Blood test

A. F. Dawood

Rex left his home after an altercation with his wife. Chitra lay in the bed the whole morning while hundred thoughts flooded her mind. She thought of her marriage to Rex 15 years ago and the subsequent events that followed. Within three years of their marriage, the couple started to bicker with each other, the main reason being there was no issue rout of their wedlock. "It's three years after our marriage. By now we should have a child." Rex complained. "Why in a hurry, may be we'll get a baby late."

"How long to wait, Chitra? My friends who got married after me have got children. They're asking me whether you're a barren woman." Within the course of this period Rex's parents began to show indifference to her. Chitra thought that she was not treated well by her in-laws because of this; she was worried and cried her heart out whenever she was alone in her room.

One day she overheard her mother-in-law telling Rex. "What a pity, Rex you haven't become a father. It's your bad luck that you got married to a barren woman." "I like to have a son or daughter but what to do? May be she will get a baby later." "Three years have passed; I like to see a grandson. Why don't you take her to a doctor?" "I have already taken her to several doctors." "What did the doctors say?" "They all said she may get a baby. I only spent for consultation, capsules and tablets, but no sign of a baby." Rex lamented. These words pinched Chitra's heart and her mind raced back to the conversation she had with Rex one and a half year after her marriage.

"Chitra, it's better we see a doctor." "What for?" Chitra expressed surprise. "Don't you like to be a mother?" "Why in a hurry to get a baby now?" "Chitra one and a half year is more than enough for a woman to conceive. I think there's something wrong in you." "Why only in me? May be something wrong in you." Chitra retorted. "Ok let's go to the doctors, then we can find out whose system is wrong." Like this there were frequent quarrels and arguments between the two until she conceived during the seventh year of their marriage.

Rex worked in an up country tea estate as superintendent; he lived in an estate bungalow and came home once in ten days, very often once in a fortnight. He was worried by the fact that he had no offspring even after five years of married life. He confided his worriment to his friend Ruben who was a frequent visitor of the couple during the early period of their marriage. "See Ruby, it's five years after our marriage, still we didn't get a child, no?" "That's the way with some women, take it easy, Rex." "But Ruby, I don't want to live with her if there's no issue out of her." "What do you mean, you want to divorce her? Ruben queried. "Otherwise, what else to do?" Rex's visit to his house was not regular as it was in the past. In course of time, Chitra came to know of her husband's plan. So she was digging her mind out to find out ways and means to save her marriage.

One day when her husband was in the estate, she dialled Ruben's number. She told him that she had hopes on him to prevent Rex divorcing her. "Five years have passed, now he doesn't care much about me." "Chitra, don't worry; I'll take you to a doctor whom I know. Only thing you have to get permission from Rex." "No need of permission; I'll keep this a secret. I'll meet you when he comes and goes to the estate again." "What about your in-laws? They might question you". Ruben remarked. I'll tell them I'm going to see my parents." When Rex left home to the estate for another fortnight, Chitra made use of this occasion to meet Ruben about four or five times, and on each occasion when she left the house, she trotted out an untrue reason either to see her parents or visit a patient in hospital or going on shopping.

It was late morning and Chitra was still swallowed in thought. She remembered the day when she broke the news to her husband that she was pregnant.

It was almost six years after their marriage. She sat beside him in the dining table for dinner as she usually did whenever he came on leave. The table was spread with a lavish dinner with a cake in the centre of the table. "Why today the dinner is special? Also a cake, whose birthday?" Rex smiled and looked at Chitra. She too smiled. "I have good news to tell you." "What's that?" Rex stopped serving and looked up at Chitra.

"So what's your good news, tell will you?" "I'm pregnant" "Oh! pregnant at last; that means my effort on you have worked out." Chitra smiled in joy.

"So I'm going to be a father, and you a mother. I must convey this message to my friend Ruben." "Why should you?" Chitra questioned him non-chalantly. "I have been telling him you're a barren woman; now I must tell him you're a fertile woman." Chitra thought her problem was over once she became pregnant; but when she gave birth to a baby boy, a fresh problem cropped up.

She remembered the reaction of her husband, when he came to see the baby in hospital. His face turned gloomy. "You wanted a son," remarked Chitra. "Just as you wanted I have given birth to a son."

Rex remained silent for sometime and said "But the baby is ........" He didn't complete it. "But the baby is what?" Questioned Chitra. What Rex meant was that the baby was dark unlike the parents. Rex was fair and handsome; so was Chitra with well-chiselled features. "What's wrong with the baby? You must thank your stars that the baby is not physically handicapped." "But the baby is dark..... " This reply knifed through Chitra's heart.

She began to visualize the turn of events in store for her. With the afflux of next eight years, flavoured with arguments, quarrels, doubts and accusations hurled at each other, the child reached eight years. Chitra was plunged in deep thought when she was shaken off from her reverie by the child's voice. He had returned from school. "Mum, let me have my lunch."

Noticing his mother's tear-stained face, little Julian asked. "Mum, what's wrong with you? Did you cry? Chitra had been hibernating in the room, daydreaming the whole day after the heated argument with Rex that morning.

"I find it difficult to accept Julian is my son." That's how the argument started. "What rubbish you're talking. Is it because Julian is dark?" "Forget about the colour, Chitra, does he have our features?"

"Then whose child is Julian?" "You should know that better, don't pretend." "At first you ill-treated me for not having a child." Chitra wept. "Now you've started a new problem." "It's not a new problem. It's a fact." "You're talking all this because you want to leave me." Chitra retorted. "I should have left you long ago. But now I find you have betrayed me." "You're imagining things. You're telling that I slept with another man?" "Why not? The child bears Ruben's features.

Do you deny that?" Rex questioned furiously. Chitra remained silent without an answer. It seemed that she had come to her wit's end to answer that question. After sometime she spoke. "I have nothing to do with Ruben. He never came to meet me here." "All that talk is not necessary. Let's take a blood test and that will establish the paternity of the father."

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