CHAPTER ONE

     “I am not able to adjust with your father”, Julie’s voice was loud enough to be heard on the next door. The sound was very clear to Micheal. His first thought was to give answer to his daughter in law, but he knows about the consequences his son has to face for his behaviour. It was better for him to keep silent for the sake of his son. Jack’s sound was not to be heard; Micheal thought it as a good sign. His son learnt to supress his anger.

   After an hour Jack came to Micheal’s room. His face was red with anger. His eyes reflected his hatred towards his wife. “Dad tomorrow morning I am taking Julie back to her home, she dislikes to live with me”. Micheal was silent for a moment, slowly he started to speak. “Son Julie is your wife and is having equal rights in our house, we can’t throw her away”. Jack was not able to control his anger. “She is a mismatch for me, she neither loves nor cares”.

      The next day Julie packed her belongings and went to her home. Jack rarely talked after Julie’s absence. Jack deeply loved her and was unable to bear her absence, but he was unable to neglect his father who was his only beloved one in this world. Micheal was very much worried about his son. Actually he was the only person responsible for all these problems. His daughter in law was from a financially high class family, she was married to Jack as he was a leading Advocate. Jack opposed julie’s marriage proposal as he thought it was difficult for an only child in a family like her to adjust with a poor family like his. It was Micheal’s wish that he should marry Julie.

         Micheal planned to meet Julie at her home. The next day Jack was away from home for a conference, Micheal took it as a chance to meet Julie. He reached Julie’s house, Micheal knocked the door. It was opened by Julie’s father. He asked Micheal to come inside, they were nice with Micheal. He told them that he came for taking Julie back. Julie’s father was very happy to hear that, Julie came home with Micheal. She remained in her room on free time, Jack and Julie behaved as strangers living in one room. They rarely talked with each other. Micheal was deeply hurt by this action.  One day Jack was not at home, Julie was in the kitchen. Usually Micheal used to take his lunch which was kept served on the dining table by Julie. He started to have his food; Julie came with a jug of water.

             She was not at all interested to face Micheal. Julie was doing her job like a machine. That evening Micheal handed over some money and a few documents. He informed Jack that it was the earnings of his life and the documents of the piece of land owned by him. He wanted them to live separately; it was his presence that created a gap between their lives.

      CHAPTER 2

      Jack bought a small house at the centre of the city after selling Micheal’s property. Jack and Julie started their new life. Jack was a lovable and caring husband, but he was burning with the guilty feeling of his deed towards his father. He was spending sleepless nights. Julie was not affected by his problem at first as he didn’t reveal anything. She was enjoying a happy life like a newly married bride, but soon Jack’s sorrow began to reflect his behaviour and personality too. He was totally depressed as he began to forget his routines too.

          Julie became totally alone to face the problems, previously Micheal was there to console her though she hated his presence. One day Jack didn’t come back after his work. Julie waited for him till late night. He was a busy person and used to arrive home late, but he informed Julie by phone on this occasions. Julie became more worried on the first day after Jack’s absence.

              She went to her home for seeking help. Her father was suffering from many health problems and was unable to do more, so he came to Micheal. After a long effort Jack was found, he was arrested by the police for creating problem in a BAR. Micheal arranged for his bail. Jack was given bail and he reached home. Julie’s parents asked Micheal to stay with Jack and Julie until Jack is okay.

     CHAPTER THREE

        After long effort Jack became normal, but he sternly took one decision that Micheal will stay along with him. Julie told her parents about the situation. Her father was having a supportive attitude towards Jack; he was having the opinion that it was Julie’s responsibility to look after her father-in- law. Julie was forced to live along with her father-in-law. Julie was not ready to give up. She wanted to live separate along with her husband and don’t want to have Micheal as a stumbling block in their life.

                It was a rainy day; rain began to pour without any break. The climate was very cold and chilly. It was only afternoon and the time was going to be only 2’o clock, but the atmosphere was dark and appeared as evening. Julie’s parents were taking a short nap after lunch. Suddenly they heard a loud knock on the door. Julie’s mother opened the door, it was Julie. Her parents were surprised to see her appearance. Her hair was not done, she was totally wet. She was sobbing, her dress was torn everywhere. “What happened dear,” asked her father? “You two are not at all bothered about me,” Julie replied sadly. After long arguments Julie informed her parents that Micheal tried to rape her.

