THE MORAL DILEMMA

THE MORAL DILEMMA

The  beautiful lady stately, a shade short of fifty with a  silk sari and a purdah all wrapped around , an aroma accompanying her ,looked at me and smiled and  she appeared very familiar. We were seated in the corner of dining hall of the best hotel in the city , talking , nodding  and smiling . She had fixed the place and invited me. I,  Albert, looked at her profile again and her name rang a bell. " You seem to have forgotton me " she spoke coyly . " It is nearly three decades since I spoke to you" .
Albert then was able to  recall her, hearing her voice . She was his college batch mate in the medical  college and  their  friendly  relationship last  for six  years during the course. .She was a very religious person and orthodox too . She  was good in her academics and she had helped him  a lot financially and  also in his studies which helped him to pass through all his subjects . When their course in the college ended , Albert  managed to boldly ask her to marry him  , not expecting much .She smiled and said " I come from a family , very orthodox that I cannot think of doing it .Let us be good friends"  Her frankness endeared her more , but  he knew she was out of his reach . Latter  he learnt she had married a boy of her own caste and bore two children. She had married a doctor and at present she was  settled in Mumbai.
She had come to visit her ailing aunt and took the opportunity to meet me. He  knew she had a purpose or an agenda to meet him in a secretive common place .
She perhaps read his mind and stated " it is my family problem" . He raised his  eyebrows and smiled to comfort her to open up. " You know how orthodox we are and equally religious with very  high morality" . He was equally curious now as she had raised the same narrative when  he proposed to her .  He   giggled and she appeared hurt . " you had raised the same when I proposed to you "  . He  said to alley her doubts.
She smiled " yes .I meant it" .
  " I know  so, I humbly retreated thereafter" .
"Did I hurt you ?"
"Off course , you did, but I was prepared, knowing very  well  it will not work with you".
" If it was in the present , I would have eloped with you " she smiled haughtily .
"Well ,things have changed now"   He retorted.
" Yes , it is worse now . In fact I came to discuss about it and get your counsel on how to manage it as you are now a famous Psychiatrist. I brushed aside her eulogy and
shifted forward in my chair and was all ears.
         " My husband died about 5 years ago . I have two sons.  First son is a businessman and is hardly interested in it .He had lost more than he could earn . He is also a homosexual .I don't know where he got the habit .Probably in the hostel in college . So, I married him to a beautiful educated girl hoping he would become heterosexual. 
" But he is a bisexual now"  he countered.
" Yes , How did you say it correctly " she asked . " Well , it is the normal course of events when you  marry a beautiful girl .He cannot leave her nor his habit ,as both are too tempting". She appeared frustrated.
         He was too curious . Before she lapsed into silence unable to bear the frustration He  asked  "what happened" . " I lost hope in him as  they were going about it without any semblance of abase .  I thought things might improve if a kid is born . I send both for  infertility investigtion  and  both are normal".
" So, they did not consummate often "  He  chipped in .  "Oh, my God you are one step ahead of me.
"I enquired and found to my chagrin that he is not interested very much  in her  sexually and prefers boys, who come to see him regularly .
" She also refuses his advance because of his preferences " he chipped in .
" Maybe " she replied.
" You could have stopped  them coming " He  countered her .
" I did  and then he started going out with them .It became worse" .
" You have a younger son ... and he got into trouble" .
" You  speak as though you know everything in our family  " she chidded me .  " My daughter in law in her angry and frustration   lured the younger boy . He was a handsome good chap".
" Is it your conjecture?"
" No , No , I have seen  both my sons indulging immorally with my own eyes .They have no qualms about it. They do it openly . My elder son knows it and he is obfuscate and only expects  his wife  to leave him alone" .
He could see the helplessness creeping in her and the sense of her loosing control  over her family situation . She could not tolerate their attempt to uphold the morality of a family as  it was slowly crumbling . " My relatives and friends  hold me responsible for the debacle".
He  could see the confusing issue of morality which her parents had imbibed in her and the opposite of it occurring in her own house and her helplessness regarding it .
" We realise only now why our parents restricted us morally . We allowed our children reckless freedom and they have broken the moral fabric of the family. We regret it now but it is too late". 
" You should have allowed only resonable freedom and then they would  have learnt the value of a good family life" He  chipped in. She nodded pensively .  He was indebted to her for her help during  his college days without any condition and strings attached.
" I shall think and delibrate upon it and provide you  a  fair solution " He said to buy time.
         He could not find a good solution but there were certain option that if diligently followed and applied  could  bring a change in the behaviour of her sons . There is nothing  that can be imposed on them directly as they cannot be expected to cooperate.
         After a week we met at the same place. She appeared to be a little better as there was an expectant sparkle in her eyes. After a few minutes of reminiscing our bygones,  he started in right earnest.  "There are a few options that you have to follow on your own without giving any indication that you are doing it , to change them ".
She looked askance " why the secrecy?  Otherwise , they will take an evasive action or react in the beginning itself once they know your intentional purpose. It will not fructify later". He  stated all the options and she choose the first , the very best   and left very confident as though she would conquer the world . She contacted me on and off and sought my advice through discussion. She  was a stickler for details and carried it out with an obsession . He knew  she possessed  the trait  even earlier during her college days.
        A year later he had been to a conference to Mumbai but forgot to take her phone number .After the conference   he was dead tired and went to his room to rest . The calling bell sounded  irritating . He opened to find her tall and stately. " I need just five minutes " she opened up.  He saw her smile and her self confidence .
He ushered  her in . His  tiredness seem to vanish seeing her .His expectation on the positivity of her bearings just boyd him . " I carried out the first option and it worked well .I took over the business and gave more responsibilities to my elder son and kept him busy . I spoke to my daughter in law emphasizing  that I needed a grand child  very badly  ,and  he or she would become an heir to all the wealth. She is now close to my son and she is pregnant . I spoke to the boys to leave my son alone and they complied after they understood that my elder son was not interested in them.  I got a job for my second son and send him far away . He hardly comes home. I am searching for a good looking orthodox girl for him " .
" Like you " he  added.
She smiled and added" we have to create the right situation to apply morality and responsibility for the present generation . For us , sermons was enough. That was the way you capped up the options you gave me . You are a worthy friend whom I shall cherish throughout  my life " . She then bade me farewell as it was too late an hour.
" I shall bother you now and then" she finished.
"You are most wellcome " He  called back .
He slept like a log, the tiredness and the good radiance engulfing him.