Foolishness

 

Foolishness

 

Saran Rai

 

Seeing the raging current of the Saptakoshi River, a young maiden, unable to jump in, turned away and sat at the corner of the narrow trail, beating her chest and crying bitterly.

"What a foolish thing I did! Because of my foolishness, my lover just jumped into the Saptakoshi and lost his life. I only wanted to test his love. I had said, ‘If you jump into the Koshi, I’ll be yours forever.’ What kind of man was he? He really jumped! How foolish he was... And I became the cause of his death. His love was true! How foolish of me not to recognize someone who loved me so deeply! I should also jump and die… But I can’t. I can’t die being as foolish as he was!"

The girl cried—cried for a long time, tears streaming endlessly. “Where will I ever find such a loving man again?” she wept, remembering him.

After a long time, she finally said, “Ah! That man was a complete fool! Just because a silly girl said so, he jumped into that furious river. Thank goodness! I was saved from such foolish love.”

She wiped her tears. She convinced herself that the young man’s death was caused by his own stupidity. Considering herself innocent, she stood up, pretending as if nothing had happened, and walked back toward the city without looking again at the river’s current. Love and foolishness! she thought — just a trivial incident.

———

"I’m in the hospital, come to see me," came a voice and a phone call — from the same young man who had jumped into the Koshi! The same phone number.

The girl was startled — and also overjoyed. The man she thought had drowned before her eyes was alive! She rushed to the hospital, where she found him with only minor injuries.

“How did you survive?” she asked.

“I was wearing a life jacket under my raincoat,” he replied. “I had also kept a small motorboat ready nearby for rescue. That’s how I survived. Now, you must fulfill your promise.”

There was no room for denial. The girl, bound by her words, surrendered herself completely under the condition of marriage. For a few months, the man played with her affection until she discovered she was pregnant.

Then he said coldly, “Abort the child. I’ll pay all the expenses.”

“You said you’d marry me…” she protested.

“That was just to taste your virginity,” he sneered, “and to break your pride in your beauty and youth.”

“Shame on you, liar! You fooled me. But I won’t leave you!”

“Ha ha ha…” he laughed loudly. “Abort the baby! As your first secret husband and lover, I’ll keep this between us so your life isn’t ruined. Be grateful that I gave you the first experience and knowledge of life and womanhood. If you accept that, then in my eyes you may be a crushed leaf, but in the eyes of others, you’ll still look like a fresh, beautiful flower. Otherwise… you’ll be known as the greatest fool!”