 
### 41 likes, 68 comments. On the Wall...it's complicated

By

Vidit Chopra

DIGITAL EDITION

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Author on Smashwords

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41 likes, 68 comments. On the Wall...it's complicated

Copyright © 2013 by Vidit Chopra

Cover Design : Sachin Loothra & Sanchit Malhotra

Thank you for downloading e-book. This continues to be copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed for any commercial or non-commercial use without permission from the author. Quotes used in reviews are the exception. No alteration of content is allowed. If you enjoyed this book, then encourage your friends to download their own copy.

Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author's imagination and used fictitiously.

*****

There are number of people one needs to thank and then are those who want their name to be present in the book because they do believe they have every right to demand so and the the fact is they do. So, here, I would thank everybody whose name pops up in my head right now. I would like to thank my parents, Kriti, Mallika, Arpit, every person in my family, every person in my extended family, my team at Observer's Paradise – Sachin, Sanchit, Gaurav A, Gaurav P, Tanmay, Arnav, Ravi, Sumit, all of my batch mates at College and finally, a couple of unnamed people who have been a huge inspiration for the book.

I hope you enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

*****

### 41 likes, 68 comments. On the Wall...it's complicated!

*****

Prologue

"So this is it. No matter how hard we try this world never let us the way we want to be." Vishal said.

Tanya was too gloomy to utter a word.

She knew that the nightmare she had always feared was coming to life. After ten long years of a lovely struggle trying to understand each other better, appreciating the good traits and accepting the flaws, trying to make ends meet, trying to convince their parents about their relationship and trying to avoid running away from home it had all come to this.

"I guess this is the.........the end." Tanya said struggling all the more with each word that came out of her mouth. She hated all of it.

"I guess it's time for us to part our ways. Thank you for the wonderful memories and I am sure I will take them to my grave." Vishal said as both of them stood on the airport waiting for the departure of their flights. Vishal was going to United States of America for an internship program, exactly the dream that almost every parent of the middle class family sees for their child and hopes they will be able to see their child going in for one! Tanya was going to her aunt in London where she would be doing something or might eventually end up raising a family, which now seemed beyond her control.

"You have given me a lifetime full of memories and no matter what the world says, no matter what you think, no matter what went wrong between the two of us I will forever and ever keep loving you no matter what." Tanya said as tears rolled down her beautiful dark brown eyes.

Vishal wanted to say, "I love you too." But something stopped him from saying so. May be the things that had conspired in the past few days stopped him from saying what he actually felt.

He hugged her instead. Her sobs now converted into full-fledged howls while the few other occupants of the waiting area stared at them. She was broken to the core of her heart and most probably to a point of no return. Certainly there wasn't any way to make her happy other than Vishal and her being together, getting married, raising a family and living happily ever after but this was not to be. This wasn't another Bollywood movie with a happy ending. There are happy endings in reel life not in real life, not always anyway!

They both knew that their being together was never going to be the truth of their lives. They had to part their ways and it was a fact of life, a challenge which they both had decided to take or rather had to accept while both of them knew that survival won't be easy!

Vishal kissed her on the cheek, wiped away her tears and hugged her again. They both were just inseparable at the moment but then came the boarding announcement for the flight to New York, USA.

Vishal kissed her again on the cheek, picked up his baggage to move for the boarding. He kissed her on the cheek once again and started walking.

"Please don't go." Tanya caught hold of his hand and said.

Vishal was also on brink of breaking now, tears ready to fall as something pinched his heart.

"That's not possible Tanya, you know that. Even if we decide to do what feels right, we are either going to end up starving to death or will be slaughtered by your dad's men in some part of the world. Practicality sometimes sounds better even if it feels wrong." Vishal said.

"I don't care Vishal. All I care about is being with you. I love you and I will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I know I might be sounding insane here but I will as it is, die without you so I would rather die being with you rather than by being away from you!" Tanya replied.

All Vishal could do was smile but she definitely had a point he thought to himself. The boarding call came for the second time but Vishal ignored it. He was pondering over the idea which Tanya had just put in front of him.

"It's time to go. It's time to go." Tanya's brother Kushal came and said with a sense of urgency. Kushal knew about Vishal and Tanya and was very supportive. It is a big virtue if you are able to convince your girlfriend's brother that you are the one for her!

"What happened? You sound weird." Vishal said.

"The security men are keeping a watch on you both. They are dad's men. Its better you go for the boarding. We also have a VIP boarding process set for us. The arrangements have been made and we too will have to board right away." Kushal said still anxious and a bit dejected, for he too knew that Tanya and Vishal were never going to survive without each other and the world wouldn't let them survive with each other.

Vishal grabbed his baggage again while rubbishing the thoughts of a possible running away plan. This time he wasn't stopped by Tanya. He went towards gate number 3 for the boarding while Kushal took Tanya to gate number 7 for their special boarding.

It was a 4 AM flight for Vishal and 5 AM for Tanya so there wasn't much rush on the airport. After walking a few steps Vishal turned around to look at Tanya walking away from him and most probably from his life as well. Tanya too looked at him and their eyes met. There was love in both of them and that love was for each other. Vishal smiled trying to reassure Tanya that everything will be fine while Tanya's eyes kept on spilling the tears. Then she tried to force a smile and was successful in doing so even though her eyes and her lips were showing two completely different stories!. The fact that this was the last time she was seeing the love of her life was killing her every second.

Survival was bound to be difficult for, since the time they both had started understanding things, they were with each other. Through high school, through college they were together trying to help each other and being a pillar of support for each other whenever required. They both loved to write poetry even though their rhyming was of high order yet they both liked writing for each other.

They both kept walking towards their respective terminals for the boarding, eyes locked onto each other till the moment they both couldn't see each other any longer. Finally, tears trickled down Vishal's eyes as he said, "I will always love you."

Chapter 1: I do not care

Okay so now you know what is the apparent end of my love story let's start off from the very beginning. How it all started and how I was successful in fucking up my family's life as well as my 'life's' life, if you know what I mean!

It was the Indian summer of 2009, I was in class 11th, a tender age of 17, with the summer vacations on and a lot of work to be done and yet studying occupied the minimal time. I wouldn't blame myself but my age for it. Such behavior is expected from every teenager, of course, apart from those nerdy 'IIT material'.

As was my outlook towards life, I didn't like to do a lot, yet I always kept whining that I was bored. Hence, once the holidays began, as was customary, I was off to my cousin's place in Dehradun to make the vacation feel like a vacation!

Even though it wouldn't be as much fun for I would miss the fifty degree centigrade temperature of our very own Delhi in the month of June! (Yes, I am destined to instigate sarcasm wherever I can.)

Spending the time with the cousins, Kabir, who was an year older, Ayesha who was an year younger and my real sister, Simran, was always magical and amazing. The sweet banter, a number of practical jokes, late night chit chats, late night movies plus no early mornings given the fact that all of us were jobless and fully agreed with the great man who once said, "Early to bed early to rise, go man get a life!"

We were carefree souls with nothing to worry about. This is one thing I have always cherished about summer breaks, there aren't any exams round the corner and hence there isn't much to think about as far as studying is concerned. Even though school days are when a child is scared shit of exams and studies round the year, we all had pretty much formed the habit of a college going kid. Maybe we were trying to familiarize ourselves with the custom of college. Which custom? Well, all it takes is 24 hours before the exam to complete the course book be it 400 pages or 800! I love this custom to be honest, oh and I forgot about the nerds, the few of them who weren't able to go through their nerdy IIT dream and end up being in a college which I might eventually go to, will aim for the IIMs or have an equivalent nerdy dream and yet again stay busy with the books day in and day out! Anyways I will rather leave the nerds alone for I know none of them is going to read this book so I would rather let them study for now or maybe forever.

Simran and I arrived in Dehradun on the 6th of June and we had already started following what the 'great man' had once said. We saw a movie, played the classic truth and dare game, the banter went along irrespective of what we did. The next day, I woke up at around 2 in the afternoon.

By the time I woke up, the other occupants of the house and my three partners in crime were already up and ready. Turns out there was a party at the neighbor, Ayesha's residence and all of us were invited, the reason being, it was Ayesha's best friend, Tanya's birthday party and Ayesha was going to skip it given that we had come over but Tanya wanted her best friend to be there so she invited the rest of us too. Even though I am one of those fun loving guys who is always trying to be happy, trying to make people around me happy and trying to make them smile, but social gatherings appeared pointless to me especially when you know no one present there. You are introduced to people; you look at them, judge them, get judged by them, pass a smile and move on. It's a rarity where you meet someone whom you really think is worth spending the night with (no puns intended whatsoever)!

I didn't really want to go so didn't even bother getting up. I was woken up at least 5 times by Kabir but it is almost impossible to wake up an already awake human being unless the person himself wants to wake up!

"Get up. Next time it will be water on your head that will wake you. Also, I don't want to hear any fuss about not going to the party. Either all of us are going else none of us is!" Ayesha said.

I was undeterred by Ayesha's threat, trying to play it cool thinking that she was playing a bluff and wouldn't actually do what she had just said, but it looked like I had stretched it a bit too far.

She was standing with a bucket full of water right next to me, a mug in her hand ready to spill water over me and hence I had to give in to the demand. I got up, hurriedly and disinterestedly got ready for the party, didn't bother to shave, wore my usual clothes and came out.

"I am ready. Let's go." I said.

"You are going to wear this to the party Vishal?" Ayesha questioned with a frown on her face.

"Yes....I guess so. What's the problem with these clothes?" I said.

She looked at me from top to bottom and then back up, then at Simran and then at Kabir, as if to gain any sort of support from them and make me change into a little more decent clothing.

"I think you should change bro. It's her friend's birthday. Wear what she wants you to wear." Simran said supporting Ayesha.

"Oh come on. This is fine." I argued and looked at Kabir for support.

"I am with Ayesha on this one. You should change." Kabir said and smirked. This was expected from the two of them, none of us ever left an opportunity to irritate each other.

We were pure followers of the rule. "To avoid a quarrel, be with the majority!"

"My reputation is at stake and well its Tanya's party who knows what might happen. When I picture in my mind you sure will make a cute couple." Ayesha mocked.

"Oh get lost. What do you want me to do, tell me?" I said pretty much irritated.

"First of all, shave off you beard till then let me take a look at your wardrobe and find something that is close to worth wearing to the party for I know you won't have anything 'worth' wearing so I will only search for 'close to worth wearing' clothes." Ayesha mocked again.

"But of course." I said and went to shave off my beard.

After twenty odd minutes, I was clean shaven, wearing a formal shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Now you will make an even cuter couple." This time Simran mocked.

"Oh shut up. What the hell is wrong with you people? I haven't even met her. Where is all of this coming from? As it is, I don't care!" I replied.

None of them said a word and kept smiling to themselves.
Chapter 2: The first meeting

Now that I was looking like a human being or rather was unwillingly made to look like one, we all moved for the party. We entered the house, greeted Tanya's mom and sat on the sofa in the living room.

"So where is the birthday girl?" Ayesha asked.

"Tanya is getting dressed up in her room. She was calling you." Tanya's mom said.

Ayesha went to Tanya's room soon after. The agony had begun, I was sitting on the sofa uncomfortably trying to make small talk with Kabir and Simran which was difficult at someone else's place given that most of the topics weren't the kind to be discussed in public. Soon, the other guests started coming in. With them entering the room, the judging of looks and everything else began and the awkward silence persisted for a while till Ayesha came back and introduced me and Simran to her friends. She told me four names, with each round of introduction followed by a silent nod with a smile or a "hi" remark. Needless to say I forgot the names as soon as I heard them. I guess by portraying 'not being attracted to women' as of now draws an impression of me being a homosexual but I am not. Even if it did, it's your right to judge me, I cannot help it.

Anyway, soon, the wait began! We were all waiting for Tanya to arrive who was taking ever so long to descend from her room aka beauty parlor. This is one thing that I will never be able to understand, why women waste so much time in trying to look like someone they are not! The true beauty lies within. Am I getting philosophical? Well, that happens when I am irritated with stuff.

Finally, the 'queen' descended from her castle as all of her slaves aka the guests all stood up to greet her and wish her.

Once I saw her, my theory of women wasting time on makeup went for a toss. God she looked beautiful or what! She did look like a queen, a princess to be more precise whose beauty was being conserved by keeping her from the gruelling summer sun and from making her bathe with milk and all those other things that they use for fair skin, by making her walk on rose petals to keep her feet from getting dirty and to keep them soft. I was blown away by a woman's beauty, for the first time!

"Um......Vishal" Ayesha shook me. She had been calling me all the while I was lost in thought completely blown away by Tanya's beauty. I kept looking at her face with my mouth wide open.

"Yes...aa. Yes." I said startled and a bit embarrassed.

"Weird reaction. You do expect that from my brother don't you Tanya." Ayesha said.

"Of course I do expect that. Happens all the time." Tanya replied.

"What's with the attitude!" I said to myself.

"Anyway, this is Vishal, my cousin, and Vishal this is Tanya, my best friend." Ayesha said.

"I will give you a photograph. You can then stare at it as long as you want." Tanya said.

"Well that was rude." I replied.

"Oh was it and staring at me and imagining things which I presume wouldn't have involved clothes, was very kind of you wasn't it." She replied. Sarcasm of course.

"It may not have been kind but it was appreciation of your beauty for sure. Bowling someone over by how one looks and that too a person like me, full points to you for that." I said.

"Oh really, full points huh? So in what all aspects have you already rated me as of now?" Tanya said.

"Well I haven't to be honest. It will take time to assess but you sure are going to lose points based on your behaviour towards your guests!" I replied. I didn't like her and that was first and the last impression I had about her.

"Oh break it you too. Come Tanya it's time to cut the cake." Ayesha intervened, amazed by the kind of interaction Tanya and I were having.

I was surely enjoying the conversation. Beauty with attitude, always a bad combination!

"Cute couple." I said to myself and smiled.

Simran looked back to stare at me. "What did you just say?" she said with a bit of surprise in her voice. I hadn't realized that I had said it out loud.

"What did I say? I didn't say anything. Was I supposed to say something?" I replied as if trying to hide what she had already heard.

"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Tanya." I started to sing along with the others as soon as the candles went off. That very well cut down the conversation between me and Simran.

"So she is a dear now. Huh?" Simran said as soon as the song was over.

"Oh beep off. That's a song sung at every birthday party. I sang that song at your birthday as well doesn't mean you are dear to me." I said and winked.

"You are such a......" She said

"Sweet and lovely boy." I completed the sentence before she could pollute it.

"That you are for sure." Tanya said appearing right behind me.

"Beautiful girl with an attitude said what?" I said.

"So you think I am beautiful. About the second part, I am sorry for what happened earlier. I was pretty much angry because the dress I had decided to wear for today got all messed up and I had to end up wearing this." She said and pointed at her beautiful dress.

"You mean to say the dress you are wearing is your back up?" I said.

"Yes, it pretty much is. Why?" She asked.

"Well it looks perfect to me. You would have got a great idea about that by my first reaction when I saw you." I said.

"Well that was pretty much evident." She said and laughed.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have stared at you like that. If I were a girl I would have taken that as a complement but I didn't mean to hurt your feelings so I am sorry for that!" I apologised. I couldn't believe the way I was talking to her and it wasn't just me who was surprised. While she and I were having this conversation Kabir and Simran looked on in amazement! They were a little far off now and hence couldn't really get what we both were talking about. All they were doing was looking at us and smiling.

"Who said I didn't take that as a complement. Actually I was pretending in front of your sister, if I hadn't done what I did she would have started off with the teasing and stuff." She said.

"Ah ha. No wonder you are Ayesha's best friend." I said.

"We do get along pretty well." She smiled and said.

Someone while passing on the cake to the guests spilled a plate over and it fell right between both of us. We both bended over to clear up the mess, an instantaneous reaction by both of us which lead to our heads getting bumped into each other. Somehow, after that bump our eyes met and were locked into each other for a couple of seconds which appeared to be close to infinity. It all felt so Bollywood! All so bloody Bollywood!

She had dark brown eyes which were neither too large nor too small; perfect is the word for them. They were beautiful, just as beautiful as the rest of her.

"Oh I am so sorry." The person who had spilled the cake intervened and spoiled the moment.

"It's okay we will clean it up." I said picking up the cake and putting it back into the plate with a wry smile on my face.

"Tanya please come here for a moment beta." Tanya's mom called.

Tanya looked at me once again smiled and went away to meet her uncle.

"Love is in the air." Kabir said.

"Really? Why do you say so? Somebody hooking up?" I said

"Do I have to answer that question?" He said with a smirk on his face.

"No, you sure don't." Simran intervened.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

They both were now staring at me and smiling as if I was a clown from the event management company hired for tonight's party!

"Oh no...no no no no no. Shut up! You guys are crazy." I said after having interpreted what they meant.

"Why do you ask us to shut up? Did we say anything about 'you'? We just said that love was in the air. It's such a nice party everybody looks welcomed which is possible only if it is organized with the ingredient of love!" Simran said.

Kabir's smile broadened.

"Oh stop your bullshit. You were sure talking about me and her. If you weren't then what was that stare and the smirk all about." I said.

"Well that is nobody's fault. You have such a lovely face, once a person sees it, one cannot stop laughing." Kabir said.

"Bug off. So I guess the party is done. Can we please go now?" I asked already pretty pissed at them for being such asses and for all the mocking throughout the evening.

"Oh come on the party is just getting started and you still haven't met all of Ayesha's friends. I am sure you will find them interesting even though I doubt any of them would be as interesting as the one you have already met." Kabir said, the smirk persisting on his face.

"Seriously, where is all of this coming from? How can you even think of a thing like that? I am here because Ayesha wanted me to be here. I don't have any other motive whatsoever. Besides, I didn't want to come here in the first place remember?" I said.

"But now that you are here and you have met 'someone', you are regretting saying that you didn't want to come." Kabir said and continued smirking.

"What the..."

"Simran di told me that you want to go back home." Ayesha came and cut short my words.

"How many times will I have to tell you it's 'didi' not 'di'. I just fail to understand why people have a problem reciprocating the two letters they just spoke. It just takes half a second more and yes I do want to go home. Can I?" I asked after clarifying my point.

"You sure can but you will not! And about the 'di' bit, well it's 'di' for me, if you like 'didi', your wish. We should keep it like that." Ayesha replied

"But why not? The party is practically over. The gifts have been given, introductions have been made, cake has been cut and food has been served. What else remains?" I said with a valid point for my argument.

"The dinner." Ayesha said.

"What do you mean by dinner? We just had lunch. Dinner is like six to seven hours away." I said astonished.

"It's a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong party if you understand what I mean and as it is there is no point whining because you will have to stay. Come let me introduce you to some school friends of mine." She replied

"I don't want to meet your school friends. I have already met enough of them. I want to go home now. Will you two please help me on this?" I asked Kabir and Simran for help.

"She is the boss today. You just can't deny what she wants." Kabir said.

"Oh come on Vishal. She is your younger sister, you should fulfil her demand just like I, being elder to you have fulfilled all your demands." Simran said.

Ayesha too made a sweet little face, her 'convincing face'.

"Okay I will stay. Who knew 365 days could cause 6 hours of pain in the butt. As for you two, thanks a lot for your support. Life would have been hell without you both!" I said sarcastically of course.

"We are always there for you!" Simran said as Kabir and she high fived on being successful in making me stay for a little while longer, which was surely going to be more than a 'little while', at that suffocating place.

"And it's 270 days that is going to cause your 8 hours of pain in the butt." Ayesha said.

To be honest, apart from the fact that Tanya looked like a princess of the real world, there wasn't anything else interesting at the party. I was able to interact with her for a minute or two and then she would be called by a certain someone to meet certain someone else but I could have waited for another day to have that two minute conversation again with her. At first, I thought her to be rude, arrogant and a beautiful girl with attitude or rather a bimbo with attitude but as the time went on, the two minute conversations were able to clear the image I had of her in my mind which went on to prove the theory "First impression is the last impression" wrong!

As time went by and I became familiar with the place I eased up a little. The small talk with Kabir and Simran didn't appear any difficult now. Everything looked good. The only agony that remained was that every topic ended with me being mocked on the topic how Tanya and I made a good couple. Deep inside somewhere it did give me some sort of satisfaction but I couldn't have shown it on the outside lest the thing which was ending all the conversations would have ended up becoming the only conversation topic for the night. Guests came and went but we were made to stay. Simran too got involved with Ayesha and her friends. I too was enjoying it now. Kabir introduced me to a couple of his friends and luckily we had a lot of mutual topics of interest so it got easier to kill time discussing almost anything that came to mind. I had an eye out for Tanya. Whenever she would get free from the bondage of standing with the elders of her family and the guests she had to meet, who appeared to be some big shots of the city, she would nod at me, I will make an excuse of going to get a drink or something and have that two minute conversation with the princess till she was called up again by someone or the other. The two minute conversations didn't include anything fancy. It was monotonous the fourth time around.

"Hi" I said with a smile.

"Hi again" She replied back with a smile.

"So who were you talking to there?" I asked.

"Oh some big shot. Dad knows him. I do not care. He is a minister." She replied.

"Oh okay. Nice." I replied.

"So how do you like the party?" She asked.

"It's good. It's good." I replied.

These were the first few constant lines. What came after, were a couple of general questions and general remarks more or less. Soon, as was expected, from some corner of the hall, Tanya's name would be heard and she would go with apologetic eyes. I would smile back in a way to say, "I understand." Getting too cute isn't it?

She was irritated for having run from one corner of the room to the other meeting random strangers she had never seen in her life and would arguably never see again in her life, apart from birthdays of course! Not that she knew me any better yet I was sure she was better off talking to me rather than talking to those random strangers. At least I thought so, or rather I hoped so!

The party continued and she got a bit too busy with the guests so I didn't get any more opportunities to interact with her, not that I wanted to but she appeared to me to be the only sensible person other than Simran, Kabir and Ayesha in a crowd full of school girls who were busy bitching about something or the other. Simran and Ayesha were busy talking to the bitches, gossiping about stuff and Kabir was busy on the phone talking to his girlfriend, I had to resort to the two minutes conversation I had with the girl who arguably was one of those, "Beauty and brains" kind of a phenomenon. How soon your opinion about someone can change!

By around 11 almost all the guests had left. The only ones that remained included Tanya's family, her relatives, who were going to stay for the night and us. I was sitting with Kabir dead tired waiting for Ayesha and Simran to arrive so as to be able to go back home. They both were in Tanya's room and soon came out. Tanya accompanied them to the door. On their way Tanya looked at me and whispered something in Ayesha's ear to which Ayesha's first reaction was of astonishment soon after which she took a glance at me and started smiling.

"They sure are talking about you bro." Kabir said looking at Ayesha's reaction and the constant stare that they both gave me.

"Oh you think?" I said with obvious sarcasm.

"Yep. Pretty much." He replied.

"So what do you think they are talking about?" I asked.

"I don't know. May be Tanya just said to Ayesha how cute you are or I don't know. Women speak too much than they mean. It can be any part of it!" He replied.

"I will second that!" I said and started moving towards the main entrance to go back home.

We met Ayesha, Simran and Tanya at the gate where Ayesha hugged Tanya, wished her happy birthday once again. Simran followed the same routine.

"Thanks a lot di. It was nice meeting you." Tanya said to Simran.

"You know calling me your di makes him your brother as well!" Simran whispered or rather said it out loud in Tanya's ear for all of us to be able hear it.

"Oh come on di. I don't mind being his sister!" Tanya replied. For a moment my heart sank but the very next moment I said, "Neither do I. Good night Tanya. Happy birthday once again."

Kabir too wished her before leaving.

Finally, after having attended arguably the longest birthday party I had ever come across, we walked back home. It was a tiring day which meant there was no energy left for the late night fun and movie. I cursed Tanya for that. If it was not for her party, we all would have been wide awake maybe watching a movie or maybe playing Jenga for that matter.

Or maybe I was mad at her because of her last remark. Maybe I was over reacting. But what the hell, I was used to it by now. We all slept like babies that night. Now even though we did partly agree to the early to bed clause of the 'great man' but we were in no mood to follow the latter half of the saying. No one was in a mood to get up early but we all did wake up fairly early by our own standards.

The four of us used to sleep in the same bedroom for staying in different rooms would have disturbed the sleep of the elderly and who wants that to happen given that the more they are up, the less noise we could make and the less noise we make the less fun we have. No puns whatsoever were intended over here! I am talking of brothers and sisters over here! Have some 'decency' of thinking 'dirty' at the right time at least!

The three of them were already up while I, as usual was in no mood of getting up yet even though I did at around 11.30. I was sleeping on the left side of the bed and even after waking up I was having my after nap thinking session and it included the events of last night. I was staring at the ceiling lying perfectly straight and thinking about it all.

"What are you thinking?" A familiar voice which sounded to be that of Tanya came from the right side of the bed.

"You." I replied thinking it to be my inner self talking to me.

"What do you mean by 'you'?" The voice asked. It was here I scanned the right side of the bed and was completely startled when I saw Tanya sitting there.

I was startled to such an extent that I stood up on the bed. This, had to be the best sleep breaker I had ever witnessed. I had gone from lying in bed half asleep to standing straight up in my bed in a matter of three seconds!

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked still taken aback by her presence in the room.

"Ayesha invited me over and by the way what did you mean when you said 'you' as the answer to my certain question?" She said.

By the time she asked this question Simran and Kabir came running into the room alarmed by hearing me scream.

"What...What happened?" Kabir entered the room and asked.

"He was scared by my presence in the room." Tanya replied spilling out the words laughing.

"What do you mean by scared?" Simran asked perplexed.

Tanya went on to explain to them what had occurred but keeping the last bit, 'the question and the answer' to herself. Soon after her tale was over, Kabir fell on the floor laughing. It was as if the words that came out of Tanya's mouth were still tickling him.

"You don't really have to LPOTZL" I said.

"LPOTZL?" Simran and Tanya said in unison.

"Just the Indian version of ROTFL." I replied.

"Full form being?" Tanya asked.

"Loting Poting On The Zameen Laughing." I replied.

All of them laughed again.

"Are you done yet?" I asked frustrated.

"Sure I am but hey I just remembered something that's making me laugh again." He replied still laughing.

"And what's that?" I asked

"The story that Tanya just narrated!" He said and started laughing all the more louder. This time Tanya and Simran joined in.

I left the room for I couldn't bear it anymore. In the meantime Ayesha came out of the bathroom after a bath and was made to hear the story all over again. She too, as expected, started laughing like a jerk. Believe me or not it's pure agony yet fun having brothers and sisters like that! I then went on to get equipped for breakfast cum lunch for both were taken at one time, lunch for the elders and breakfast for us.

You might have heard of Sheldon Cooper's Dinefast but we believed in Lunchfast or maybe people popularly call it brunch.

It was as if we were living in two different parts of the world, one in India and the other maybe in London, for our cycles of getting up, getting ready, breakfast; lunch, dinner and sleep were more or less five hours apart. Needless to say the elders, being the oldies were "Early to bed, Early to rise" followers making them live in 'India' and making us live in 'England'. Somehow this comparison did amuse me. Living in England wasn't that bad an option after all.

Tanya also joined us for breakfast cum lunch, a bit confused about what she should be having given that she already had breakfast once, she decided on having breakfast again, which would have been my personal choice as well. Now as the five of us were sitting on the same table, Tanya included, it meant the rest three were surely going to be on a troll spree. There would be a number of double meaning jokes hurled my way.

"So Vishal, Tanya just told me about what happened when you woke up." Ayesha said.

"Oh she did. I thought she would be mum on that and take that secret to her grave." I said with obvious sarcasm.

"Well I sure am taking a part of it to the grave." She replied and moved her eyebrows in a way to state, "Should I tell them what you said when I asked you the question."

"Sorry." Was my instantaneous reply.

As soon as the word came out of my mouth Kabir, Simran and Ayesha's jaws dropped in astonishment. It felt as if I had said some real bad words about Tanya's family or for that matter anyone.

"Did you hear what I heard?" said Simran still amazed about what she had just heard.

"I don't know about that but did he say what I think he did?" Kabir said still in a state of shock.

"Oh I bet he did." Ayesha said still awestruck.

I was visibly flushed.

"Am I missing something guys?" Tanya said unable to understand what the amazement was all about.

"If this was Matrix and I was Morpheous, I would have said 'You are the one Tanya' but over here none of that matters. All that matters is, you surely are the lucky one Tanya!" Kabir said.

"Woa, woa...What do you mean by the lucky one?" Tanya asked stressing on the words 'lucky one'.

"Nothing what you are presuming it be." Simran said and winked.

"It's just that this chap over here who for some reason just uttered the word 'sorry' has never apologized even when he has been wrong but today, he did, to you. You sure are the lucky one Tanya." Ayesha said and winked with a smirk of naughtiness all over her face.

"Oh......So you have a big ego." Tanya said bluntly.

I didn't say anything nor did I look up. Concentrating on my bread omelette was the better option rather than listening to what these chaps were saying.

"Sure he does!" Kabir replied for me.

"So how about we play a little game over here. Who is interested?" Tanya said.

"I am." Said Kabir

"Me too." Said Simran

"Me three." Said Ayesha

And then they all looked at me for a reply.

"I am not." I replied.

"Oh come on." Kabir said.

"Let it be bhaiya. As it is he is the game so he can't be a part of it!" Tanya said with a smile which was fairly naughty and yet made her look all the more beautiful.

"Looks like I am going to enjoy this." Kabir said and rubbed his hands to show his enthusiasm and excitement.

"So what's the game Tanya?" Simran asked.

"This is a betting game." Tanya said.

"A betting game?" Ayesha said.

"Yes"

"What do we bet on?" Kabir asked.

"Anything but it should be something reasonable. It means that you can bet on something that you think you can do. It's like giving a dare to ourselves but once you decide on the dare you tell the rest who are playing and if the others find it worth a challenge and not too farfetched the person will have to do it. If the person fails to do so, he or she is out of the game." Tanya explained.

"Interesting. We like it!" The three of them said unanimously.

"So who goes first?" Ayesha asked.

"Um I think Tanya should go first. She is the one who introduced the game `. If she goes first she would be able to show us how it is to be done." Simran replied.

"Fair enough. Tanya you go first." Kabir said supporting Simran's point of view.

"Okay." Tanya replied.

"So what do you bet on?" Ayesha asked.

"I bet on........." She said and paused.

"On.....go on." Kabir said.

