The Unfortunate Man(Hari Prasad Shrestha) Mohan, in his sixties, has been semi-paralyzed, decrepit and senile, barely able to walk, only budges a few steps with the assistance of his wife, Subhadra. His vocal and hearing powers have been disparaged markedly. "What happened to me, why am I so weak, where is my son Dinesh?" Mohan is murmuring in a low sound; Subhadra can only understand his inner sentiments. Subhadra's eyes are full of tears and she is disheartened with the condition of her husband. "Everything will be alright; don't get discouraged, it's just a matter of time, after few weeks you will be cured completely, as doctors have told me," Subhadra says, in hoping against hope.

After a long treatment in a hospital of Nepalgunj, very nominal but disappointing improvement had been noticed. Doctors confirmed his illness as a result of intolerable harassment and stress in mind and heart due to some unusually strange incidents in his life. Now, he is taking rest in home, with medicines, and doing light exercises regularly.

A few years ago, a young girl came to the front of Mohan's house. "Is anybody home?" the unknown girl asked loudly. Subhadra looked at the girl and said, "I am here, what is the matter?" Showing a letter to Subhadra, the girl said, "I have a letter from a friend of Mr. Mohan's". Subhadra told the girl to come inside the house.

Mohan was sitting in his drawing room. The girl expressed her respect saying "Namaste", a salute to Mohan, and delivered the letter to him. After reading the letter, Mohan said, "You are Roshani, from the town of Doti, my friend Raghav has sent you to meet me. I have one room with a kitchen, on the ground floor of this house, you can live there." Roshani expressed gratitude to Mohan and Subhadra. On the recommendation of his close friend, Mohan provided the room on rent to the girl. Mohan's house was a safe and secure place for the single girl and the college she studied at was also near by the location.

Mohan and Subhara treated the girl like their own daughter. Roshani also behaved in a nice manner, as if she were their own daughter. "Don't hesitate to ask for any thing you require; this is like your own home," Subhadra told to Roshani. Roshani replied, "I am fortunate that, in such an unfamiliar town, I got guardians who are like my mother and father. If I require anything, I'll ask without hesitation."

Roshani endeared herself with the all the family members of Mohan in a short time. She was alone on the ground floor of the house, but the close relationship and help from Subhadra never let her feel alone.

Dinesh, the son of Moha, was a smart young boy. He was very positive and helpful to all. He used to work in an international organization. He was a gentle and obedient son. Dinesh was a simple guy. Roshani liked his simplicity. Roshani was also a smart girl and Dinesh liked her smartness.

In the front face of Mohan’s house, there was small beautiful garden. Taking care of green plants and flowers was an interest of Mohan's. Every day, in evening time, Mohan used to work in the garden. Subhadra and Dinesh also used to assist Mohan in gardening in their free time. Occasionally, Roshani also used to come to the garden to help them, as she had been like a member of that house.

Living in the same house for a long period of time, both Dinesh and Roshani used to meet separately in the garden. Consequently, they started to be closer, day by day, and unknowingly fell in love. Mohan and Subhadra had suspicions about their love. One day, Mohan asked Subhadra, "Have you noticed, Subhadra, the intimacy between Dinesh and Roshani?" Subhadra replied, "I was afraid to express their intimacy to you, but since you have unveiled it, it's not bad."
Roshani was a nice and beautiful girl. Her comportment was contented and undisturbed. Both Mohan and Subhadra were pleased with her behavior. They had always had conversations about the selection of a life partner by their son.

The neighbors also had suspicions about the love between Dinesh and Roshani. Some of the neighbors began arguing and cutting jokes, satirically, on their love affair, which Subhadra listened to occasionally. The open secret love affair had been the reason for tension among all inside their home. Neither Dinesh, nor his parents, were in a position to reveal or express directly this matter among each other. Who was going to disclose the fact first?! The parents were restless to hear from their son. There was a barrier of hesitation and no direct conversation between them due to the culture and family respect in the Nepalese society.

It had been a very knotty dilemna for both Mohan and Subhadra, how to ask their son about it. Both were impatient. One day, Subhadra asked her son,
"Dinesh, I would like to ask you one question?" "Yes, you may ask, mother," Dinesh said. "We have noticed your close friendship with Roshani", Subhadra asked an incomplete question of Dinesh, while glancing at his face. At first, Dinesh hesitated to say anything openly to his mother. But after continued entreat, Dinesh was impelled to reveal the truth. He replied, "Yes, mother we are in love, I was fearful whether you would accept or not, I want to marry Roshani." Subhadra extracted and pulled the ear of Dinesh, saying, "You, bad-boy." This was a green signal from Subhadra.

