Way of Life Part 3

Author(s): Bhadraguptasuri
Publisher: Vishvakalyan Prakashan Trust Mehsana

Page 91

79
DISCOURSE 54
husband was working as a salesman for a company. It was a large company. The salesman had to go out of station for about 20 days every month, to meet people and promote sales. A young man lived in a room adjacent to their flat. He was studying in a college. He was aged about 23 years; and he was from the south. In the beginning, he used to have only a nodding acquaintance with this family but gradually, he developed closer relations with them and began visiting their flat. I will not mention the actual names of the persons; but we shall call them by some fictitious names. Let us say that the husband's name was Pankaj; and that the wife's name was Nila. In the beginning, the young man used to visit their flat only when Pankaj was at home. But he had become secretly infatuated with Nila. Nila's character and behaviour were quite good. When Pankaj went out of station and when her son had gone to school, Nila felt lonely. That boy was going to a morning college. So, he used to remain in his room, in the afternoons. Let us cal' the boy Ganesh. Now, Nila began to invite the boy to her house often. She sat gossiping with him for long hours. Each became infatuated wth the other. Nila used to offer food to Ganesh; and he used to eat food there. This led to an illicit intimacy between them.
One day, some officials of the company came and conveyed to her the news of the sudden death of Pankaj. Nila was in great grief; but her grief was short-lived. She had found a companion in Ganesh. Now, Ganesh began to live with Nila. The relatives of Pankaj objected to this. They condemned her behaviour; but Nila did not give up the company of Ganesh. Some years passed. Nila's son grew up to be a boy of about 9 years; and he began to understand things. In school also, he heard his companions gossiping loudly about his mother and Ganesh. So, once he came and said to Nila: "Mummy, why does Ganesh uricle live in our house? Tell him to go away and live in his own room. My friends in the school say many evil things about you and him". But Nila rebuked him whenever he spoke of the subject. One day, the boy spoke to Ganesh also: "Why do you live in our house? You are spending all our money. Even my friends at school speak ill of you!"