Nobody's Wife

Thanks, Leonard Cohen for writing and singing the path-breaking song- 'Famous Blue Raincoat.'

Thanks, Albert Camus for writing path-breaking quotes which shaped Leonard, Jane, and Noor.

A short story by Shashi K.

I

LETTER-1

February 1, 2016

4 A.M.

To,

L.Cohen

Do you remember the way she used to make a bun of her hair and sit cross-legged on her favourite green couch, working dusk to dawn on her book; she has started doing that again. She has fostered her love for art; isn't it a sign of love? Your wife is falling in love with me. She is naive and her elegance has touched my soul. She kissed me today when I was leaving for office, the way she used to kiss you two years ago. She was wearing a peach coloured night-suit, and her hair was falling till her shoulder like an opera curtain. Her kiss felt like a benison.

Her eyes are full of glint hunting for gumption. Last week, she told me about her new project in New Delhi. Yes! My killer, you read it right. She is sharing her life with me. I am enlivened by the idea of spending some moments with her in Delhi. Your wife is rising from smut to allure the world with her grin. She is mine now and I never want you to return to our lives. Bury yourself somewhere, cut your feet and be inert, away from us. Your sooty visuals still hound us. We have made our own small world away from you and if you want to see your wife happy, never come back.

Cut your feet!

Sincerely,

Leonard

II

MONOTONY

Paper letters were Leonard's key to success. Twelve years ago, he ran from his parents' house and left a paper letter for them. He wanted to become an architect but his parents were pushing him to study medicine. That worked. He was an architect, living in New York at Clinton Street, heading a successful firm which recently designed a Gothic Art House near Central Park. He was enraptured by the idea of creating a Gothic Art House. Art rising from antagonism. Ah! Isn't it wonderful, so imperfect and hence real. He was a firm believer of individuality, he read Ayn Rand and Plato to heal his soul and hated capitalism. But he sipped Starbucks flat white and erected buildings for corporate houses. That helped him afford the anguish he wished to have. A sadist, an artist, and a true blue lover; Leonard was not a man who a woman would fathom. His ideologies were stuck in multitudes and he thought that he was too big to not to contradict himself. He was successful and that really mattered to the world.

After writing the letter, Leonard kissed Jane who was sleeping next to him. He saw her and imagined her life two years ago, the same night. He wanted to take away the desolation she felt. He wanted to decipher his feeling for her but he is scared of promising the world to her and then breaking the same promise. So, he deviated himself from her, he rarely talked to her but listened to every single word she uttered. He was scared to break her broken heart and so, decided to build an ice wall in their relationship.

Next morning, Jane opened her eyes and realised that Leonard has still not left for the office. She chose to close her eyes again and faked sleeping. She wanted to avoid morning talks, that was too much of an effort for her. Faking a conversation without really talking about what's veridical, that too right at the start of the day. She decided to stay in bed till the time he left. Leonard entered the room, biting an apple, in his brown business suit. He looked mesmerising, like those corporate tycoons who have everything in place, a well-shaped body with trimmed hair, and a clean-shaven square face. Any women would fall for his blue eyes. He left a note for Jane. The note was a reminder of their flight to New Delhi at 21:00 hours on that day.