"That I can make him say sorry three times right now." She said pointing the index finger of her right hand towards me. I didn't notice it for I was busy eating but then I looked up to see whom she was pointing to. As soon as I saw the finger pointing in my direction, the churned up omelette entered my windpipe and made me cough.

"What the......" I shouted but stopped myself realizing I was sitting on the dining table of my uncle's home.

The three of them thought that could this be done or not and then they unanimously came to the decision. "We think you can do it." Kabir replied representing the three of them.

"Oh come on guys." I said extremely frustrated.

"What? It's just a game. Play along and I am sure Tanya is going to lose the bet. You are never ever going to say sorry and that too thrice, practically impossible!" Kabir said.

"Sure.........Aunty these people are playing a betting game!" I shouted out to Kabir and Ayesha's mom who was the only other occupant of the house at the moment.

"Oh yes ma we are and I think you should see this too. This is going to be history in the making. Your grandchildren will talk of this day as the day when their uncle succumbed to a girl and said sorry to her thrice." Kabir said.

"Oh you people and your silly games. I am working here. You guys carry on." She replied.

And hence my last card failed too.

"It's on!" Kabir said.

Tanya made the same eyebrow movement as she had done earlier when I said sorry. This time I didn't utter a word for I knew if I spoke that word will surely spill out of my mouth.

When her initial movement didn't work, she shortened her eyes so as to stare and trying to say, "Will you say sorry or should I start speaking." It was as if she was talking to me through her eyes. The only difference, this time it worked.

"Sorry." I said and I was as much amazed as the rest. I never wanted to say it yet I did.

"You are a genius Tanya." Kabir said awestruck by what she had done.

I got all the more frustrated and it showed on my face.

Tanya got visibly upset on seeing my sunken face.

"Okay guys I forfeit. It's getting too much." Tanya said.

"Oh come on Tanya don't break our hearts. Hearing him say sorry feels so nice." Ayesha said

"No Ayesha I can't. I am sorry Vishal. I shouldn't have forced you." Tanya said getting all the more upset.

"Oh you don't have to be sorry!" I said to calm her down.

"That's two!" Tanya said and started laughing and jumping with joy.

The rest three joined her in the laugh.

"What the hell I don't like any one of you." I said, very upset with Tanya for doing what she just did. I left my breakfast cum lunch or whatever and went to my room which was right next to where Tanya was standing and closed the door behind me. As soon as I closed the door Tanya shrieked in pain. I couldn't understand what had happened. I opened the door to see that Tanya was sitting on the floor sobbing, holding the index finger of her right hand which was bleeding. I thought her finger was trapped in the door while I was closing it. Her sobs were slowly growing as the pain increased.

"Oh shit. I am really really sorry Tanya. I never meant to do this!" I said pretty much angry with myself for hurting her even though it was unintentional.

"It's ok and that's three!" Tanya said getting up and started to laugh in joy yet again.

"Oh boy. You are good. You are real good. You scared us all for a moment." Simran said.

I was still analysing what had just occurred

"Where did the blood come from?" Ayesha asked.

"Blood? Which blood? Do you mean Tomato ketchup?" Tanya said and licked the ketchup from her finger.

"You are awesome Tanya." Ayesha said.

"Sure she is!" Kabir supported.

Ayesha hugged Tanya as she looked at me with her perfectly shaped, dark brown eyes.

"Want some ketchup?" She asked pointing at the little bit that remained on her finger.

"No thanks and this is not over!" I said and left the room in disgust.

"Never mind." Tanya replied still happy with her victory.

Since then, Tanya started staying at our place a lot more than usual. Apart from Ayesha, Simran and Kabir too were very fond of her and that meant she would sleep over whenever she wanted more often on insistence of Simran and Ayesha. Even though she was fun to be around, I hated her from the core of my heart. So what she was beautiful, so what there appeared to be sparkling chemistry between the two of us, she was mean and cruel and a lot of other things which I will not like to bring up. In a conversation which involved her, I rarely said a word. She tried to converse, yet I backed out all the time. Maybe I was too mad at her or maybe I just wanted to stay away so as to be able to stay away from any trouble and pranks that might be making their way in that woman's tiny but smart head. She was fun though, some of the stories she told were rib tickling fun yet neither did I laugh much even when the rest three were falling off the bed laughing nor did I give my inputs which could have made the story all the more funny.

Then came that dreadful night, the last night before we were supposed to leave and go back to our home. That night, I don't know for what dreaded reason, we decide to play the game of truth and dare. This was the last night so Tanya was staying for the night which meant trouble all the way. Since Tanya's entry, I had become the soft target so I had to be extra careful to be able to survive the night.

The game started and the plastic cola bottle was rolled to decide whose turn was it to spill out the truth or do something silly. The game was running pretty smoothly. Tanya was sitting at the spot to the right of me which meant there wasn't a possibility of her asking a question or giving me a dare so I had eased out. It had to be Kabir who was supposed to ask the question or give the dare which he did when the bottle pointed at me. The game continued as we all continued picking up truths and dares asking each other to do ridiculous stuff! It was around three in the morning that we decided to give the game a rest for we had to leave at around nine in the morning. So we decided to go off to sleep after the last spin and as luck would have had it, it pointed at me. I was in for a truth this time.

"So what's my question?" I asked as it is I was feeling pretty sleepy and wanted to get this over with.

"Let's make this a little bit more fun." Kabir said with a sheepish smile on his face.

"How is that going to be?" Ayesha asked.

"I would like to pass and give Tanya the opportunity to ask a question from him." Kabir said.

"That's not fair. I object. This is against the rules." I said.

"Okay fair enough. Let's do a vote. All those in favour that Tanya should ask this question raise their hands." Kabir said.

Believe it or not, my brother and my sisters had their hands up and on the other hand, Tanya who was always the first one in line to mock me didn't raise her hand!

"So it's 3 as opposed to 2. Tanya, go ahead and ask a question." Kabir said.

"Okay." Tanya said and started thinking, maybe thinking of an appropriately inappropriate question!

I waited patiently for the question to arrive. I was wide awake; all the sleep that had filled my eyes a couple of minutes back was all gone. I was trying to concentrate hard to prevent any humiliation, for the question might have an underlying meaning which I might fail to understand.

"My question is why did you say 'you' that day?" She asked.

It was a pretty straight forward question yet very humiliating.

"What? What are you talking about?" I said trying to fake a frown and tried to convince her that I didn't understand what she was saying.

"You want me to say it out loud?" She asked.

"What do I want you to say out loud? I don't want you to say anything. I just don't understand what you are talking about." I said pissed at her for bringing up the topic again.

"Okay. Okay. I will frame it in simple words for you. Why were you thinking about me the morning when you were scared by my presence in the room?" She said and that got a bit too straight forward. The three of them who were filled with sleep a moment ago were now listening to our conversation pretty intently.

"I wasn't thinking about you." I said.

"Yes you were." She argued.

"No I wasn't."

"Yes you were. You said so!"

"Did I? I would have mistaken you to be someone else which actually was the reason I was startled." I lied.

"And that's the truth?" She asked.

"You are allowed to ask only one question." I said.

"But you still haven't answered my question. You are just beating around the bush. Answer my first question and I will let you go." She replied.

"As I said I wasn't thinking about you. I mistook you to be someone else." I said.

"Okay, break it you two." Kabir intervened.

"Shut up and sit down Kabir. I am pretty much enjoying this. Let's see where this is headed." Simran whispered to Kabir.

"I too am enjoying this. It's a bit confusing but it sounds fun." Ayesha said.

"Okay. Who wanted to intervene anyway, I just wanted to fulfil the formality. This is awesome!" Kabir said.

"So you weren't thinking about me." Tanya continued to argue.

"No I wasn't." I said.

"Okay chap, if you weren't then right before you woke up why did you take my name and smile in your sleep." She said.

"What! I never did that. Now you are making things up." I replied.

"I am not. That's what you said." She said.

"I did not."

"Yes you did."

"I did not."

"Yes you did."

"I did not."

"Well then wait for the proof." She said and took out her cell phone. She clicked on some icons and a video popped up. It was a video of me sleeping and after around ten seconds I smiled and said 'Tanya'. This was the first instance I came across where I spoke in my sleep.

"I can't believe this. The video is rigged. You changed it." I said accusing Tanya.

"And you seriously think I have that much brain and that much time so as to be able to ask you this question which, oh I got by chance because Kabir wanted me to ask the question." She said with sarcasm filled in her voice.

"He is in the plan with you. You all are against me." I accused all of them.

"Woa... Woa...Woa...No one is against you bro. None of us had a clue about all of this I assure you of that! By the way Tanya why were you filming Vishal sleeping." Kabir countered and asked.

"That's not important at the moment. So Vishal are you going to tell me why were you thinking about me that day?" She asked again.

"I wasn't."

"Yes you were. Now tell me why were you thinking about me?" She pressurised.

"Because I liked you." I succumbed to the pressure and spilled the truth.

"I was thinking about you because after those brief moments of conversation with you I started liking you but not anymore. Ever since you played that 'sorry' prank on me and ever since I got to know you better, I have started hating you." I completed what I had to say.

There was stunned silence in the room. No one spoke. No one had anything to say.

"Well I am really sorry Vishal. I didn't mean to trouble you so much. I got a bit carried away and never realised you were just a little girl." Tanya broke the silence and started laughing. After a moment or two the rest of them joined her as well. That sort of cooled down the air but it wasn't clear as yet and may be it wasn't supposed to get clean. It had to end like this and so be it. It will end like this!

"It's time to go to bed. It's already 4 in the morning. You guys only have a couple of hours of sleep; there is a train you have to catch in the morning. Sleep off." Kabir said as everyone got ready to go off to sleep. Ayesha and Simran had already dozed off. I went to the washroom and by the time I came back Kabir too had slept and Tanya was setting up a bed on the floor, where I used to sleep. This wasn't the first time she was sleeping over but then there was never a problem of lack of space. I entered the room and looked at Tanya. I had no intentions of talking to her.

"I would have slept up on the bed but Kabir bhaiya has already slept so I thought I shouldn't disturb him." She said.

Kabir and I used to occupy the bed on the floor which was the reason the problem of space didn't arise but now that he was already asleep up on the bed, Tanya had to sleep on the bed set up on the floor.

"It's okay, no problem. I will sleep on the couch outside, you sleep here. No worries." I said, switched off the lights, said an awkward sounding good night, went to the living room and tried to lay on a four feet couch trying to fit my six feet body in it. I tried for about fifteen twenty minutes and then decided to quit. Sitting up and sleeping appeared to be a more convenient option.

After around five minutes a mobile light flashed as a voice said, "Don't be afraid if you are awake."

It was Tanya.

"I am not afraid and yes I am awake as of now." I replied with a smile.

"You too unable to sleep?" she asked.

"Yep. The couch is too huge for my liking." I said with obvious sarcasm.

"It appears to be so." She replied.

"Why aren't you able to sleep?" I asked.

"Well to be honest, I am feeling terrible. Maybe I got a bit carried away and troubled you a bit too much. I am sorry." She said.

"Oh it's alright. I also want to say something but only if you promise you won't tell the three of them in the morning." I said.

"Sure. I won't tell them. Go on." She replied with a smile. She looked all the more beautiful in the darkness and the faint light of the mobile phone. She looked like an angel to be honest, the first one I had ever seen!

"I am sorry too. I think I didn't take your pranks the way they should have been taken. I wasn't sporting enough. Maybe because I didn't expect that from you. So I am sorry. There I said it again." I said and smiled.

"That's so sweet." She said.

"Oh please not that!" I said.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing. Will tell you about it, maybe some other time. I think you should go to sleep now." I said.

"I think so too but before I do I want to ask you something." She said.

"Again? I don't think we can waste an hour again talking about nonsense." I said.

"Shut up." She said and started laughing sweetly.

"Okay what do you want to ask? Go ahead." I said.

"Can't we both forget whatever happened in the last week and just be friends again, as we were on my birthday." She said.

"Sure we can. It's a deal." I said and shook hands with her.

"Nice to meet you friend." She said and smiled. I smiled with her.

"Go to sleep now." I said.

"Okay." She said and got up to go back to the room.

On her way back she stopped and turned around.

"If you want you can sleep on the bed in the room." She said.

"No I am fine here. You sleep on the bed." I said.

"No I mean you can sleep there too. We can share the bed." She said.

"Are you crazy? It's a single bed!" I said.

"So? I didn't say we are going to 'sleep' together. Not tonight anyway, for God's sake your siblings are in that room and as it is we are underage. How can you even think of such a thing? Idiot. I said we can share a bed." She said.

"Well if you don't have a problem then neither do I. It's just that when these chaps get up in the morning they will infer a completely different meaning of it all. Moreover uncle and aunty wouldn't like it." I said.

"Oh don't you worry I am not a sound sleeper like you and as it is I don't think we are going to sleep. It's almost five already, aunty will get up at around six and then I will go back to my house." She said.

"What are we going to do for an hour?" I asked and winked.

"Talk about life. You are such an asshole." She said.

"And you are such a tomboy." I said.

"I won't deny that considering what all I have done to you in the past one week." She said and laughed.

"Shut up." I said and then we moved to the bedroom.

As it was a single bed and it wasn't easy for two people to lie on it. Even though Kabir and I did share the bed but it never was difficult but with Tanya, I had to maintain a distance. We tried a lot of 'positions' (no puns intended whatsoever) but ultimately it was me lying in one corner, pillow under my head and my left arm at ninety degrees to my body was being used as a pillow by Tanya.

"So you ever had a girlfriend?" She asked.

"Girlfriend?" I said and laughed.

"What's there to laugh? It was a fairly simple question." She replied.

"What do you think?" I asked.

"I think......" She said and paused.

"That......" I continued her sentence.

"Yes you did have a girlfriend. Not one but a couple of them." She replied.

"What makes you think so?" I asked.

"Oh so now Mr. Vishal wants to be praised by a pretty beautiful girl who is lying right next to him using his arm as a pillow. Fair enough. I guess you deserve this much for providing me with a pillow." She said and paused.

"Go on. I am listening." I said and smiled.

"You are handsome, you have a charm, you are sober and a perfect gentleman apart from the fact that you are a bit egoistic and a sweet little girl and a cry baby." She replied.

"Well that was some praising! I myself couldn't have defined myself better." I said appreciating her effort and also trying to fit in my loved sarcasm.

"So, did you ever have a boyfriend?" I asked.

"First answer my question." She said.

"There would be no answering of questions. You just believe what you think. That's it. So do you have a boyfriend?"

"What do you think?" She said.

"Oh ok. So we are playing. I think..." I said and paused.

"That..." She continued the sentence.

"I think that you had a boyfriend who was very handsome, just like me." I said.

"And why do you think so?" She laughed and said.

"Oh so now Ms. Tanya wants to be praised by a rather sober guy who is lying right next to her and is lending his hand as a pillow for her. I guess you deserve this for letting me lie down." I said.

She smiled. This one was pure and this made her look beautiful, "angel" as I described earlier.

"Go on. I am listening." She replied.

"Well I think so because that stupid boyfriend of yours broke your heart which ultimately converted you into a tomboy and since then, you started hating handsome boys, which is the reason you treated me the way you did." I said and laughed.

"Oh come on Vishal I have already apologized for that. I said I am sorry." She said a bit irritated.

"I know. I was just fooling around." I said.

"I think you should sleep now. You have a long journey ahead of you!" She said.

"Okay. You too sleep. No need to worry but I think I should give you a prior warning my hands and feet frequently move a lot while I am asleep." I said.

"Oh don't worry about that. Your one hand is controlled by my head and if the rest of your body moves, I am going to break your nuts." She replied.

I started to laugh.

"I am serious. Now go off to sleep. Hope to meet you soon. Good morning and good night." She said.

"Same to you." I said and slept off.

The next morning or rather the same morning I woke up at 7.30 after just a couple of hours of sleep and Tanya was nowhere to be found. That she had gone back to her house, was the only plausible conclusion. I got ready, ate my breakfast and then Simran and I left for the railway station to board the train.

It was quite a week with its ups and downs but I most probably will remember the upside of it all.

On our way out of the house, after moving a couple of feet away, after everyone had seen us off I looked up at Tanya's house. All I could see was a window and didn't know whose room it was, but I kept looking at it for as long as I could just to see her for one last time before leaving. Just to say good bye to her but it just never happened. It had been just an hour and I was missing her already!
Chapter 3: The Train Journey

We reached the station ten minutes before the train was scheduled to arrive. We asked a coolie where our second class two tier AC bogey was supposed to be. Following his instructions we reached our bogey and then took a seat on the bench. I went away to bring two cups of tea so as to energize ourselves and prevent ourselves from falling off to sleep before the arrival of the train.

The train arrived bang on time, to be honest, that came as more of a shock than a welcome! An Indian Railway train arriving on time is more of a shock any day! We boarded the train, even though our bogey was a bit to the left from where we were told it would be, but that much is expected out of the railway system or rather the Indian way of functioning. Nobody is willing to give you the right information for free, be it a request of asking where the public toilet is, way to a location or anything for that matter. Any information you are provided for free is bound to be wrong! I realized this on falling prey to the above stated situations more than a couple of times which strengthened my faith in it!

Anyway, so we boarded the train and settled down in our compartment. Our compartment had four other occupants as well, a middle aged man who seemed to be from the corporate world, his father and a couple with an infant who seemed to be around a year old in the arms of the mother. It was funny how almost four generations were right there in that compartment itself! An infant, away from all the life worries, nothing to do, people around to clean up his shit (pun intended), a school going boy i.e. me, frustrated with life already, still unsure what I have to do or what I want from my life, a college going girl i.e. Simran, who has no clue as to why is she doing what she is doing, two middle aged men, working and earning money for the family, trying to raise the family and making ends meet, finally an old man who has passed all the above stated stages and is waiting for his fate, the end to arrive. It was an entire lifetime in that coach.

After settling down and sharing my thought process with Simran we had our breakfast which Kabir's mom had packed for us. We both were in a dilemma trying to remember what all did we do in the past one week. We were pretty much tired. It was a fun filled yet a hectic week so we didn't care much to get up or talk. We just laid back in our seats and kept on remembering the things that conspired.

"It was a fun filled week." Simran said.

"Oh sure, it was but much more fun for the three of you than it was for me." I said.

"Oh come on, that's not true. You too enjoyed it. I can't believe you didn't." she said.

"Yes I did, but I was mocked too much for my liking." I said.

"You know Vishal once you only told me 'the person who gets irritated easily is the one who is irritated the most by the people around him. One should never react.' Remember?" She replied.

"Hmmm." I replied for I didn't have anything better to say.

"The only thing that you did wrong which most probably spoilt your fun was reacting to whatever prank Tanya played on you. If you hadn't reacted at any one of those pranks she would have stopped troubling you! But no, prank after prank you got all the more irritated which made it all the more fun for her." She explained.

"Yes you are right." I replied trying to cut down the discussion on the topic.

"So what's up with you and Tanya anyways?" She asked.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked a bit taken aback by the question. The last conversation she heard between us was the heated one and I didn't want to open everything that happened last night after they all had gone off to sleep because if I had, the teasing would have started all over again and as it is with gossip it spreads faster than a forest fire!

"You did hear the last conversation the two of us had. Still expect something from me" I said

"I am not expecting anything from you. I am just talking she talk asking the ask and well I am pretty much sure I didn't hear the last piece of conversation the two of you had." she said and smiled.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Well that depends on whether or not are you willing to disclose what happened after the three of us had slept off." she said

"What do you wanna know?" I asked

"Everything!" she replied.

"Why would I tell you?" I said.

"Because if you don't then I will tell Kabir, Ayesha and everyone else how you and Tanya were sleeping last night or rather this morning." she said and winked.

"What do you mean?" I said.

"I woke up at around quarter to six in the morning and I wouldn't like to describe.."

"Go ahead tell them. I tried to sleep on the couch in the living room, wasn't able to do so. So she came over and asked if I would like to sleep on the bed. I declined, she insisted, as we had to travel, so a bit of sleep would have helped so I said fine. Making her sleep on the couch wouldn't have been kind so I gave her enough space! We were just lying on the same bed and as she didn't have any pillow she used my hand as one. What's the problem in that?" I said.

"Oh well then I think you yourself are unaware of how the two of you were sleeping at quarter to six in the morning. Here have a look. Maybe this will give you a fair idea." She said and showed me a photo in her mobile phone. I too was startled on seeing the photo.

I was sleeping the way I was supposed to the only difference was that Tanya's head rested on my chest maybe the hand as a pillow didn't work so she decided to use a better one, my chest. The only difference in the way I was sleeping was my hand was resting on Tanya's back around her body. I had option other than telling her what happened. Even though I am a lover of technology but when such things happen I start hating it. This reminds me of my famous video on youtube. No, I am in no way going to tell you the name of that video. It has got enough views, likes and comments, much more than I can bear actually!

So I had to succumb to her demand and told her what all happened roughly seven hours ago after the three of them had slept. She was enjoying it and I was also kind of enjoying telling it to her for I could remember her and relieve those few precious moments.

"That's all what happened last night. Happy?" I said once I was done telling the tale to her.

"Very." She replied and started smiling, a wicked wicked smile it was.

"What? Why are you smiling like that?" I asked.

"Because something is cooking." She said.

"Nothing is cooking. We are just friends. It's just a fresh start and in fact it will be a fresh start when I meet her again." I said.

"Oh so you are already looking forward to an opportunity to meet her again." She said, hence the mocking began!

"Why do you guys always have to take out an alternate meaning of everything? Chuck it." I said.

"See you are reacting. Remember what I said a while back? Do not react, but given the topic, you must react. You have full right to defend yourself even though I am not going to buy it!" She said.

"Shut up. Sleep off. We will reach home in around 5 hours. Sleep for a while." I said.

"Okay. If you say so and FYI which for your information is how people refer for your information nowadays, you know when that picture was taken, Ayesha and Kabir were wide awake staring at the two of you so I don't have to show that picture to anyone to prove it! Good night! I think we should sleep for a while!" She said, smiled and lay back on her seat!

"What the hell." I had nothing to say. Given that they both too knew about the picture, I was in for a miserable time the next time we talk over skype, phone, chat online or any mode of conversation we might have.

I also laid back in my seat to take a nap for couple of hours and reach home fresh but due to some reason I just couldn't sleep. As soon as I tried to sleep, Tanya's face would pop up in my mind and I would keep looking at her. It reminded me of the first time I saw her. She entered the room and it was as if it were a Bollywood scene setting and the entry of the lead actress was to happen.

She entered the room and I looked at her and was bowled over by her beauty. Her hair looked black but appeared to be dark brown as soon as she passed the area when the sun rays fell on her hair. Her upper lip and lower lip close together and her cheek bones moved a little as she started smiling and what a smile it was! The smile made a cute little dimple appear on her left cheek which made it look all the more precious and made her look all the more beautiful. She was wearing a purple dress, which suited her and she looked perfect in it. The makeup she had put on was apt, nothing flashy, not too many pancakes were wasted to spoil her natural beauty. She had fair skin; no, fair might not do justice, angel like skin, a small nose which looked perfect on her face. It was if when she smiled along with her lips and cheeks, her nose and ears smiled as well. It was a sign of a naughty human being. Her eyes had a sparkle which was hard to miss and once my eyes met hers I just couldn't avoid looking at her. It reminded me of an old song which goes by the name "Kitna haseen chehra" not that I remember the lyrics or anything but that song came to my memory as soon as I saw her. (As I said, a perfect Bollywood setting!)

All this while I kept thinking of her and I don't know when I dozed off. By the time I woke up we were forty minutes from destination and what was most surprising was that the train was running before time! This sure was going to be a historic day in the history of Indian Railways, a train arriving not on time but before time and I was more than happy to be a part of it!

I woke Simran so that she could freshen up.

After around ten minutes or so the train stopped and it looked like the historic day wasn't going to be today! The train started off again in a couple of minutes. From then on, it was a misery; the train didn't pick up speed and practically halted every two minutes. It looked like my appreciation of the Indian Railway system was just unbearable to God, the end result being, train reached half an hour late. There you have it, Indian Railways for you!
Chapter 4: Should I friend her on facebook?

A couple of days were left for the summer break to end and I was busy finishing the project work for my holiday home work, yes, like every other school going human being I hated it!

Most of the time went in doing one project or the other, the remaining on the new viral social networking website, yes ladies and gentlemen I am talking about facebook.com. Lover of technology as I am, I was on it long before it went viral and as per the present trend, you might not have roads to your city yet you are sure to have a person using facebook in the vicinity!

Now that it was viral, an epidemic as every parent of school and college going kids would like to describe it, most of my friends were already on it. One night around midnight, after finishing up the project work, I opened the disease and started talking to my disease stricken friends, I happened to find a new update on Simran's wall which said:

Simran is now friends Tanya Sharma

I checked out and it said, "Fifteen minutes ago in the time feed just below the update."

"This is interesting. She too is here now..." I said to myself.

I opened her profile. It said one mutual friend. I was in a dilemma that should I or shouldn't I send her a friend request. A part of me said I should, I really like her and the other said once you friend her and she accepts then it means all the more mocking. I decided on leaving it for the moment.

In around half an hour, she was appearing in my "People you may know list" with three mutual friends. No points for guessing who those three people were but if you are one of those who is skipping the major part of the novel or just skimming through it I give you the name of the characters again. The three mutual friends were Simran, Ayesha and Kabir.

I rolled over to her profile and opened it. In the profile picture which people call 'DP' for some strange reason and it sure can't be the one that I have because to me 'DP' has a whole different meaning altogether! She was wearing a blue coloured tank top and jeans looking as cute as she is.

"I wonder if she sent them the friend request or they did." I said to myself and again I was stuck at the question that should I or shouldn't I send her a request. It was one of those classic moments when two parts of you fly out of you, one dressed up as an angel, the other as a demon and they start talking to you!

"I think you should send the friend request." The angel side of me said.

"I think you shouldn't." the evil side of me said.

"Why not?"

"Because you don't know that they sent the friend request or she did."

"How does that make a difference?"

"It makes a difference. If you send the request now she might think you are desperate and may take it in a wrong sense all together."

"Oh come on nothing of that sort is going to happen. It's just a friend request on a social networking website, nobody cares. When I am friends with that boy from the seventh grade who got a terrible beating from me for passing a comment, then this is her, the one I like." The angel part of me said.

"Okay. Go ahead do it but later don't blame me if she denies the request and be ready for the mocking that might follow if she does accept the request." The evil part of me said.

"Shut up." I shouted as both of them disappeared in thin air.

"It's ultimately my call. Should I or shouldn't I?" I said to myself. I was talking a bit too much to myself and I didn't like it a bit.

"Should I or shouldn't I?" The question lingered.

I opened her profile yet again refreshing the page again and again and hoping for a request which never happened.

I rolled my mouse over to the icon which said:

Add as a friend

"Should I or shouldn't I?" I kept saying pressing the button at first and then pressing the escape key.

"Should I or shouldn't I?"

"Should I or shouldn't I?"

"Should I or shouldn't I?"

"What's with the ego? Do it. Nobody cares. If she accepts fair enough, these people ask, I would say she sent in the request. If she denies then nobody is ever going to know that this even happened. I should!" I thought to myself and finally pressed on the 'add as a friend' button but pressed the escape key again, maybe it became a spinal level reaction as I was doing it for the past five minutes.

Finally, I pressed on the button without pressing the escape key and confirmed sending the request.

"Whatever has to happen has to happen." I said to myself, talking to myself for one last time during the course of the night and went off to sleep.

I tried to sleep but I never knew a website could act like a bitch. I just couldn't sleep. All that was on my mind was that whether or not she would accept the friend request. Had she already accepted it or had she denied it. How would she have felt on receiving a friend request from me? Social networking websites sure are a bitch! Ultimately, I got up and checked my profile for any updates but there were none. I opened her profile just to cross check that she hadn't denied the request or if there were any updates on her profile. I was driven to such heights of insanity that at three in the morning I was refreshing my home page in the hope that she will be online and would accept my friend request any moment. This website had driven me to heights of desperation I had never imagined. That day or that night rather or early morning, I don't care how you like to describe it but I learnt another lesson in my life, "Even inanimate objects can act like a bitch and screw you up!"

My question for the night has changed from "Should I or shouldn't I" to "Would she or wouldn't she?" Repeating this question over and over again in my head, I drove myself to sleep.

The next morning I woke up at around 9 and the first thing I did, yes, you guessed it right, I opened my account to see for any updates. There weren't any on my profile or on hers either.

I put the account on a tab and put the page on auto refresh with a cycle of five minutes so as to be able to keep checking the latest and then I went to freshen up and later for breakfast with breaks in between to check if there was any update. There wasn't any update at any time of the day which made me restless for I was unable to understand what was to be done. The bitch had completely screwed me up! (No puns intended) I got so irritated and frustrated with myself for being such a jerk that I pulled out the internet connection, shut down the computer and didn't care to open it for the rest of the day. It was exactly seven twenty seven in the evening when I pulled the plug out and shut down the computer. At exactly seven thirty five, I plugged in the chord and opened the computer yet again to the same page! Yes, it was good while it lasted, even though it was as brief as eight minutes including two minutes, the time that the computer took to boot up!

I opened her account to see if there were any updates. There were a couple which were

Tanya Sharma is now friends with Kushal Sharma and 1 other person.

"May be she might have sent them a request and might not have opened her account today. No big deal!" I said to myself hoping this was what had happened.

I checked wall and there was a status update as well which read, "Facebook is awesome. I like it."

This update was good enough to indicate that she was on her account and hadn't accepted the request, not as yet anyway. But now that there was a status update, it meant she did check her profile, if she did, she sure did see the friend request yet there wasn't any response to mine which clearly meant she was either ignoring me or didn't want to be rude to her best friend's brother by ignoring the friend request so thought to let it be. On the other hand, the only thing that could be in my favour or rather was the way I wanted it to be, was that she didn't open the friend request column, came online, wrote the status update and went offline.

My thought of optimism was soon shattered when I pressed the refresh button again.

There was another update on her wall. She was friends with someone who goes by the name Lalita. He had commented on the post writing, "Hey thanks for accepting the request. It's nice that you are finally here."

She too had replied to the comment, "Yep I am finally here! :D"

And that is that. She had accepted a friend request from someone and there was a proof on it on her wall with her comment.

