphere adjust fast.’

  ‘But Sanjay never helped Lakshmi without my knowledge before.’

  ‘Because Lakshmi was doing better than both of you financially.’

  ‘Doctor, is money so important in life?’

  Dr Rao replied, ‘Yes, money is important. It’s a change-triggering catalyst. Money brings power, status and confidence.’

  ‘Why do people change with money?’

  ‘Mridula, only philosophers can answer that question. But what I can tell you is that money brings out the best and the worst in people. It’s a magnifying glass. When a person becomes rich, his inner desires are free to come to the forefront. If a selfish man becomes rich, he spends money on himself, but if a generous person becomes wealthy, he shares it with others. It’s difficult to find people who aren’t touched by money.’

  ‘Doctor, what should I do when I get depressed?’

  ‘Don’t sit idle at home. Do whatever you like. Exercise is essential. But the most important thing to do is to share your anxiety with others. And remember that depression is curable. It just takes time.’

  ‘With everything that’s happened, I don’t know how to behave with Sanjay. What should I do?’

  ‘Mridula, your husband’s a nice man. But he has a big ego because of his success. Money makes him feel powerful. He has an inferiority complex and an old value system where men are supposed to be the dominating partner. Unlike you, he’s a complicated person. That’s why he’s never established good communication with you.’

  Tears rolled down Mridula’s cheeks. She thought, ‘How did I live with Sanjay for such a long time? Today, he’s given me money and position in society but he doesn’t share my sorrows. I’ve held his hand and walked next to him on the thorny path to success. When a girl gets married, the extent of her happiness depends upon the husband’s commitment and communication with her. A few kind words, a little appreciation and small gifts like flowers can make a girl feel special. But Sanjay just wanted to show that he was the boss.’

  Mridula asked, ‘Doctor, what should I do now?’

  ‘That’s up to you. Your husband thinks about money and his practice all the time. You can’t change him. He’s the one who has to be ready to make a change. Mridula, how do you feel when you look at beggars now?’

  ‘I feel sad but not so much. Why?’

  ‘Because beggars are synonymous with people who have nothing. When you came here, you felt empty inside. That’s why you related to beggars. Over these past few months, you’ve regained your confidence and you’re completely fine now. Please don’t expect anything from your husband. The will to change has to come from him.’

  ‘Thank you, Doctor.’

  As Mridula left Dr Rao’s office, she felt light and happy. When she looked at the people around her on the streets, she finally comprehended that everybody had their own problems.

  27

  Things Fall Apart

  A few days later, Mridula wanted to try and talk to Sanjay about her treatment once more. Sanjay did not have time in the mornings so Mridula decided to