            Julie’s mother was also on Julie’s side. Her father became alone to face the situation. Her father’s response made everybody shocked. He raised his hands and slapped Julie. Her father asked her at once to leave the house and go back to her husband, but Julie was not willing to go. Julie informed Jack about the situation. Jack decided to leave Micheal.   Jack was busy in search of a new house. Suddenly he heard his mobile phone ringing. It was Julie’s father. He told Jack that he wanted to meet him immediately.

        Jack was sitting along with Julie’s father in their home. Micheal was not at home, Julie was serving tea. Julie’s father informed Jack that it is his mistake to believe everything without proper evidence. Jack was not willing to accept his father in law’s advice. “Why you supporting him after all these incidents are happened, your daughter escaped luckily from her terrible fate, Jack told. “No my son, here Micheal was not lucky enough to escape from his fate.

           Jack was confused on hearing these words. Julie’s father left from Jack’s home after saying this. Jack again visited his father in law to know the fact. Julie’s mother was also very eager to know about the soft corner of her husband towards Micheal. Julie’s father began to summarize his own past. He was the eldest one among his six siblings and was born in a very poor family. His father was working as a labour in a nearby clay factory.

       The factory was situated in a thickly populated area; the pollutants from the factory seriously affected the people. The government ordered to close the factory. The losers were the workers, their family started to starve. Julie’s father became a rebel due to his family’s fate; he was a headache to the faculties during his college days. He was arrested by the police for the murder of a college student. He met Jack’s father in the jail, he was jailed for a murder case. He was a jail bird and did all kinds of crimes for money. He was a criminal ready to do all crime for money. Soon they became friends. After getting closer Micheal told him about himself.

     He was also from a poor family. He and his little brother lived with their parents. His father hated his wife as he was in love with another woman. Soon the hidden cold war ended in a divorce. He and his brother were under their mother’s protection. The worst thing happened after their mother’s death in an accident. She was knocked by a lorry while crossing the road. He and his brother were accommodated in an orphanage. A couple from abroad adopted his brother. Those siblings were separated without their consent, Micheal’s brother left with his new parents after leaving him alone. He was very angry with his father for ruining his life and thought of meeting him one time in his life for asking him why he made him an orphan. After eighteen he was not allowed to stay in the orphanage. His education ended in plus two as the orphanage had no fund to educate the children. He was given loan to start a career depending upon his aptitude and taste; he was very good in repairing vehicles as he was given training in this field from the orphanage as the children were part time workers in such establishments.

             He started an automobile workshop, his business was going well and the income was sufficient for meeting his own expenses. Life was very happy for him till that incident happened. It was a busy day for him, he was working in his workshop. Suddenly two men arrived there with a car, they wanted to sell that car and was willing to sell for a cheap rate. They told him that they are tourists and bought this car for site seeing, but now they wanted to go back immediately and wanted to sell the car. Micheal felt no doubt in their conversations and he bought the car, but after two days police arrested Micheal for murdering a famous businessman in the city.

          He was murdered before one week on a late night while he was on his way towards airport. His family complained to the police regarding his missing. His body was recovered from a canal and his car was missing. According to his family’s complaint a suitcase containing some cash was missing from the car. Micheal told the fact about the truth regarding the car, but the police was not ready to believe him as there was no proof. Micheal was tortured severly for explaining the way he murdered the man and to tell what he did with the cash. He was imprisoned, there was no one to argue or plead for him. Due to lack of evidence and witness he was set free. The name of a culprit became a black mark for his career. Nobody was willing to give him work. The owner of the place where his workshop stood didn’t allow him to start his workshop.

         Micheal was walking through the street after losing his hope and faith in life. He stopped in front of a BAR but he was not having a single penny. He stood outside, suddenly he saw the two men who ruined his life. He became mad with anger and looked around. He saw one man slicing tender coconuts on the road side. He snatched his knife and stabbed the two men.