The bitch had played its role. My irritation rose to such a level that I cancelled the friend request that I had sent out to her and deactivated my account as well. I made a resolution that I would never ever go back to that website again even though, just like my internet resolution, a couple of paragraphs above, this one too was short lived even though it lasted longer that the internet resolution. This one lasted for one day and 2 hours which is like 200 times better than the internet resolution but this time it wasn't because of my own reason that I activated my account again, it was because of the other diseased people around who had been texting since the time I deactivated my account asking me why I did so. A classic example of peer pressure, if you may say so and no matter how far you might run from the disease in an epidemic with a weak immune system for technology as my own, there was no way to escape a relapse! So I was back on facebook and again, the happy go lucky self.

The only irony I discovered in the above incident was that I on one hand was friending people like that seventh grader who considered me to be his biggest enemy and she on the other hand didn't accept my friend request whom she considered to be a friend and had already 'slept' with! It surely wasn't a one night thing; I am talking about the friend thing out here you cheap pricks!

I didn't care to open her profile nor did I intend to send her a friend request again, life was back to normal and I had broken up with my friend!
Chapter 5: Women are experts at messing up a man's head

Life was normal now, school was just about to start off the following day so I didn't have much time left for facebook or to think about Tanya, which I had practically stopped doing since the facebook incident.

It was a Saturday evening and I didn't have anything better to do, so I opened my newly bought laptop and opened my browser to the epidemic and started taking the current health situation of the other diseased.

Facebook had just started off with its photo tagging service i.e. if you are with a friend in a picture you can tag him to let others know who it is. The day I took note of the service I was tagged in four pictures by Kabir. I opened up the pictures and those were the ones that he clicked on our last night together while we were in Dehradun.

He had tagged all of us in the pictures. The pictures were nice and reminded me of all the fun we had back then apart from Tanya spoiling the fun for me!

She too was tagged and I thought this was the opportunity to make my presence felt out here and make her realize that I too am here!

There was a picture in which I was with Simran, Ayesha and Tanya.

"The two girls who are my strength and my weakness as well. Love you both!" I commented.

Then on, the comments started to flow in on the picture.

"I like it. Vishal looks sad, maybe he is still remembering the pranks that Tanya played on her! Lol" Ayesha commented.

"I agree with you Ayesha. Vishal can you please specify which two girls are you talking about because I can see three of them in this pic! ;)" Simran commented.

"Hey come on Ayesha and Simran di. I didn't trouble him that much. We did patch up by the night or by the morning if I may say so. Right Vishal?

P.S. I can't deny saying that playing those pranks on him was a lot of fun!" Came the much awaited comment from Tanya.

I was amazed by Tanya's comment. She was behaving like nothing had happened, as if there wasn't any facebook incident where she ignored me. I couldn't understand what was happening.

While I was thinking all this the comments had already started flowing in.

"I bet you both did 'make up' by the morning literally! ;)" Ayesha commented.

"hahaha. Rightly said again Ayesha! :D" Simran commented.

"Oh shut up Ayesha we didn't do anything and as it is we are way under age to do anything! ;) I can't believe I just wrote that! Lol. And Vishal seriously where are you? I need some support over here because it's not just me who is being bullied over here, you too are!" Tanya commented

I was unable to understand how should I react but looking at Tanya's comments I thought I should rather act normal as well.

"@Simran I was talking about you and Ayesha only.

@Ayesha: Yep the pranks were fun.

@Tanya: I don't have much to say about that night because these guys have a proof and if they put it up we are so dead! So kindly pay respect to the three of them. That's all I have to say!" I commented trying to draw Tanya's attention on the photo that these people had of us sleeping together!

"Sure we have the proof. Should I put it up Vishal?" Simran commented.

"Do it Simran di. Let the world see what happened that night!" Ayesha commented.

"I don't want to miss the fun so here I am facebooking from my coaching class! @Vishal if you want I can directly upload it from my mobile device!" Kabir joined in too!

"What are you guys talking about? K" Tanya commented.

"Oh the poor girl is so clueless about it all. @Vishal why didn't you tell her?" Simran commented.

"I didn't tell her because I haven't spoken to her ever since." I commented.

"Seriously guys what are you talking about? What proof? Why are you so afraid of it Vishal?" Tanya commented.

"Oh boy. I would rather be a silent observer of this conversation because I am starting to enjoy the confusion or the conversation whatever you might like to call it!" Kabir commented.

"Me too bhai. Playing mum is the best way to have fun in this convo." Ayesha commented.

"@Tanya: I think I should upload it that's the only way you will be able to understand what we are talking about. ;)

@Vishal: You haven't spoken to Tanya ever since? Why is that?" Simran commented.

"I haven't because there was no means of communication available besides I didn't want to!" I commented.

"The boy in 'that' pic said what? :-o" Simran commented.

"Ditto! :-o" Ayesha commented.

":-o I don't like where this is going! I think I should upload the pic and then see how these two are going to react. It will be fun! *Evil smile*!" Kabir commented.

"Seriously bro don't upload the picture!" I commented not able to show in the comment how much I was pleading for them not to upload it!

"Chuck the pic Vishal. What do you mean when you say you didn't want to talk to me?" Tanya commented.

No comments came up for the next one minute while I thought of an answer.

"I meant that I didn't want to talk to you!" I wrote.

"Why is that? Did I do something wrong?" She wrote

"Everything was wrong on that trip since the time you stepped in!"

"What do you mean by that! How about the last night?"

"What about the last night?"

"The talk we had."

"Ya so you said we are friends but if we are, we should be friends on facebook which we aren't because you denied my request!"

"And you are mad about me not accepting your request?"

"Not mad at you for not accepting the request on a rather idiotic social networking website but ya maybe."

"You are such a child Vishal and FYI I never received a friend request from you! I did search for you but I think you had deactivated your account then!"

"I did send you a request."

"But I didn't see one!"

"So that's not my fault."

"Then is it my fault?"

"No"

"Then why are you mad at me?"

"Because you played pranks on me."

"I thought that was settled the same night!"

"Was it? I don't think so. You should apologise to me first."

"I did that night."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes I did."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes I did."

"No, you didn't. Not in front of these people!"

"Oh so you want me to apologise in front of these people. Okay fine I am sorry. There. I said it."

"You have to say it thrice!"

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. There. I said it five times. Three times for your ego, fourth time because I am sorry for you and the fifth because I considered you to be my friend. I didn't know you have a brain of five in a body of seventeen! Good Bye."

"Bye."

"Before I go, I would like you to play a game. Stretch out the fingers of your right hand, curl your thumb, you are left with four, curl your little finger, you are left with three, curl you index finger, you are left with two, now curl your ring finger, yep you got it, what I want to say is fuck you!"

After writing all I had written I read all of it. I sure was angry with Tanya but whatever she wrote was true. I was behaving like a spoilt child! In a fit of anger I lost a wonderful opportunity and converted a person who considered me to a friend, into an enemy. I too felt sorry for myself.

"Well done Vishal. You were successful in pissing off my best friend and a person who considered you to be a friend. Awesome!" Ayesha wrote.

"I am disappointed bro. Very sad." Simran wrote.

"I have no words to describe what you just did bro! Sad indeed!" Kabir wrote.

"Shit shit shit......@Tanya I am really really sorry I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just angry and was behaving like a child I am really sorry. Please forgive me. Here I said it twice on a public forum. Please forgive me!" I commented trying to rectify my fault, even though I, on a personal level thought that I was never going to hear her accepting my apology!

No comment came up for the next five minutes. I refreshed the page just to be sure that the net was working fine. It was. I was agitated beyond limit. I was feeling guilty for making a girl cry, because after what she wrote I was sure that she would have cried.

After a couple of minutes of wait a comment popped up. It was from Tanya.

"You don't have to be sorry Vishal.

@Everyone else: Didn't I tell you that this one will work. I was able to make him say sorry twice more and that too on a public forum. You all owe me a treat now! ;) :D" The comment read!

On reading the comment, as impulsive as I am, I wanted to literally break Tanya's head but on the other hand I was happy that it was just a joke! I didn't make her cry, instead, I made her laugh. She would be jumping around shouting with joy on making a complete fool of me once again like she did before, so they were mixed emotions.

"LPOTZL! You did it once again Tanya. You are in for a treat from all of us for sure!" Kabir commented.

"The best online prank in the history at least in the ones I have seen happening live!" Ayesha said.

"LOL." Simran commented.

"@Tanya Sharma: I officially hate you and I am never ever going to talk to you ever again in my entire life!

@Everyone else: I am just disappointed. You always support her in everything and anything against me! Not fair whatsoever!" I commented trying to make a fool of them.

"@Simran di: Di go check him out. He wrote shit thrice above. I think the cry baby needs a diaper change. Maybe that's the reason he is getting so irritated as well! :P" Tanya commented.

"Please stop Tanya. Please. If I laugh once more, my teacher is going to throw me out. Good one bdw!" Kabir commented.

"@Vishal: No matter how hard you try, you just can't beat Tanya nor can you stop her from beating your a$$ up every time you try and say something! :P" Ayesha commented.

"Okay I know if I say a word more, I am in for a beating from this angry chap sitting in the room right next to me but imho (in my honest opinion specified for Vishal) this sure was a BAZINGA moment and I sure will check on his diapers. They sure need to be changed now!" Simran commented.

"@Tanya-Shut up

@Ayesha- Shut up!

@Simran- You don't shut up, you shut your room because if I enter you are in for a real 'treat'.  
@Kabir- There soon will be a day when you will be on the receiving end of a women attack! Let that moment come and I won't be there to back you! :P" I wrote.

"If a layman scrolls a bit up and reads Vishal's second last comment you will find that he just wrote @Tanya Sharma I am never ever talking to you ever again and when you scroll back down you will find that his next comment starts with the word '@Tanya'! How long can you keep a resolution? :P I am off now, bye people." Tanya wrote.

I didn't care to comment and sent her a friend request first, so that she accepts it before going offline. I sent it and in a couple of moments a notification came in saying Tanya Sharma has accepted your friend request.

A moment later a chat window popped up.

"You are an idiot........

But you are also very cute ;) Good night. Bye." The chat window said with Tanya's name on top of the box.

"Good night. Bye and please don't ever call me cute!" I said.

"Okay I won't. Bye for now. Catch you later!" She said and went offline.

"I think I should rather delete this image and repost it. What mess have you guys created out here! It was such a nice pic and you guys spoilt it! I am reposting it. Now I am just wondering what will happen when 'that' pic is posted! Lol ;)" Kabir commented.

"Oh please not that one. I beg all of you please not that one!" I commented.

"What wonderful effect Tanya is having on him. Since meeting her he has started saying sorry, please and now he is even begging. :P" Simran wrote.

"Nice one di! :D" Ayesha wrote.

"@Simran: You are a gonner!" I wrote and logged out of the disease.

After shutting down the computer I went straight to Simran's room.

"I will shout if you hit me." She said as soon as I entered.

"I am not going to hit you. Calm down." I replied.

"Well that's a transition. Never before was a day when I bullied you and you didn't care to reply back." She said.

"Is it? Then maybe it's your lucky day today or should I say lucky night. Enjoy." I said and smiled.

"I am not sure if it's lucky for me or not but it sure is for you." She said rather softly as if trying to show she was talking to herself yet trying to pass the message across.

"Oh shut up. Enough bullying already. I am happy and that's the reason I am not saying anything to you now don't spoil it for me please." I said and left the room.

This was the first time that a person would like having a disease and having a chance to talk to other infected people! I thought. I loved it and I just couldn't wait for the next opportunity I could have of speaking to her again.

That night was another restless one; I just couldn't get myself to sleep in the excitement that the next morning I would get up, go online and once again I will have a chance to talk to her. Her face was stuck as a picture in my mind which popped up as soon as I closed my eyes. After trying for an hour or so when nothing worked I gave up trying and went back online on the disease. It was around 3 in the morning and I didn't care if I would find any one online to talk to because the disease had certain subsections too which are known as games and apps. A person who once has this disease is bound to stay hooked to these two as well. I logged into the disease and checked the number of people who were online. I expected a 0 to be the figure at this hour of the night but surprisingly there were three people online! There you have it, the disease had developed another symptom in the body and that was 'insomnia'! The three people who were online were Harpreet, a guy from school, and two other acquaintances whom I had met just once in my lifetime. There was no point in staying online so I turned my online status to offline and started searching for a good app or a good game to try my hand at. At that part of the night even the disease couldn't take my mind off her. Even when I was searching for the application, all the while I kept thinking of her. It was as if she was becoming an obsession now and I wasn't like this even a single bit. I killed time by looking and trying a new game which was practically pointless. After about half an hour I decided to go online again and thought of talking to Harpreet, which at the moment appeared to be the best way of killing time! I went online but sadly there was only one person online.

"He might have left by now." I thought to myself.

I opened the chat window to see who was online and believe it or not it was the woman I had been thinking about all this while. Yes, Tanya was online at 4A.M. in the morning and for nothing in the world was I going to leave this opportunity of having a talk with her or 'chat' as the virtual world calls it.

I opened her chat window and sent in the basic and the simplest conversation starter as far as the virtual world is concerned and otherwise as well "Hi." And then I waited for her to reciprocate the same expression back to me. I waited for a minute but the reply didn't come. I waited a bit more and still there was no reply from her end. When this happened my mind started drifting to thoughts about her which were messing up my head.

"She is online at 4 A.M. in the morning. How many of friends could be online at this hour?" I said and looked at her friend list. She had 17 friends and applying the law of average giving the geeks a bit of an advantage and adding them up to the insomniacs I came up to the conclusion that not more than two people could be online at this late hour. Then I looked at mine and it said only 1 person online on a friend list of 100 odd. Now the theory of two people being online didn't sound practical in the virtual world. But then there has to be someone else who is online and she is talking to that person lest if she was online yet not on facebook, her chat status would have automatically changed to idle which it was not. Even if she was ignoring me there had to be someone whom she was talking to or rather chatting with. This gave my theory a bit of an upper hand. While I was applying all these theories figuring out the probable reason of her not replying she reciprocated the affection, "Hi" the IM read.

"How are you?" I wrote.

"I am fine. Sorry for the late reply I was playing a stupid game." She replied. The reply was swift this time round and with her telling me her reason for not replying all my theories crashed and were thrown in the pot and flushed.

Vishal: Oh that's fine. I too was looking for one.

Tanya: How are you?

Vishal: I am doing well. So what are you doing online at such a late hour or early morning if I may say so?

Tanya: Ah. Nothing just trying to pass time. Wasn't able to grab any sleep whatsoever L

Vishal: hmmm. Sad but why is that? What keeps you awake?

Tanya: Just some weird thoughts.

Vishal: And they are?

Tanya: I would rather not say.

Vishal: Why not?

Tanya: Nothing worth talking of. So anyway what keeps you awake?

Vishal: Same as you. Just some weird thoughts.

Tanya: And they are?

Vishal: I would rather not say.

Tanya: Why not?

Vishal: Because you didn't. I am not telling you till you do.

Tanya: Is this a tit for tat kind of a thing?

Vishal: Maybe but before that just a request, please don't use that sentence again. It has more double meaning to it than women can imagine.

Tanya: Which sentence?

Vishal: The one you just used in the last sentence.

Tanya: What are you talking about?

Vishal: That tit for tat sentence you just used.

Tanya: Oh okay. But I don't see any double meaning in it. What is it?

Vishal: I would pass that question and put forward one of my own. Do you want to know what keeps me awake?

Tanya: Yeah sure. Tell me.

Vishal: Well let's start then.

Tanya: Sure. Go on...

Vishal: You go first.

Tanya: Why would I? You said you were going to tell me!

Vishal: But as I said, the deal is if you tell me what thoughts are keeping you up, and then only I will tell you the reason for me being up.

Tanya: You aren't going to give up are you?

Vishal: No I am not!

Tanya: Did that mean a yes? Are you going to give up? If you are, that means you are going to lose from a girl, again!

Vishal: Are you mad or what? I said I am not going to give up! :P

Tanya: As per the IM you just sent, you used two negatives in once sentence which in turn meant a yes!

Vishal: Okay. I am...... (you get it don't you!) No. I am not going to give up. Now tell me.

Tanya: Haha. I can fill in the blank for you if you want! :P

Vishal: No need for that. Now are you going to tell me what's troubling you?

Tanya: I will but only if you promise me one thing.

Vishal: And what is that?

Tanya: That you won't tell it to anyone! Not even Ayesha or Simran di!

Vishal: Okay I won't and it's 'didi' not 'di'. For God's sake why can't people just say or write just two letters more it takes less than half a second to say or write!

Tanya: You are straying away from the topic! Anyway, so do you promise?

Vishal: Yes I do. Tell me.

Tanya: I am up because I was watching porn. I am pretty much obsessed with it. Sometimes I just can't control myself. That's what I was doing, the reason for replying you late at the start of the chat!

For a moment I was taken aback by what she had just written. I had never come across such a situation nor did I know how I should react to it. There was this teen aged girl telling me that she watches porn which is not only illegal for people of her age to watch but also morally wrong! I started to think of a reply but just couldn't come up with one. Finally, when nothing came to my mind I thought of going offline and the next time I would see her online I would apologise that the net connection got disrupted and hence I had to go offline. The story was quite believable and most probably the only way out for me at the moment. I was going to implement it when a message popped up again.

Tanya: What happened? Did I give you a 440V shock? :P

I thought I should rather reply to her.

Vishal: Well to be honest, yes you kind of did.

Tanya: GOTCHA! BAZINGA! Yet again. Hahahahah ROTFL (FYI if any of you is wondering what ROTFL is, it is the short form or the sms for rolling on the floor laughing)

Vishal: You are such a.........

Tanya: Sweet, loving, caring, beautiful girl? Oh thanks. There is no need for flattery. I pretty much know all that about myself!

Vishal: Yeah but those weren't the adjectives I was going to use out here.

Tanya: I know but that's what you think about me deep inside. ;) :P

Vishal: So now you are flirting with me? :P

Tanya: Am I? What did I say? Deep down inside you are flirting with me! :P That's what this means dumbo.

Vishal: But I didn't say any of it. You said that all to yourself!

Tanya: Yeah yeah, now you cover up but there is no point I know it all!

Vishal: You are impossible!

Tanya: Oh really? That's your science? I have matter, I have mass, I am a human being with all my organs in their right places functioning properly which means that I am pretty much alive and that I was made possible by my parents sixteen years ago! Dumbo! :P

Vishal: I am not a dumbo. You are one and you are irritating too! :P

Tanya: Irritating- maybe but in no way I am a dumbo or a dumbass as big as you! :P

Vishal: That's it. I am not listening or talking to you anymore. I don't want to know what keeps you awake nor do I want to talk to you. Looks like your insomnia is slowly converting into insanity! Bye bye. Good night.

Tanya: Hey Vishal wait wait wait. Please wait. I am sorry. It's just that whenever I talk to you I am just compelled to trouble you. May be because you give the exact reaction I am hoping for. Please don't go offline J

That comment, even though was sort of an insult hurled at me but it did make me smile.

Vishal: Okay. I am not going.

Tanya: Thank you. J You are so sweet J

Vishal: Seriously? Have you been asking Ayesha things that I hate to hear or be called and that's the reason you are using them again and again?

Tanya: Rude! But well no, I haven't been using my best friend who happens to be your cousin to trouble you. I believe I am good at it naturally! ;)

Vishal: Sure you are. So which porn site were you visiting! :P

Tanya: Oh come on. I told you I was just joking. J

Vishal: When did I deny that! If you can so can I pull your leg. Anyway, so now are you going to tell me the REAL reason for your being up till now?

Tanya: I will but the same deal applies. If I tell you, you will not tell it to anyone.

Vishal: It's a deal and now please don't come up saying that you are a vampire and you just can't sleep! If you do I am not going to believe that unless you come here and feed on me! :P

Tanya: haha. To be honest that thought did cross my mind a couple of minutes ago but now that you have got me on that one I would rather use that Bazinga on someone else! ;) BTW looks like you are too eager to meet me. Even if I told you I am a vampire instead of saying that you will hide away you said you want me to come and feed on you! :P

Vishal: Shut up!

Tanya: BAZINGA!

Vishal: What's up with this word? Why do you keep using it? What does it even mean?

Tanya: Google it to find out! :P

Anyway here is the reason why I just wasn't able to sleep!

Vishal: Ah. Finally. I thought that it will be morning yet I will never be able to get the reason why you didn't sleep the whole night.

Tanya: It's morning already. Look at the time and the breaking dawn outside!

She was right. It was quarter to five in the morning and the sun was on the rise! A quarter of an hour had passed with neither of us, not me at least knowing that it had! I loved talking to her!

Tanya: Coming back to the topic I wasn't able to sleep because.....

Vishal: What's with the...... now. Tell me please. I beg you!

Tanya: I don't know how you will react but I couldn't sleep because I was feeling afraid! 

Vishal: Feeling afraid of what?

Tanya: I don't know but something scared me. At around 2 AM in the morning a weird sort of a noise came from the living room. I just couldn't sleep after that!

Vishal: Oh so you were afraid of a noise. Lol. Hahahahah LMAO (another abbreviation for laughing my ass out!)

Tanya: What's there to laugh? Everyone is afraid of something or the other. You too are of something. I am afraid of the dark!

Vishal: I am not afraid of anything! It's just you who is! :P

Tanya: Oh really? And all this while I thought you were afraid of me! :P

Vishal: Afraid of you? Why would I be? Are you a ghost or something that I should be afraid of you and as it is I don't believe in ghosts so you can't be one and hence I am not afraid of you. You can be a 'witch' for sure. :P

And oh FYI even though I can't see you but I think there is someone standing right behind you staring at your computer screen with a mask on, dagger in the left hand which is hidden! Take care. He or she or whatever it is might hurt you!

No reply came in for a couple of minutes. It did scare me that what had happened. Was it that time of the day when anything that one says comes true and I had just did it? Highly illogical but pretty much possible!

Vishal: Are you alright?

Tanya: STFU (another abbreviation for your urban dictionary it is for Shut the fuck up!)

Vishal: What happened?

Tanya: When you wrote that made up story of yours something fell on my left shoulder and it scared me to shit!

Vishal: hahahahahaha. ROTFLMAO (combine the last two you will get it!) I hope you don't require a diaper change? Live with it. Your mom will be up in an hour or so I guess, and then she can change it for you.

Tanya: shut up.

Vishal: Tit for tat! Hahahaha. I just can't believe I just wrote that! :P

Tanya: hmnmmm. So I am done telling you why I wasn't able to sleep. What's your story?

Vishal: Story? I don't have a story. This is kind of my normal routine! :P

I lied. There was no way I was going to tell her the truth that I couldn't sleep because I was thinking of her!

Tanya: Oh so you were finally able to trick me. Nice. You are learning. Slowly and slowly I will turn you into a professional.

Vishal: haha. Good one. So did you figure out what fell on your left shoulder that scared you?

Tanya: Actually I did but I am not going to tell you anyway!

Vishal: Why not?

Tanya: Because it is much more humiliating than confessing that I was scared!

Vishal: Trust me there can't be anything else as much humiliating! Go on tell me. I can keep a secret. I promise I will take it to my grave with me ;)

Tanya: Okay but you won't laugh and you won't tell it to anyone! If you tell anyone that means you are declaring a war and I should confess, I never lose!

Vishal: Oooooooooooo. I am so scared! Tell me! :P

Tanya: It was actually a strand of my hair which fell on the shoulder and scared me.

Vishal: If I say that I didn't laugh over that, it will be an insult to the incident. I am sorry. I did say there wasn't anything much humiliating that you told me before but to be honest this incident beats that 101 times on 100.

Tanya: You have terrific mathematic skills as well! Good going! Now will you please shut up! L

Vishal: Okay okay. I am sorry for being such a jackass but you will have to admit it was funny! :P

Tanya: hmmm I admit it was. Actually, after I figured it out, I laughed at myself! :D

Vishal: Nice. So any plans of sleeping?

Tanya: Um. Yes actually. The sun is almost up and I am no longer scared so I think I will be able to sleep now! J

Vishal: Good. It's time for bed lil girl. : P

Tanya: Uh. Looks like you have been taking classes from Ayesha trying to find out things that I hate being referred to as. : P

Vishal: haha. I am not and you have a good sense of humour ;)

Tanya: Sure I do and enough flirting for one night mr. sweet boy :P I am off to bed now. Good night or good morning (whatever suits you) I am off and before I go I would like to say that it was nice talking to you. I considered you to be a complete jerk, dumbass, idiotic fool, a brainless person with a huge ego but my opinion about you is changing slowly! Nice talking to you bye bye. 

She wrote the final words and went offline. Her last message confused me a bit. I couldn't understand whether I had worsened my reputation or raised it from a negative to a neutral point. No wonder her last message sure messed up my head yet again.

It was around six thirty in the morning and the sun was out. It always felt nice seeing the sun and going to sleep. It brings a sense of freshness to the dreams!

With this last thought, the thought I was going to use to prevent mom from waking me up early and giving her a reason for being awake the whole night I went off to sleep. It was an eventful day or an eventful morning and I had now lost my ability to think, so I went off to sleep!
Chapter 6: School reopens with....

I spent the last day of my summer holidays in bed, it's the same day I spoke to Tanya for the first time on facebook, on the chat I mean. I woke up at around 2 in the afternoon and what followed were remarks on everything I did with every mistake I did leading to only one sentence, "What else do you expect to happen to you when you wake up in the afternoon." On a normal day I would have been pretty much pissed at such remarks but today was different, today I was happy and a bit confused as well so I didn't say anything nor did I react to the remarks. I was enjoying my last holiday even though I so wasn't waiting for the school to reopen.

With the school reopening it meant long days, a six in the morning to six in the evening kind of an affair. I was pretty much confused about this school thing, the things I liked they didn't teach and the subjects they had I didn't like! Misery of almost every notorious teenage student I guess!

I did talk to Tanya over facebook that day but unlike yesterday or today's morning rather, it was short lived and rather formal. We spoke for about ten minutes and then she had to go as her new session too was starting the next day.

As my sleeping cycle had changed, I tried to sleep but couldn't and ultimately got up late in the morning which meant everything was going to be delayed that day. I reached school just about on time and was greeted by my friends I would call them acquaintances as I wasn't fond of many of them. There were a couple who looked sensible enough and worth talking to which pretty much summed up my 'real' friendship circle at school. I had a lot of acquaintances though. Given that I was in the same school for the past eleven years and hence I was meant to know a lot of people.

On my way to the class I was greeted by a lot of these acquaintances even though I didn't remember the name of most of them. Being the notorious one kind of makes you famous at school, you are often the star of the school assembly and a lot of other things which I wouldn't like to discuss out here. Today was a lot different. All of these acquaintances had a smile and the way they greeted me was pretty much similar in every case. It was as if they were telling me something even though I wasn't able to understand it.

I entered my class just on time and took my seat next to my 'real' friends as I call them namely Mayank and Stan. There was a mystery why Stan's name was Stan because a name like that is a rarity as far as India is concerned. I did ask him that was it his real name and he replied in the affirmative both the times. I didn't want to sound racist nor did I care much about his name and hence let it be. Our seat was in the middle of the class room which a normal school going guy or girl will describe as a wrong choice for a notorious chap like me but to be honest that's the best seat in the classroom because the teacher rarely pays attention to the ones in the middle. It's always about the people sitting at the front or at the last. It was like the hierarchy remained here as well. As it is said, "People remember the one who came first and the one who is at the last. The corridor of mediocrity is often forgotten by everyone!" The seats that we occupied were literally the 'middle class' of Indian society. They get enough, nothing in excess nor too less which most probably was the reason for me being punished a couple of times!

"So what's up guys? How did the holidays go?" I asked in a hushed voice while the Chemistry class was on.

"As if you don't know. Everything is on facebook!" Mayank said in the same husky voice and smiled.

"Sure it is. How about you Stan? You still aren't on facebook are you?" I asked.

"Holidays were fine. No, I am not and I don't want to fall prey to it either, lest I might become the talk of the whole school, teaching people funky stuff just like you did!" Stan said and smiled, a bit of laughter followed with Mayank joining him and I was utterly confused about what was happening!

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked.

"You are the talk of the school ever since everyone, well almost everyone got to read that debate, I would term it as a fight you had with that chick of yours, what's her name, Tanya or something!" Mayank said.

"What fight?" I asked rather confused and amazed that he knew about Tanya!

"The one that took place on that photo your cousin Kabir uploaded." Stan said.

"Oh. Wait but how do you know about it? You aren't even on facebook!" I said.

"That's why I say you are the talk of the school!" Mayank explained.

"But how were you able to look at the comments and the photo. It was uploaded by Kabir and none of you are added on his profile which meant no one could view it but his friends!" I said.

"Everyone was able to view it bro because your cousin forgot to change the privacy setting from everyone to friends! That's how everyone saw it!" Mayank said.

"But Kabir had deleted it and uploaded it again which meant all the comments were removed in a matter of twenty minutes from the time the fight took place between me and Tanya!" I explained.

"In the world of technology twenty minutes is too long a time bro!" Stan said.

"By the time your cousin deleted that pic, someone had already used print screen the page in around 4 pictures and then mailed them to the almost everyone you know. The ones you didn't, they got it from the ones you knew!" Mayank explained.

"Who did this?" I demanded.

"How would I know? I don't even have an email id!" Stan said when I looked him with questioning eyes.

"Well it will be a lie if I say I don't have an email id because I do and to be honest I did receive that mail. Being a friend of yours I did try and search out to whom that email id belonged but just wasn't able to track that person down. I can give you the email id if you want." Mayank said.

"Tell him the whole story. Go on." Stan said.

"What whole story?" I asked.

"Ask him what he did after he couldn't find to whom the email id belonged." Stan asked me to ask Mayank.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, the comments were so awesome, funny, so entertaining on the whole that I sent it to everyone on my email list! I am sorry but that might be the reason that half of the school knows!" Mayank said.

"WHAT!" I said rather loudly. Loud enough for the teacher Mr. Khutrapali to hear. He was a man of few words. He gave it all while he was teaching but apart from that he rarely said anything. When he heard me shout he didn't say a word but just showed me the door with the index finger of his left hand so as to say, "Get out!"

"I am sorry bro." The last thing I heard from Mayank before I had to go out of the class.

On my way out everyone kept giving me that "hi" which I had been receiving since morning. I knew that it had to do something that they read in that comment section but what was it. I still had to figure that out. I racked my brains to get to a logical conclusion for the wave of the hand. It sure had to do something with the comments and with the show of hands as well or maybe a wave.

"What could it be?" I thought to myself running the whole conversation cum fight that took place over the demon of a website which was successfully able to spoil my already spoilt reputation to a point of no return. After being given the freedom to think by Mr. Khutrapali I did come to a logical conclusion for the wave of hand in around ten minutes.

