Yesterday night I was watching rerun of an episode of Alfred Hitchcock presents, a suspense TV series of the old. The story brought myriad of emotions in me. I felt compelled to narrate it in my own words to get some closure.
The story started with a woman of around thirty lying on a bed with a bandaged hand, too weak to get up, in a dimly lit room. She tried to remember where she was, but couldn’t. She then tried to account for what happened last. “Yes, I was waiting for Jack”, she got a bit of smile back thinking of him.
Jack came home and she fixed him a drink. She was feeling a bit tensed and anxious while holding the drink, Why? Oh yes, she was an alcoholic and have been off drink for some time. The Craving. But for his sake, she fought hard. “Darling lets go to a party tonight”, he said, taking her in his arms. “A party you said, but with all the people, all the drink around? I feel scared”. “I am sure you will be fine”, he assured her.
They entered the party. He had some urgent work with the hostess and went in to the study with her. She was feeling so scared and lonely in that room full of people, trying to resist the craving. But why was her hand bandaged? She still could not remember. A stranger offered her a drink but she declined. Where is Jack? What is he doing with her? Just then Jack came out arms in arms with the hostess. Something happened then, What was it? Yes, she threw a drink at the hostesses face, and then ran out crying.
Jack knocked at the door. He would be so angry. But he was not. “I am worried for you Martha, coz I love you”. “You love me after all what I have done today?” “Yes I love you dearly”. “Oh Jack, my Jack, I am sorry for everything. When I see you with other women, I can’t control it. And while resisting all that drink. I think I will go mad. What would all those people be thinking about you at the party? Let’s go back and undo the damage”. He smiled and they kissed. “Let’s get married”, he proposed. She was so happy.
How come she ended up in this dark room? “Nurse”, she called out. They went back to the party. He was having a conversation with the hostess and another woman. She went out to the balcony for some fresh air. The stranger came back. He turned out to be the brother of the hostess. “You see my sister over there with that man. She loves him like anything”. The rage came back. “She loves him, but they say, he is in love with another woman.” She blushed. “A woman, who they say is an alcoholic. The worst kind”, he went on. “They say it won’t be long before she goes back to her ways and he comes running to my sister”.
It was all true, isn’t it?. She needed a drink now. The craving was back. She gulped a double martini. After a couple of shots, she said, “Let’s go bar hopping”. Don’t know what took over her. They went from bar to bar, drinking like anything. She was in a mess. Jack came looking for her along with the hostess. She will take him away. She will take him away. Jack tried to hold her, but she was in a violent rage. “Leave me alone, I tell you, Leave me alone”, she threw herself around. Jack was not able to hold her. She fell down, broke the glass she was holding and hurt her hand. The reason for the bandage. There she was lying with a bloodied hand, pieces of glass and spilled drink. Jack bent down to pick her up.
A nurse entered the room. She felt less scared. “Nurse I am feeling better now. I want to leave the hospital”. Nurse looked amused, “You can’t leave lady. This isn’t exactly a hospital.” “What is this place then?” she asked confused. “Well this is the city jail”. “What???? Why am I here?” “You killed a man yesterday night, slit his throat with a piece of glass. A man named Jack Simmons”.
She felt like something ripped her from inside. She tried to cry but voice stopped in the tracks.
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