It was 4:30 dawn; Mr Shaju, an office clerk, stood at the window, thinking something, and suddenly woke up his home-maker wife, Sheeja, “Take a ride let’s.”
“So early. Are you mad?”
“Get ready, interesting in this chill.”
“Our darling?.”
“Lay him on your shoulder.”
The three were on the scooter, within half an hour. Rode through the silent beautiful daybreak, Sheeja kept a humming tune on her lips, eyeing the coconut trees, standing tall as if they were the leaders of all trees. There were no birds, no beasts and very few vehicles proclaiming the ownership of the street.
They had to cross a bridge, which a bit was broken on one side. Shaaju in a thrill was riding fast, alas! The scooter fell into the river. A country fishing boat was there, fishing with a fishing line. Luckily, two fishermen witnessed the scene, rushed to the spot and with much effort they saw the accident victims lying in their boat. Doctors, hospitals, medicines etc. brought two victims back to life but for the son. Months passed, the parents recovered slowly from the sorrow and all is well now, but the story ends not.
A stranger, Rajan, visited Shaju, introducing himself as a sympathizer. His pleasing manners during the endearing talk won both hearts.
“ Does any of you know swimming?” Rajan.
“ Yes, Shaju is skilful, but me not at all,” Sheeja.
She went to the kitchen to make tea.
“O, that is why Shaju had no problem in the water at that time,” the stranger.
“Yeah, I swam; and reached the boat.”
“ Have you any insurance?”
Shaju read between the lines thus, “Maybe he an Insurance-agent, seeking a policy from us,” and said, “ We live with elegant sufficiency; I have the Insurance for twenty lakh rupees. Sorry, don’t need, further.”
“ One policy in wife’s name too...” Rajan.
“Can’t, this amount is in wife’s name?”
Smelling fishy, Rajan, a police officer in disguise, elicited the fact on such questions - Shaju wanted two birds with one stone, to make his new love his spouse, getting rid of the hurdle of better half and his son and obtain a good insurance amount.
