A Perfect Couple

A short story....

Paritosh and Paromita lay in bed. Sleep eluded them on this warm summer night. In a few days they would be celebrating their silver jubilee wedding anniversary. Theyconsider they have found the perfect soulmate in each other. They had been friends since college. In fact Paritosh, Paromita and Kaushik were very good friends in those days.

They had first met when they were members of a film society. All of them were filmbuffs. Kaushik was then studying Master of Surgery in a top medical school. Paromitarecalled that Kaushik had fallen in love and written several letters to her. Eventually whenParomita had replied in the negative, one fine day Kaushik disappeared for an unknown destination.

Surprisingly, Paritosh was also thinking of the same events that had transpired in their life.Nostalgically Paritosh remembered some of the good times and vacation he had enjoyedwith Paromita. His rival Kaushik was a very bright and promising young doctor. Suddenly,when he left for that unknown destination he was never heard of again. Where did hedisappear?

Paritosh didn’t disclose to Paromita that one day before Kaushik left he caught him offguardtalking to a local goon in a pub. What were they discussing? All of a sudden, beads of perspirationcould be seen in Paritosh’s brows. He was seeing blood all around!!! He could see very distinctivelya very familiar face being stabbed, and his body being carried away to be dumped off somewhere.Frightened, he snuggled up to Paromita in bed. Seeing him sweat so profusely, Paromita asked

“What’s the matter, hon?”

“Nothing,” replied Paritosh.

Soon after, Paritosh recalled another incident. He actually knew that after his disappearance, Kaushikworked very hard and acquired sufficient skills as a plastic surgeon. Kaushik could do wonder withchanging disfigured human faces and transform them into objects of everlasting beauty.

“Isn’t he working on his own face now? What the hell is he doing with himself?”

As if by a magic wand Paritosh witnessed Kaushik’s face change into exactly like his own. He could betthat no one would be able to tell that Kaushik isn’t Paritosh now. He even seems to have copied Paritosh’smannerisms and traits in the meanwhile. A difference did exist in their stature by an inch or so, though itisn’t too easy to vouch with a naked eye. After undergoing this radical surgery, Kaushik literally borrowedParitosh’s face and identity to carry out his mission.

Paromita was also fooled all these years. Even in these twenty-five years of their life of togetherness shehasn’t really been able to uncover the fact. Kaushik, a.k.a. Paritosh in his modern incarnation heaved a sighof relief at this fact and kissed Paromita gently.....

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