My name is Sathyaprakash, I am 31 years old, married, and have a 5-year-old son who is currently studying in the first standard. My wife's name is Revathi, 29. I live on rent in ECR, Chennai, and work as a Marketing Manager in a private company. After my wife fought with me for a long time, she asked me to look for a separate house in Chennai, and we moved in a year ago. Our life was going well.
My wife often felt burdened staying at home and kept pestering me for a long time, saying she wanted to go out and work. One day, when I returned home from work and she brought it up again, I got angry and hit her. I tried to calm her down by saying, "It's enough if you just look after the boy at home. I have a good-paying job, and that's enough for us to be happy." Crying, she said, "I'm not asking to go to work for money. I can't be at peace when I'm alone at home. That's why I want to go out just to pass the time."
I felt bad too. I told her that if she went out, the boy would be alone after school, and he wouldn't like that. She started to think about it. I apologized for hitting her, and we all ate and went to sleep.
The next day, as usual, I dropped my son at school and went to work. During lunch, I received a video link from my wife's student group. When I opened it, it advertised admissions for a Makeup Training Class with class timings from 10 AM to 2 PM, and the fee was also low. I replied that we could discuss it when I got home and started my work.
Around 6 PM, when I went home, my wife was talking about this class with the neighbor next door. As soon as she saw me, she excused herself and came inside. I changed my clothes and went to play with my son. My wife made coffee and offered it to me. I took it, sat her down next to me, and started caressing her. She shyly asked me about the training class. Without thinking much, I held her hands and told her, "If you like it, join it." She was very happy, pinched my cheek, thanked me, and started preparing dinner.
The three of us ate and went to sleep. My wife hugged me and asked for money to join the class. I told her I would give it in the morning, and we both fell asleep.
The next day, before leaving, I called her, transferred the requested money to her account, and went to work. My wife was very happy, went to the class location, completed the necessary formalities, picked up my son from school, and called me to tell me what had happened. She said that four other women had joined that day and that her instructor was a very soft-spoken woman. Our life continued happily, with us understanding each other.
My wife's studies were going very well. After one month of training, the instructor had asked her to practice what she had learned at home, experience the difficulties, and report back. When I returned home in the evening, my wife told me that she had no class for a week and needed to practice and share her difficulties. I said "fine," changed my clothes, sat down to play with my son, and she started preparing dinner while asking me for help.
When I asked her what she needed help with, she lamented, "I need a model to practice on, but I don't know who to ask." I suggested she ask the neighbor's sister and her two daughters. She happily agreed, jumping with joy.
The next day, I went to work as usual and returned home. My wife was sitting with a look of distress on her face. When I went to her and asked what was wrong, she started crying, saying, "If we had family or relatives nearby, I would have gotten some help, but now I'm alone and can't do anything." My son, thinking I had hit her again, started showing affection towards me and tried to intervene. I wiped her eyes and lovingly asked what had happened. She said that she had gone to the neighbor's house and asked for help, but they had said they weren't interested. She started crying again. I consoled her and told her to call her instructor tomorrow and ask for help. She smiled, kissed me, and calmed down, saying, "Why didn't I think of that?"
The next day, I went to work as usual.
I started my tasks, and thinking I might be delayed today, I called my wife to inform her. She didn't pick up the phone. After trying two or three times without success, I got scared and called Priya, the neighbor next door. She answered and said that my wife had been crying since the afternoon and wouldn't answer when asked why. She said that no matter how much she tried, my wife wouldn't talk. My heart started pounding and I broke out in a sweat. When I asked about my son, she said he was with them, playing with her younger daughter, Ilakkiya. The next moment, I informed my colleagues and rushed home.
When I went inside, Revathi was lying on the bed, crying. I woke her up, made her sit, and asked her angrily, "What happened? Why are you doing this?" She started crying again. I composed myself, hugged her, and asked, "Tell me, Revathi, what happened? You could have called me." She didn't answer but just kept looking at me. I wiped her eyes, brought her some water, and made her drink a little. After drying her eyes with a cloth, I brought her to the hall and sat her down. She started to calm down a little.
My son came and said he was hungry and asked for something to eat. She thought for a moment and then made him a dosa, fed him, and he went off to play. After he left, I asked Revathi what had happened. Rubbing her eyes, she started to tell me: "I called my instructor this morning, explained my situation, and asked for help. But she said that no one would agree to that, and that I would have to choose someone myself and practice. She said it has already been two days, and if I don't start now, it will be very difficult." I told her that I didn't know anyone here and that it was just the three of us. She replied, "There's no other way, Revathi, ask your husband for help." I cried and pleaded with her, saying I didn't know what to do. She then said, "Alright, ask your husband to call me, and I will explain the situation to him," and then she hung up," Revathi finished and started crying again.
I calmed her down and asked for her number, saying I would talk to her. I took the number and called. She answered and asked who it was. I introduced myself as Revathi's husband and started talking to her. She praised Revathi's mental state and talent. She said that winning this competition would give her a good career as a Makeup Artist and asked me for help. I expressed my concern that I didn't have much experience with women myself. To that, she asked, "How much do you love your family?" When I said that they are my world, she replied, "Alright," and told me to ask Revathi to come to her house tomorrow, and she would suggest an idea, and then hung up.
I told Revathi about the call, and we both ate and went to sleep. The next morning, my wife got ready with me and asked me to drop her off at the instructor's house. When I looked at her, she was wearing a green saree and minimal makeup, looking very beautiful. After dropping my son at school, we both went to her instructor's house. I dropped my wife off and went to work. My wife texted me that she had finished her session around noon and had come home after picking up our son from school. It took me a little longer to finish work and return home.
When I arrived home at 7 PM, my wife greeted me with a smile, cooked dinner for me, and after we both ate, we sat down. When I asked her what the instructor had told her, she hesitated, fearfully, and with teary eyes, told me again, "You must help me." Confused, I asked her, "Tell me clearly, Revathi." She held my hands and said with a trembling voice, "I have very few days left, and no one else is willing to agree to this. That's why I have no one but you."
I was completely confused about what she was saying. When I asked what her instructor had said, she replied, "If you had come inside, you would have understood. It's alright, we will go to her house one day." She then held my hands and started crying, saying, "I have no other option, Sathya, you have to help me."