Seed

"We are destined to meet again." Meenakshi said with that smirk in her eyes.

"Cursed to." Senthil muttered through clenched teeth.

"What did you say? I dint hear you, dear!" she mocked with her throaty laughter.

The laugh, those eyes and that wicked playfulness. Senthil regretted falling for these. But, that was in another lifetime; when he was young and foolish.

"You hate me. Don't you?" she taunted him while the remnants of the laughter still played on her face.

He looked up straight into her eyes and said, "Yes. I hate you. I despise you. I feel..."

"Why?" she interrupted. "Why do you hate me this much?"

"Why? Why? You are asking me why! After all that happened and what you did, you want to know why I hate you?"

"Its not all my fault. Is it, darling?"

"You want to argue about that now? Here? Fine. And bloody don't darling or dear me. Its absolutely disgusting and highly inappropriate. I am another woman's husband and i am here to talk to you as your.... client."

"Patient." She smiled looking him into the eyes. She saw a shadow of pudency. "Patient would be more appropriate Mr. Senthil Kumar."

'This devil is having fun.' He thought; cursing himself and his fate.

"Lets get to business Mr. Senthil." Meenakshi said opening the file in her hands and leaning back. "So, you have been sent to me by fate; oops sorry, referred to me by Dr. Radha, the doctor you have been consulting as she will not be on duty for the next six months for god-knows-why. So, I will handle your case hereon and yes, its not advisable for you to leave this course of medication with our institution now, as it would be harmful for the patient at this stage; but anyway the choice is yours..."

She knew what was going on in his mind. He dint speak anything. He couldn't. He knew he shouldn't.

"That's good. Its our duty to inform you of the risks. Well, you are here for the treatment for... Hmmm, how to put it..."

He knew that she was having fun playing with him. He knew what was coming and steeled himself.

"... well, treatment for your.... Inability to have a child."

"I hope your little drama amused you." he said through clenched teeth.

"I am just stating the facts Mr. Senthil Kumar."

"Yeah."

"Your wife, Mrs. Divya Senthil Kumar is perfectly capable of bearing a child. The problem seems to be somewhere else." She looked at her nails rolling her tongue in her cheeks.

"Enough of the mockery, Meena."

"Dr. Meenakshi." she said looking at him intently. "I am stating the facts of my case. I don't see any reason why you should get offended Mr. Senthil."

He could do nothing but curse his fate again.

"So, here is what we will do. We will perform in vitro fertilization. Okay to make things clear for a layman..."

There was a little unwanted pause.

" In Vitro fertilization means taking out your wife's ovum and artificially impregnating it with your sperm and then putting in the egg back into your wife's uterus so that it can grow onto become your baby. Basically we are artificially doing something that was supposed to happen naturally which you are unfortunately incapable of doing."

Another of that pause.

"But, don't worry that's what we are here for. Your wife can have the joy of motherhood." She smiled.

Meenakshi's face darkened and with a grave voice, she continued, "The joy of motherhood. The joy that I chose to forsake brooding over you."

Senthil shuddered for a moment.

"All the best Mr. Senthil. You will soon be a proud father. Its now my responsibility." she said putting on that winning smile.




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"Why did you call me?" Senthil asked her with an unmasked scowl.

"I wanted to talk to you." Meenakshi replied.

"You could have told me over the phone when you called."

"I had to talk in person."

" Now what? I thought I had gotten rid of you."

"Its your daughter's first birthday isn't it, today?"

"Yes."

"Here is a small gift. Please don't deny this. Take it. For the old times sake. Please." she pleaded.

Senthil accepted the package tepidly.

"Do you love your daughter, Senthil?" Meenakshi asked looking him into his eyes and even deeper.

"Yes. I do. What about that?" There was a tremble in his voice.

"Well I do too."

Senthil saw something strange in Meenakshi's demeanor and face. Was it a play of the evening sunlight and the ocean's breeze?

"I love her Senthil, because she is my daughter too."

"Excuse me? I don't get you."

"Do you remember what I told you about in vitro fertilization? Whose ovum do you think your sperm mated with, darling?"

He stood trembling dumbfounded.

"Now tell me. Will you love your daughter or hate her?"

Senthil heard that throaty laughter and he thought he saw a twinkle in her eye. Was it the tear of the yearning motherhood or joy of the sweetest revenge?

Facts and Fiction:

• Inspired by the underlying theme when a friend told me the story of the Tamil short-film - Mei.