Killing a Cat - Big Bang Theory

Dipa nodded her head to indicate to the Boss to go on. "My wife Shikha has left me for good. She left over just a small tiff. She has served me a divorce notice. I have never fought any legal battle so far. I never went to court. I am completely out of gear. I feel socially and morally all alone. I do not know how to deal with this situation. In this situation, I was unable to control my urge to express my love to you, seeing your deep and sincere affection. I am sorry for my impulsively touching and kissing you. I really am."

Dipa looked at the crestfallen face of the Boss. There were tears in his eyes. She sat on the chair in front of the Boss, took Boss's one hand in her hands and wiping tears from Boss's eyes, she said, "What nonsense! Owner of such a big company rolling tears like this? Not good! Why shed tears for someone, who was never yours in the first place? And don't you dare say sorry to me again. You used the word love for me. A lover does not say sorry to his beloved. I understand your overflowing feelings. I do not mind it. Somji, I love you too. So what are you sorry about? However, there is one thing that is eating me for some time."

The Boss looked at her waiting for her to go on.

Dipa said, "I understand that a divorce is very bitter and painful. However, in your case, I do not feel that there is any need for you to be so much over powered by negativity. She was not a good wife for you. Secondly, you do not have children to worry too much about. In fact I would call it a good riddance. Then for heaven's sake, why are you so perturbed?"

The Boss looked at my wife understandingly and nodding his face he said, "Dipa you are very right. I am not really unhappy that she has gone. I am unhappy that I have been branded as a bad husband. I tried to please her as much as I could. She had expensive habits, being a daughter of rich father and I felt that sometimes I went far beyond my means to placate her. But to my every effort there was only rejection, hurling of insults and invectives. From the first day, she felt I am grossly inadequate for her. She made me feel as if I was impotent, poor, dumb and what not. I could never stand up to her since the first day of our marriage."

Dipa looked thoughtfully at the Boss and half smiling said, "Somji, the reason she dominated you was because you did not kill the cat."

Boss looked surprised at Dipa. He asked, "What do you mean?"

Dipa replied, "There is a saying in our language among men that a husband must kill a cat in front of his wife on the first night of his marriage. She will be so scared seeing this, that through their life, she will never dare to dominate her hubby."

My Boss looked perplexed at Dipa, wondering what she meant. Dipa said, "This saying has been carried forward from the days of the sword era. The cat is wife's ego. Some of the girls carry huge ego due to their beauty or father's status, wealth or whatever. For a happy married life, a hubby must kill the cat which crosses his path on the first night, to show to his wife that he is not to be taken for granted. The wife must know that he is the head of the family and must be given due respect and love,"

My Boss almost jumped with child like enthusiasm. He clapped his hands and then moderated his reaction and said, "Dipa, this is exactly what! That is exactly what I am feeling sad about. I feel the same way. I wish I had disciplined her on the first night of our marriage. How I wish I had done that. Even after that, if she had not changed, at least I would not be feeling sorry for myself. I wish I had slapped her hard the first time she let loose her abuses. I would have been a happy man today."

Dipa said, "Boss forget it. It's all done and over."

My Boss however, stuck to his point and said, "No Dipa, it's not over. I feel so upset with myself that I did not do it. I wish so badly that I had slapped her hard across her face."

Dipa held Boss's hands and said, "Sir, you are too good a man to do that. Of course at times you have to be what you do not want to be. Never mind if you did not do that."

My Boss again could not control his emotions and moved to grab my wife in his arms and hugged her. He said, "Dipa I am sorry but when I hear you talking so sweetly, I feel something inside me going berserk."

Dipa looked at the Boss admonishingly and said, "Please stop saying sorry again and again. I consider you not just as my friend, but an intimate one. And an intimate friend does not say sorry for such mild but sweet indiscretions."

The Boss looked at my wife perplexed. She caught my Boss's one ear and twitching it in her fingers she asked, "I hope you remember the deep meaning of 'intimate' where love is concerned?"

When the Boss did not speak, she replied, "Intimate person is one who is intimately connected with his or her mate. It means, a close lover, with whom one does not have any inhibitions. You may talk with your intimate friend anything and everything without exception. So what you have done in expressing your feelings is ok."