    Micheal was again arrested, this time he was sentenced for five years imprisonment as nobody was willing to be a witness in this incident. Life in prison made Micheal  a new man; he was ready to do anything for money. He was only eighteen when he was arrested for his first crime. He lost the hope and happiness of a young man. The only thing he possessed was the hatred towards the society. Money became a toy on Micheal’s hand, but he had only sleepless night. He murdered so many people without enquiring the need of his clients.

         After becoming a criminal his mind wished to see his father. He found his father after long enquiry, but he was not able to satisfy his wish as he saw only a man who was not able to remember even his name. Micheal’s father married his lover after his divorce with Micheal’s mother. His lover had one son on his previous relationship. After Micheal’s mother’s death he had totally abandoned Micheal and his brother. He was working as a mason and was a faithful husband, but his wife wanted only his money. He got an accident during his work and was bedridden for a long year. Even though he got cured physically, his mental condition was bad. He was like a small kid and his wife was not willing to care him. She left him in a charity home and left. After that there was no news about her till now. Micheal reached the bed side of his father, but was not able to sit as he saw that his father was feeding on his faeces. Suddenly the home nurse of the authority came. “Now days he is behaving like this, I was given duty only to care for him.” She suddenly cleaned his bed and washed his body and mouth. Micheal saw the in charge of the charity home and introduced himself. He shifted his father to a nearby hospital.

       After receiving efficient treatment, he got his sanity back. Micheal behaved politely towards his father as he understood that his father had undergone severe sufferings in his life for his deeds. One day he was having lunch with his father, suddenly the door was pulled and a gang rushed to his house. They were carrying weapons. Micheal fought with them, one of them was trying to knock him down with an iron bar, but his father entered in between. He got hit by the man and the group escaped after this. Micheal ran towards his father, he was terribly wounded. Micheal rushed to take his father to the hospital. His father grabbed his arm, “son I am the luckiest man in this world, I got a son like you. You loved and cared me by forgetting my deeds towards you. May god give you as my son if I again get a chance to live in this world? I want to give my love and care to you and satisfy my life as a father”. He died after saying these words.

   Micheal began to engage in his work. He was charged for many cases, but he managed to escape by using his influence. One day he was given an assignment by a factory owner to warn his union leader to settle the labour problems. He was chasing the guy through the main road; suddenly a lorry came through the road and knocked Micheal down. He got serious injuries and survived after long struggle, but the fate was so cruel. He was not able to satisfy a woman and was not able to lead a married life. It was very difficult for Micheal to accept this fact in the beginning, but he was bold enough to console his mind.

    After finishing his story Micheal told Julie’s father that he had told his story to make his friend understand the value of life.  Micheal told him that he is luckier than him to have at least a poor family to worry about him. Julie’s father was deeply touched by Micheal’s words. After his release he struggled hard to do part time jobs and to concentrate in his studies. He scored high marks and got a government job. Julie’s father used to visit Micheal in the jail. Their jailer was a nice man and he helped Micheal to start a new workshop after his release. Micheal worked hard like before to earn his living, but he had the feeling of loneliness in his mind.

       One day he was walking with Julie’s father on the road. He had come inviting Micheal for his marriage and had arranged a bachelor party for them. They were on the way towards Micheal’s apartment. It was late night and there was nobody in the street. Suddenly they heard the nonstop barking of stray dogs. “What happened to these dogs, are they mad”, asked Julie’s father. They went for bachelor’s party I think so,” replied Micheal. The dog was biting something. “Hey Micheal look it’s a baby”, shouted Julie’s father.

     “You are heavily drunk dear”, replied Micheal, but Julie’s father was saying the truth. It was a male baby and was wounded by the dog bite. They took him to a hospital; Micheal was deeply hurt on seeing the pain of the baby. He was kept on the nearby children’s home. Later Micheal legally adopted the baby. He was a bright boy and shined like a star. Jack’s eyes filled with tears after hearing the fact from his father in law. Julie began to weep bitterly saying that she wanted to go back to her husband’s home. After reaching the home Julie fell on Micheal’s feet and asked him to forgive her. Julie began to love Micheal as her own father. Jack’s mind was calm and cool now. At last God saw Micheal’s tears and gave him smile on his face.