A love of responsibility(Ayush Kumar) A LOVE OF RESPONSIBILITY
BY Ayush

Martha’s life revolved around Binny and Scott. Scott, Martha’s husband, as Martha would tell her neighbors, was the ‘Prince Charming’ of her dreams. They had fallen in love, like decent love stories have it, at first sight. Scott’s job as a banker and his handsome salary were enough to convince Martha’s upright stern father to allow them to marry. They did marry and received a beautiful gift from God in the shape of Binny, their baby girl.

It was in the evening of the summer of 1999, that Scott was informed about the severe operation of his friend’s wife and that she needed blood as soon as possible. Scott didn’t miss a second and drove to the Courtesy Hospital. He donated blood and after a whole lot of appreciation from his friend and friend’s family, decided to drive back. He was feeling a bit drowsy and weak at the same time. He didn’t notice the uncontrolled car that rammed against his. The accident took away Scott’s life. The accident didn’t take Martha’s life but it did take away her reason to live.
But Martha had to live, if not for herself then for her daughter. Martha decided to look for a job and went to talk to the manager of the bank Scott worked in. The manager was a kind hearted man and taking pity on Martha he gave her the card of one Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown edited ‘Hope Town Local’, a local newspaper. Martha visited his office and asked for a job. Mr. Brown asked her to write an article on the climate of the town. She wrote it. He liked it. She got the job.

Working with the Hope Town local a year passed. Martha and Mr. Brown‘s relation had evolved into something Brown dared to admit and Martha chose to ignore. Though they agreed on the fact that they were good friends. It was a Saturday and Martha asked Mr. Brown if he would mind joining Martha to her father’s house. Mr. Brown agreed but not before convincing Martha to come to his house after that. He asked her to bring Binny as well.
Martha and Mr. Brown had a great day at her father’s house. Martha’s father was particularly fond of Binny. He and Mr. Brown talked over drink. They talked a lot of trash and Martha’s father suddenly began to cry in the arms of Mr. Brown. Something had reminded him about Martha’s mother. Laying his head upon Mr. Brown’s shoulder, he sobbed like a baby. Mr. Brown tapped him gently on his back. It was Binny who first realized that her maternal grandpa didn’t respond to the tickle, he otherwise did cheerfully. Martha’s father died of heart failure.
That day Martha for the first time held Mr. Brown tight against her bosom and with her face dipped in his chest cried to her heart’s content. Little Binny didn’t understand much but she knew for sure something was wrong and held her mother’s hand tight.

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To release Martha from the stress of the past happenings a month later, Mr. Brown drove Martha to a pub. Martha, a woman in her late thirties, was no than less a ‘Venus’ walking the land of men. There was no man in the pub who didn’t cast a look at the artistic piece of God. Charlie, an old friend of Mr. Brown, had smiled slyly when he saw Mr. Brown carrying an overly drunk Martha out of the pub. He knew his friend was to be the lucky man that day.
Brown’s eyes reflected the desire rising in his heart. The woman that lay at the back seat of his car was one of a kind and she was all his. He felt the restlessness and drove as fast as he could. He had never felt ‘this’, that was arising in his heart like a phoenix that had waited long to rise from her own ashes. Was it a mere feeling? Was it fire? Or the Devil himself had made home in his heart?
He didn’t know the answer to any of those questions. He didn’t want to, because he wanted to feed the temptation that was coming to graze upon the strings of his burning heart.
He parked the car by his house. Helped Martha through the main door. Made her lie on the bed. Binny was asleep. He paid the nanny and asked her to leave. He stepped into the bedroom. There lay the woman who was to please the Devil that had risen inside him. He went near her and sat by her side. He wanted to press his lips against hers. He touched her…it was pure lust.
It was then when he felt it…
Martha was holding his hand…it was pure love.
She was murmuring something from her slightly parted lips-
“Binny…needs me…Binny needs you Jason…Binny needs us…”
He felt something in her neck. It was a heart shaped pendant. In it were two small pictures, one of Binny, the other of Scott. Martha once had a family. Now, she didn’t. But Mr. Brown could give her the family she deserves.
He kissed Martha gently on her cheek and walked into the next room, where Binny was sleeping. A look at Binny told Mr. Brown that his feelings for Martha should be one of responsibility rather than that of boyish love. If he had to marry Martha, he should understand that he won’t take home a girlfriend but a mother; and he too, won’t marry Martha as a boyfriend but as a father that little Binny deserves. He sat on his knees and kissed Binny on her forehead. He said-
“Everything will be alright, little one…Your Mom’s here…So am I.”
He then looked up and said in a whisper-
“Scott, you were lucky to have such a family, and they were lucky to have a husband and a father like you. But now that you’re not around, I promise you friend that though I couldn’t take your place ever yet I’ll bring to your family’s life all the happiness that you from up there want them to have … one more thing friend, today I saw your picture for the first time and let me tell you little Binny has your eyes.”

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Martha and Mr. Brown got married three months later. They had a son a year later. Mr. Brown came up with a beautiful name for the boy-
Scott.

The End

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