My Boss had no words to say. He just looked at my wife with baffled widely open eyes. Then playing with Boss's fingers Dipa asked casually, "Please tell me what happened exactly? What kind of spat you had with Shikha (Boss's wife)?"

The Boss's face turned pale hearing his wife's name. He said, "Dipa it is a long story starting with the time, I was involved with her. I do not care to hear her name any more. It pains me to talk about her. Her father was a big investor in my company. Once he invited me to his house and I met his daughter Shikha. I was a different guy than. I was exuberant, enthusiastic and bubbling with ideas. She was impressed with my youth and vigor. I was not particularly impressed with her and did not give her a second look."

Dipa was all ears and looked intensely at the Boss's face to urge him to continue. The Boss carried on, "She talked to her father and her father proposed that I should get married to Shikha. Her father had invested heavily in our company and I wanted to maintain relations with him. That was my biggest blunder. A daughter of a rich father, she did not care much for me after the marriage. I tried to take care of her in all possible ways. However, she had 'My father is so rich' kind of attitude and she cared damn about my sentiments. She was never my wife in true sense. I did not spare an effort to make my marriage successful. She did not lose an opportunity to make me feel small in front of my friends and relatives. I did everything I could but that wasn't good enough for her."

It looked clearly that my Boss was getting a bit agitated while narrating unhappy events to my wife. He would certainly not have gone to this extent opening up his inner most emotions to anyone else. However, my wife's empathetic, affable and serious intent of listening; made my Boss continue the story of his miseries.

He said, "Dipa from the first night of the marriage, Shikha started showing signs of superiority, impatience and indifference to me. She had a premarital affair and that man started coming to our house in my absence. He would stay through the day when I was at business and even stayed for a few days, when I went out of town. She began hating me and avoided or looked down on my friends, relatives." Boss slipped into depressed tone as he spoke.

Dipa kept nodding her head egging the Boss on. The Boss looked distant as if seeing his past in front of his eyes. He continued, "She splurged money on her dress, makeup and ran out of money almost as soon as I gave her. She would then ring up her father and got money from him. I disliked it and told her not to ask money from her father. She did not like my advice. She just cared for money and nothing more."

Dipa interjected sympathetically, "Sir I know when your own behaves..."

The Boss looked at Dipa and cut her short. He said emphatically, "I don't want such a person as my life partner. She did not care for my sentiments and slept with that guy who kept, you know, doing her, in my bed when I was away." My Boss said hesitating as he was speaking. "Dipa I am sorry for my language."

Dipa held Boss's hand in her hands and said gently, "Please do not keep saying sorry again and again. I understand. Please do not use subtle words. Let out all your hurt and deeply buried emotions and say openly what you want to say Boss. We are all adults. I know what sex is all about and have had as much sex as anyone else had. So do not feel hesitant and hide behind subtle and sophisticated words."

Boss looked strangely at Dipa and scolded her, "You called me Boss again? No Boss, no Sir now. Ok?"

Dipa caught her ear and said, "Sorry Somji. But treat me as an adult person and not like a delicate typical Indian female. Talk to me like you talk to any close adult male friend please."

The Boss asked, "Are you sure?"

Dipa nodded her head slightly, maintaining deeply intent look on her face. Boss continued, "Ok dear. Thanks for being my sincere friend. I was telling you how that lover guy fucked my slut wife day and night, in my absence."

My Boss looked at my wife's face to be sure that she did not mind the use of the four letter word. To his relief Dipa was keenly listening to him, without the slightest trace of awkwardness. He continued after a brief pause, "May be she found him better in bed. But better is not the right word; because she had never let me fuck her. She has not seen my dick. How could she decide if he was better in bed? Anyway, after getting fucked black and blue by that guy, now she has slapped me with a divorce notice. How I wish I had physically slapped her first. How I wish I had killed the cat on the first night of our marriage." The Boss looked quite embarrassed and agitated.

Dipa was deeply in thought hearing the Boss's narration. She asked with some hesitation, "Somji, has she asked for any alimony or financial compensation in the divorce notice?"

