Tale of a silent husband

“Oh my god, I can’t understand what has happened to my husband,” said the elder sister of the family meeting the eldest brother, the one elder than her.

“Calm down and tell me what’s wrong with your husband. I ask the question as he is my brother in law.”

“I can’t understand why he does not talk to me.”

“So you say that he doesn’t talk?”

“Yes, he just goes on mooning on some matter. I asked several questions. He doesn’t respond.”

The elder brother was brooding on what his sister said.

“Does he walk about?” he asked her.

“Yes, certainly. But he does not talk to anybody. He does not want to go out of the house.”

“Did you consult a doctor?”

“I asked him whether he would like to see a doctor.”

“What did he say?”

“He just kept silent without responding to what I asked.”

“Did you have a verbal dispute or something?”

“No.”

“All right. I will come as soon as possible,” said the elder brother, who decided once and tried for all that it is duty to see him.

The elder sister went off lamenting. Then the elder brother informed the second sister and the youngest brother of the family about the matter.

“You all should go as soon as possible in order to know what has happened to our brother in law,” the elder brother advised all the family members.

“The sooner you go there, the better it is,” he said.

The family members decided to go to the elder sister’s place the very same evening.

“I am pretty certain that he will speak to us,” said the second sister.

One by one they all visited the house of the elder sister. The brother in law who was casually dressed was seen surprised by the number of sudden visitors. They brought with them various types of presents to be given to him.

The very first to visit the house happened to be the eldest brother. Having seen his brother in law chatting to a neighbour he was bewildered. He wanted to ask a question.

“Are you all right now?”

But he resisted and asked.

“Were you not well?”

“Who said?”

“I came to know.”

“That’s wrong information.”

“Oh I am happy to know that you are in good health.”

“Thank you.”

Then came the second sister, who was also surprised to see her brother in law speaking to a neighbour about a certain money matter.

“We came to see you,” she said.

“To see me? Why?”

“Are you all right now?”

“Nothing wrong happened to me.”

“I am happy to hear that.”

“You have got some wrong information about me.”

The second sister knew that there was something misunderstood. So she kept silent. Then came the youngest family with all his family members. He saw his brother in law talking to a three wheeler driver about some matter. That was something that he could not understand. The conversation was quizzical. They all met the elder sister who was worried.

“We didn’t see anything wrong with our brother in law,” they said.

“I am sorry if I had troubled you. But he didn’t actually talk for two long days. Not a hum. So I was worried. That’s why I came to see our eldest brother. I am happy you all came to our place.”

“This really is a family gathering,’ said the brother in law entering the house with a friend.

“So then we all should wish you good health,” said the elder brother.

“But let’s have dinner party,” responded the brother in law.