Swapping by Hiranya Borah
Swapping
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By Hiranya Borah
Copyright 2016 Hiranya Borah
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Preface
The word swapping now-a-days means exchange of spouses among the friends. Traditional people look this phenomenon as degradation of social and moral value. But in this story, I am not going to say anything on exchanging of spouses among friends. I am going to tell you a story where swapping of souls between two individuals having diametrically opposite feelings for each other. Ultimately whose feelings prevails to be ssen!
Hope my readers will like the inner message of the story.
Author
Chapter I: Near Fatal Accident
Manoj and Sameer are two good friends. They are from same village and went to same school and to the same college. However, due to financial constraints, Manoj went to Local University for his masters and Sameer went to USA for his masters. But their friendship never diminished. After completion of their studies, Sameer settled in New York, USA and Manoj settled in Bangalore, India.
Sameer married a Russian girl, Angela from Washington. After one year of his marriage, when he was invited to attend marriage of Manoj at Bangalore, he was excited to be back to India for his friend’s marriage. When he told about his impending visit to India, Angela also showed her interest to accompany her husband. He agreed to take Angela along with him for a month so that he could visit his parents in his village along with Angela. Angela became very excited to visit an Indian village about which she heard many things from her husband.
Sameer booked their tickets in such a way that he could reach Bangalore two days prior to the marriage to be solemnized at their ancestral village which is situated at a distance of around 100 KMs.
But unfortunately, Sameer and his wife Angela could not attend the marriage due extreme bad weather at New York. In fact, 4000 flights from or to New York could not fly out or fly in, in almost seven days’ worst ever weather condition prevailed in East Coast of USA in the recent memories. So, when Sameer and his wife was able to reach Bangalore, marriage of Manoj with Samhita was over three days before. Both Samhita and Manoj received Sameer and Angela at Bangalore airport. Angela, after landing at the Bangalore airport, realized Indian airports are as good as any other airports in the world. Further, the warmth shown by Manoj and his wife Samhita made Angela very happy on her first visit to her husband's country.
Whenever you meet a friend’s wife, your feeling should be like meeting your own sister. But unfortunately, Sameer did not feel like that about Samhita.
Manoj’s newly-wed Samhita was a beautiful girl with all modern etiquette. She hugged Angela and Sameer as their closest friends so did Manoj with Sameer and Angela. Manoj immediately made a rapport of an elderly brother with Angela.
After taking coffee and snacks, all four started their journey towards their village by Manoj’s SUV. Manoj was at the wheel and Sameer occupied the other seat at the front. Both the ladies occupied the rear seats. Sameer and Manoj shared their sweet memories of childhood days. There was some occasional leg-pulling by the friends. Though they were talking, Sameer was disturbed by the beauty of Samhita and her lovely voice. On the other hand, Samhita was very happy to see a brother in Sameer.
Manoj was driving at a moderate speed of forty to fifty KM per hour as the road was not a four/ six lane Central Highway. Most of the Central Highways are ‘one way’ and on the other hand, most of the State Highways are not ‘one way’. As the way leading to Manoj’s village is a State Highway only, expectedly it is not a ‘one way’ and therefore, he was cautious in driving while talking with Sameer and Angela.
When they were hardly thirty minutes away from their destination, a car from the opposite direction losing control veered at one side of Manoj’s car where Sameer was sitting. Luckily, the other car was also not at a very high speed. However, Sameer hit the dash board of the car and fell unconscious, without apparent serious injury. Fortunately, no other occupant was injured.
Sameer was immediately taken to the nearest hospital. To utter disappointments, Sameer went to coma.
Chapter II: A Horrible Swapping
Actually, Sameer was almost dead and he saw Samhita was also almost dead in the accident. Luckily both Manoj and Sameer’s wife Angela survived the accident without any major injury. He saw an ugly person (might be carrier of souls after death) was trying to pull him up. But suddenly, the ugly person vanished and a saintly person appeared. As soon as he appeared Sameer felt that all his pain in his head and body vanished.
With an authoritative voice the saintly person said, ‘Every person has to follow some social and moral norms. Whenever, one violets, he or she is punished by the law of the country or by the society from which he or she belongs. However, in extreme case, God gives the sinner exemplary punishment. As per social norm, wife of a friend should be like his own sister. Whenever, that is violated God directly decides of His own, the quantum of punishment to be awarded against the sinner. In your case, a sin has cropped up in your mind. No doubt, you have not initiated any action in the wrong direction. Therefore, to correct your thinking process, God has decided a unique punishment for you. He sent me to execute your punishment. Since Samhita has not a partner in your crime, only you will be punished. I shall swap your soul with Samhita for next few days. You will carry your memory with you while occupying her body whereas she will not carry any memory as Samhita while entering into your body. You have to go through humiliation and agony for your deeds.’ Saying those words the saintly man vanished into the thin air.
Within no time as uttered by the holy man, to punish Sameer for his unholy lust for Samhita, newly-wed wife of Manoj, keeping Sameer’s memory intact his soul was swapped with Samhita’s soul.
So, identity of the two persons underwent change: Body of Sameer controlled by soul of Samhita, body of Samhita contains the soul of Sameer.
Chapter III: What a Mess
Both Sameer and Samhita got sense immediately after the holy man vanished. A new life for Sameer started with the body of Samhita. As Samhita, did not carry memory of Samhita, she behaved like a male with a male body. Sameer did not understand how he should behave like a lady.
