A Dubious Claim
By Lokanath Mishra
Jagadish, a wealthy Indian businessman, lived in a grand mansion in Houston. After a devastating accident that claimed his parents’ lives, he spent six months in the hospital fighting for his life. The accident left him with severe consequences, including the loss of his ability to father children and impotence. As a result, Jagadish remained unmarried.
At fifty,Jagadish met a young sadhu named Hariram, who advised him to marry a beautiful 23 years old girl named Nidhi. Hariram guaranteed that the marriage would restore Jagadish’s vitality. Jagadish agreed, and the two got married.
During a medical check-up, Jagadish beamed with pride, “I’ve never been better! My 24year-old bride is pregnant with my child.” The doctor smiled knowingly and began to tell a story. “A hunter grabbed his umbrella instead of his gun and went into the woods. A grizzly tiger appeared, and he raised his umbrella. And do you know what happened?”
Jagadish shook his head, intrigued. “No, what?”
The doctor continued, “The tiger dropped dead in front of him.” Jagadish’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s impossible! Someone else must have shot the tiger.”
The doctor chuckled. “Sometimes things aren’t always as they seem.” He asked Jagadish, “Have you asked your wife what the biggest surprise has been for her in your marriage?”
Jagadish shared a story. His wife felt treated like a servant, confined to the kitchen, and disrespected by his family members from India. The story seemed to contradict Jagadish’s claim about his bride’s pregnancy.
The doctor’s eyes sparkled with insight. “It seems like there might be more to the story than you’re letting on, doesn’t it?” Jagadish’s expression changed, and he looked away, perhaps realizing that his claim might not be as impressive as he thought.
Jagadish trudged home and as he opened the door, he was taken aback by the sight of his wife, Nidhi , lying nude on the bed. Surprised, he asked, “Nidhi , why are you nude?”
Nidhi replied with a straight face, “Because I have absolutely nothing to wear.”
Jagadish raised an eyebrow and said, “That’s not true. You have enough clothes.” He walked over to the closet and started counting her dresses. “One, two, three, four, five, six…”
As he reached the back of the closet, he suddenly heard a voice behind him. “Oh, hi Sadhu Maharaja Hariram ! Why are you standing nude in my closet?”
Jagadish’s eyes widened in shock as he turned around to see Hariram standing naked in the closet. Jagadish ,s face turned bright red.