"It sure has to do something with what Tanya wrote about curling of fingers thing." I said to myself. All in all it meant "Fuck you" the words with which Tanya's roll of hand came to an end. Once the bell rang for the end of the period and Mr. Khutrapali came out I went back in the class to be greeted with the same wave of hand.

"To all of you too!" I said and gestured back the same thing. They all started laughing like hooligans which continued for a couple of minutes and ended once our maths teacher came in.

It was officially the worst day of my schooling life. It's not that I hadn't been humiliated at school before but it's just that it never involved my personal life and now that it did, it felt a bit odd. What felt more odd was the fact that they had read the conversation so all of them knew about Tanya and that I had a crush on her and that she defeated me hands down in that conversation!

"I am really sorry bro. I had no intentions of hurting you but to be honest its really funny. The only way to pass it is by being sporting enough and laughing along!" Mayank said.

"I guess this time I will try that out Mayank. Don't blame yourself for it. No matter what I say, it did happen didn't it! I was just taken aback by the fact that how could all of you know. Now I am fine. Don't worry." I said.

"Dude that girl is getting the better of you again." Stan said.

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"I know you will deny it eventually but still I will tell you. Before, when either of us made a mistake no matter how small it was, you would be angry with us for a day or two. We would do everything we could to make you happy. You eventually did go back to being normal but then there is today. You just don't have a problem with Mayank even though he has spoiled your already pretty bad repo and also given you a one and a half year full of agony at school. You never were like this before. That girl is surely changing you! For the better of course!" Stan explained.

"Oh shut up Stan. It's nothing like that. Simran told me that I should stop reacting at stupid things that's why it didn't hurt me." I said.

"Well then there is another theory I have in store but this time I think you won't be able to deny it." Stan said.

"That is?" I asked.

"That she has pissed you so much to such an extent that no matter what happens it all has just ceased to bother you!" Stan put forward his second theory.

"I second that!" Mayank said and they both smiled.

"It's nothing of that sort. Fuck you both!" I said.

"Well you don't have to say that anymore. We have an unofficial symbol now which no teacher can ever understand. You too can use it if you want." Mayank said and waved.

I waved back. "I hope you understand."

"Why are the two of you waving at each other?" Mr. Rakka the maths teacher asked.

As soon as he asked the whole class burst out laughing.

"What's there to laugh? Tell me? I too want to have a good laugh. It's been a long time since I had one!" Mr. Rakka said rather sarcastically.

"Nothing sir." Mayank said.

"Oh come on. Out with it. As I said I too want to laugh." He said again.

"We were waving at each other because we are meeting after a long time and didn't see each other and now as we did, we waved at each other, just when you saw us sir." I made up a story.

"Really? You both are sitting right next to each other if we remove Stan from between you yet you say that you didn't see each other! Am I supposed to believe that?" He said.

"The truth is the truth sir. We were so engrossed studying what you were teaching that we just didn't see each other." I lied.

"Okay okay. Enough lying for one day from you! I don't have a problem with anything else, all I hope is there is no 'bromance' going on out here. You are too young for that is what I would say." He said as the whole class burst out laughing yet again.

It officially was the worst day at school already and it now seemed to be a long day ahead. I somehow survived the rest of the periods including the lunch time without being troubled much, apart from a couple of waves from here and there. I reluctantly attended the coaching where the same 'wave' had gone viral already yet the person it was hurled at was still me. I just couldn't wait to go home and sleep off. It was like a bad dream. Every moment I felt that in a couple of minutes I will get up and the bad dream will end yet it never happened. I reached back home after a really long day, threw my bag away and went straight to my room to catch some sleep.

"What's up with you?" Simran came to my room and asked.

"Nothing. I just want to catch some sleep." I said.

"Well that's new. Never before did you sleep right after coming home. Everything alright?" She asked again.

"Yeah you too start off now that she is bringing about a change in me. Earlier I never used to sleep after coming from school, now I do so, it means that she is changing me!" I said spilling out everything that was in me!

"Woah woah woah....Who are you talking about?" She asked.

"As if you don't know." I said.

"I don't. Is this about Tanya?" she said.

"I guess so." I replied rather sarcastically.

"What about her? Did she trouble you again? Should I talk to her and tell her to leave you alone?" Simran said.

"No. Something really bad happened at school." I confessed.

"What happened?" She asked.

I told her the whole wave and the photo saga. She too laughed a bit at it.

"I still can't figure out where Tanya stepped in apart from the insult you faced which was pretty funny for sure!" She said.

"It was Stan. From somewhere he came up with the idea that the changes I am going through are because of her even though I hardly talk to her. I have spoken to her just once, after coming back from there, so how can she possibly be affecting me!" I said.

"I don't know about that but as far as I see it all the changes you are going through are for the good and how does it matter if it was because of Tanya or because of someone else, they are happening and in turn they are making you a better human being so you should be happy about it!" She explained.

"I guess so. You know I did like her the first time we met at the birthday party but after what happened today I think I have started hating her and most probably will continue to do so for the rest of my life. The next one and a half years of my school life I will have to live with random people waving at me all the time! I just hate her." I said.

"I don't think that you hate her. About that school problem, well nothing of that sort is going to happen. They will play with you as long as you will react. Once you stop reacting they won't say anything and as it is it's a school they sure will find someone else to bully in the next one and a half years to free you from your duty so cheer up." She said.

"Okay I do agree with the second part of what you said but not with the first. I do hate her." I said.

"Well that is for you to figure out. I am not falling into it. I need to help mom for dinner so I have to go now!" She said and walked off.

She stopped on the door for a brief moment and said, "Vishal you know it's a well-known fact, hatred sometimes can be the first signs of love."

"Simran." I shouted.

"What? I am right here. There is no need to shout!" She turned and said

I didn't say a word but merely waved at her.

"Stop abusing me lest I tell papa about it. Now I am going." She said and walked off.

The nightmare of a day was on the verge of getting over. I had decided that soon after dinner I would go off to sleep and that's what I did. A shocker it was for mom for sure but she didn't say much.
Chapter 7: Time for confrontation

I had dinner at 9.30 P.M. and lay in my bed in the hope that I will eventually fall asleep but it didn't happen. Random thoughts kept occupying my mind and they just refused to go away. The wave from random people, even though I tried to show that I didn't care, was tormenting me and the fact that I had to live with it for the next one and a half years at least, till they find someone new to bully someone was heart crushing. I wasn't sure that if I see the waves tomorrow will I be able to hold myself back and not react at them because if I do there was no way in hell that they were going to forget this and the horror would have continued forever. I tried counting from hundred back, a classic way which always works on kids but it didn't on me. I tried chanting the old Hindu mythological prayer but that didn't help either. I kept changing positions to find a comfortable one which could bring sleep but none did. I was becoming an insomniac!

"It is all her fault. All this is happening to me because of her. If I hadn't met her everything would have been fine." A voice from within said to me.

"It is her fault and I am going to close this once and for all." I said to myself and stood up. I opened my laptop connected it to the internet and went online on facebook. No, I am not going to call it a disease anymore because now it was going to end all my misery. I checked out if Tanya was online but she wasn't. I opened her profile to see if there were any pervious updates so as to know when was she last online. There were none from that day which meant she hadn't come online at all which, going by the law of average and if she is infected (I am sorry but I said it again) she will be online in a while. I waited for around ten minutes but when there were no signs of her I decided to send a message on her inbox writing everything from how I felt to how much I hated her and how much I never wanted to see or meet her again.

I did have bit of a problem in beginning the email. I couldn't understand what I should write. It wasn't a friendly email that I could have begun by saying "Hope all is well at your end." Because I dearly hoped that nothing was. I wished that she too was facing some kind of misery.

I finally began writing everything and anything that came to my mind even though most of them were harsh words and were repeated over and over again yet I wrote them down. Half way through the email I received an IM and it was her.

"Hi " she wrote.

I was in two minds unable to understand that should I confront her over IM or should I just send her an old fashioned letter with the help of technology aka email.

"Let's settle this once and for all." I said to myself.

"Hi" I replied on the chat.

"I am gooooood. How are you? :D" She replied.

"I am doing just fine, ya, just fine. What's the happiness all about?" I asked.

"Why do you think I am happy?" She wrote.

"Two emoticons you made showed so and if that wasn't enough the repetitive use of the letter 'o' in good even though there are only two o's normally. As far as I know and understand women generally 'elongate' (no puns intended) the letters in a word when they are either happy or sad." I wrote.

"Whatever. You do a lot of jibber jabber. Didn't anyone tell you that before?" she wrote.

"Well not till now. Now you did. That's another quality in me that you noticed." I wrote.

"You appear to be a bit down. What's wrong?" She wrote.

"Nothing's wrong. What could be wrong with me? I am happy as always." I wrote.

"Nice. Hey listen I wanted to tell you something." She wrote.

"Oh okay but before you do so I want to tell you something." I wrote.

"Well a gentleman would have said, 'Ladies first' but well can't expect that from you. Can I?" She wrote.

"Yeah true. I am no gentleman Tanya nor I want to be one and as far as I know you think I am not one nor I deserve to be one. You are the princess who knows everything. You play pranks without realizing that you can hurt someone's feeling. Learn to be a lady first Tanya and then expect me to be a gentleman." I wrote.

"Cool down dude. What's wrong? What happened? What did I do? If it's still about the pranks then I have said sorry enough. I said it thrice because I would have been egoistic if I didn't but if you still expect me to apologise then no, I am sorry because it's just not going to happen. I am not egoistic that doesn't mean I don't have self-respect. Now will you tell me what's wrong?" She wrote.

"Oh so I am still the egoistic one, the one who kept facing your idiotic yet hurting, pranks without saying a word. Sure I might have said something harsh once or twice but that was because it was getting out of control. You on the other hand have spoilt the remaining school life of mine. Still I am the egoistic one." I wrote.

"What happened?" she wrote.

"It doesn't matter Tanya what happened and what didn't. All I want to say that at first I liked you but now all I have for you in my heart is just pure hatred. I know I shouldn't use such words, you are my cousin's best friend but it doesn't matter anymore. Everything was good, I didn't care about girls. Friends of mine were obsessed, hitting on every girl they saw. I never did that sort of a thing. These things never mattered to me. I was happy with what I had and there wasn't any space for anyone else in my life and then you entered. Meeting you brought an emptiness in me which I hoped you will be able to fill, yet with everything you did, you took away a part of me. Not that it wasn't fun, it was awesome fun but you took it a bit too far, more than I can handle. I feel sorry not for you but for myself that I thought you were the one. The only thing that you have given me, Tanya is that emptiness in me which will remain even after you leave." I wrote.

"Okay fine you hate me but at least tell me what happened please I beg you." She wrote.

"How does it even matter Tanya. The fact is our meeting may be a part of our destiny, but it was nothing more than a big mistake. It is better that we stay away, as far away from each other as possible. I don't know you much but the little bit I do is that you are a lovely person just that next time, try and be more like a lady than being a tomboy. This is the last time we are talking for as soon as this conversation is over I will remove you from my friend list, may be even deactivate my account. I have no clue that the thing I am doing is right or wrong all I know is this that is the need of the hour. I am sorry if I have ever hurt you or if reading this is hurting you. You will never be able to understand what I am going through. I am fucked up. " I wrote.

"I understand Vishal. I very well understand what you are talking about. You gotta do what you gotta do. It was nice knowing you Vishal. You are a very nice human being, just that you need to understand emotions better, once you do, you will be that perfect human being every woman will die for. Good bye Vishal." She wrote and as soon as this message was delivered she went offline.

There were tears in my eyes while I was reading the last message. I then went to her profile and clicked on unfriend. Then I went on to deactivate my account.

"This is what you wanted and you have got it now. Now go off to sleep." I said to myself unable to speak for my throat had a lump which just refused to go away. The tears kept rolling down and I just couldn't understand how to calm myself down. The tears kept flowing for a while and I didn't care to wipe them away and eventually I slept.

The next morning I woke up before time. It had been a nightmare of a day yesterday but the night was just unimaginable. I was happy with the little bit sleep I had. I woke up ten minutes before time and soon mom came in.

"Are you alright son? Why are you up so early?" She asked.

"I am fine ma. It was just a rough day yesterday. Nothing to worry about though." I said.

"Don't worry my son, no matter what is troubling you; no matter what you are going through, one day or the other it will come to an end and all you can do is have faith in God and hope that today is the day it ends! Now cheer up." She said trying to console me.

"Hopefully ma." I replied and got off my bed to get ready for school.

I was ready for school before time so I went up to Simran's room to talk to her about last night.

"Get up Simran." I said trying to wake her up.

"What is it Vishal? Can't it wait till the evening? I am in no mood of getting up." She replied in a sleepy voice.

"I will just take a minute of yours. Please get up." I said.

"It's been a long time you used that word while talking to me. What's up?" She said waking up.

"I just want a favour from you." I said.

"What favour?" She asked.

"The thing I told you last night about that prank gone wrong and the wave thing, please keep it to yourself. Don't tell it to anyone, not even Ayesha even if she asks. Okay?" I said.

"Okay but what happened?" she said.

"Nothing happened but just keep it to yourself. You can sleep now as it is I am getting late for school. Bye." I said and rushed to the living room to pick up my school bag and went off to school.

I was sure to be greeted by the weirdoes even though their greeting was nothing but a way of abusing me but I had decided I would play along. As soon as I entered school, two boys who seemed to be from class 9th or 10th saw me and were about to wave at me and before they could I waved at them and asked, "What's up?" with a smile on my face.

I did that the whole day with everyone who moved his hand and I realized that the person was about to wave at me. By me greeting them they were realizing that the thing they were doing was nothing more than stupid. The drill continued for a couple of days more with the number of people waving at me decreasing day by day and eventually in a couple of weeks' time it stopped altogether.

By that time the school already had its next prey. A boy from 11th had slipped in the bathroom and that was caught on camera, which I believe was a mobile phone, the video was real fun to watch. Even though I felt bad for the guy the video was hilarious, the way he fell and his reaction hence forth were just rib tickling.

I was back to my normal self just as I was before meeting Tanya but a bit more serious towards studies. Time passed and soon the boards came up and went by pretty quickly as well. Not once did I think of Tanya after that chat nor did Ayesha, Kabir or Simran bring her name up in front of me. The entrance exams also came and went by pretty smoothly but I knew the results won't be as smooth! It was the most anxious time for my family. Exams are like they are testing the family rather than the knowledge that a student has on the subject. Your mom is praying for you day and night that you get selected, she is going around meeting pundits, applying the solutions they tell. Your dad is all the time asking you to study hard as it is the crunch time and if you get through life will be much easier but that's his way of support. Your siblings, if they have already gone through the process say, "Nothing to worry about. you will get admission somewhere or the other." Giving example of a person who was a big time dumb, his dumbness exaggerated to such a level that you are forced to think that the person is demented and then saying " If he/she can get through so can you!"

That, instead of easing you down, increases your anxiety with the thought that a mentally demented person could crack it and what if you can't!

If your sibling is younger to you he is completely clueless of what's going on and is often scolded and rebuked for small little things because everyone apart from him/her is tense !

My case was a bit different. I was completely at ease with it all for I knew I didn't stand a chance of getting through, apart from getting lucky in one and eventually taking admission in that 'lucky' college. My family, though, was nervous and their nervousness had no limit. The entrance exams too flew by and finally the ordeal of studying the same idiotic subjects over and over again even after the board exams, ended. It was time to have some fun.
Chapter 8: Was it going to be fun?

In a week's time Simran's summer break started off as well and so it was time for us to do what we did every year and that was to visit Ayesha and Kabir but I was still in a dilemma that was it going to be fun or yet another miserable visit. Simran planned it all, the tickets were booked and we were to leave in a week's time.

"It's going to be fun. Just like last time." Simran said remembering the past moments that she enjoyed and I hated.

"For you, yeah, for me, I am not too sure." I said.

"Why do you say that?" She asked.

"Will Tanya be there?" I counter questioned.

"I don't know but the last time I spoke to her she was going to visit her grandparent's and would be staying there for a week. That's what she told me. Why do you ask?" She said.

"Just like that." I said heaving a sigh of relief. Given the fact that she won't be there meant there won't be any awkward silence moments nor 'below the belt' and 'above bearing limit' pranks.

"Seriously, what happened between the two of you?" Simran asked getting serious all of a sudden.

"Nothing happened. Was something supposed to happen 'between' us? We 'slept' together that doesn't mean we need to take it to the next level." I said and winked.

"Very funny. It was so funny my stomach will ache if I will try to laugh anymore. Now tell me what happened." She asked not giving up.

"Nothing happened. Did she say anything to you?" I asked.

"No she didn't. That's the problem neither you talk about her nor she does. Something sure has happened. Ever since that wave thing happened at school, you deactivated your account the same night, the next morning you came to me and asked me not to tell anyone what happened at school. Since then Tanya never spoke of you." Simran said trying to link things up.

"As if she spoke about me before that." I said.

"Yes she did." She replied.

"Would be all words of hatred I suppose." I said.

"Well I wouldn't say that. In fact you were our favourite topic of discussion. We discussed you for hours." She said.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I asked startled.

"How many times will I have to tell you no abuses, at least not in front of me." She said.

"Okay okay. I am sorry but what do you mean by what you just said?" I asked.

"We spoke about you. That's it. What's the big problem in that?" She said.

"No. Nothing really. So in what context did you talk about me?" I asked.

"I am not telling you that." She said and laughed.

"Why not?" I asked.

"It was girls talk. Let it stay that way and as it is we rarely talk about you now, in fact we just don't talk about you now. That reminds me, interestingly, the day that wave thing happened which wasn't as big a thing as you made it, she sent me a message on facebook. The message read, 'I like your brother' with a wink emoticon and a broad smile one too but I just fail to understand what conspired that nothing eventually happened between the two of you." She said and was lost in thought for a couple of moments.

"I too feel sad for you people. All the pep talk about me and Tanya, you just couldn't have any of that anymore so it would have been tough." I said.

"Oh shut up, women always have enough to gossip about. If I want I can frustrate you to a point that you will be tearing your hair out. Do you want me to try that?" She said.

"Oh please, I don't want to. I have complete faith in your abilities I know you can do that to me. You have come pretty close to making me do that a couple of times before as well and now I think my immune system is breaking so I might eventually tear my hair out this time so just let it be!" I said.

"Get lost Vishal." She said.

"Okay." I said.

"FYI I am for sure going to find out what happened between the two of you!" She said.

"Leave it alone. You are never going to know!" I said.

"Only time will tell that!" She replied and smiled. The same wicked smile which she had on her face whenever she was going to do something that was going to be fun for her and not for me!

The week passed by rather slowly so I had to resort to opening up the disease again to kill time. I had already removed Tanya so I could use it freely. Most time of the day I was on it chatting with someone or the other, as if it was the only means of entertainment left.

Sometimes I fail to understand why men are always after women, I mean why can't one be self-sufficient. I sometimes feel that since the day boys realised the difference between a boy and a girl, they started running after girls. I even fail to understand what they want. If you like a girl, fine you spend time with her but no, a boy likes a girl, begs her to spend more time with him, bears all the miseries of having a 'girlfriend' and then, then one fine day he goes out with her again to find another person from the women race much more attractive and much more intriguing than the person standing next to him. He learns about that woman's whereabouts, relationship status (these two words kind of reminded me of something but more on that later), finally, ditching the person for whom he spent days and days only to make her talk to him, to meet that person. It's as if they are longing for something that women have which most probably is the reason they are all the time running after them. I know what you are thinking, well it can be that as well, but let's face it, fact is a fact, men can just never be self-sufficient.

Meanwhile my addiction towards facebook was increasing by the day. It was as if I was a vampire and facebook was blood. I believe all of you might be able to understand what happens when a vampire doesn't drink blood for a long time and then he is supplied with surplus of it. It just wouldn't want to get off it! (For all those facebook fans out there, I know you would have been upset with me for calling your lovely site a disease but now I am calling it blood as well. Blood, without which you just wouldn't be able to survive and wouldn't have been able to open the site ever again!)

That week went with most of the time being occupied by the computer screen, either playing a game, chatting with friends from school, finding old friends from different places and talking to them. I felt complete after a long time. The hole that Tanya dug was somehow filled by facebook! (There you have it; I compared it to a woman as well!)

The day finally came and we were on the train again and there I was analysing the people around again. It wasn't like the previous return trip, this time we were suffocated by a family of eight who occupied six seats. With the children amongst the mix, four adults and four evil souls! I knew it was going to be a misery till these people were around. There was a lot of jibber jabber from the kids and I could rarely understand what they spoke. Simran, on the other hand was enjoying their company, joking and playing with them.

"It's fun to be around kids. It kind of brings back that kid in me." She said.

"Wake up! You still are a kid." I said mocking her.

"Shut up kiddo! But seriously, I do miss being a kid." She said and smiled.

"Well given the fact it was the only time life was simple and there wasn't any sort of worry in the world. In that aspect I miss it too." I said.

"True. I like that thought!" She replied.

The train was scheduled to reach around 9 P.M. at Dehradun railway station and I was already starting to enjoy the trip, the scenery outside, the only thing I didn't like were the kids in the compartment. They were just too nosy! I didn't really care of what they were doing and kept looking outside enjoying the scenery till it was dark. It was around 7 and so we decided to have a cup of coffee. I went to the pantry to bring two cups while Simran took out the biscuits. Given the fact that I still had to bear the jibber jabber for more than two hours (taking into account the condition of Indian Railways as I described in my previous trip) I needed some air where there was no snatching, no throwing of food, no changing of diapers, no shouting and crying. I went to the pantry and came out with two cups coffee and marched back to my compartment.

"Arrey Vishal beta!" I heard a voice calling my name from the compartment behind me. I turned to see who it was. I just couldn't understand what to say when I saw who it was.

It was Tanya's mom.

"Hello aunty." I said.

"What a pleasant coincidence." She said.

"Yes aunty. What a pleasant coincidence." I repeated even though I was more shocked rather than surprised on seeing her.

"So you are on your way to Dehradun?" She asked.

"Yes aunty. Simran's exam just got over and I too was free so we decided on paying a visit them." I said.

"Oh Simran has also come. Where is she?" She asked.

"We are just a couple of compartments away. I will just go and call her. Will you like some coffee?" I asked.

"Oh thank you beta. Call Simran as well. Let's sit together. That way we will be able to pass time quickly." She said.

"Oh sure aunty. I will just call her." I approved of her idea, for I will no longer have to bear dirty diapers and smell of shit mixed with Johnson's baby powder anymore.

"Call her and look Tanya is here as well." She said her eyes left to me. When I heard that I was already regretting approving her idea. It was going to be miserable two hours or so. Shit and baby powder was any day better. At least baby powder smelled good.

I turned to look at her. She was standing there, a couple of feet away from me. She was wearing purple tank top with blue jeans and was looking as usual beautiful, the term I have always associated her with, but the only thing different from the last time we met was I didn't care. I would be rude if I deny that she didn't smell good because she did. I smiled and gave a nod so as to say "hi"

She reciprocated what I just did. She was feeling as uncomfortable as I was.

"Coffee?" I asked.

"Ya. Thanks." She said, smiled and took her seat next to her mom.

"Where is Simran di.......Didi?" She asked and smiled.

"I will just go and call her." I said and moved towards my compartment. On my way I was trying to analyse that which compartment was better, ours, with shit and nice smelling baby powder plus the idiotic kids or, the other one with shit which smelled nice minus the kids.

'Minus the kids' factor made her compartment better than ours, so I thought it would be better spending the remaining journey in their coach doing the same thing as I was doing there, keeping quiet and waiting for the journey to end.

"What took you so long and where is the coffee?" Simran asked as soon as she saw me.

"I met Tanya's mom on the way. They have their seats three compartments from here." I said.

"Oh that's a pleasant coincidence." She said.

"Ya it is. They were calling you and moreover I think it would be better if we spend rest of the journey in their compartment as aunty had asked me so and I agreed." I said.

"Is Tanya there as well?" she asked getting up from her seat.

"Yes, she is." I replied.

"It's going to be fun then." She said with a broad smile on her face.

"You bet." I said with a lot of sarcasm.

We moved to their coach and took a seat.

Simran met them and they all had a good laugh about the coincidence.

"It's so nice to meet you di." Tanya said hugging Simran and had a broad smile on her face. Her smile still had some effect on me and soon that feeling of emptiness that facebook had temporarily filled was back. I quietly took the corner seat and tried to look out of the window but just wasn't able to do so as it was pretty dark.

"Oh I am so sorry we took your coffee." Tanya's mom said while she took a sip.

"Oh no problem aunty. Vishal will bring another cup." Simran said.

"Ya. I will just do so." I said and started walking again. I had made a plan to cut down sitting down in the coach time by standing near the gate for ten minutes, standing in the queue for washroom which, given the number of passengers (blame sex for it) is pretty long and then go to the pantry to bring coffee and on the way back walk as slowly as possible. This would have consumed at least half an hour which meant the misery of sitting would have cut down to around an hour but Tanya's mom had other plans.

"Wait Vishal." She said.

"Yes aunty." I said.

"Take Tanya along. Who knows how much time these people might take and it's always good to have company when someone is making you wait!" She said.

"No aunty it's fine. I will go. It doesn't take much time. Took me two minutes to bring this one." I said.

"I too think Tanya should go with you. It's been a long time since you two have met. Catch up a bit." Simran said.

"Yes. She is right." Aunty supported her.

"Okay." I said as I wasn't left with any other option. The only way this could be prevented was if Tanya declined to come but on the contrary she simply stood up and walked up to stand right next to me.

"Let's go." She said.

"Okay." I said.

We moved towards the pantry and reached there in a minute or so. None of us uttered a word nor did we look at each other. I ordered two coffees and he instantly started making it. We waited patiently, still not talking, the awkward silence still existing. In a couple of minutes he handed me two cups of coffee and I held them in my hand. They were pretty hot. We started walking back but half way through the thumb of my left hand started to burn as it touched the hot coffee in the cup. I just couldn't bear the heat and was on verge of dropping the cup.

"Give it to me." Tanya said and took the cup from my hand.

"Thanks." I said.

"Okay." She replied.

The silence persisted again after that brief conversation as we reached the coach and took our seats again. I handed over the coffee to Simran and Tanya handed over a cup to me.

Simran and aunty got busy talking about something which neither Tanya nor I could understand maybe because we missed the initial part of it. That left us with no choice but to sit quietly in our corners for we had nothing to say in what the 'women' were talking about nor were we interested in talking to each other. With time the awkwardness started to fade but by the time it was complete gone, we had already reached the station and it was finally time to get off. It was a good practice though for now that she was back, it meant she was going to be part of the group again so I needed to try and be normal whenever she was around if I had to enjoy this trip! I knew it was going to be difficult but this practice session aka the train trip did make me a bit immune to her.

We all got off at the Dehradun railway station and walked out. We bid farewell to Tanya and her mom as they followed their driver to the parking lot. Kabir's parents were out of town to attend someone's marriage and were supposed to return after two days which meant the house would belong to us for the next two days. They wanted Kabir & Ayesha to come along as well but as our plan was already made beforehand Kabir and Ayesha decided to stay back. Their parents being out of town was in a way awesome but in a way sad given that we would have to search for a ride to take us to their house and finding one at around quarter to ten in the night is not that difficult yet today it was turning out to be a pain in the ass. We asked a couple of drivers but no one was willing to go that way. After a while, a black colour Scorpio, the car I mean, stopped right in front of us. I wanted to ask for a ride but there was something fishy about that car so I decided to give it a pass. I searched around to see if there was any possibility of finding a taxi but the probability now appeared to be close to zero. While I was looking around, the window of the back seat opened and someone said, "Vishal beta come with us. We will drop you home." It was Tanya's mom. No wonder I found that car fishy, Tanya was sitting in it after all!

At that moment, I didn't want to accept her offer nor did I want to deny because if I did we might have had to walk all the way to the house and chances of survival while doing that were pretty bleak.

"No aunty it's fine. We will manage." I said.

"Shut up Vishal. Let's go. Thank you for the lift aunty." Simran said, opened the door and hopped in. I gave in as there was no point denying that it was logical.

I took the seat in the front next to the driver and we started moving. The three of them were sitting on the back end and soon the chattering started off.

"Ayesha just texted me that her parents are out of town so you people might find it difficult reaching home. I thought we should rather give you a ride." Tanya said.

"That's so sweet of you. Thanks. Isn't that sweet Vishal." Simran said. I just failed to understand why she had dragged me in the conversation.

"Yeah. Very sweet. Thanks." I said my tone rather sarcastic still a bit genuine given the fact that if they hadn't given us a lift we would sure have been stranded.

I took this car trip to be yet another practice session of getting immune to Tanya. We reached their house in about twenty minutes and bid adieu to both of them yet again.

"I hope that you are coming tonight Tanya." Simran said after I had smiled as a remark that I generally used to say 'bye' and had already started to walk towards Kabir's place.

"I don't know. Aren't you people tired? You should take some rest." Tanya said.

"Shut up grandma. We are not sixty that we need to 'take some rest' after a train journey." Simran said.

"I don't know." She replied and looked at her mom.

"I hope aunty it won't be a problem if she comes over tonight?" Simran asked Tanya's mom after being able to pick up what Tanya was pointing at.

"No beta, no problem at all. If she wants to go, she can. We are kind of a family now. You too are just like my kids and since Ayesha's parents are not here you people are my responsibility. I won't say much. Enjoy the night." Tanya's mom said. I was amazed by her open mindedness. It was kind of a good thing given that the people from her generation rarely understand how the gen x feels.

"Do you have a problem Tanya?" Simran asked.

"Um, No problem. I will meet you people in half an hour. You people also freshen up till then." Tanya said.

"Okay . You too freshen up and see you in half an hour. Bye aunty. Good night." Simran said and we started to walk towards Kabir's house which was just a couple of yards away.

"Why did you invite her?" I asked pretty much pissed at her for inviting Tanya over.

"What's the problem? She is kind of family now. Isn't she?" Simran said and winked.

"Seriously what happens to you once you are out of Delhi? What makes you talk so much crap?" I said.

"Shut up grandpa." She said again and smiled.

"What did I do that you are calling me grandpa?" I asked.

"Well you qualified for that position around five minutes back." She said.

"Shut up." I replied.

