As the train approached my station I reflected back on my life and to tell you the truth I have never felt better. I was happily married for quite some time. In the beginning everything seemed to be picture perfect till I understood marriage is neither heaven nor hell, it is simply purgatory. Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?

Her continuous shouting and my eternal silence made me understand that marriage is the only adventure open to the cowardly. I built a house round myself wherein no one who hated me existed, it is bliss. The great secret of a successful marriage is to treat all disasters as incidents and none of the incidents as disasters.

It was all going fine till today morning when the fights took an ugly turn. After all marriage is an adventure, like going to war. Moreover, there are two times when a man doesn’t understand a woman – before marriage and after marriage. As per her she had enough and wanted to end it all. It took me a moment to realize that I was awake and whatever was happening was real. Man am I lucky or what! End she wanted then end is what she got. I walked for the office as I have never done before, a free bird.

The whole day in the office was just like a vacation which I seemed to have missed in the last decade. Though while returning the train was a bit more crowded with people trying to bail their nose out of the armpits of others in vain, it was just not like other days. I was in some sort of delirium where everything seemed to be good.

It was already 9 p.m. and I had a 20 minute walk from the station to my house. Being a winter day, everything was already in the late night mode in this suburban place. The shops were closed, the roads were empty. I turned on my headset. There was the same news that had been making rounds for days now. Stoneman has struck again. The commissioner has warned all the people of my town to pay extra care towards their security and other such things. I had a small laugh seeing the irony of the whole situation.

Suddenly I was taken aback by a pat at my back. I turned around to see my next door neighbor Mrs. Bhanumati. I never liked this female. She is typically the type of woman who spreads rumors and hatred in others household. I always believed that my wife’s attitude was vastly due to Bhanumati’s chit chats.

“Good evening Mrs. Sharma. How come you are so late”, I asked her trying to be polite.

“Yeah, I went to attend my niece’s naming ceremony and got late there. Near the station could not see any rickshaw, so decided to walk. Thank God you were there. You know about that Stoneman right. It’s creepy”, replied Bhanumati.

Now you want my help!!! Anyways we took a turn to enter an ally. Suddenly she caught hold of my hand and brought to my notice a figure that was a few steps behind us. In the twilight of the night I could only understand that it was a long man, strongly built with something in his hand. A chill went though my spine. Can it be… will he catch me and my tenure in this world will be prematurely terminated!!!

I could see the same fear in Bhanumati’s eyes. I clutched my handbag and both of us started to walk briskly. The man behind us also increased his pace. My heart beats were increased and I had no clues what to do. We took a left turn as he police station was a few blocks away. The man behind us took a right turn and disappeared. We were relieved.

“That is the stoneman for sure”, she said.

I paid no heed as sweats gathered on my forehead. I searched in my handbag. Bhanumati was a couple of steps ahead. No one was in sight. I could feel the touch of wood and the steel in my handbag. The Stoneman will strike again today so that the two friends are united. I gave a smile seeing Bhanumati walking in front of me without any fear. Revenge is sweet.