Subhadra narrated this information to Mohan, who was much rested to hear it. The parents gave the green signal to their son for the marriage. Both Dinesh and Roshani were happy with the acceptance from the parents of Dinesh. But for Roshani, it was not an easy task to disclose this matter to her parents, who were far away in the hilly district of western Nepal. Sending a letter, or conveying messages through telephone, were means of communications there. She sent a convincing letter to her parents about her marriage with Dinesh and also told them of this matter though telephone. Her father's tone was not delighted, and he replied that he would inform her a few days after receiving her letter.
Roshani was confident that her parents would concede to her proposition. After a few days interval, Roshani received a telephone call from her father. Roshni's father said that they were also happy with this relationship and they they accept her marriage proposal. This acceptance information gave great happiness to Dinesh and his parents. The whole house was in marriage mood.

Preparation for the marriage started in Mohan’s house. Roshani's parents also arrived in Nepalgunj from Doti, a few days prior to the marriage. They stayed in a local hotel where they were preparing for the marriage of their daughter. According to social culture, Dinesh's parent went to meet them. They asked the hand of Roshani to Dinesh for marriage, formally in a function. Roshani's father accepted the proposal. A date was being confirmed for the marriage.

In accordance with the Hindu culture, Dinesh and Roshani were married in grand manner. Both the boy's and girl's sides seemed to be very cheerful with the marriage and this new relationship. Mohan and Subhadra were very delighted with their daughter-in-law.

After a few month’s of marriage, Roshani finished her bachelor's degree. Immediately after completion of her education, she got a job in the same organization where Dinesh was working.

Mohan was very happy and relaxed after the marriage of his son as he had successfully completed the marriage of his most-loved son with a beautiful girl. Both Dinesh and Roshani used to go to the office in the morning and come back in the evening together. Subhadra was getting good support for home and kitchen work from Roshani. Everybody was feeling pleasure.

One day, Subhadra observed a different and uncomfortable behavior in attitude of Roshani. Subhadra thought that due to excess work in the office she might be tired. Subhadra advised her to take rest. But Roshani’s attitude was unusual. She was not taking much interest to talk with Subhadra. Her tone and gesture were distinct and Subhadra was surprised with her changed behavior. Roshani‘s rare and negative attitude was difficult for Subhadra to tolerate.

One day, she asked Roshani, "What happened to you, are you not feeling well?"
"I am alright, but what happened to me is that I can't work in the home all the time. I have to go to the office every day, and to also work in the house is not possible for me", Roshani replied in a rough and tough manner, which pinched Subhadra and she felt as if she were in hot water. "It's alright. Do not work in the house. I'll do everything. Don’t worry, you do not have to do any house work from tomorrow, no problem," Subhadra told Roshani in a cool and calm manner. But the complaint of Roshani was very uncomfortable to her.
Subhadra was not ready to believe such attitude of Roshani. Her mind and heart was not accepting it. She had in her mind that overwork in the office and tiredness might have caused Roshani to behave in such a way. Her mind and heart were disturbed. At the same time, Subhadra was noticing some differences in her son, too. Dinesh was also looking changed and different these days. His attitude toward his parents was not negative, but was also not comfortable. He spoke very little with them. Subhadra felt in her inner heart that something bad was going to happen in the house.

The indecent attitude of Roshani was increasing in an unusual way, which astonished Subhadra as well as Mohan. Subhadra made insinuations to her son about the changes in Roshani. But, Dinesh seemed to be quite as if he had no mouth to speak. Subhadra noticed in her son an attitude that was as if he was being threatened by his wife to keep quiet. He set his face against his parents. Roshani's hate, disobedience, and misbehavior made Mohan and Subhadra very restless. Many days they could not sleep well, the whole night. They were surprised at the non-speaking behavior of their son. Dinesh usually met his parents at the dining table, but his face depicted a picture of complexity and sorrow, with no charm and happiness. His parents felt that the situation seemed to have gotten quite out of hand. But for the happiness of their son, both were ready to bear the unacceptable misbehavior of their daughter-in-law.

Mohan and Subhadra did all their best effort to bring the house into correctness, but they dwindled in their attempt, as Roshani was so merciless and one sided, and she did not want to hear anything. Besides, she was behaving as if she did not want to live together with the parents of Dinesh. One day, Roshani told Subhadra that they wanted to live and cook separately in the ground floor of the house. Subhadra told Roshani not to do this, that it would be a lot of extra work to separately cook, but Roshani did not hear and decided to live and cook separately. Subhadra was trying continuously to talk with her son about this decision of Roshani, but he had no interest to talk, like playing an artificial drama.

