Stagnant water rots

'Ting!' Kaka's what's app buzzed again with a congratulatory message for his marriage. In a fit of rage Kaka swung his hand fiercely to bang the mobile on road but stopped. Finally, very reluctantly Kaka typed his status on what's app for everyone to read and know, 'My marriage cancelled. Still a virgin!'

Done with typing, Kaka looked at the road ahead and the sleepy traffic crawling in the late afternoon. The mobile began to buzz frantically again, this time with the messages of empathy, inquiry and sympathy. Kaka realised he had opened floodgates of killing sympathy, he nodded in dejection and simply switched off his cell phone.

Kaka began to walk towards the home. But suddenly noticed Pooja riding on the bicycle carrier, with an old man pedalling the bicycle and a sack dangling from the bicycle's handle bar. He instinctively began to follow the bicycle, dashed ahead and came within the touching distance as the old man pedalled sluggishly.

'Heyyyyy! What are you doing?' Kaka shouted.

'Go away...stop following me...' Pooja yelled and looked away to tell her disinterest.

'Do you know him?' Kaka shouted again

'I didn't knew you till yesterday...go away don't bother me,' Pooja responded and patted on the old man's shoulder and egged him 'pedal faster...faster'.

Kaka lunged ahead and hooked his hand on the carrier to stop the bicycle. The bicycle wobbled and the old man applied brakes, cursing in frustration, 'mother fucker...you two can settle instead of making a scene and risking my old bones.'

'Do you know him?' Kaka asked Pooja pointing at the old man.

'How does it matter you?' Pooja shot back.

'How can you trust a man whom you don't know...anything can happen!'

'I even didn't knew while coming to get married to you. But I came. So leave this hypocricy and let me go'

'Dont worry son, an old man is no threat to her youth. Plus she has made a good proposition to me,' the old man sniggered.

'What's that?' Kaka asked.

'It's an investment...' Pooja spoke with a straight confident face, 'he sells toys on the street. I have given him money to purchase more toys in bulk for selling. In return I get 10% in profit and a place to stay for a few days.'

Kaka was stunned and secretly impressed. He muttered to Pooja to caution her, 'it's dangerous to rely on unknown people. Don't do this. Go back to your village to your father.'

Pooja smirked, 'stagnant water rots, let me ride the flow of life. It brought me to your shores and now I'm moving ahead, and from here to somewhere...'

Kaka remained silent to words that hardly mattered in the practical perceivable world. All he could muster was an insipid apology gurgling out of his mouth, 'I am sorry for what you have to suffer and betraying your father's trust in us.'

'Arent you guys done yet,' the old man babbled impatiently.

'My father trusted my courage not you or your family...drive ahead old man,' Pooja patted on old man's shoulder.

'Where are you staying?' Kaka shouted as the bicycle snailed ahead.

'Move on...don't follow me,' Pooja responded.

'Behind old railway line, Room No 4 , Postal Colony,' The old man shouted, waving up his hand, continuing to pedal.

'You old swine...keep your mouth shut,' Pooja slapped angrily on the old-man's shoulder. The old man laughed and spoke, 'you ought to have someone to spend your life with.'

'How about you? Are you a bachelor or a widower. Or just take divorce from your wife. Or tell me I will kill her,' Pooja rambled.

The old man burst out in laughter, kept on pedalling and remarked, 'god you are something!'