We reached their house and after the hugging and rejoicing of seeing each other after a year was over we went off to freshen up for dinner. I was ready for dinner in fifteen minutes as it is I was starving and could have even eaten an empty plate but sadly I wasn't provided with that either. Tanya was supposed to join us for dinner which meant we couldn't start before she arrived. I hated her so much. After around twenty minutes she arrived. Even though she was just a couple of minutes late as soon as she entered I said, "Ah look who is here! What took you so long?"

"I was supposed to arrive after half an hour I guess. That's what I told Simran di if you remember." She replied. She was right. I was over reacting.

"Oh forgive him Tanya. He just can't stay away from you for long when he is here that's why he is over reacting. Come let's have dinner." Ayesha said mocking yet again.

"Shut up Ayesha." I said.

"Okay big bro now come and have dinner or you will have to starve for the remaining night and tomorrow morning as well!" She replied.

I did want to reply but I thought having food was a better option at the moment.
Chapter 9: Let the alcohol talk

We ate dinner and were done with it by eleven thirty.

"So what's the plan? Are we watching a movie or what?" I asked Kabir as we all were sitting in the living room doing nothing but just surfing around music channels.

"Well I have a surprise for you all." He said.

"And what is that?" Simran asked.

"Even though I know none of you will be able to, but still I will ask any guesses before I take out the surprise." Kabir said.

"Let it be anything but I am not going to play ludo or snake and ladder. They are just too boring now!" Ayesha said guessing it to be a board game.

"It's not a board game Ayesha. Any other guesses?" Kabir said.

"Chuck the guess thing Kabir, tell us what is the surprise. I am getting bored now." Simran said.

"Okay. Ladies and gentlemen let me present to you a bottle of Vodka and two bottles of beer." Kabir said and took out the bottles from a plastic bag which was right next to him.

"What the hell! What's wrong with you Kabir?" Simran said.

"What the fuck man. Do you even realize apart from you and Simran we are minors here. We aren't allowed to drink." I said surprised and shocked what he had just brought up.

"You still a minor? Seriously?" Kabir asked me.

"Yes. I turn 18 next month if you remember my birthdate but seriously are you that dumb that you just grasp that part of what I said and just overlook the drinking part." I said.

"Oh come on bro nothing is going to happen. This is just a onetime thing. I know nobody present in this room is going to do it ever but I want to do it just once and I want all of you to be a part of it." He replied.

"That's insane Kabir. Where did you get these anyway?" Ayesha asked.

"From dad's closet, I sneaked out the keys." He said.

"Do you even realize that if anyone ever finds out that we are going to do this you can go to jail Kabir." Simran said.

"What do you mean by we are going to do this. There is no way we are going to do this." I made it very clear.

Surprisingly, Tanya was playing my role at the moment, sitting in a corner absolutely mum on the topic.

"Okay lets vote. We are five people here which means it will not end in a tie. Let's vote. We do what is in the majority." Kabir said.

"Fair enough. Let's vote." I was pretty confident that all the four of us were going to deny which meant we ultimately had to drop the idea.

"We start with you." Kabir said to me.

"My vote is no. This is just idiotic and you are insane for even bringing this up." I said.

"Okay. Simran." Kabir said.

"I am in." Simran replied and gave me the shock of my life.

"Have you gone crazy? Do you even realize what you are going to do?" I said angrily.

"Yes I know and it's just a onetime thing, besides, there is nothing wrong in trying something new." She tried to clarify. I was nothing but disappointed by her reply.

"It's 1-1. Okay...........Ayesha." Kabir said.

"No way." She replied keeping it short and harsh!

"Okay...That makes it 1-2. Okay......Tanya. It all depends on you now. Let's make it 2-2 because they already know my reply." Kabir said.

Tanya thought for a while. She was confused even though I failed to realize what was there to be confused about. Not only it was unethical it was illegal at our age! She would have said a straight no but she was still lost in thought.

"Come on Tanya. What's you reply?" Kabir asked.

"Let me think. I am confused." She said.

"Okay take your time." Kabir said.

"Will you promise that this is going to be a onetime thing?" Tanya asked.

"I promise." Kabir said and smiled.

"Are you sure nothing will go wrong. I mean what if we all get high and do something idiotic. In that case we all will be screwed." Tanya asked.

"Nothing of that sort is going to happen. These are mild. Nobody is going to get high. I promise." Kabir said.

"For God sakes Tanya listen to yourself. You know this is wrong." I intervened.

"You have no right to intervene in her decision. Let her make her choice." Kabir said.

"What about your dad? He will come to know that a couple of bottles are missing in his closet. What if he asks?" She said.

"Don't worry about that. I am going to fill water in these and put them back where they were. He rarely drinks and when he does I am the one who takes it for him. I will handle it all!" Kabir replied.

"Okay." Tanya said.

"So what's your vote?" Kabir asked.

"Yes." She replied.

"That's like a brave girl. That makes it 3-2. Get ready guys we are going to do this." Kabir said all excited.

"I am just disappointed in all of you." I said and shook my head in disgust.

"Shut up grandpa. Can't you just stop being a grandpa and enjoy a night just like grandma is trying to do." Simran said.

"What's this grandpa and grandma thing all about." Ayesha asked.

"Will tell you about it later. So who is drinking what and when do we drink?" Simran said.

"I will tell you all. Wait for a while. First question first. Who is going to drink what? For that I will show four fingers, choose one and that decides what you are going to drink. Kiddish for sure but it works. And FYI I am having Vodka." Kabir said.

"Very convenient." I said.

"You want to have Vodka? Okay no problem with that but if you do it will be unfair. Let's leave it to destiny and my mind what you are going to drink, which kind of alcohol you are going to taste for the first and the last time." Kabir said.

"Okay. As you say." I replied.

"Okay so let's start with Simran. Please choose one." Kabir said pointing out four fingers towards her. She chose the ring finger.

"You are having vodka. Now...Vishal. Choose one." Kabir said. I chose the index finger.

"You are having beer. Good for you. It's very mild completely eliminates the chances of your getting high so if any of us freak out kindly stop us from doing something stupid." Kabir said. I was kind of okay with that. I trusted what he said but it did scare me a bit when I thought, what if the situation goes out of control.

"Next up is Tanya. Choose one." He said. She picked the little finger.

"You too are having beer tonight." He said.

"Very convenient." I said again.

"It's destiny bro. It's inevitable." He replied.

"It's grandpa grandma kind of a thing. I get it Kabir. Good one." Simran said as she high fived Kabir.

"So that means Ayesha too is having vodka tonight. Are you okay with that?" Kabir said.

"Oh I just can't wait to have a sip." Ayesha said trying to make a really excited face even though there was sarcasm in every word she spoke.

"Okay. Now, the second question. When do we drink? Well we play Jenga for that." Kabir said.

"What does Jenga have to do with all this." I asked.

"It has to do a lot. We take a sip every time we take out a block and put it on top of the stack." Kabir said.

"Nice. I like it." Simran said.

"Well the idea is nice. I can't deny that." I said.

"You too now?" Ayesha said. I just shrugged my shoulders as I had nothing better as a reply.

"So shall we start?" Kabir said.

"Let's do it." Tanya said pretty excited.

The Jenga was out and placed properly on the table. It was Kabir who was going first; he took out a block from middle of the stack and placed it on the top, poured a small volume of vodka in a glass and drank it.

I was next. I also took out a block from the stack, placed it on the top and took a sip from my beer bottle. As soon as I tasted it I felt like puking. It tasted awful.

"It's awful." I said.

"Don't worry. You will start liking it after a couple of sips. The first sip always feels bad." Kabir said.

It was Simran's turn next and she too took out a block, putting it at the top of the stack, took a sip of Vodka which Kabir had already poured for her.

"I don't feel anything. No taste whatsoever." Simran said.

Then it was Ayesha's turn. She also took out a block and put it on the top of the stack. At first, she was a bit tense and didn't want to take it but after a bit of persuasion from everyone she decided to go ahead.

"I too don't feel any change. Is this even real?" Ayesha said.

"Wait a while. After a couple of sips you will start feeling the change. Vodka is the best when it starts working ." Kabir said.

Finally, it was Tanya's turn and as was expected she too took out a block and put it on the top of the stack. She then took a sip from her bottle of beer.

"It's awful. Why is it that the beer tastes awful and there is no effect of Vodka?" She asked.

"Beer has an awkward taste to it whereas Vodka most of the time is tasteless in general." Kabir said.

The first round was over and everybody had a sip of it.

The same continued for the second, third and fourth rounds. Surprisingly, I did feel good about it after a couple of rounds. The taste was gone and even though I was feeling a bit dizzy yet it did bring calm within me. A much needed one at that!

Simran and Ayesha still didn't feel any difference whereas Kabir's reaction showed as if he was on verge of getting high now. Another shot and he might collapse.

I was finding it difficult to concentrate on the blocks now, as it is, the pile became pretty sensitive given that almost all removable blocks had already been removed. I tried to take out one but just couldn't do so and the tower fell.

There was still half a bottle of beer left for both Tanya and me. Similar amount of Vodka was left so we decided to play another game just to finish it off.

We started playing again. I remembered a couple of rounds but what happened after that was nothing I could remember. I blacked out at some point of time but I didn't remember when.

The next morning or rather afternoon I woke up at 1 P.M. and when I did my head felt heavy. It felt as if someone had been banging it against a wall every second again and again without any break. Hangover is the general term that people use in such a situation. I tried to remember what happened last night but couldn't really remember anything other than the Jenga and drinking.

"Oh look who is finally up." Kabir remarked.

"What happened to me?" I asked.

"Nothing happened. Hangover is what you are going through. Here have some lemonade." He said and handed me a glass.

"How the hell are you all up? You didn't have any hangover?" I said seeing the three of them sitting in the room.

"It was just you. Looks like you have no alcohol consuming capacity, less than Ayesha even! Poor boy!" Kabir said.

"Shut up Kabir. I didn't even want to drink in the first place. My head is about to burst" I said.

"Take rest Vishal as it is we have a lot to talk. Let your partner in crime come then we will talk." Ayesha said.

"Partner in crime? What are you talking about? That reminds me, what the hell happened last night? I hope I didn't do anything stupid?" I said.

"You did do a lot of things last night but I wouldn't term them as stupid exactly. A bit explicit is what I would say but we will talk about that later. Take rest for now." Simran said.

"Is this another prank from you guys? Because if it is, this one is so not cool. You guys are scaring me to shit now. Please tell me what happened." I said.

"We will. Let Tanya come back. You take rest till then or if you want to freshen up then do so. She will be here in around twenty minutes I guess. We have also ordered the food so go freshen up or sleep, whatever suits you." Kabir said.

I decided to freshen up because if I had decided to sleep I would have got nightmares given that they weren't telling me what happened yesterday and I would have started making up things which would have led to dreadful nightmares so I decided on getting up instead. I trotted towards the washroom to freshen up. My head was spinning while I walked and I cursed myself for consuming alcohol all the more. Nobody was telling me what had happened last night so I was feeling all the more scared. I just couldn't wait to hear the story, given their reaction I was getting vibes that something had gone terribly wrong.

By the time I was out of the washroom Tanya was already sitting with the rest on the dining table. The food had been delivered so Ayesha and Simran were unpacking it for all of us to eat. Tanya was sipping lemonade which pretty much proved that she too got high.

"So when are you guys going to tell me what really happened last night?" I asked.

"Wait till you are done with lunch then we will tell you in fact show you both what happened last night." Simran said.

"You too were high!" We both said simultaneously to each other.

"You both were." Kabir said.

"Now have lunch fast if you want us to tell you both what happened." Ayesha said.

We had no other choice and as it is I was starving so we ate lunch. After around half an hour we all were done with it. "So what happened last night?" I asked again.

"Patience my boy, patience, it always helps." Kabir said and winked.

"Enough shit I have taken from you Kabir. You are the reason I got drunk in the first place." I said.

"Okay angry young man. Wait in the living room all, of you. I will just be back after connecting the mobile to the television so that everyone can see what happened." He replied.

Tanya and I both were pretty anxious as we both had no clue of what had happened last night and as far as the way the people around were reacting it gave a feeling that it sure wasn't good! We tried to wait patiently but we were just too anxious.

"Aren't you done already?" Tanya said.

"Just a minute." Kabir replied.

After a minute he came out and said, "We are ready. Are you sure you both want to watch this? I think you both will be better off if you don't see this! Just my advice rest it's your personal decision." Kabir said.

"Shut up and put it on." I said.

"Okay." He said. He then changed a couple of settings on the television to set it on mobile.

"Here we go." He said and played the video.

The video started and as soon as it did, I was already regretting wanting to see it. I was trying to take out a block from Jenga but just couldn't get hold of one. It was as if that I had lost clear vision and couldn't figure out the exact position where the tower was kept on the table. I tried to catch hold of one but my fingers clicked which meant that bricks weren't there and so I started grinning and then started laughing at myself.

"Oh he just can't get hold of a brick." Tanya said in the video and then started laughing and clapping.

Finally, I get hold of one but as soon as I do, the tower starts to fall, I try to blow into the stack to prevent it from falling but it falls. I still am laughing.

"I lost again. Hell yeah." I said and started laughing like crazy. The rest also started laughing on seeing my reaction.

"You are such a loser." Tanya said and laughed.

"Yes I am a loser. A pretty big one for sure." I said and laughed even louder. The way I was laughing was much more funny than the conversation and that was the reason the people around were also laughing, apart from Tanya, who visibly was high.

Soon my laughter turned into loud howls and I started crying.

"Why are you crying bro? What happened?" Kabir asked.

"What do you think why am I crying? I am crying because I am a fucking loser. I am a fucking loser at everything." I said.

"That's not true bro. You are pretty decent at getting high. Nobody can get high as soon as you got today." Kabir said.

"So I do win at something. Nice." I said and started laughing again.

"Well not exactly. Tanya gave a reaction before you did so she is the winner." Simran said.

"Yayyyyyyyyyyyyy...............I beat you in this as well. You are such a big loser but you are pretty sweet!" Tanya said.

"You do know how to insult me don't you. Not only are you calling me sweet, you are calling me a loser as well." I said.

"But calling you sweet is much of a compliment rather than an insult Vishal." Ayesha said.

"Yeah for you it is but she very well knows I hate it when someone calls me sweet. It kind of sounds gay to me. A sweet guy is often gay. Words of wisdom from a drunk man!" I said.

"Well said bro." Kabir said.

"I wasn't insulting you. I was genuinely....genuinely calling you sweet. Why do I sound different to myself? It's creeping me out." Tanya said.

"You sound different dumbass because you too are drunk and high!" I said.

"I am not a dumbass. You are a dumbass." She replied.

"Oh so now I am a loser, a dumbass and sweet. Any more insults you have for me?" I said and started crying again.

"You are such a cry baby. Oh my baby.......Come to mommy it's time to change your diapers." Tanya said and laughed like an ass.

"You are not my mommy. I have my own and she is thousand multiplied by thousand raised to the power one by infinity better than you." I said.

Everybody laughed as if I had said something really idiotic which now I realize I had.

"But anything raised to power one by infinity is equal to one which means that you are calling Tanya as sweet as your mom." Simran said.

"Oh you called me sweet as your mother. Thank you. I like you. You too are sooooooooooooooo sweet." Tanya said and smiled really sweetly.

"What's wrong with you people? Now you expect a drunken man to do physics right as well. And you Tanya stop calling me sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet." I said.

"You are sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet." She said.

"I am noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot." I replied.

We had now started fighting like children do by giving emphasis on a letter in a word which we thought sounded good and proved our point of view.

"Yeeeesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss" She said.

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo." I replied.

We both kept saying yes and no simultaneously for the next two minutes stopping only to breathe while the rest three of them are seen laughing.

"This is awesome. I love it." Kabir said making the camera face towards him and then laughed like an ass.

"Okay stop it you both. You both sound like losers at the moment." Simran intervened but we weren't interested in stopping and let the prolonged yes and no continue for another minute.

"Shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup. Keep quiet you both." Ayesha shouted.

As soon as she shouted we both stopped.

"Finger on your lips." She shouted again.

Tanya and I judiciously followed her instructions.

No one spoke for the next ten seconds. Right after that Tanya started to cry.

"Why are you crying now?" Kabir asked.

"Ayesha is a very bad teacher. She shouts at us." Tanya replied still crying.

"Yes she is a very bad teacher. I also don't like her." I said and started crying as well.

"Shut up you both. If any of you cries I am going to beat you." Ayesha said again pretty much irritated.

"Now she wants to hit us. Please help us." I said.

"Please help us." Tanya also said the same as we both kept crying.

"Okay. Stop crying now. I will help you. What should I do?" Simran said.

"She shouted at us so you shout at her." I said.

"Yes yes and shout very rudely that she cries." Tanya said.

"I am not going to shout at her. Give me something else." Simran said.

One thing that I was amazed to see was that other than Tanya and I none of the other were even a little bit high!

"She wanted to hit us. You hit her." Tanya said.

"Yes hit her." I said.

"Hit her. Hit her. Hit her. Hit her. Hit her. Hit her. Hit her. Hit her. Hit her." We both kept shouting so as to leave Simran no option other than hitting Ayesha. She hit her very softly but that was enough for the us drunkards.

"Yayyyyy... I love you aunty." I said. My reaction had so much rejoicing as if Simran had hit Ayesha so hard that there were no chances of her recovery!

"I love you too aunty." Tanya said.

"I am not an aunty. Shut up you both." Simran replied pretty mad at us for referring to her as an aunty.

Tanya and I looked at each other smiled and said in unison, "Aunty."

"Stop it you both." Simran warned.

"Aunty. Aunty. Aunty. Aunty. Aunty. Aunty. Aunty. Aunty." We kept repeating again and again irritating Simran all the more every time we said it.

"Shut up. You both are such big losers." Simran shouted and we both fell quiet again.

"Even aunty thinks I am a loser." I said and started crying again.

"You are not a loser. You are sweet and caring." Tanya said and smiled.

"I am not. I am a loser. I fuck up everything. Since the day I was born I am fucking up everything good that was ever going to happen to me. I had a dream and I fucked it up when it was going to be a reality. I studied hard to get good grades but then fucked up my exams and then........." I said and paused.

"Then what?" Kabir said.

"Then she came in. I liked her so much. She was the first woman I actually liked apart from the women in my family." I said facing Tanya.

"You like meeeeeeeeeee. I like you toooooooooooo." Tanya said with the smile constantly stuck on her face.

"The first time I saw you, I fell for you. I knew you were the one and I could see that in your eyes too. But it was never to be. I fucked that up as well. I so wanted to be with you. All the pranks you played, even though I showed I was irritated but inside I felt happy. There was someone who loved to play with me, let it be pranks I don't care. I never ever thought a girl will ever intrigue me as much as you did. But I fucked it up. I fell prey to peer pressure. I behaved as a kid thinking that the 'fuck you' thing will fuck my remaining school life. I behaved as a fucking retarded. I moved away from the only woman who touched my heart. I am a fucking loser. All this while, I kept saying that I hated you even though my heart kept weeping and kept longing for you. I just couldn't stop thinking of you." I said saying all of it while tears rolled down my eyes.

There was pin drop silence for the next thirty seconds. Nobody could understand what was to be said and all of us patiently waited for Tanya's reply who appeared as awestruck as the rest, even though she was pretty drunk.

"You don't have to talk like that. I like you too. In fact, I too fell for you the first time I saw you on my birthday. Our eyes met and I knew you were the one, the one I wanted to spend the day with, the one I wanted to know better. I played all those pranks on you because I wanted to grab your attention. You were just not paying heed to whatever I did and I wanted you to know me. I thought if I joke with you, you will like me but I didn't know you are one of the few sensitive, simple boys left. You are sensitive and simple that's what makes you sweet and cute. I hated you that night when you said that you hated me because that night I was going to tell you that I liked you and want to spend time with you but you were just too busy talking about your own thing, your issues with me, that you just didn't care to listen what I had to say. I like you and if you are a fucking loser, then so am I." Tanya said also in tears.

She was completely broken. She covered her face with both her hands still crying pretty badly. Still nobody had anything to say. They all waited for something and I couldn't understand what.

"Oh you don't have to cry please. It's not your fault. It's mine. I am sorry." I said and walked towards her or rather trembled my way towards her.

"It's my fault Vishal. I shouldn't have played all those pranks. It got a bit out of control." She said.

"No. It didn't. I was wrong. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I am sorry." I said and held her hand in mine. Now even though we both were having a serious talk, we were still smiling, the alcohol was still talking!

"You mean it?" She asked. I looked at her in the eyes. Even though she was crying she still looked beautiful. I just wished I could remember what was going through my head when I saw her eyes. I didn't have to wait long to hear what it was.

"Yes I am. I mean it." I replied still looking straight into her eyes. A strand of her hair fell on her face and I set it right tucking it behind her ear.

"I love you." Tanya said. Everybody in the video, apart from me, looked shocked after hearing what she had just said. It was as if they just couldn't believe their own ears but it was true. Tanya and I were shocked on seeing it on the video. I looked at her but she had no words.

In the video, I was still looking at her in the eyes.

"I love you too." I said and hence came the words that most probably were going through my mind at the time I was looking straight into her eyes.

Ayesha was about to say something but Kabir stopped her from doing so.

Tanya and I looked pretty much lost in each other. It was as if we just forgot that there were people around. We both reiterating the last two dialogues again and again

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Finally, a tear fell down from Tanya's eye and I kissed it away.

"You don't have to cry. I am with you, forever." I said.

This time, out of the video, Tanya looked at me and I had no reply. I couldn't believe what I was seeing nor could I believe what I was saying.

"You promise?" She said.

"I promise." I said and nodded my head. She then kissed me on my left cheek. We then kissed on the lips after reiterating the same dialogues.

"Break it you two. You are minors. You aren't allowed to do that." Kabir said.

"Fuck you man. You are the one who has brought us in this illegal shit. You made us drink." I said.

"I guess it's my turn to be irritated by the drunkards." Kabir said, regretting having interfered.

Tanya didn't say anything but used her 'right hand fuck you rule' starting with five fingers and finally unleashing the middle one.

"Well that's all folks. Always remember, a drunk man always speaks the truth so here we have two lovers who hated each other around an hour ago but alcohol brought them together. So do remember alcohol is not a bad thing. The only thing is, by tomorrow morning neither of them might remember that anything of this sort has happened but now that we have it on tape, we can prove it to them. That's all from here. Good night." Kabir said and the video came to an end.

Out of the video, Tanya and I were still pretty shocked at what we just saw. We had no words nor any explanations for what had happened for we didn't even remember any of it.

"So.........I guess you guys have a bit of talking to do. The rest of us are waiting in the other room. Call us if you want anything." Kabir said as he, Ayesha and Simran stood up to walk to the other room. They shut the door behind them.

What followed was a couple of minutes of awkward silence. Neither of us knew what the right words for the situation were because to be honest it was all on the video.

"So." I said and broke the silence that was persisting for the past few minutes.

"So." She iterated.

"How is the headache now? Feeling better?" I asked.

"Um yeah it's fine. Feeling a lot better than when I woke up this morning. How about you?" She replied.

"Oh it's definitely better as you said even though I do feel a bit of heaviness in the head but should be perfectly normal in an hour or so I guess. That's what Kabir told me." I replied.

"hmmm. Nice. Do you think that whatever we said and did last night was true?" She said finally trying to bring up the topic for which we were made to sit in the room.

"If we go by what Kabir said, a drunk man never lies. That does apply for a drunk woman as well. I can assure you of that." I said.

She smiled and yet again I was lost in it for a couple of seconds till the time she spoke again.

"Fuck what he said. What do you think? Whatever you did last night is what you feel?" She asked getting a bit serious now.

"I don't know actually. To be very honest, the feeling that I had for you before we got drunk was of pure hatred. I know it might hurt you but yes that's the feeling I had." I said.

"So you mean to say that what you said on the video was not from the heart but it was just the alcohol talking and in that situation, without any emotions behind, you said 'I love you' to me." Tanya said. I was flabbergasted by her question. It was very precise and to the point. She sure should go to law school after her 12th, she sure has the ability of being one!

"I don't know. Was that what happened to you?" I said trying to make her spill the truth before I said what I wanted to tell her even though I was pretty confused what I had to say!

"I asked the question first. It's you who should be replying before asking me." She said. A lawyer in the making for sure!

"I am a bit confused about what I am supposed to say so maybe after listening to your reply I can finally come up with words what I have to say on this topic." I said.

"This is not a joke Vishal. It's pretty serious. We both proposed to each other last night. Surely there is a reason for it." She said.

"Alcohol is the reason for it as we all know!" I replied.

"So you do think that it wasn't what you meant from the heart but it was the alcohol." She said.

"Stop twisting what I say. Are you taking lawyer lessons from someone or what?" I said.

"I am not taking any lessons nor do I require one. It's in my gene. My dad's whole family is filled with lawyers. More on my family history later, but you do believe that it was the alcohol which was talking." She said.

"I am confused. It can be true but I am not sure because who knows deep down inside some part of me still likes you and maybe loves you." I said.

"So now you mean that there might be some part of you that loves me which means you don't love me whole heartedly. Right?" She said.

"Is this a court where you are the judge and I am the convict because I feel like one! When do I get the chance to confront you?" I said.

"Once you answer my questions I am all yours, I mean you can ask as many questions as you want. So you said you don't love me whole heartedly." She said.

"I never said that, you assumed it to be." I replied pretty irritated with her for twisting everything that I was saying.

"So does that mean you love me whole heartedly?" She asked.

"I never said that either." I replied.

"But you just said that you don't love me half heartedly which means you do love me whole heartedly!" She said.

"Stop twisting my words please." I begged.

"Okay, so you are confused about it all." She gave her final verdict.

"I kind of am. So, now do I get a chance to confront you?" I said.

"Sure go ahead. Even though I know the end result would be that I too will end up saying I am confused but we can try if you want." She said.

"We will wait and see. So do you think that it was the alcohol talking and any part of what you said were not from the heart, not even a single word that came out from your mouth is what you feel about me?" I asked.

"Well that's a pretty long question and a pretty strong one too but I don't know. I will reiterate your answer. It might be, it might not be. I am confused." She replied.

"Okay." I replied.

"That's all you had? You would have become the worst lawyer in the country if you had tried to be one!" She said.

"Shut up. I have a lot more questions but none will lead us to a conclusion of what we feel about each other so why waste time on that." I said.

"Yeah. You sure are a loser!" She said.

"I guess I am pretty much a loser." I replied after a brief thought.

"I was just joking. Why do you have to be so sensitive all the time and take everything I say so seriously?" She said.

"Because I am pretty much a serious human being!" I replied.

"Stop being so serious Vishal. Seriousness kills! Okay?" She said.

"Okay." I said.

Silence

"Okay I have a question which might lead us somewhere." I said.

"Shoot." She replied.

"Last night you said that you hated me the day I told you that I hated you because that day you were going to tell me that you liked me and wanted to know me better and spend time with me." I said.

"That's what the video showed." She said.

"Did you mean that?" I asked.

"I think that part of it was pretty much true. Yes I did like you back then, but as of now the feeling that you have for me is mutual!" She replied.

"So that means I was the one who fucked it all up." I said.

"I think you did but I was at fault as well. I did things which irritated you a lot and which compelled you to start hating me. I should have known the line and shouldn't have crossed it but I guess I did." She replied.

I just nodded. I had exhausted everything I had in my vocabulary. This was the first time or most probably the second time, after last night, that I had given so much input in a conversation. My mouth had started to pain now. Tanya too seemed to have exhausted everything she had as far as her lawyering skills and vocabulary were concerned.

"I think we should go out. There isn't going to be a solution to this. I hate you and you hate me back. That's pretty much the truth in our real life. If the drunken Vishal and Tanya love each other let them because they are not going to come back again as yesterday was the first and the last time we consumed alcohol." I said.

"Speak for yourself!" She replied.

"Okay. Yesterday was the last time I consumed alcohol which meant that even if the drunken Tanya is around when Vishal is present, the perfectly normal Vishal won't love her back. Is that fine now?" I said.

"Yeah. Pretty much, apart from the part that you missed where you should have apologised for kissing me yesterday night." She said.

"Excuse me. It wasn't I who kissed you. It was us. We both made the move." I said.

"Yeah yeah whatever." She said.

"I hate you." I said.

"The feeling is pretty much mutual as I have told you before!" She replied.

Just then the light went out. The weather was already bad with a constant cloud cover since the time I woke up, a thunderstorm was setting in. As soon as the light went out, the room got dark but still there was some visibility. The windows cranked due to the strong wind that was flowing. As soon as this happened, Tanya came close and held me tight.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

"I don't know I am just feeling scared. Please don't leave me alone." She replied.

"Don't worry I am here. Let's get out of this room." I said and she nodded without saying anything. I tried to open the door but it was jammed. I just wasn't able to open it. I tried calling out to the three of them but no one replied. It appeared as if they were in the balcony enjoying the weather so couldn't hear us.

"What happened?" She asked her voice a bit shaky because of the fear.

"I don't know. The door is jammed. It's not opening!" I replied.

The windows cranked again and the rustling of the leaves outside got stronger, the clouds were getting darker and the room was close to pitch dark now. I could rarely see Tanya who was standing right next holding my hand

"Please don't leave my hand." She said holding my hand all the more tightly as all this was happening.

"Don't worry Tanya. Nothing is going to happen. I am right here. The light will be on in a couple of minutes. Everything will be fine. Trust me." I said.

"Are you sure?" She said.

"Yes." I replied.

"You promise?" She said.

"Yes. I promise everything will be fine." I said and smiled.

She now looked at me straight in the eyes. It was as if my smile did comfort her. The fear was subsidising slowly. Even though I could barely see her, our eyes met and got locked onto each other. I lost track of everything around, of the weather, of the time, of the place, of the electricity. All I knew was that I wanted to be with her. We both kept looking at each other for the next couple of minutes and neither of us uttered a word. It was pure magic. I almost felt my heart skip a beat. I so wanted her right now. I was so deeply in love with her. There was a whole world in those eyes, a world that I wanted to discover and live in. It was as if they spoke to me and I was the only one who could understand the language of this particular pair.

"It's going to be fine." I said and put one hand on her left cheek.

"I know." She replied softly.

The stare continued and we were again lost in thought.

"I love you." I uttered. The middle word of the last sentence was not even in my dictionary whenever I spoke to or spoke about Tanya but it was as if it came out automatically without me even trying! I immediately realized that I had said something wrong but before I could say sorry Tanya had already uttered her reply.

"I LOVE YOU TOO."

"I love you." I said again.

"I love you too." She replied again.