It was all a very big shock and harassment to Subhadra as well as to Mohan. The room and the kitchen were being separated, which was a great insult for Mohan and Subhadra. In the Nepalese joint family culture, if parents and son cook separately in the same house that moment is considered to be unbearable insult for the parents.

Subhadra, being a soft lady, was bearing all the one sided decisions of her daughter-in-law. But for Mohan, it was unusual to bear these unimaginable incidents and misbehaviors. After separation, Roshani was becoming selfish and shaggier with them and treating Subhadra with no respect at all. The once placid house of Mohan had become a conflict ground and was suffocating for them. This slugger to Mohan made him deprived of spirit in his own house, as well as in society. He was a very respectful person in the society and neighborhood. The message of two separate kitchen's in Mohan’s house spread like wild fire in the neighborhood. This situation, for Mohan, was so grave, and he was not able to speak in this matter. For Mohan, this moment was like washing one’s dirty linen in public. Knowing the fact, neighbors were sympathizing with Mohan, saying that separation between son and parents was not a new occurrence, everywhere it used to happen. Mohan was not convinced and he was much more disappointed.

Mohan took the situation of separation very seriously, more than necessary. He was not expecting this sort of attitude, especially from his son, whom he loved more than his own life. Mohan had great expectations from his son, like that in the old days, that his son would respect and take care of his parents. But after his marriage with Roshani, whatever magic she worked on Dinesh, there was no love and respect for parents. Mohan was much more hungry to get love from his son, even after this separation. The reason behind it was over attachment, over sentiment, and excess love and affection for his son from childhood.

After a year, Roshani gave birth to a boy child named Sohan. Mohan became very happy on the birth of his grandson. Even though the relations were not improved, the child was the center point of attraction to all. Mohan was thinking that one day the child would bring happiness in this house again and everything would be normal thereafter. He was also confident that after being parents of a child Dinesh and Roshani would realize their mistakes and there would be reunion and reuniting among them.

But there were no positive changes in Roshani. By hook or by crook, Roshani wanted to separate all kinship with the parents of Dinesh and she was enforcing everyday to Dinesh not to converse with them. Dinesh was always obeying the orders of Roshani without a feeling of disapproval, which was an unexpected assault on both Mohan and Subhadra.

The child, Sohan, was growing day by day. One day, Mohan was playing with him in the garden, Roshani came to the garden and took away the child and said indirectly to Mohan not to play anymore with her son. It was a very hurting moment for Mohan. He could not speak a single word and perceived pressure in his heart and mind, and felt very ashamed of it. The only hope grandson, who could bring peace and happiness in Mohan and Subhadra’s life in uniting all the family members again, was being swept away by a sudden wave of cruelty and affrontive behavior from their daughter in law. There was no environment for dialogue and conversation between the parents and the son. Mohan’s last hope to play with his grandson, and bring the home to its previous condition, became, finally, a complete devastation. Mohan saw only darkness in his future and felt extremely frustrated.

From birth till the marriage of Dinesh, as a father, Mohan sacrificed all the happiness of his life and brought all efforts for the care and happiness of his son. But his son had become a thorn in his side. The parents trusted him as he played them falsely. Mohan was an exceptional and distinct type of person. He was a different father compared to others. He was an extraordinary example of a good father in the society. Dinesh never felt any difficulty in his life. From childhood till a grown young man, Dinesh received each and every support and love from Mohan, more than required, which was not easy for a common child in society. Dinesh was also obedient to his parents until his marriage.

At the time of birth of Dinesh, Mohan had organized a grand party for his relatives, friends and neighbors. He seemed to be very happy in the birth of his son and receiving congratulations from the guests. Everyone in the party were surprised with the excess blithe in the face of Mohan. The guests were also congratulating with love to the newly-born baby in getting so generous and lovable a father. Subhadra was also busy with the guests. Mohan was feeling pleasure in being the father of a son. His mind was full of nice plans for the future on how to make a better future of his son.

But, the misbehavior and negative attitude of his daughter-in-law, blindly supported by his son, were the cause of disappointment and illness for Mohan. Dinesh and Roshani became as wolves in sheep’s clothing for Mohan. Mohan became infirmed mentally as well as physically by their continued hurting attitudes. His condition has been so atrocious that he is now incapacitated, with no proper ability to speak, only watching the face of his wife, Subhadra.

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