The Cursed Book of Kamasutra

Thirteen years back, I happened to receive a special edition Kamasutra book from a colleague. It is a chunky hardbound book with interesting drawings. That time I wasn’t married and the book gave me company on many lonely nights.

Even after I got married, the book continued to be a part of the household.

Trouble started when relatives from my wife’s side frequently visited. The book is huge, and the house we were occupying at that time was small, hence, I found it difficult to find a place to hide it.

My wife asked me to discard the book.

I asked my friends if anyone would be willing to wholeheartedly accept the book from me. A guy agreed to take possession of it. Months later, and after passing through several hands, the book found its way back to me. The guy who took the book from me had lied. He didn’t take it wholeheartedly from me, that’s why, I believe, the book didn’t stay with him.

The wife asked me to burn it, but I didn’t have the heart to burn such a high quality and costly book. Without her knowing, I kept it hidden under a cot for many years.

Last year, the day I was moving to my current house, my father in law, who was helping me do the shifting, found the book and secretively brought it to me and said, “Your daughter is now grown up. You might want to hide it in a better place”

My efforts to find a new home for the book didn’t work and the book continued to live in my house, changing its location every now and then within the house.

Recently the book was found by the wife while cleaning the house and she was shocked to see the book still in the house. “I told you years back to discard this book. What if your daughter had seen this?” She admonished me.

This time, I was determined to get rid of it at any cost.

I wrapped the book neatly, put it in the garbage bag along with other ‘dry’ waste items and kept it outside my door for the garbage collection man to take it away.

This was on a Saturday. Hours later, the doorbell rang. I opened the door. The garbage man was standing at the door with a package.

He said, “Sir, I found this in your garbage bag. Thought you might have thrown it by mistake”

My daughter grabbed the package in excitement and ran inside her room to check, followed by my wife.

Soon enough, the book came flying out of her door.

“What a disgusting man you are, Papa!” she shrieked.

My wife gave me a look that almost burned a hole through me.

Friends, I thought, writing this story here will help me find someone who will wholeheartedly accept the book.

Won’t you be that person?