She took my hand and put it on her face. She then leaned forward and moved towards me. I too leaned forward. Our lips were not more than a centimetre apart when she looked at me. For a second I thought the magical moment was over and she was back to her senses but nothing of that sort happened.

"I love you." She uttered very softly, the air she exhaled while saying it fell on my face. I enjoyed the warmth of it.

"I love you too." I too uttered very softly.

We both leaned a bit forward as our lips finally touched. We both kissed over and over again. I was getting addicted to her lip gloss. I don't know we kissed the right way or not but there was pure intimacy in that moment. As the windows cranked again, she hugged me tightly. The smell of her hair was addicting as well. It was as if I was getting addicted to her already. I didn't know this happened because of the moment or because we both had it in our hearts all this while but we just didn't want to speak it out. I wanted it to last forever. I wanted to be with her as long as possible, forever was just a beginning of it! We kept hugging and after around five minutes the light came back on. I softened my grip around her.

"Are you alright?" I asked softly.

"Yes." She replied softly with the sweetest smile imaginable.

"I told you everything will be alright." I whispered and smiled.

"I love you." She whispered.

We both looked into each other's eyes yet again and were lost for a couple of seconds, again! I kissed her on the forehead and hugged her. She seemed happy with how the things were going and I too was pretty happy about it. I had no clue that something like this might happen but it did and I was enjoying it. Maybe I was in love.

"No, I am sure I am in love!" I said to myself.

Tanya then fisted me in the chest.

"Ow. What did I do?" I asked.

"You are an asshole." She said.

"Why? What happened? Did I do something wrong?" I asked.

"You confessed your love for me for the first time when you were drunk and the second time when I was scared. Couldn't you have done this on a normal day when everything was normal. Why did you have to make it this dramatic! Moreover, we were talking what not shit for the past half an hour. Couldn't you just have said 'I love you' as soon as they went out and I could have ended it with 'I love you too'." She said.

"I am sorry." I said.

"See you still didn't say it. You are such a dumbo." She said.

I put my index finger on her chin and moved it up so as to make her face me.

"I love you." I said.

"See. It was that easy but no, you just had to make it dramatic. Idiot. Duffer. Dumbo." She said and kept hitting me on the chest.

"You too are using the wrong words at the moment!" I said.

"I love you." She said sweetly and smiled.

"Should we go out now? They all would be waiting. It's been over an hour since we have been here!" I said.

"What's the hurry? Let them wait. Besides, who knows when again we might get this opportunity to be alone in a room with the door jammed." She said and winked.

"Stop being naughty Tanya even though I wouldn't deny that I have already slept with you once if you remember." I said and winked.

"Shut up. I wasn't talking about that idiot. I was talking about this." She said and hugged me.

"But I want to do this." I said and kissed her.

"Whatever you say." She said and winked again.

"Well let's not get into that. If we do whatever I say, the things might get a bit freaky out here!" I said and winked back.

"You are such a....." she said as I interrupted her.

"Idiot, duffer, dumbo, insanely mad and a cheap person." I completed her sentence.

"No. Such a sweet, simple, sober (not at the moment though), lovely, gentle person whom I love." She replied.

"Somebody's attitude is changing." I said.

"Shut up. I guess the words you used suit you better. I was just being sweet!" She said.

We kept the hug going. After around ten minutes of hugging, kissing, flirting, and talking a bit about last night, the door was finally knocked.

"Aren't you guys done yet? It's taking a lot of time. I hope you both haven't murdered each other already." Simran said.

Tanya and I hurriedly separated and tidied ourselves up.

"We are done. You guys can come in but there is a bit of a problem." I said.

"What is that?" Ayesha asked.

"The door just wouldn't open. It's jammed." I said.

"Oh don't worry about that. I had locked it from outside so neither of you could leave before you had the talk." Kabir said and opened the door.

"You are an idiot." I said to Kabir.

"Thank you for noticing." He replied.

"By the way bhaiya, Vishal and I wanted to talk to you about something." Tanya said.

"And that is?" Kabir asked.

"It's something about what happened last night." I said.

"What about it? Everything that happened was on the tape." He replied.

"Everything? Are you sure?" Tanya asked.

"Yes. You can ask them. They both saw it all as well. The part that we left out was the part where we went to the room to sleep. You and Vishal were inseparable so the girls had to sleep in the other room so as to prevent 'something' from happening." He said.

"We are not talking about that part Kabir." I said.

"Then what are you talking about? Why the hell am I being interrogated? You two were having the talk and what was the ultimate decision you both came up with?" He asked.

"Well I and Tanya believe that you played foul on us both." I said.

"What foul?" He asked.

"Well, first you were the one who decided that who was going to drink what by making us choose fingers and calling it destiny. You gave me and Vishal beer while you all drank Vodka. Vishal and I had serious taste issues whereas Simran di and Ayesha who were also drinking for the first time didn't really had any taste issue. After that, Vishal and I were the only ones who got high even though we all had consumed equal amounts of alcohol. So by all that I just said it just goes to show that something was wrong with both the Vodka and beer." Tanya said.

"Vodka being less concentrated whereas beer being highly concentrated is pretty much impossibility given that brands they were are trusted ones as even us, the ones who don't consume alcohol do know the company's name. Which leaves us with only one possibility that you rigged the bottles purposefully?" I said completing what Tanya was coming to.

"I guess the banter last night wasn't good enough. They are now rapping me with their words." Kabir said.

"Shut up. You both have your answers on the tape. That wasn't the end. We did ask him the same question. Let me play it." Simran said and played the video forwarding it to the part where they asked Kabir the question.

"What the hell is wrong with them? How can they get high on beer which has so less alcohol content whereas we who drank Vodka which has much more alcohol content don't feel anything?" Simran said to Kabir in the video.

"You won't because you didn't actually drink Vodka." Kabir said.

"What do you mean?" Ayesha asked.

"This bottle was already empty; I had filled it up with plain soda. Vodka as it is has no colour so no one could tell if its soda or Vodka. Only the one who has previously had the authentic one could feel the difference which you both hadn't." Kabir said.

"Why did you do that?" Simran asked.

"I did it because these two need to talk to each other!" He replied.

"Shut up Kabir they are high. They are talking nonsense!" Ayesha said.

"What did you do with their beer?" Simran asked.

"What do you think, where did the Vodka go? Half bottle had beer and half was filled with Vodka. I drank the Vodka that was left in the bottle but that's a different issue." Kabir said.

"You are an asshole Kabir. There was no need for doing anything like this." Simran said.

Then the part where Tanya and I were making fun of the three started off and the topic was lost. Simran then paused the video.

"There you have it. That's why you both were high last night." Simran said.

"Simran is right. You are such an asshole Kabir. Why did you do that?" I asked. Tanya didn't say anything because she supported what I had just said.

"I did that because you both were pissing me off. You both just won't speak to each other and when you did, it was nothing worth listening! You needed to have the talk to finish the cold war. A heated war is much better than a cold one for it ends faster and that too with a result." He said.

"But that doesn't mean you will make us drink. We could have solved this like adults, even though we are a couple of months short from being one but still our mind set is most probably like one." I said.

"No. It's not like an adult Vishal. If we would have tried anything else you would have never had the talk and even if you did you wouldn't have said what you actually felt about it all. You both would have lied to each other. You would have held back your feelings. I know that." He replied.

"How can you be so sure of that?" Tanya finally spoke.

He wasn't too keen on answering that question but he spoke after thinking for a minute.

"Because something similar has happened to me before and I am sure it would have happened with the two of you as well." He said, his face sank and he looked visibly upset.

Simran put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Why don't I know about this?" I asked.

"We! Why don't we know about this?" Ayesha said.

"Because it happened a long time back, you weren't old enough to understand what it all meant." Simran said.

"Who gets to decide that?" I asked.

"Common sense says so." She replied.

"Okay break it all of you. Enough. No one is going down the memory lane anymore. Past is past. Whatever happened in it should be forgotten or at least not be spoken of if it hurts someone. I am sorry Kabir bhaiya if we all hurt your feelings in some way. I am glad you care for us and came up with something, no matter how wrong it looked, no matter how wrong your plan of action was but your intentions were good. You wanted all of us to be happy. Thank you and I am sorry." Tanya reasoned. She was right about everything she spoke. Even though Kabir's method wasn't the best one in the world, at least we didn't think it to be, but he had good intention behind his action.

"I think Tanya is right. I am sorry Kabir." I said.

"Learn something from her boy. She is so sensible. The 'talk like adults' would have worked if it was for her and someone else but you sure are a kid." Kabir said to me.

"Shut up." I said.

"What was the end result of the talk by the way?" Ayesha asked.

"Yes yes. I almost forgot the reason why we are here! What did you people come up with?" Simran said.

"Why should we tell you?" I said.

"That's completely inappropriate question. You should tell us because we are asking you and because you should tell us!" Simran said.

"I am sorry if I sound rude but I don't think that we owe an answer to anyone out here. Whatever happened was between me and Vishal and it will stay that way." Tanya said.

"Tanya! I never expected this to come from you! I am your best friend if you remember, apart from being this stupid's cousin." Ayesha said.

"Hey why do all of you have to abuse me in everything you say? What have I done?" I said.

"You aren't telling us what happened and there is nothing more important to us at the moment. In short if you don't tell us we will become fucking insane and will try to make up things of what happened between the two of you? As you know I am not good at making assumptions because when I do, my stories get a bit freaky, in fact a lot freaky." Kabir said.

"Get as freaky as you can get because only Tanya and I know what happened in this room and we have no intentions of telling anyone of you!" I said.

Tanya's mobile phone rang in the meantime. It was her mom. She went out of the room for a couple of minutes to talk to her.

"I have to go now. Someone has come over and mom wants me to meet them. I will be back in an hour. Sorry guys. Bye." Tanya said.

"Bye." Simran, Ayesha and Kabir replied in turn.

"It was great knowing you Vishal. It was good while it lasted. Good bye. Have a great life ahead." Tanya said to me, kidding of course.

"Good bye Tanya. I hope the same for you." I replied. She then went back home.

I too started walking out of the living room to our designated room to grab some rest, for my head was still pounding. On my way, I saw shocked faces of the three people, and I know that you know who I am talking about.

"Is that it? That's the end you came up with after all the alcohol and the talk?" Kabir said still surprised by the brief good bye forever Tanya and I exchanged.

"I told you bro, I am not going to tell you anything that happened." I said.

"What did the good bye mean? Wasn't that a sign in itself what you too had decided?" Simran said.

"Well it's for you all to figure out." I said and winked.

"Tell me Vishal or I am going to kill you both. I am dying of curiosity and anxiety both at the same time!" Ayesha said.

"No one is going to die Ayesha, nor is anyone going to tell you what happened in that room while the three of you had locked us in. If you do, then good for you, if you don't then good for me. I am off to grab some sleep. My head is still paining because of last night's Vodka-beer combo." I said and went off to my room to sleep.

The surprised faces just got meaner and scarier. It was as if they would torture me to death if I didn't tell them what really conspired in the room!
Chapter 10: When we tried to fool them all.

I was trying to sleep when my phone rang. The call was from an unknown number and I presumed it to be from a call centre calling me to buy a credit card or an insurance policy. The funny or rather the irritating thing was such calls arrived when you are on roaming and you have to pay for attending such calls. At first, I had no intention of picking it up but given my happy mood, I picked it up. I was so happy that I might have actually bought a credit card or a policy from the person on the other end of the phone! May be that's why these people operate all the time. They are in search of that happy human being who at the given moment is happy and sees everything around him with a positive outlook, even those credit cards and policies irrespective of the fact that he cannot see the * sign of Terms and Conditions apply on the phone which is the catch, he buys it only to regret it the day when everything goes wrong.

The phone had already been ringing for good twenty seconds so I picked it up before it got disconnected.

"Hello" I said in the best possible way as I could, trying to show the other person that I was happy.

"You appear to be happy." The voice on the other end said.

"I pretty much am. So what are you selling me today?" I asked presuming it to be a girl from a call centre.

"Sir, our company is a lot different from all the other telemarketing companies. We have an offer you just can't resist." The voice said trying to make it as exciting as possible.

"Go on. I am listening." I said.

"We are glad to tell you that you are the lucky winner of one thing that we sell and is in top demand all across the globe." The person said.

"Okay. So what is it?" I asked.

"Sir, you might freak out a bit but try to be cool when you listen to the offer. Sir you are a proud winner of a heart." The person said.

"What the.....What do you mean by that?" I said.

"Sir as I said do not freak out. I am giving you a number. Kindly call on that number to understand the offer better. I will call you up in another hour till then it's up to you to decide you want to take it or leave it. Kindly take down the number." She said.

"Okay." I said for I had no better reply.

"Sir the number is 99XXXXXXXX." She said.

I noted down the number. It looked pretty familiar.

"Just a second." I said to look at my phone screen. The number she gave me was the same number from where the call had come.

"You are such an idiot Tanya." I said.

"Oh so you finally recognize my voice. I am not an idiot, you are an asshole." She said.

"Shut up dick head." I said.

"You shut up fuck face. You didn't even recognize your girlfriend's voice and now you have the balls to swear at me." She said.

I laughed.

"Why are you laughing shit head?" She asked.

"Here the word girlfriend in my context kind of freaks me out. I never thought I would have a girlfriend, in fact I never wanted a girlfriend." I said.

"Oh really? You never thought of this huh? I can bet you had sleepless nights because you were thinking of me." She said.

"Well I would be lying if I say that never happened because it did but it's not that. I never thought I wanted a girlfriend till the time I met you. When I did meet you all I wanted was you!" I said.

"Someone is getting all romantic." She said.

"Shut up. I did what most boyfriends find difficult to do." I said.

"And what is that?" She asked.

"Flirt out of a fight!" I replied and laughed.

"Fuck off. I am nothing like those bitches. I am different and that's the reason I am with you." She said.

"Someone is trying to get romantic." I said.

"Yeah yeah." She replied. I presumed she would have been blushing.

"Sometimes it feels so unreal, how life can change so much in a matter of hours. Two hours ago I hated you, at least that's what my brain told me to do. Then, the video comes up, the heart starts to speak and look what happens, from hating each other we start loving each other!" I said.

"Excuse me. I never hated you. It was you who hated me." She replied.

"But you didn't love me either." I said.

"I liked you. I tried to hate you the day you told me that you hated me but it just didn't happen."She replied.

"Someone is definitely getting romantic." I said.

"Fuck you. So did you tell them what happened?" she said.

"For the first part tell me the time and place. I am all yours. For the second part, not yet, I want to play. They have troubled me enough. It's their time to rack their brains to try and understand what happened." I said.

"Shut up for the first part. For the second, I too won't tell them till you do or want me to. Till then let's just pose in front of them as if we aren't talking at all now. What say?" She said.

"Yep let's do that!" I replied.

"Okay then. See you in around an hour. Mom is calling now. Bye." She said.

"Bye. See you then." I replied.

She didn't cut the phone but didn't say anything either.

"I think you are supposed to say something." She finally said.

"Like what?" I asked.

"I will have to tell you that as well?" She said pretty much irritated.

"But if I don't know what I have to say then how will I say it." I tried to be practical.

"Shut up. Love you. Bye." She said.

"Oh ok. Shut up. Bye." I said and laughed.

"Very funny. I hate you." She said.

"But I love you." I said.

"Someone is getting good at being romantic! I seriously got to go now else mom will kill me." She said.

"Okay then. See you in an hour. Love you. Bye." I said.

"I love you too. Bye." She replied and disconnected the phone.

My head was still paining a lot so I had a quick nap so as to be able to get up before Tanya's return.

In an hour Tanya was back in the house. The others were still shocked by what was happening and had no clue whatsoever of how they should react in such a situation. They did have the fear in their mind that I and Tanya had a fight and the final decision we came up with was that we should completely stop talking to each other. That's how we portrayed it in front of them.

After a while Tanya was back. When I entered the room she didn't even look at me, which was completely in sync with the plan needed. Anyone who tried to make some small talk finally had an answer in about five minutes and the room will fall silent yet again. The awkwardness was felt by Ayesha, Kabir and Simran and not by us which was the reason why we loved it because earlier it was us who were always on the receiving end of it. While this was happening, the small talk and the awkward silence Tanya and I kept texting each other enjoying whatever that was happening thoroughly.

"Whom are you messaging?" Ayesha asked Tanya.

"Oh. No one. Just a friend." She replied.

"Which friend? I didn't know that you are friends with someone I don't even know." Ayesha said.

"She is a very old friend from my kindergarten days. She had left town but now is back on a vacation so she wants to meet me." She replied.

"Oh okay. So when are you planning to meet her?" Ayesha asked.

"I don't know. I was just asking the time from her. Will meet in a day or two because then she has to go back as well." She replied.

"Go to your room. I want to talk to you in private." Tanya texted me.

I gave a nod as a reply instead of replying to the message.

"I think I would rather sleep the day off. I am still not feeling good about myself. The head ache is persisting. I am off. Sorry." I said and walked off to my room.

I sat on bed waiting for Tanya to arrive. The seconds looked to be minutes and minutes looked to be hours. It had been ten minutes already since I was waiting but still there was no sign of her.

"Where are you? Are you coming?" I texted her.

No reply came back. I waited for a couple more and then finally decided to lie down. I as it is wasn't feeling good. After a minute or so the door opened and someone entered. At first I closed my eyes tight so as to show that I was sleeping just in case it was someone else.

"Get up asshole." The voice said. It obviously had to be Tanya for no one else would ever call me by that name.

"I am already up. You don't have to speak so loudly what if they all hear us." I whispered.

"They won't. They all are engrossed in watching a movie." She said rather softly this time.

"What took you so long?" I asked.

"It takes time for people to get engrossed in a movie. I sneaked out with the alibi of going to the washroom." She said.

"This is not the bathroom." I joked.

"Very funny." She replied.

"So what did you want to talk about?" I asked.

"I wanted to talk about something really important." She said.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I wanted to tell you something that you just can't share with anyone. Anyone means anyone. You can't tell it to anyone. Okay?" She said.

"I promise. Tell me." I said.

"I wanted to say that." She said and paused.

"That?" I said.

"That..." she said and came close to me.

"That?" I said more softly.

"That..." She said coming all the more close.

"That" I said again. We were just a couple of inches apart now.

"That........your face resembles that of a chimpanzee." She said and started laughing.

"Fuck off." I said and lay back in my bed.

"Oh come on don't be angry. I was just joking. Sholy." She said sweetly.

I smiled. She looked me in the eyes and yet again we were lost for a couple of seconds. She then came close and we kissed again. Just then the voice of the door opening came from the living room which meant someone had come out.

"Oh shit." I said.

Tanya started laughing.

"What's there to laugh about? Hide somewhere." I said all panicked.

"No." She replied bluntly.

"Why?" I asked.

"First say you love me." She said.

"Shut up. Hide. Someone is coming in." I said.

"That's not what I asked you to say." She replied.

"I love you now please get lost." I said.

"Say it from the heart else I am going out and telling everyone about us." She said.

"Shut up." I said.

"Wrong words again." She said shaking her head.

"You are impossible." I said.

She gave her devilish smile

"Ms. Tanya Sharma I love you from the core of my heart now will you kindly hide because if you don't then the three of them will come to know and all the fun will end. So please if you love me hide or find a way out." I said.

"That's better." She said.

Just then the door of the room opened. I lay back pretending to be asleep. Once the door opened, I opened my eyes just a little bit to see who it was.

"What are you doing here Tanya? I was looking for you." It was Ayesha.

I didn't move.

"Oh I was just looking for my earring. I lost it last night I guess so I thought I will check it here." Tanya said trying to make up a story.

"Oh but you didn't sleep in this room last night. We slept in the other room." Ayesha said.

"Oh I thought we slept here because last time when I came over we slept in this room only." She said.

"Actually that was the plan originally but you and Vishal were doing a lot of nasty things so we thought that we should rather move to the other room." Ayesha said.

"Will you all keep quiet. I am trying to sleep out here." I said trying to speak as if just being woken up in the middle of sleep.

"So you are awake. Tanya you sure you were here looking for you 'earring' only." Ayesha said with a naughty smile on her face.

"Shut up Ayesha. I have nothing to do with this idiotic, egoistic cousin of yours. He doesn't deserve me." Tanya said.

I gave her a stern look. Her eyes had that notorious spark in them which showed that she was joking.

"Whatever. Now get out of my room. I want to sleep." I said playing along.

"You don't have to be rude to her Vishal." Ayesha said.

"I am being rude? She called me idiotic and egoistic. But you don't have any problem with that. You have problem with me asking her to get out." I said surprised.

Tanya laughed.

"What's there to laugh about?" I said.

"Nothing. Nothing worth sharing with you anyway. Let's go Ayesha. Leave the loser alone." Tanya said and walked out, grabbing Ayesha's hand.

"You are rude." I texted her later.

"I love you! ;)" She replied.

No matter what you say or what you do, in a new relationship during the honeymoon period i.e. the first three or six months of a relationship, the term I love you works every single time you fight! It's a whole different story then on!

I tried to sleep but just couldn't so I went out to the living room to join the others.

"I want to meet you alone." She texted.

"We did meet ten minutes back." I replied.

"Not in the house ahole. Outside. Somewhere in the city." She said.

"Like where?" I replied.

"I don't know. We are meeting tomorrow and that's final. I will let you know the place." She said.

"How am I supposed to get out of here and that too alone?" I said.

"Think of something. Say you are going to meet a friend." She said.

"Okay. I will take care of it." I said.

We both kept pretending to ignore each other for the rest of the day making the others feel all the more uncomfortable as we enjoyed it all!

We did have our moments though, those seconds when we were either alone in the room or when we saw each other while moving in the house. Our eyes spoke most of the time rather than the mouth! Those brief moments of intimacy were magical indeed!

The day ended and Tanya decided to stay that night as well. The girls were sleeping in uncle's room while Kabir and I were sleeping in our room. Kabir was a sound sleeper so it wouldn't have been much of a problem sneaking out. The problem was for Tanya because Simran was there. Simran was one of those who would wake up even by the ticking of the clock so it was hell tough to sneak out for Tanya. We kept messaging each other late into the night in the hope that Simran will sleep and Tanya will be able to sneak out.

At around 3.30 in the morning Tanya was finally able to sneak out without anyone noticing. I too moved out of my room. We sat in the living room close to each other, Tanya's head resting in my lap while she was lying. I was playing with her hair. I had already started loving that. She had long silky hair, they smelled awesome as well. We spoke about life and remembered the previous trip where something similar happened, the night we became friends and slept together!

We occasionally kissed, occasionally hugged, sat close to each other as it is it had gotten cold with the thunderstorm setting in. We spoke about everything that came to our mind. At around six, after dawn broke, it was almost bright outside, we both went back to our rooms even though neither of us was in a mood of getting up and spoiling the magical moment but if we wanted to enjoy the awkwardness the rest were going through, we had to do it.

Uncle and aunty arrived at around 10 in the morning while I was fast asleep. I woke up at around noon, greeted them both, and freshened up to have the breakfast cum lunch.

"I have to go out today. A friend of mine lives here now. He shifted a year back. He has invited me over." I told everyone, already trying to put forward the story so that there isn't any problem later.

None of them had any doubt. Simran did ask a couple of questions who it was and all but I pretty much tackled them all without her raising an eyebrow. The story was set, now it was all about Tanya telling me where we had to meet. In an hour, she texted me to meet her at 'maggi point', a famous place in Dehradun. I told everyone that I was off to meet 'my friend' at maggi point and later he will be taking me to his place. Tanya had already told Ayesha that she won't be able to come today because she had to do some work with her mom. This meant we both had set up an alibi and given our attitude towards each other none of them would have even dreamt about what we were up to!

I took a cab and reached the place in around twenty minutes. As is with women, men are always made to wait and if by chance you end up being late, that is going to be the worst day of your life because ultimately every discussion aka argument will end up being because of your being late!

I waited patiently and she arrived around twenty minutes later. She was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans, simple wear yet she looked stunningly beautiful.

"Hi." I said.

"Hi." She replied and smiled.

The general talk followed. We ordered two plates of maggi, took a seat and kept talking. It was nice spending time with her. Life was so simple around her! No tension of anything whatsoever and if I had any, her smile was able to calm me down in an instant.

As soon as the waiter brought our order, from a distance, I saw a car which looked pretty similar to that of Kabir's. When I saw the person who came out of it, I instantly jumped up from my seat. It was Kabir. Soon, the other two doors opened as Ayesha and Simran came out.

"What happened?" Tanya asked seeing my weird reaction.

"Run" I said and held her by her hand to make her stand quickly.

"What's wrong with you?" Tanya asked still confused by my reaction.

"They are here. We gotta leave right away." I said, paid the bill hurriedly as we ran.

Tanya started to laugh again.

We hurriedly took a cab and sat in it. She just kept laughing.

"What's with you in moment of crisis? Why do you laugh at such moments every single time?" I asked.

"I don't know. It happens to me itself. I find it funny." She replied.

"You are insane." I said.

"That's why I am with you." She said and winked.

"kaha jaoge bhaiya?" The cab driver asked.

I asked Tanya where to go. She told the driver the destination. It was her second most favourite place after the place from where we just ran off. Now that we had already met the three of them at Maggi point and were able to dodge them pretty easily there wasn't a remote possibility of finding them at the other place.

We reached the place and took a seat. It was a beautiful and serene place. The scenery was awesome, and it was calm, the kind of place I love.

We ordered two cups of coffee; some caffeine was badly needed. I was much more relaxed at this place after having eliminated the possibility of getting caught. I took a sip of the coffee, it was awesome, just the way it should be. It was kind of a perfect setting for a perfect evening with Tanya. We kept talking of the east and the west. It was surprising how we were never short of topics to talk about! One topic always lead to another hence the conversation kept flowing smoothly.

"Well well well. Look who we found here." A familiar voice said from a distance.

I turned back to see who it was. It was Kabir, again! The nightmare had come true.

"Oh Kabir what are you doing here?" I asked trying to buy time to think of a story for Tanya and me being at that place.

"Isn't the wrong person asking the question?" Kabir looked back and said to Simran and Ayesha who were standing close by.

GAME OVER the words that came to my mind.

"I am um.." I said with no reply whatsoever in my mind!

"We just ran into each other so were having a cup of coffee. That's it." Tanya said.

"Oh really? Is that what happened at Maggi Point as well?" Ayesha said.

"GAME OVER" Maybe those are the words that would have come to Tanya's mind as well.

Tanya started laughing as expected.

"So who is going to do the talking? I presume it would be you Vishal because Tanya is busy with her laughing act." Simran said.

"Okay." I said.

I told them everything that happened while we were locked up in the living room, apart from the kiss and hug thing! I answered all their questions, was sworn at by Kabir, beaten up by Ayesha and remarks of disappointment from Simran for keeping it a secret.

Hence ended the fun of enjoying the awkward silences but as was expected the three of them were happy for us.

"By the way how did you find us?" I asked.

"I am Tanya's best friend first if you remember." Ayesha said.

Tanya smiled again. One of the agonies of having your cousin as the best friend of your girlfriend!
Chapter 11: The thing with goodbyes

Then on it was an awesome week. We had fun and most probably made that the best one ever. It was quite obvious as Tanya and I had started getting along pretty well, more than pretty well in fact so there was no of awkwardness left amongst the five of us. We did a lot of stuff, played pranks on each other, it was all the more fun for me given the fact that it was Tanya and I playing it together, so no ego issues plus much more fun when any of it turned out to be successful.

At first, we found it weird and were a bit shy even to sit together in front of the rest of them, but then as time passed by we started holding hands, resting heads on each other which we both so wanted to do. Honey moon period as I love to call it, is the best period for a relationship, for sure. The week passed by pretty smoothly, one of the best seven days ever spent or maybe the best in fact!

Finally, came the day, the dreaded day as I would call it. It was time for me and Simran to go back. The tickets were already booked so we couldn't have done anything about changing plans of going back. I didn't want to go but I had to, results were round the corner and it sure was going to be a pretty tense period so I needed to be back home for that.

Last night, before the day we had to go back, I spent as much time with Tanya as possible. She was sleeping over, so we both sneaked out, even though the rest knew about it and needed to as well, now that Kabir's parents were back and we had to be out of their sight as well. We sat in the living room but it was too dangerous as uncle's room was right in front. If anyone happened to come out they would sure come to know.

I woke up Simran, the only light sleeper amongst us all and told her that we were going for a walk. It was a quiet and secluded area so there wasn't much danger as such.

"Okay but don't go too far. Take your mobile. I will text when if there is a crisis and message me when you come back so that I can open the door." Simran instructed.

"Okay." I said.

Tanya and I walked out of the house at around 2 in the morning, it was pretty cold but pleasant.

"So..." I said.

"So..." She repeated.

I looked at her. Her face looked all the more beautiful in the moon light, she looked like an angel.

"What are you looking at?" She said.

"You." I replied.

"Why?" She said.

"Because you are beautiful." I said.

"So you like to look at beautiful things. Does that mean you are just not able to face the mirror ever?" She said.

"You are such a moment spoiler." I said.

"Sorry. I was kidding. You are sexy." She said, winked and smiled.

"Oh really." I said.

She didn't say just nodded.

"I never thought that this trip will turn out to be like it did." I said.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I mean, on my way all I could think of was that you would be around and hence there would be more silence in the room plus more heated arguments between you and me which could have spoiled the trip for everyone." I said.

"At least you were thinking of me." She said and smiled.

"You are quite an optimist." I said.

"Yeah. The quality that makes me think that our relationship with work." She said.

"What makes you think that it won't?" I asked a bit surprised.

"I don't know. I think it will work out but still there is some part of me which thinks it won't." She said.

"Don't worry we will make it work no matter what." I said.

"I am happy to hear that." She said and smiled.

We both kept talking into the night, kept walking around the house. We then sat outside the door of the house for a while before going back. She rested her head on my shoulder as we stared at the moon which was right in front of us.

"This is amazing. I never thought I would ever come close to having such a romantic night." She said.

"This is just the beginning. There is a lot more to come. By the way this is not the first romantic night; we had it before as well! The night we 'slept' together if you remember." I said.

"Get over it. We didn't 'sleep' together the way you mean it nor are we going to do it in the near future." She said.

"Are you sure because tonight is a good good night." I said and winked.

"Fuck off." She replied.

"What?" I said.

"You are cheap." She said.

"Okay. I am cheap now. I was just trying to be romantic." I said and moved her away.

"Stop behaving like an asshole now. You know I love you." She said.

I didn't say anything and kept looking at the moon.