The Boss shook his head and said, "No. Shikha would never ask for money from me. That would be demeaning for her. She is too proud to ask for money. She has simply asked for a divorce."

Dipa held Boss's hands and said, "Boss, sorry, Somji, that is very good. I do not fully know about your relationship with Shikha. All the same, I suggest that you do not need to think anymore of her. Believe me Somji, if she is not asking for any alimony, it is a good riddance. Consider the whole thing as a wound that you got. It will heal as the time passes and I shall try to make it heal faster. Dipak and I are with you. Please forget her as soon as possible and start a new life."

The Boss looked at Dipa and said, Dipa, It is not hard to forget her. However, I cannot forget the deep hurt."

Dipa squeezed Boss's hand and said, "Somji, your life is more important than her. It is only better to forget her and the hurt and to move on. I shall try to help you forget her and her hurt. But for that you will have to come here after the office. I suggest that after your work at the office, you spend some time with us and have dinner with us daily. We shall talk about the office and anything else. You will get over it sooner than you think you can, I assure you."

I gleefully noted that Dipa had made it a point to put a condition that the Boss must go to the office before coming to her for dinner, without specifically asking him to.

Dipa stood up and made the Boss also stand up and said, "Boss, Sorry, I have so much respect for you that I just cannot avoid calling you sir."

The Boss immediately smiled. For the first time that evening, the Boss seemed to have smiled instinctively. He stood up holding Dipa's hands in his and said, "Do not respect me Dipa. I do not like respect from you. Respect is devoid of love. But love inherently includes respect. We respect our teachers, nation, President etc. But we love our mom, dad friend, lovers, child etc. There is a veil of formality between you and the person you respect. Therefore you always address them with Sir, Mr. Miss Etc. However, the ones you love expect no formalities. So Dipa, I would like you to stop respecting me and start loving me if you will. If you do love me, who I think you do, stop calling me Sir and Boss."

I could see that the Boss indirectly told Dipa that he loves her and that he would like her to love him. Their talk was getting a bit intimate. I liked the way the Boss was getting out of his morose state and getting back to his original self. However, I was afraid of his getting back into despondency, when he would again be alone. That was a point, I needed to think about.

Dipa covered both her cheeks with her palms in amazement and looking at the Boss exclaimed with evident surprise, "Somji, God! You are a philosopher so as per your theory, I love you respectfully Somji!"

Hearing Dipa's words, the Boss eyes sparkled with joy. He said, "No need to love me respectfully Dipa. Just love me. That's all." The Boss moved forward, grabbing Dipa by her waist, pulling her close to him. He caught Dipa hard in his arms and pressed his lips hard on her lips.

Dipa was taken completely by surprise. She looked into the eyes of my Boss and saw raw hunger in his eyes. She withdrew from the kiss and placed a finger on Boss's lips. She said, "No Somji, not so soon. You have to make a promise to me before you express your love."

Boss was taken aback. He looked surprised at Dipa and asked, "Yes sure, Dipa. Tell me."

Dipa said, "Somji, first and foremost, your company has suffered erosion in customer confidence, consequently sales have nosedived. The situation has caused question mark in the minds of the employees and investors. Your focus has dimmed and needs to be re-centered. A concrete action plan with timeline is needed. That is the priority of the hour. I want your firm commitment that you will show me your business plan with time line with the objective of pulling the company out of the sticky situation that it is in, immediately."

Boss looked with disbelief at Dipa and said, "Yes but why must you raise this topic now?"

Dipa looked at Somji with full earnestness and said, "Do you know Somji, this is no small matter. It means livelihood of 50 persons, who are employees of your company. I want to be sure that they will keep their jobs and prosper."

Boss looked straight at Dipa and said, "Yes Dipa you are absolutely right. I strayed from my responsibilities and allowed my focus to be diverted. I promise that I shall fully focus on the task and will try hard to forget the past. I shall prepare the comeback business plan and implement it as soon as possible."

Dipa smiled at the Boss. She said, "I want it to be done immediately. When I say immediately, I mean in a day or two at the most."