In the next few days, everyone in Manoj’s family taunted him for behaving sometimes like a man. Somehow, he managed his new life for other members of the family and friends of Manoj as a dutiful wife of his friend. But as night used to descend, his problem and unlimited humiliation used to start.
Sleeping with Manoj at night was nothing short of a nightmare for Sameer. On the first night, he thwarted Manoj’s advances by saying he was too tired and absolutely in no mood for any love making exercise as the accident scene was still vivid in his mind. Manoj was a very understanding husband for Samhita and he did not force anything which might hurt Samhita mentally.
But on the second night, as dusk descended, the holy man appeared before Sameer. ‘If you try to avoid Manoj and do not fulfil the obligation of a dutiful wife to her husband, your ordeal will not be over. So, it is your choice, how long you want to reside in Samhita’s body.’
As holy man vanished into the thin air, Sameer thought to cry a lot. But somehow, he controlled himself.
On that night, having no alternative, he offered his body to Sameer as a dutiful wife. As and when, on that night onwards, Manoj made intimate interactions with Samhita (Sameer), his legitimate wife, Sameer’s soul was humiliated like never before in his life.
With a m
He was further intensely hurt, when Samhita (with the body of Sameer) made physical intimacy with Angela in presence of Sameer (with his own body). Sameer’s humiliation was complete. This continued for next few days. Sameer was praying to God to reduce his punishment of humiliation.
Through the humiliation, Sameer understood about his crime, a moral one. He started repenting for his misdeeds and finally one day he thanked God for even the punishment which purified his soul.
Chapter IV: What a Relief
After few days, the holy man appeared before Sameer. Sameer grabbed his feet and asked mercy from God through him.
The holy man smiled and said, ‘Get up my child, God thinks enough punishment has been given to you. As you repented for your deeds, your repentance endeared you to the Almighty. Therefore, I have been sent to reallocate your souls to the original places. Luckily for you, Samhita could not read your feelings for her, otherwise you would not be able to face her. However, before I exchange your soul, you have to promise me, you are not going to say anyone what happened to you in the last few days and you have to love Samhita as your younger sister throughout your life. You have to stand by her in any eventuality, but always as an elder brother only.’
The moment Sameer uttered his promise to the holy man, Sameer got his earlier male body. Pain of the body and mind vanished as the holy man vanished into the thin air.
As he opened up his eyes after in coma for three days, his wife and friends heaved a sigh of relief. Doctor told Angela that Sameer was out of danger. She kissed Sameer on his fore head. Manoj and Samhita were also standing near the bed where Sameer was lying like a dead body for the last three days.
Angela told Sameer, ‘You are alive today for the prayer and nursing of Samhita who was all along with you without any food and sleep. I have not been always with you in the last three days, but she was always with you. Now I understand, for an Indian lady what a brother means to her. She is your own sister born from another mother!’
Sameer closed his eyes. Other people thought he closed his eyes because of tiredness, but he closed his eyes out of sheer shame to look at the eyes of Manoj and Samhita!
Unaware of the turmoil inside Sameer’s mind, Samhita was passing her fingers in Sameer’s hair saying, ‘Take rest my dear brother. I have no brother of my own, I was thinking God has gifted a brother to me in you, so I demanded my God, he cannot take away you from me. God has heard my inner voice. He saved you. I am your younger sister, I have to talk with you for hours together. But take rest now. We have a long way to go.’
Sameer understood, he had been under hallucination for the last three days when Samhita was nursing and praying to God to save his life as a younger sister.
Tears were rolling down from Sameer’s closed eyes.
The author is a Government servant and a man of vivid experiences derived from his official postings across the country, travels across India and numerous visits outside India. He is presently placed at New Delhi.
His earlier publications are:
1.Random Thoughts through a Coloured Prism
2. Dilemma of a Young Mind
3. Funny Statistics and Serious Statisticians
4. Melody of Fragrance
5. Akhadya
6. Few Cities through the Lens of Hiranya Borah
7. Guilt: Gift of Winter Spring
8. Beautiful Ghost
9. Great Fighters: Grace of God
10. All Blurred
11. Putting kids to sleep
12.How to become unpopular
13. Soulmates
14. My grumpy Face
15. Love and Worries
16. Discussion of own Birth: A Taboo
17. Interview
18. Indecent Love Affairs
19. My Fair Lady
20.Waiting time
21. Two Stories
22. My Mother: Dashami Borah
23. Parineeta
24. Manorama
25. Unwanted
26. First Attempt
27. A father
28. The Portrait
29. Snapped Thread
30. Only He Knows
31. The Stupid Mother
32. The Same Old Story
33. The Old Scoundrel
34. Third Attempt
35. Some of my First Days and First Nights
36. Snubbed Twice
37. Have You Met the God
38. Frequent Flier
39. Messiah
40. Forgive and Forget
41. To Win or to lose
42. Call Girl
43. Beyond Blood Relation
44. Lady with a Black Car
45. My wife
46.Complete Woman
47. Diwali Gift
48. Romance with a Lady
49. Open Hear Surgery
50. My First Love
51. Replacement
52. Pebbles on My Way Home
53. My First Bengali Book
54. Murder Mystery
55. Niharika
Connect with him
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