"At least look at me." She said.

I did. Our eyes met yet again. It was something about this 'meeting of the eyes' thing that made the moment all the more romantic and all the more intimate. We both were drawn into each other. It was as if everything had ceased and the moment would continue forever. In no time our lips came close and touched. It sure was the most intimate kiss. She put both her hands on my shoulders while my hands were on her waist and we kissed.

"I think you just said something a while back. If you want to prevent that from happening we should stop." I said and smiled.

"Shut up. You are such a jerk." She said shyly.

"I love you." I said and kissed her hand.

"I love you too. I wish we could do this every night." She said.

"What? The kissing?" I said.

"Spending time together asshole. Stop being cheap for once." She said.

"I am sorry. I agree with you but I am afraid it's time to go." I said a bit sad.

"I guess so. Can't you stay longer?" She said.

"I want to and you know that, it's just that the college thing is kind of troubling everyone so I want to get over with it. I wish I could stay longer but I am sorry I can't. I hope you understand." I said.

"I do." She said as a tear fell down her eye.

"Hey, you don't have to cry my angel. I love you. I will be back plus we can always talk over phone and the disease." I said.

"What disease?" She asked.

"Oh by disease I mean facebook." I said.

"Why do you call it a disease?" She asked confused.

"I will tell you that some other time. I think we should go in now. Catch some sleep as we will have to leave early." I said.

"Okay." She said and hugged me.

It was a long warm hug. We were just inseparable. I knew that I wouldn't be able to come for a year and this most probably was the last time we were hugging each other. She knew it too so we just didn't want the moment to end! We stood in front of the door for ten minutes, neither of us saying anything but just lost in each other while we were hugging. Sometimes you can understand the other person's silence yet there is nothing you can do about it.

"Please do not go. I want to be with you." Her silence said!

"I want to stay, but I can't you know that." Was my silence which she too would have understood.

A text buzzed on my mobile so we broke the hug so that I could check it.

It was Simran asking by what time we will be back. I texted her that we were on the door and asked her to open the door.

We hugged one last time as the noise of opening the door came from the other side. I kissed her forehead and entered the house. We both lay in bed yet neither of us was sleeping. The moonlight entered the room from the window which made everything pretty much visible. We didn't talk or kiss or hug, we just kept staring at each other. She started it. I laughed.

"What happened?" she whispered.

"You are staring." I said.

"I am not staring. I am gazing." She said.

"It's freaky." I said.

"It's not. It's romantic." She said.

I didn't have a reply to anything as romantic as that so I joined in and gazed at her. We both kept gazing at each other till the time we both slept. I don't know who did first but it sure was one of the best moment of the trip.

The next morning when I woke up, as always, Tanya was gone. I got ready and soon after, Simran and I left for the station. As we crossed Tanya's house I looked up at her room's window. She was standing there waiting for us to pass. I waved at her and smiled. She waved back. I kept looking that way as long as I could view it.

Soon, we caught a cab and reached the station on time. We boarded the train as my phone buzzed again. It was a message from Tanya and a pretty long one as well.

"You were walking on that lonely road, walking away from me but not from my life. But then that very dreadful thought came to my mind and scared me. "What if it were from my life." Even this thought was enough to make me feel insecure.  
It looked as if I was seeing you for the last time ever. As if you never were going to return back to me ever. I knew this parting would be difficult but never thought that it would be so difficult!

Soon, a tear rolled down my eye and fell on the ground but only to be converted into a pearl. You kept looking back to wave at me and show how much you were already missing me. I waved back too only to act strong even when I knew I wasn't!!  
I was feeling very weak, my heart was weeping. I repeated the lines I always wanted to say before you were going but was not able to other than when I was alone.  
"No matter how tough I look on the outside, there is a heart within which longs and cries for you to the core." I kept repeating it in my mind and kept waving. The tears kept falling and the pearls kept forming. You kept walking, looking back at each step you took.

Your face was becoming paler each passing second and I could almost feel the tears falling from your eyes. One more gaze and I knew you would break and in turn might change your decision of going which I, obviously didn't want. You looked back once again, but only to see that I no longer was there. You didn't stop nor did you look back again. I knew you wouldn't. You also realized the thing I had just a couple of seconds ago! I kept looking at you, the person I loved the most in this entire world walking away, becoming shorter and less visible with every step you took and finally lost in the mist, gone with the wind beyond infinity.

My eyes were still wet, blood red now and ready to shed blood rather than tears. The pearls were there on the ground almost weeping to be woven into a necklace. They say that the whole world survives on hope, so in the hope that you will return, in the hope that you will love me forever, in the hope that forever will just be the starting, I end this message. I love you. Hope to meet you again soon. I miss you already. Have a safe trip home."

That's what the message read. Tears rolled down my eyes on reading it but I wiped them off for we both knew I eventually had to return. We knew the first goodbye was going to be the most difficult as well. I wiped my tears and was lost in her thoughts waiting for the train to start, the time to pass, so as to return to the same station some time, get off and meet the love of my life.

Chapter 12: When it started falling apart

"I can't go against him Vishal and you know that. Even if I do, you know that it's going to end up badly for both of us." Tanya said.

"So what do you want me to do now?" I said frustrated

"When did I ask you to do anything Vishal? I am just saying that we need to think of something because going against him won't help." She said.

"What can I do about it? He is the big shot; he has the power to do everything he wants. Ask him to do something. This all is happening because of him in the first place." I said.

"Stop blaming him for what is happening. One day or the other he had to know and we knew that this was going to happen the day he did." She said.

"I am sorry. I had no intentions of causing troubles for the two of you." Kushal said.

Oh wait wait, wait I am sorry but I think you aren't able to understand what's happening. No, there isn't any page that you have skipped nor have you purchased a faulty book, it's my mistake. I beg your pardon and in the hope you will forgive me and continue to read on. This is what happened after we took a leap of ten years, I mean the book did! So.....
Chapter 13: Before Taking the Leap

Okay now that you know I am going to take a big leap, don't worry this is not going to make this story like those Indian Television soaps, it's going to get more interesting from here. As it is said, no story is complete without the villain, so it's time to introduce you to the villains of our story.

Before I do that, let me share with you in brief what happened during the leap.

Like every other relationship, as soon as the honeymoon period of our relationship was over, problems kicked in but we held on to it every single time. The only thing different in our relationship was we never had a break up like those other classic couples who have thousands of break ups in a single year! We held on together and ultimately as most you might be familiar with or might have even faced it, ended up with me being the one saying the word "Sorry" accepting the mistakes that she committed! If some guy out there replies to this saying, "I am not one of them", in that case either that woman is not for you, or you are not made for her. Either way as soon as you finish reading this you should break up! I know I am no one to advice you that but it's a fact, the fights ending up with the guy saying sorry most of the times, provides a relationship the stability it needs. The reason I say this is by the fight, women take out everything they have stored in them with the words while the men get the heavenly time that they cherish the most i.e. sitting at a place with nothing to think of and nothing interesting to hear! That, for me, gives a relationship the stability required!

I entered college to realize that it was no better than the school I hated just that people and teachers were meaner, the politics was being played in every corner of the classroom, bitching was being done yet everyone tried to get a mark more than the other to get a better CGPA i.e Cumulative Grade Point Average! It was most of the time an agony at college till the first year was over.

As I entered second year, Tanya joined the same college which wasn't much of a problem. Admission at such a University is more of a money thing rather than a qualification thing and Tanya's dad had tons of it! So now that we were going to the same college it meant much less number of classes, much more number of dates and similarly poorer grades! Our courses were different yet we rarely knew what was being taught, given that we hardly attended classes. It still used to surprise me how could we find so many topics to talk about. May be because she was the one who did the talking most of the time. Most of my replies were single words which included, "hmm", "yes", "no", "oh", "why" and similar. It's not that I was bored of her or anything; it was more of a romantic thing. I loved listening to her and since I was a man of few words, I had to enjoy it if this had to work. We did have our fair share of fights given that we were the complete opposites. If she was a proton, I was an electron. If she was North, I was south! Her favourite colour was white, my favourite colour was black. Her favourite place to eat was a five star restaurant, my favourite place to eat was McDonald's and this has nothing to do with the monetary issues as most of you might have thought with the last point. It was more of a taste problem! But the thing is black and white most of the time exist together, proton and electron bind each other, north and south poles result into magnetism. So here we were holding it out with our magnetic affinity for each other trying to fill our black and white life with colours. We loved to argue, even though she loved to term it discussion! We were neutral on some points, which was nice. Some things are best left without being discussed.

It was an easy journey. Time flew by, with her at college. The second third and fourth year appeared as short as it seemed as if the first year ended just a month ago! We both graduated the same year as mine was a four year programme while hers was a three year one. Apart from the first year, college was filled with fond memories and a couple of funny ones too which need to be discussed because I know that everyone who is reading this would be able to relate with at least one of the two. Another reason you are going to enjoy it is because it is related to the 'disease' aka facebook for which I rarely found time given that Tanya was around and I was busy reading her face to write a book on it!

Here go the two incidents and I will title them separately:

What's your 'Relationship Status'?

Okay now I know few people are going to hate me for this post but as always I won't be shy of posting this because Mark Zuckerberg is one of those few who will hate me for this but well I can't expect him to read this. Not for now at least. (Showing my height of optimism!)

This bizarre yet hilarious situation arises when you change your 'relationship status' to "In a relationship" on you Facebook (Disease) profile.

Relationship Status: Strictly talking of Facebook out here you might write 100 classy status updates, post hundreds of funny pictures, post hilarious videos but no matter what you do, the day you change your relationship status from single to something else there will be a flurry of comments and flurry of likes the very moment when you click on update!

Now even though there is a striking similarity in all the comments you receive with most of them being 'congratulations' but there is always a different story or a different emotion hidden behind that congratulations! Here I am going to list out a few of them:

1. Now before the banter starts there are surely a couple of your friends who are genuinely happy for you. The reason for their 'genuineness' is that they already are happy in their life and anything happening in somebody else's life rarely affects them. They only emit happiness!

2. This is the emotion that many people on my friend list would have felt as soon as they saw what I had posted and that is SURPRISE. "Vishal is in a relationship! Is there a woman mad enough to be able to understand him!" or likewise.

3. Well I can't actually authenticate this emotion but I do believe it would have happened with someone or the other for sure. "So now even this person is in a relationship. God knows when I will find someone! I am so angry with myself. I want a boyfriend/girlfriend. I don't want to die lonely. I want someone to take care of me to love me." Tears would have rolled down yet the reply on the update would have been. "Congratulations." With a big smile emoticon following it!

4. People who do know a bit about you start linking you with someone or the other just to figure out who the person is! These people are the most annoying. They just don't stop till they figure it out. Ultimately, you have to give them a false indication and they take the last guess to be the lucky one or the victim as their thought process might be!

5. Some anxious souls who do know about the reality, batter you to such an extent that you actually decide to change back your relationship status to single or delete the post!

There are several other emotions which can be discussed but well these were the top 5 I had on my mind.

Another thing that just popped into my mind is that somewhere alongside those comments there will be comments from a couple of people, whom you knew years back but were forgotten. People who are not even acquaintances would be there commenting and you would say, "What is this person even doing on my friend list?"

I can say this on a personal level and if you wish you too can try it out just the way I did. Change your Relationship Status for 24 hours and enjoy 24 hours of social networking fame!

The second incident is as funny and to me as it is annoying!

The 'social' family

Now looking at the topic of discussion you think that I am going to talk about a family which is social, love socializing etc etc etc (blah blah blah) but no I am not talking about that family here. I am talking about the other social family that people possess on the disease facebook.

One fine day I opened up my facebook account and what I found was not only hilarious but super idiotic. Even though I didn't really understand what should I make of it but well it wasn't anything more than hilarious to me. (If I leave out the feeling of irritation!)

What I found was a certain someone on my friend list had updated the profile and added the links of the parents, grandparents, siblings, boyfriend/girlfriend and even kids!

You would say, "So what! Everyone has a family; everyone has the right to display it on their profile. What's your problem?"

Here is what amazed me or rather made me laugh. As far as I remember there were only a couple of married people who were on my friend list which included my dad and a couple of my aunts but the fact of the matter is it wasn't any of these people who had updated all this information but a normal school/college going person!

Now imagine a school going boy/girl, I won't specify who it was and would let you figure out who could it have been, anyways going back to imagining, A school/college going person having his/her dad, mom, son, daughter even grandparents ALL IN HIS/HER OWN CLASS! Now if this is in anyway true this most probably is the 'wonder' family rather than a 'social' family!

Can be a group of vampires as well. Grandparents doing graduation for the 50th odd time, parents for 25th time and the person for the first time!

In such a case I should go back and change the topic to the 'wonder' family or maybe Vampire Family.

How much fun it would be for this family, studying in the same class, in the same school/college. It sounds awesome fun to me! The whole family growing up together!

Now the social family is like the best family. What fun it would be saying, "Hey mom, hey dad let's go for a night out at your grandkids place." or "Hey mom I think I am falling for that friend of yours. She is beautiful and awesome! Can you give me her number or at least introduce her to me?" or "Yo dad, wanna beer?" and several other such instances.

From bitching about people to swearing, to doing weird stuff with your dad, mom even grandparents or may be son or daughter and so on.

Now irrespective of how cool it sounds if something like this happens it will appear lame more than anything else! Doing something like that would be unethical and something against the world. I don't say that this can't happen. There are families where this happens but it still sounds idiotic to me especially the second phrase!

Another thing that I came across was people getting married online as in a certain girl engaged/married to another girl (I specified this because that's what I saw on a profile). Public Display of Affection (PDA) has risen to such heights that women are now getting married to each other! Is there seriously no limit to gayness!

All I can say to such people is kindly wake up from your sleep and start acting a bit responsibly. Nobody can replace your mom, your dad or your siblings. They will be who they are. Changing them on a social networking website isn't funny even though it might look to you. At the end of it, it's your personal choice. It's your profile, it's your life. You are free to do whatever you want to. I can't stop you from doing anything. If the above few paragraphs offended someone kindly ask this question to people around to understand what they feel about the subject.

Coming back to the story
Chapter 12: When it started falling apart

Now that I have posted about the two incidents that I so wanted to, coming back to the story, college was most probably the most fun time I ever had in my life. The problem really started at Tanya's graduation party back in Dehradun. Tanya's dad was in town which was a rarity. With his busy schedule and meetings all over the country, he rarely came home. If he were not a businessman, he would surely have been a hippie! It was nice to see Ayesha and Kabir. Since the start of college I had seen them only once which was much of a disappointment but it was time we had some quality time again together. Now that my job call was a month away and hence I had nothing to do as such. It had been a long time since the five of us were together. Tanya's brother Kushal was also back. He had completed his graduation and before going in for M.B.A was helping out his dad in business which made it the six of us. He too was pretty cool. He knew everything about me and Tanya asTanya never ever hid anything from her brother so it was kind of a mixed emotion for me meeting him. There is something about brothers of your girlfriend. They can occasionally act weird, out of line and may even get mad at you for no particular reason. He looked cool to me but who knows when he would blow his top so I was rather careful around him. Given his built he would have knocked me out in a single punch and I didn't want that to happen.

He had average looks but as I said, his built was enough to scare me. The party was going on well, a lot of jokes were being cracked about a lot of things which are better left unspecified. The one thing that was being served which I hated morally even though it was the reason for me and Tanya being together, as you might have guessed it, alcohol.

The fact that we were now legally allowed to consume it didn't deter me. I was firm on my resolve of not drinking and was going to stick to it for the rest of my life. Tanya, Ayesha and Simran too gave it a pass but we had two alcoholics on our sides i.e. Kabir and Kushal. They both were at the bar since the start of the party. Turns out both of them turned into one during their college days. It's more of a moral thing rather than anything else, the ones who hate it or find it wrong don't take it and the ones who do, end up being on the bar and only at the bar at every single party!

They both were trying out new combinations, from the screw driver to everything else, I don't know the names even, to be honest!

"Stop it both of you. It's enough for one night." Tanya said.

"Oh come on T it's a party. I promise I won't get high." Kushal said sounding high already. I hated him when he called Tanya 'T'. She has a name and a pretty good one at that. I don't have anything against pet names but they should be at least worth hearing and take a note of.

"Seriously bro, stop it and spare us all the embarrassment that we might have to face because of you." I said. My relationship had gone a bit sore with him since his drinking problem had started. The last time we met it ended on sore terms for it was a party, he was high and what happened after that, again the less spoken of the better.

"Come on man. I am not drunk. We are just trying out new things. You too should join us." He replied.

I had nothing to say for I knew if I did it will again end up in a fight and may even reach to a point of no return in our relationship. His relationship with his parents too was on the slide since they came to know about his drinking issues. He just wasn't ready to listen to anyone about it. His girlfriend left him for the very same reason. To me, if a girl can't change a habit of man, no one can unless it's the wrong girl. A girl has all the power that one needs to either make a man's life or to destroy it completely. It's all about who you are with. The good one or the rather bad one!

I didn't push any further and was with the rest most of the time. Given that Tanya's parents were around and so were mine, the fact that we hadn't already told them about us was killing us. Not that we didn't want them to know or anything, it was about time that we should have, but just couldn't frame it into words. So we stayed close yet away from each other at the party, most of the conversation was through the eyes or through Ayesha.

Everything was good; everyone was enjoying the party, Tanya's dad was happy too, entertaining his high profile guests which included CEO's of big companies, city DM and all those from similar ranks. Even though he was a rarity, when he was around he was fun. It looked as if he was the coolest head ever. Never had I seen him lose his calm, shout at his children or at his workers even. His attitude was one big reason that I knew our families won't have a problem with our relationship but still that fear persisted within our hearts, "what if they don't!"

This was the biggest reason that was holding us back from telling them as it is this was no bollywood movie, this was our real life. Every step we took had to be the right one for running away was never going to be an option!

The party was progressing well; guests came and went while we all too were enjoying ourselves.

"Hello Mr. Vishal how have you been doing?" Tanya asked performing the drill that we frequently did. I don't know what fun we got out of it but it sure was interesting!

"I am good Ms. Sharma how are you?" I said.

"I am good too. So how is life?" She said.

"As per your reply life is good!" I said and winked. She smiled.

"And how has life been treating you?" She asked.

"Um. I don't know. I am unable to make out and that didn't have any double meaning behind it I swear!" I said.

She spanked my arm.

"Shut up." She said disgusted. I gave my devilish smile.

"So?" she said.

"So?" I repeated

"So what's your answer?" She said.

"My answer to what?" I asked.

"The question I asked Vishal." She said.

"Which question Tanya?" I said

"I asked how has life been treating you." She said all the more disgusted.

"Oh that question. Life is asking a lot of questions." I said and winked again.

"Why is it asking a lot of questions?" She said.

"I don't know and it's a she not an 'it'." I said.

"How can you be so sure that your life is a she?" She said.

"Because I know." I said.

"And who is your life?" She said.

"As if you don't know." I said

"Do I?" She said

"Don't you?" I said

"I don't know." She said

"I don't either." I said.

"But you just said you do!" She said.

"I lied." I said.

"You are lying now!" She said.

"I am speaking the truth now." I said.

"Are you?" She said.

"Stop asking questions!" I said frustrated.

"Should I stop?" She said and winked.

"Your wish." I said.

"Who is your life?" She asked again.

"You just won't give up, would you?" I said.

"You know the answer to that." She said and smiled.

"Do I?" I said.

"Yes you do. Now shut up and answer my question." She said.

"You want me to shut up or do you want me to answer?" I said.

"I want you to shut your bullshit and answer my question." She said.

"What's the question again?" I said.

"I will kill you." She said.

"Will you?" I said.

"Yes I will." She replied.

"Then there is no point left. If my life takes away my life then there is no life left!" I said.

"Yes so." She said.

"So that's your answer." I said.

"What answer?" She said.

"Answer to your question." I said.

"Which question?" She said.

"The one you asked." I said.

"What did I ask?" She said.

"That who is my life?" I said.

"What was your answer?" She said.

"The sentence I said a couple of minutes back." I said.

"Which sentence?" She said.

"Stop troubling me." I said.

"Which sentence?" She repeated.

"Nothing." I said.

"What nothing?" She said.

"Nothing nothing." I said.

"Shut up. Answer my question." She said.

"Which question?" I said.

"Who is your life?" She said.

"You are my life." I replied finally as it is all this was getting a bit too much now.

"See the answer was shoooooooooo simple and you are sooooooo cute." She said.

"Shut up." I said.

"You could have saved five minutes worth of energy if you had answered at the first go!" She said.

"BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO!" Kushal said.

All this while he had been standing at a close distance and listening to the both of us. So were Simran, Ayesha and Kabir.

"You both are perfect for each other." Kushal said who appeared to be pretty much drunk and high. It was the alcohol speaking now rather than his mind.

"Control yourself Kushal. This is a social party. There are people around." I warned him before he could say anything further for I knew a drunk man is capable of spilling out everything and I could say this by personal experience as you might have read above!

"Oh come on dude. I am in full control of myself. I am in my senses. Stop making me feel that I am drunk by moving from one place to another!" He said.

"I haven't moved an inch Kushal. It's your head which is spinning!" I said.

"Yeah yeah whatever." He said.

"I told you not to drink so much." Tanya said visibly upset.

"Come on T. I am telling you. I am not drunk." He replied.

"I can very well see that." Tanya replied sarcastically.

"Fuck me. Let's talk about the both of you. You both are perfect with each other. It's as if you were made for each other kind of a thing." The alcohol in his system had already started speaking.

"Make him shut up. Your parents are around if you remember." I whispered in Tanya's ear.

"What are you saying to her?" He asked.

"Nothing." I shook my head.

"Oh come on man you can share with me. We are family now." He said as loud as he possibly could. He did turn a couple of heads. Luckily, Tanya's parents weren't in the vicinity so couldn't hear him.

"Shut up Kushal and come with me." Tanya said and held him by the hand to take him back to his room.

"I am not going anywhere T. The party has just started. Let's enjoy!" He said and started dancing.

Out of the blue, the ball dance music started playing, a totally unexpected thing in an Indian style party but turns out that Tanya's dad had other plans. It was as if an American Prom night had come to life with that music. That music caught Kushal's attention.

"It's time for you both to couple dance. Come with me." He said.

"No we aren't doing anything of that sort." Tanya said. Even though she was holding Kushal's hand, it was Kushal who was dragging her to the stage. I was helpless and hence had to follow them.

"Yes you both are. I want the two of you to enjoy , I don't want your story to end the way mine ended!" He said.

"By doing this, our story might eventually end as yours did!" I said.

He was in no mood to listen to anything. He dragged Tanya to the stage which was supposed to be the dance floor but no one was in the vicinity of that place. Turns out the alcoholics weren't still drunk enough to start dancing! This meant that the three of us were standing on the floor with Kushal making the both of us hold hands and deliberately trying to make us dance.

"Stop it bhaiya." Tanya said almost in tears now.

As there was no one else on the floor, it meant we caught a lot of eyes and eventually the eyes of Tanya's dad. He ran up to the floor.

"What's happening over here." He asked.

Kushal looked up.

"Oh daaad. Nothing dad. I am just trying to make the two of them dance." He said. Tanya and I stood silent for we knew saying anything would eventually fuck things up.

"You are drunk. Go back to your room. Party is over for you." He said coolly. It seemed as though he never got angry. He was calm and composed under every situation.

"Come on dad. The party has just begun. I don't want to go back. Can I stay a while longer please." Kushal said.

The way he was behaving made me chuckle for I remembered what Tanya and I did the first and the last time we ever consumed alcohol.

"No means no Kushal. Enough of the drama. You are going back to your room right away." He replied.

"Okay I will but after these two dance together." Kushal said.

"Okay." He replied. He then looked at the two of us.

"What?" Tanya said.

"Dance with him. For his sake. It will be better if you agree. It's much better than creating a scene." He explained.

"I am not dancing with him." She said looking at me. That did hurt me when she said that but I did understand it was just to show her dad.

"Oh come on princess it's just a dance." He said as calm as ever. Even though our country was progressing but I still didn't expect a dad insisting her daughter to dance with a random friend, a guy friend, on the request of his drunk son! Amazing. It would have been believable if someone of my generation asked their daughter but this came as an eye opener for me. Maybe it was just him. Maybe he was different. In a way that did give me a bit of respite and also built up the possibility of him approving of us. So I took this incident to be a blessing in disguise. Tanya agreed to dance, I mean she showed she agreed even though she wanted to do it all along. Soon, the others joined in and the alcoholics were drunk now so everyone was in for a ball.

Kushal picked up another drink and luckily Tanya's dad saw him.

"Enough son. You are coming with me back to your room." He said.

"Okay dad. As you say." Kushal replied.

I saw them going away to the room. After moving ten yards or so, they stopped and Tanya's dad turned to look at me straight into the eyes.

I smiled considering it to be a friendly stare. He made Kushal sit on one of the chairs, came towards me and stood right in front of me.

"May I help you uncle?" I asked.

There was this look on his face which I had never seen before. It was of anger. That's what I could assess.

"Yes. Yes you can help me." He said softly.

Maybe I had interpreted it all wrong. Maybe I was over thinking everything!

"Tell me." I said and smiled.

"Get the hell out of this city by tomorrow and do not try to contact my daughter ever again and do not return to this city ever." He said in a rather angry tone. So I hadn't assessed him wrong but that wasn't a good thing.

The only thing I couldn't understand was what the hell was happening. I could understand that the alcohol had done its job. It had successfully been able to tell Tanya's dad about me and her. The thing that disappointed me was his reaction. I had expected him to be cool with it but turns out he too was like most of the Indian parents, too stubborn to accept the entry of an unknown someone in their daughter's life. I couldn't blame him for it. That's how they had grown up but still there was a part of me which was now feeling sad for things didn't turn out as they should have.

I had to put the blame on someone for this happening and it had to be Kushal given that it was him who told Tanya's dad in the first place.

Her dad's threat was a pretty scary one though. It was as though a typical Bollywood film scene had come to life. "Meri beti se door raho aur apni jaan pyaari hai toh ye shehar chod ke chale jao jald se jald" A classic Hindi movie dialogue. I was dumb founded. I went back to Kabir's place and waited for them to return.

"You came back early." Kabir's mom said.

"The place was suffocating." I said.

She smiled and went back to sleep while I waited for the rest of them to arrive.

After an hour's wait Kabir, Ayesha and Simran were back.

"Why did you come back early?" Ayesha asked as soon as they entered.

"Long story." I said.

"I know what happened." Kabir said.

"Oh so you are in your senses. Good to know that!" I said.

"You don't have to be mad at me for it. It's not my fault." He said.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Simran asked.

"You know about the dancing incident right?" I asked.

"Yes we do. We were watching from a safe distance till it was the right time to visit." Simran nodded and said.

"After that Kushal's dad was carrying him back to his room." Kabir said.

"So?" Ayesha asked.

"On the way Kushal told everything about him and Tanya to his dad." Kabir said.

"Oh crap." Simran said.

"What happened then." Ayesha asked.

"He came to talk to me." I said.

"What did he say??" Ayesha asked.

"He warned me and asked me to leave town asap if I didn't want myself to be killed and also warned me not to see Tanya ever again." I said.

There was stunned silence in the room.

"You got to be kidding me Vishal. That's impossible. He is so cool with everything. I never expected such a reaction from him!" Simran said still stunned.

"Neither did I." Ayesha said.

"I thought the same but turns out he too is just an average Indian parent." I said.

"So what do we have to do next?" Kabir asked.

"Did you try calling Tanya?" Simran asked.

"I did. The phone is switched off. Looks like the family drama trauma has begun at that place!" I said.

"What do we do now?" Kabir asked again.

"We aren't leaving. That's for sure and fuck his warning. I do not care a bit about his warning. His threats won't affect me and it shouldn't affect any of you." Simran said.

"Oh it should Simran. He is a big shot businessman. He can get us killed any time he wants." Kabir warned.

"I don't believe that." Simran said.

"I do. It's how this country functions. If you have the money, you have the power to do anything you want!" I said.

"So? Should we leave then?" Simran said with obvious sarcasm.

"I didn't mean that but we should think of a way out of this situation rather than start a fight." I said.

"How will that be?" Kabir said.

"What did you say Vishal when Tanya's dad warned you?" Ayesha asked.

"Nothing. He didn't wait for me to speak and went off. Why?" I replied.

"Well maybe this mess can be cleaned up then." Ayesha said.

"How?" We all asked.

"If Kushal goes to his dad and says that he was drunk and was speaking nonsensical fictional stuff." Ayesha said.

"He will never believe him." I said.

"Why not? I mean you didn't say anything that confessed your relationship with Tanya and I am sure she wouldn't have either. So everything that Tanya's dad believed was by what Kushal said when he was drunk." Ayesha explained.

"It's worth a try I guess. Good one Ayesha." Simran said.

"I guess so too. Can work." Kabir said.

"Okay then. Let's wait till tomorrow morning and if Tanya's dad doesn't plan on killing me tonight then we will talk to Tanya and Kushal and plan things further." I said.

We all changed and went off to sleep, or at least tried to sleep. I knew it was going to be one long night! Next day morning I called up Tanya and she was badly shaken up from the incident.

"I can't go against him Vishal and you know that. Even if I do you know that it's going to end up badly for both of us." Tanya said.

"So what do you want me to do now?" I said frustrated

"When did I ask you to do anything Vishal? I am just saying that we need to think of something because going against him won't help." She said.

"What can I do about it? He is the big shot; he has the power to do everything he wants. Ask him to do something. This all is happening because of him in the first place." I said.

"Stop blaming him for what is happening. One day or the other he had to know and we knew that this was going to happen the day he did." She said.

"I am sorry. I had no intention of causing troubles for the two of you." Kushal said repenting for what he had done.

"It's not an issue Kushal. It's just that we didn't expect this to happen; this wasn't the way we wanted your parents to come to know and even if this had to happen, we didn't expect the kind of reaction we got from them!" I said.

"Still, maybe I just took it all out, all the frustration related to my failed relationship on a wrong thing. I am really sorry for screwing it up for you." Kushal said.

I simply nodded as it is I didn't have much to say to that!

"I have created the mess and let me try to solve it first. I will convince dad, hopefully!" Kushal said.

"And how will that be?" I asked.

"I don't know. I will figure a way out. Till then, what I would say is you go back to your city. This place isn't safe. As far as I could analyze the situation, everything he said was on an impulse. He was upset about something else but took it out on the both of you!" Kushal said.