Boss said, "Yes Boss. You will have the business plan in less than two days"

Dipa smiled. She stretched her hands to take the Boss in her arms. Boss hugged Dipa hard and placed his lips on her lips. He kissed her hard and began nibbling Dipa's lower lip.

Dipa kissed him back for just a few seconds. Dipa then pushed his hands away affectionately and said mischievously so that the Boss would not feel offended, "There will be plenty of time for that Somji. Don't be in hurry! Be patient. My hubby, Dipak must be on his way."

I thought that was the right time for my entry. I pressed the bell. Dipa cooed from inside, "The door is open. Come in."

When I entered, the Boss was seated on the chair near the dining table and Dipa was placing the food on the dining table. When she raised her eyes to look at me, her cheeks had turned red and her eyes betrayed her shyness. Boss's kissing her had inflamed passions inside her. It was the first time perhaps that anyone other than her husband had kissed her so passionately.

Trying to control her blushes, she asked me nonchalantly, "How come you were so late?"

I quickly placed Ice cream in the fridge and other things at their appropriate place and lied, "The store close to us had closed. I had to walk a long distance." She must have guessed that I was lying, but did not say anything.

I sat by the side of the Boss and carried on routine formal chat. After dinner, when the Boss rose up to leave, Dipa said, "I shall send your lunch with Dipak every day. We shall be delighted if in the evening, after office, you will come and have dinner with us here."

The Boss said, "I would like it very much if both of you come to my house and stay with me for a few days. I live alone in the big house. I am fed up with the loneliness. I will feel much happy if you will spend a few days with me in my house so I will get used to being without my past baggage. I shall be much obliged. If you agree, we could even go out of town for two or three days." When the Boss said this, his voice became heavy and he had wetness in his eyes.

Dipa could not bear to see the Boss getting so emotional. She hugged Boss and said, "Somji, we shall certainly come and stay with you for some days. We would love to go out with you as you suggested."

The Boss seemed very happy at the positive response from Dipa. He said, "That would be very nice Dipa. We could go out for a few days on a holiday. It would be a change for you both and also for me."

Dipa blurted out inadvertently, "I hope Shikhaji won't change her mind and return if she hears that we were staying with you."

As soon as she said that, she realized, she had made a blunder; as the Boss's face darkened. He said, "Dipa, please for God's sake do not mention her name in front of me ever again. I hate that woman. I feel like I should have blasted that woman the first time she behaved arrogantly with me, my guests or relatives. She would have then got subdued or left me that very moment and things would not have come to this pass. I would have got rid of all this bitterness and frustration that has gathered all these years inside me."

Dipa looked at me embarrassed. I said, "Leave Shikha alone, Sir." Changing the subject I said, "Rather than our going and staying in your house, would it not be better for you to come here and have your dinner and spend some time with us daily?"

The Boss looked at me gravely. His face showed disappointment at my reluctance to move into their house. He said, "Dipak you are right. May be it would be perhaps inconvenient for you to move in with me. However, I feel it would be a good change for you and Dipa. I shall also have the pleasure of your company through the day and late evenings. Besides, I shall keep looking forward to coming to my house. Off late, I have developed revulsion to this property. Can you not come and stay with me for a few days for my sake please?"

I was trying to make a counter argument when the Boss looked at Dipa and said, "We may even go out of town to some hill station in my car and spend some time in a hotel in Shimla or Mussorie at my expense. You two can have your second honeymoon and you will not have to spend any money for it. This is my humble suggestion. The rest is up to you. How can I force you to accept it?" Boss's face fell when he completed the sentence.

Perhaps my wife realized that it would be better to accept the Boss's invitation to make him recover faster from his depression. She jumped and clapped excitedly like a child; who was offered her long time wish. She asked me enthusiastically, "Dipak, going to hill station without spending money? Wow! This is a chance of life time. You have never taken me on a honeymoon trip. If Sir is taking us why not we go dear?"

I looked at my wife sharply and said, "Dipa that would perhaps be the first time in history where three people went on a honeymoon."

Dipa realized that she had messed up. Trying to repair the damage she said, "Never mind the Honeymoon; it would be a great fun to go out to hill stations with you and the Boss."