"Why do you say that? Judging by the way he spoke, everything he said, I think he meant all of it." Tanya said.

"Maybe he is right. Maybe it was all more of an impulse thing than anything else. Think about it. If twenty odd years down the line I come to know that my daughter has a boyfriend and everyone but me knows about it, I will be angry for sure." I said.

"Shut up. You are not scolding our children ever!" Tanya said.

"In the current scenario, I do not expect us to have children!" I laughed.

"Shut up." She said her default reply whenever she had nothing else to say.

"But hear me out first. Maybe my reaction will be a different one after analyzing everything but that first reaction I will have is of protection. If a guy who is completely alien to me goes around with my daughter, I sure will feel a bit protective at first and maybe give a similar reaction as your dad gave. I might not ask the guy to leave the town since I don't have any such power or authority but I sure will ask him to stay away from her. That would be the reaction of any Indian dad for sure! They are protective about us and no matter our age, we still remain a kid for them throughout our life. That's how parents are you can't help it. Being protective is how they show their love for us!" I said.

"Cut short your speech Mr. Philosopher and tell us the point." Tanya said.

"The point is they can be possesive and maybe that's what your dad was trying to do when he said all that. So in a way Kushal might be right. It could have all been on an impulse. It's best we agree to what he wants just for the time being and hope he will realize that what he did was not what he wanted to do. If we retaliate and a take a wrong step it might give a wrong impression altogether and he might even come to think that what he did in asking me to move the hell away from you was right!" I said.

"And what if it wasn't an impulse. What if he meant everything he said? What if he never wants us to be together?" Tanya said.

"Well that's something neither you nor I can ever be sure of unless we try. Ultimately destiny will play its role. If we are meant to be together we will be together. Neither your dad, nor anyone else can stop it from happening. As it is it was the first time ever I saw your dad lose his calm. He was being unreasonable and hopefully he would have realized that or soon will do so!" I said.

"I will think of an appropriate time to talk to dad about all of this. It's my shit and I will clean it for you but the thing that needs to be done right away is that you have to leave this town if you both want this thing to work out." Kushal said.

"I will do that. I am leaving right off. There is no point aggravating your dad's anger for who knows he might get me killed and thrown off in which part of the city. I want my parents to be able to see me in one single piece." I said and winked.

"Shut up Vishal. He is not going to do any such thing and I can bet on that." Tanya said defending her dad.

"I hope so." I replied. I was still confused if it was just that moment or her dad actually meant it and yes I say this after giving a rather elaborate speech all in support of the former but still I had my doubts which just didn't let me think that it was a momentary anger! Anyhow, all we could do was wait for what destiny and life had in store for us!

I had to take an afternoon bus back to my city, for finding a train reservation at such short notice was as easy as finding kryptonite! I went back and packed up my stuff, Kabir's parents were completely clueless about why I was leaving town when I had a plan of staying for a couple of days. I left Kabir to find an alibi for me to convince them.

Later, right at the stroke of midday I left for the bus depot and boarded the bus. I took my seat and reclined into it, shuffling up songs on my iPod and thinking of everything that was happening. I had already started missing Tanya. She had kind of become my drug for we almost spent an eternal time together at college. A couple of days that went without seeing her meant I would get all frustrated and annoyed at every little thing! The volume of the iPod was full up for it was always better listening music rather than to the swears being hurled at the everything in the world by the uncles in the seats around you. The bus was scheduled to leave at 1.30 and it was already 1.15 which meant 15 minutes of wait and I would have fulfilled what Tanya's dad wanted from me.

"What would Kushal say? How would uncle react? How would we finally end up being? Is this the end? Was that the last time I ever saw Tanya? Was this the last time I was ever with her?" a number of questions loomed in my head but what was to happen no one had even a single clue. All these thoughts kept troubling me while I patiently waited for the bus driver to press the accelerator to leave.

Through the music of my iPod I heard a shrill voice which, given the intensity of the volume of the music playing, could be termed nothing less than a shout. I looked around in the bus but there was no one so I blamed it on my ears. May be the emotions were taking a toll on me now! I was thinking a lot too much and hence apart from imagining things I had started hearing some too. I turned the volume back up and settled in my rather uncomfortable seat trying to search for the spot of maximum relaxation. It is at such situations that the minutes watch appears to be moving slower than the seconds one!

After a minute or so a couple of people entered the bus. I didn't care for what I wanted was the bus to begin the journey. I still couldn't understand what went wrong and why we ended up in such a situation that I had to actually run away from the place!

Then a group of 4 men entered the bus and again I didn't pay much heed to them but just gave them a glance which is one of the most normal human reactions, taking a look at the person whosoever it is, when he or she enters the room! As soon as I looked up, they were already moving swiftly in the little bit space they had searching for something and then one of them saw me as our eyes met. He eyed me for a couple of seconds before saying something to the rest and pointed straight at me. The person looked familiar but I just couldn't remember where I saw him. I was a little baffled with what had conspired. I unplugged my ear phones to see who was sitting behind me but there was no one which meant I obviously was the one he was pointing to.

"Are you Vishal?" One of them asked me as the four of them stood right in front of me cornering me on my seat.

"Yes I am." I said politely. They sure weren't there to greet me or to give me a farewell.

"Get him." One of them said as they started dragging me from my seat to take me out of the bus. I resisted but it wasn't of any use, it was impossible for me to overcome the strength of four men.

"What have I done?" I cried as they dragged me out of the bus.

"We will tell you sonovabitch what the fuck you have done. Wait a while and you will understand everything you piece of filthy crap." One of them said.

I lay flat on the ground. It did strike me that they were most probably his men but then I was still a couple of hours from my deadline of leaving the town.

All I could see from where I lay was the four of them surrounding me and a couple more coming closer with baseball bats in their hands. I was sure in for a treat on this one. I had understood that there was no point sitting back and waiting for them to give me a good beating. I summoned all my strength to stand up and as soon as I did they all started off with their bashing. They were using everything that they could understand, the bat, hand, feet, practically everything. I too didn't hold back anymore I threw in a lot of punches, some hit them and some didn't. Luckily I did get hold of one of the bats and was able to hold it tight. I didn't see left or right anymore and kept swinging it from right to left, left to right, in any direction I could find any sort of space. Offense is the best defense and this was the moment when I had put the said thing into action! The next thing I remember, I woke up in a room with white walls and the smell of medicines all over the place and a funny taste in my mouth arguably because of the drip which meant I was in a hospital but in which area of the world, I didn't really know. If I were in Dehradun I was in a lot of trouble for sure. My head hurt so did my hands, my feet, my back, it was as if those bastards didn't leave without giving a blow to all the 206 bones. I could barely open my eyes. At first, the light that entered the eyes hurt till I got immune to it. I tried to look around and figure out which area I was in.

"He is awake. Nurse, call the doctor." I heard a familiar voice saying the words which echoed back from the walls.

"Thank God you are alright." It was Simran. She came up to me and touched my right arm.

I shrieked. It was a light touch yet it hurt harder than it did when the bastards were smashing me with the baseball bats.

"Oh I am sorry." Simran said.

"It's alright." I said barely able to speak.

Soon mom came in along with the dad and the treating doctor and hence began the classic Indian family drama.
Chapter 14: Classical Indian family drama set up

So now that I was on a hospital bed with my right leg slung up to keep it straight, which meant it was broken, so was my left arm. I most probably had bruises all over my body, bandages in my right arm, on the forehead and a lot of other places. I was hurt and quite visibly too.

As soon as Mom entered the room, it was time for the drama to begin. It is at such situations that one thinks of one of those family drama directors who is ready, everything set in place, "Lights, camera and action!" It was similar with my Mom. That's with most of the Moms is what I would say. No Mom likes to see her child in pain, in suffering or hurt. Soon after she entered tears started rolling down her eyes. She didn't say much, for soon after she entered, the doctor started examining me, to see if I had any more injuries which were left to be looked at and maybe to see that I hadn't gotten mentally demented after the baseball bat was smashed on my head. Luckily I wasn't.

The doctor examined me, asked me a couple of questions, if I felt any sort of pain in any of the body parts other than the ones that were already bandaged.

"He is a brave man. He will be alright in a couple of weeks. There is nothing to worry about." Dr. Rao said after he had examined me. He was Dad's colleague and that meant we were back in Delhi and hence I was relieved for the time being. We were in the Apollo which happens to be Dad's work place as well hence I was safe in this area.

After the examining was over dad went along with Dr. Rao to discuss my reports and hence it was time for the love and fear to flow down the eyes of my mom in form of tears.

She didn't say a thing but just kept looking at me with tears flowing down.

"I am okay Ma. There is nothing to worry about. Soon I will be walking and making a mess of my room again!" I said trying to make her feel better.

"Yes ma he is fine. Don't worry." Simran joined in the battle to make her stop crying.

She didn't stop nor did she say anything. I could understand her worry but the fact that she was crying because of me irritated me to quite an extent.

"Oh come on Ma. There is nothing to cry about." I said in a tone that I normally wouldn't have used when addressing her.

"You will never understand." She said through her tears.

"What will we not understand?" I asked.

"You will never understand the worry of a parent, the worry of a mom." She said.

She had pulled out the trump card and there was nothing I could find to reply to that. She was right, maybe I wouldn't.

"Please stop Ma. Please. The fact that you are crying is making me sad. I have several other reasons to be sad about at the moment." I said.

"What other reasons? First tell me, how did all of this happen in the first place?" Mom asked.

That was one question which put me on the back foot. There was going to be a bigger drama if I told her the truth and lying would have gotten me into a bigger trouble. It was a no win situation at the moment hence I decided to remain shut and gave Simran a look which meant, "I am not able to think of a story. Find one and tell Mom!"

"I have told them the truth." Simran said to me. That was the last thing I would have wanted to hear at the moment but the fact that Simran understood my expressional message gave me some relief.

"What do you mean by the t-r-u-t-h?" I said slowly.

"The truth about that girlfriend of yours." Mom said rather frustrated.

I gave Simran a stern look.

"What else was I supposed to do?" She said in a rather angry tone.

"She did the right thing. She did what you should have and that too a long time ago." Mom said.

I didn't have a reply to that.

"It's not been long since she is my girlfriend." I said trying to avoid 'not telling her' part. This time Mom gave me a stern look.

"What part of 'I told them the truth' did you not understand?" Simran said.

So that meant my parents knew everything about me and Tanya which meant I was screwed up and it was going to be a lot more difficult to face them now.

I thought of pulling out 'I was about to tell you' line, the line which is ever so often used by almost every person in any sort of fiction/reality situation when the person who shouldn't have known, comes to know a secret that you have, but it would have made it all the more obvious that I wasn't going to tell them.

I decided to stay mum and closed my eyes pretending to have dozed off.

"The reports are fine. He should be fine. They are saying to keep him four more days here just as a precaution." I heard Dad's voice.

I opened my eyes and saw him standing right in front of me.

"How are you doing young man?" He asked with a cheering smile on his face. This was one thing I loved about him; he would be the most cheerful person around when someone is down and out.

"I am fine Dad but I surely have been better." I said. I sure was having a difficult time facing them given that they came to know a lot of things that I should have told them and that too a long time back. I was feeling guilty.

"I am not going to ask you how all of this happened for we all know about it." He said and paused.

I bowed my head in shame and guilt.

"I do have a question for you though." He said and paused again.

"Yes Dad?" I said.

"How many did you beat up?" He asked with a smile on his face.

Now that was a question I didn't expect.

"A couple for sure." I said with a grin on my face.

"That's my boy." He said.

"What is wrong with you? You are asking him how many people he beat up instead of asking why the fight broke out." Mom said all the more irritated.

"As I said we all know that and there is no point discussing that. Not in this place at least." Dad replied.

The family drama was up and running. We had low viewership though.

"Have you filed a police complaint?" Mom asked Dad.

"No I haven't. Should I?" Dad said looking at me with questioning eyes.

"I don't want to Dad." I said.

"Why not?" Mom asked surprised.

"Because it is not going to help in anyway. Do you know who we are dealing with over here!" I said.

"Yes I do." She replied.

"Still you think filing a police complaint would help?" I asked.

"Yes." She replied.

"It won't and I have a solid reason for that." I said.

"What is that?" she asked.

"While those ba....." I stopped myself from swearing and restarted my sentence.

"While those men were beating me up two police men were sitting in their jeep 20 meters from the spot doing absolutely nothing. It looked as if they were supervising the whole thing." I said.

Mom didn't say anything after that. She knew I was right. Police wouldn't help nor would anyone else hence she felt frustrated and irritated. She was feeling like that lioness whose cub had been hurt yet she was helpless about it, ready to do everything yet unable to do anything.

"You should take rest now. Simran is here with you. I am sending Mom back home. There are a number of relatives over after they heard about your accident cum fight or whatever. It's been a mad house. You take care. I will be around. In case you need anything call me. Right Simran?" Dad instructed me and Simran.

"Yes Dad." Simran replied.

I too nodded.

"Don't worry you can go back to Dehradun in a month's time." Dad said and winked.

Simran and I smiled.

"What does he have to do with Dehradun? He is not going back to that place." Mom said.

"Dad was joking ma. You surely need some rest. You go back home. I am here with this broken man." Simran said.

She didn't say much and went out of the room. She was angry and everyone could feel that. It was best if she were left alone, just to avoid any sort of arguments that you would have to repent later on. Dad too went off to see his patients.

"Why did you tell them?" I asked Simran as soon as they left.

"What else could I have done?" She said.

"I don't know. You should have made up a story or something." I said.

"And what would that have done?" She asked.

"Saved me from feeling guilty for not telling them about this earlier. You could have tampered our dating years at least." I said.

"Grow up Vishal. That wouldn't have done anything. Telling them the truth was the only option that looked right to me hence I did it." She said.

I didn't reply.

"As far as I think this was the best time to tell them in fact. They were easy on you." She said.

"That remains to be seen. How easy they are on me about this." I said.

"We will see." She said.

"Where are Ayesha and Kabir?" I asked.

"They are at home. They were here all night hence have gone back to take some rest. I will just text them that you are alive and annoying as always" She said.

"Yeah whatever." I said.

She texted them while I stared at the ceiling. I was missing Tanya again but couldn't think if this was the right time to talk about her.

"And Tanya?" I said rather softly.

"What about her?" she asked.

"Where is she?" I said.

"The princess is in her castle. Where else would she be." She replied rather irritated.

"Why are you talking like that? Did I miss something?" I asked confused by the way she reacted when asked about Tanya.

"You didn't miss anything and that's exactly what I am talking about." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"She didn't even have the courtesy to give a call or message or anything since you have been lying here." She said.

"Well I kind of expected that. When her father can send men to thrash me, he might well have taken away her phone privileges." I said defending Tanya.

"You expect her Dad to be so free that he would be monitoring her 24 X 7" She said.

"Well maybe one of his men is." I said.

"That's totally irrational Vishal and even if there is someone monitoring her, I can't believe that she just hasn't got a moment where she just wasn't able to contact any of us. I mean it's been three fucking days since the event yet none of us has received any information from her of any kind. Even if someone is monitoring her and she wasn't able to contact me or Kabir, she could have contacted Ayesha at least. She is her best friend and she has the right to talk to her. That wouldn't have been a problem I guess." She reasoned.

I didn't reply to that for she was right. There was something that just didn't fit in.

"I have been here for three days." I shouted after analyzing that part of her speech.

"Yes you have been in here for two days after you were transferred from a local hospital in Dehradun to here." She said.

I was thinking of a reason why Tanya hadn't contacted as yet. She even had Kushal with her so it wouldn't have been a problem. At least Kushal could have called up and asked what was happening given that it was his fault that all this was happening.

"Any news from Kushal?" I asked.

"Nothing from him either." She replied.

That was surprising. Something was definitely wrong. I could feel it but couldn't analyze what exactly. There was nothing that could have been done about it at the moment. The best we could have done was to wait for them to contact us.

"Where are my devices?" I asked. Those little things were the second most loved on my list.

"Crushed, broken and gone. The remains are at home just in case you want to have a look at them." Simran replied.

"Fucking bastards." I said on hearing the news.

"You will get new ones. Be happy about it." Simran said.

"That goes without saying though." I said and smiled.

"Yeah for you it does." She said.

"My head hurts." I said.

"It's been hurt so it will hurt dumb head." She replied.

"How do I look?" I asked.

"Honestly..." She said and paused.

"Yes?" I said.

"You look like a piece of shit. Just like one of those Bollywood heroes beaten up by the men of his girlfriend's father." She said.

"My story is classic Bollywood." I said and smiled.

"Sure it is and hopefully the end too will be even though I have serious doubts about this girl of yours." She said.

"Don't worry. She will call eventually hopefully." I said.

She laughed.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Shouldn't I be the one saying that line to you?" She said.

"Maybe but I trust her and I know she loves me and I know she will call." I said.

"Oooo. Love is in the air." She said with a sarcastic tone.

"I feel dizzy. I should sleep I guess." I said.

"Yes you should." She said.

The medicines were taking a toll on me and I soon dozed off.

The next two weeks were one of the toughest weeks for I had nowhere to go and nothing to do whatsoever. Most of the time went in sleeping, telling the whole story (the cooked up story) of how it happened, where it happened, when it happened and several similar questions to all the visitors/relatives. The remaining went in thinking about Tanya and asking Kabir, Simran and Ayesha every now and then if there was any message from her. Sadly, the answer was a no every single time. It was driving me crazy now. I was having self-doubt now.

"Was everything for real? Was she just not interested in knowing if I was alive or dead? Did she ever love me or was it all a big fat lie?" I questioned myself. These were the simple ones and then I began to think of several other possibilities.

"Was she alright? Was her Dad going too hard on her after knowing about us?" The questions and possibilities were many but there wasn't an answer to any of them. A week after the discharge, I still had a couple of weeks for the plasters to come off which meant two weeks more of misery but it was pretty much lessened by the fact that I had my laptop (not that it has any relevance out here but it's a laptop and never a lappi) and an internet connection which meant the day was much easier to spend. The first thing I did as soon as I laid hands on my laptop, most of you might have guessed it by now, Mark Zuckerberg's disease had to be opened and hence it was.

As soon as I logged in, there were more than 50 notifications all related to the 'get well soon' messages and related stuff. I searched if there was any from Tanya but sadly there was none. Kabir and Ayesha had also left for Dehradun the same day and I had requested cum ordered them to get me something about Tanya as soon as they reached. When I found nothing from there, I opened her profile to see if there was any recent activity. Sadly, there was none. It got me all the more worried.

"Where the hell are you Tanya?" I said to myself worried.

I looked at the time; it was still about an hour for Ayesha's train to reach Dehradun. Even with the technology in my hand, the thing using which I could normally spend days without saying a word, I was feeling agitated. I desperately needed some news about her. It had already been two weeks yet there was no news from her. Something definitely was wrong but what, remained to be seen.

I tried to divert my mind from her and tried to work on something but I just couldn't stop thinking about her. It had been a while since I picked up my pen and paper to write a poem and taking it to be the only 'escape from reality' at the moment I wrote,

"You are the reason that I live,  
Keeping you happy is my single biggest motive.  
You make me laugh, you make me cry,  
You are the person to whom I never lie.  
Life is beautiful when you are around,  
And miserable when you are not around.  
You are the one, who provides me stability,  
Bearing my moods, even my cruelty.  
Those soft hands, that faint smile,  
Everything beautiful about you,  
Making you guilty of a crime.  
The crime of stealing my heart.  
I can't express how deeply I am in love with you  
But when I say  
I LOVE YOU  
I mean every single syllable.  
I wrote this for not that I miss you,  
But because I am never able to forget you.  
Thank you for making life such a memorable experience,  
Thank you for making me a part of your brilliance.  
Thank you for loving me when I needed it.  
Thank you for scolding me when I needed to be.  
Thank you for consoling me when I needed to be.  
Thank you for everything.  
You are my love, You are my life.  
I'll love you through every strife.!!!"

I texted Kabir to ask where they had reached and eagerly waited for the reply but he didn't reply. I kept checking my phone every other second to see I there was a reply but there was none. It made me feel all the more agitated. I had nowhere to go, the only people who could tell me about Tanya weren't replying. It was one of those moments when your gut feeling says that something is wrong and you start making up situations of what probably is wrong which makes you feel all the more tensed till you are able to talk to the person you were having a bad feeling about. I was having one such moment and hence nothing other than being able to talk to Tanya was going to satisfy me.

Just then Simran entered the room.

My face showed an expression of tension and fear at the same time.

"Are you alright bro?" She asked seeing an expression of worry on my face.

"I am fine. Did you hear from Ayesha yet? Where have they reached?" I asked.

"No. I didn't get any news about them reaching back. The scheduled time is ten minutes from now." She replied checking her watch.

I nodded.

"Still waiting to hear from Tanya?" She said.

I nodded again. I didn't have much to say about it as it is she had her doubts about Tanya.

"Don't worry. She will be fine and I am sure you will hear from her soon. You both love each and we have seen that, on tape as well!" She said and winked with a smirk on her face.

"Shut up. I am freaking out here." I said even though her little joke had eased me out a bit.

"Don't worry bro. She will be doing just fine." She said.

"I hope so." I replied.

I was feeling very nervous still. It had been more than two weeks since we had seen or even spoken to each other which was a mammoth amount of time given the amount of time we had spent together at college and elsewhere in the past four years. I sure was addicted to her. I just couldn't help but write another poem for at the moment that looked to be the only way of passing time. It helped for I was thinking about her while writing which meant I didn't have to take my mind off her!

It's something that I have never felt before,  
It's something which is still lacking a cure.  
I feel frustrated, I feel irrelevant.  
I don't know what's happening,  
Maybe it's you who I am missing,  
Maybe it's you for what I am craving.  
I do realize,  
The signs are not good,  
But what can I do,  
I feel incomplete without you!  
Yes, I know what is happening,  
Yes, I know what has happened.  
Yes, I am addicted to you.  
Yes, I am addicted to you.  
It's you who makes me rhyme,  
It's you who will be my partner in crime.  
Maybe not being able to talk,  
Made me think, while having a walk.  
That it is you whom I am addicted to.  
Missing you is no longer a happening,  
It's a habit now.  
Craving to talk to you is no longer a wait,  
But just two people meeting their fate.  
I wish you were here,  
To know how much I miss you,  
I wish you were here,  
To know how much I love you.  
I just can't stop thinking about you,  
And maybe that shows how much I am in love with you.  
It's you who is the reason,  
It's you who is the culprit,  
It's you because of whom I am addicted now,  
It's you whom I am addicted to!

I checked my watch again. It was five minutes after the scheduled time for train's arrival when I called up Kabir to confirm if they had reached but again there was no answer.

I called up Ayesha and she picked up. The train was delayed by fifteen minutes which meant we whined over the state of trains in the country before I hung up the phone asking Ayesha to call me as soon as she was with Tanya. Half an hour more of misery before I could hear the voice I was addicted to (hopefully).

I went back to my laptop to do something productive but nothing really struck my mind hence all I did was right click and kept pressing the refresh button. This happens to be the favorite pass time of a number of computer geeks out there who are hooked to their computer but don't really have anything to do and at the moment I was one of them!

Facebook all of a sudden started irritating me. So did all the other websites. Nothing made sense. Maybe irritation was part of the craving. I needed to speak to my drug and that too quick!

Half an hour passed by even though it looked longer than a day. I checked my phone to see if there was an update from Kabir or Ayesha but there was none. I gave her a call but the message beeped, "The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable"

I waited for a couple of minutes and dialed again. This time she picked it up.

"Hello" She said.

"Hello. Where did you people reach?" I asked.

"About to reach home. I will call you in a minute." She said and hung up.

It was time to face the reality. It was time to get the answers to all the questions that had loomed since the past two weeks. After a couple of minutes my phone beeped and Ayesha's name flashed on the screen.

"Yes." I said.

"There is some bad news." There was severe amount of sadness in Ayesha's voice when she spoke this.

"What is it?" I asked. Given by her voice, death too didn't seem farfetched.

"The house is locked. There is no one home. I asked the watchman. He says that they rarely come home. They have shifted somewhere else last week." She said.

I gave a sigh of relief. It wasn't that bad a news. She was fine which was much more important than where she was.

"Did he tell where did they shift?" I enquired.

"Nope. He says that her Dad still lives here. The rest three of them have shifted to a new place he is unaware of." She replied.

"Okay. What do we do know?" I asked.

"We will figure something out. Don't worry. She is fine. That is more important. I am going home as of now. So will call you later. Take care." She said and hung up.

I was confused about it all. Maybe it was the end they had in our destiny. If it was then there was nothing I could do about it.

"She should have called. If she was shifting she would have got ample time to give a ring but she didn't. She surely should have called." I said to myself. It felt as though somebody had plunged a dagger straight into my heart and it pained like hell.

"She should have called." I said to myself again.

I switched on my laptop yet again and opened up the disease. The profile showed a number of online friends and I didn't really care about any of them at the moment. Still I opened it up to give a glance. I so wished her to be online but sadly she wasn't. It was all a big disaster. The questions got bigger and much more heart breaking this time.

"Maybe it was all a joke to her. Maybe it was nothing but an infatuation for her. Maybe I had got her right at first and then she messed up with my head. Maybe I was the fool. Maybe." I said to myself yet again. I was so pissed at her that I wanted to remove her from my life and from my virtual life as well.

I opened up her profile to unfriend her. As soon as I opened her profile there was much joy rather than sadness. There was an update from her a minute ago which read, "Tanya Sharma changed her current city from Dehradun To Mumbai" Right after I read this update, I clicked on the online friends tab and she was online.

I clicked on her name and wrote 'hi' as soon as the chat window popped up.

"I just hope she hasn't gone offline" I said to myself.

I eagerly waited for her to reply. Finally, 'Tanya is typing' clause appeared and my eyes beamed.

"Hi. How are you doing love?" She wrote

"I am fine. Getting better. Where the hell have you been?" I wrote.

"I and Mom have shifted to Mumbai. Have joined a college for PG. I really can't talk at the moment love. Will talk to you later. Bye. Love you." She wrote and before I could key in a reply she went offline.

"What was that supposed to mean?" I asked myself.

Apart from the fact that I had satisfied my craving of talking to her, there were several questions which still loomed.

"If she loved me and cared about me, she surely would have called up someone in my family in the past two weeks. Now just today, she said she loves me and maybe wasn't able to contact anyone because of the shifting." I thought to myself.

Girls sure know how to mess up a guy's head.

I was pondering over a lot things and was completely lost in thought.

"What are you thinking?" Simran asked. I was startled on hearing her. I was so lost in thought that I didn't even notice her enter the room.

"What happened?" She asked after seeing my weird reaction. She then looked at the laptop screen when she didn't get a reply from me.

Tanya's profile was open and she read the update, "Tanya Sharma changed current city to Mumbai."

"What the hell is this?" she said out of surprise.

"She has shifted to Mumbai what else." I replied out of frustration.

"You still think she loves you?" She asked.

I nodded and tried to force a smile.

"I don't understand any of this Vishal. I mean what sort of love is this. She has moved out of her place to a completely new place when you were in the fucking hospital and she was the fucking reason for you to be in that condition!" She said.

"I don't know Simran. All I know is I love her." I replied keeping it short and simple.

"And she loves you too?" She enquired.

"I guess." I replied.

"And you say that because?" She asked.

"Because she said so." I replied. It was the simplest reply possible.

"When was that? Two weeks ago? Till the moment everything was good? You know what real love is? Real love would have been when she would have been here with you since moment one. Let alone being here, she didn't even call up to know if you are alive or dead." She said furious, her face turning red with anger.

"I don't know. I don't want to know. All I know is that I love her. End of story. About her saying that she loves me well that too wasn't long ago. We just had a chat and she did say that she loved me even though her behavior looked surprisingly normal. It was as if nothing had changed. As if everything that had happened didn't really exist in her world." I said.

She didn't really reply to that and stayed mum. Mom called out for Simran from the kitchen which meant our conversation was cut short as she went off.

I stayed online the whole day in the hope that she will come online again but that didn't really happen. Most of the friends and relatives had already paid a visit which meant there was silence in the house and I liked it. The only visitors that came in were the neighbor aunties who were always on the hunt for some gossip.

At around 10 at night, I dozed off when the medicines with anesthetic nature started making their impact.
Chapter 15: The Revelation

It was one rough night yet again. The questions still loomed and there were still no answers to any one of them.

Amidst all these thoughts and all the worries, the meds did what they were best at- induced sleep into me which was pretty much required.

In the middle of night I heard my phone ring but the effect of meds was such I couldn't gather enough energy to pick it up. After a couple of minutes it rang again and I paid no heed to it. It rang again after a couple more minutes. The ringer had done enough to bring me back to my senses and hence I glanced at the screen to who it was.

It was an unknown mobile number and I had no plans of picking it up. I kept it down and tried to sleep. The ringer buzzed again after a minute. Something told me that this could be Tanya calling up and as soon as this though entered my mind, all the sleep was gone and I hurriedly picked up the phone.

"Hello." I said clearing my throat because of the lump that was formed.

"Hi." I heard a pretty familiar voice say. It was nothing but what was expected. It was Tanya.

"Hi." I said.

"How are you doing?" She asked. Her voice as enthusiastic as ever.

"Have seen better days." I said still trying to clear my throat.

"Okay. How are the wounds healing?" She asked again.

"Getting better." I said. I was still confused if I should be fighting with her or should I be happy that she had finally called hence the answers were plain and straightforward.

"Looks like I have disturbed you in the middle of your sleep." She said her tone getting less enthusiastic.

"Well that's nothing new as far as I remember. It used to happen every second night. Didn't it?" I said.

"Why are you talking rudely?" she said.

"I am not. I am normal." I said.

"I don't think so." She replied.

"And why do you say that?" I asked.

"Because I know you better than you know yourself." She replied.

"Is that so?" I said with a smile across my face.

"Yes and stop smiling." She said. It was as if she could see me through the phone.

She knew me too well.

"I am not smiling." I lied.

"Yes you are." She chuckled.

"No I am not." I replied.

"See you just said you are." She said.

"I didn't" I replied.

"You used two negatives in a single statement which made it a positive. Haven't we gone through this before?" She said, her chuckle broke into a sweet laughter.

"So I need to use the punctuations even when I am speaking. If I have to, then No comma I am not. Is that fine now?" I replied. The smile just not ready to fade.

It was her voice, it automatically brought a smile to my face.

"Okay okay. I was just kidding. You don't have to justify yourself." Her mood getting worse every time she spoke.

I didn't speak. Silence persisted for a couple of seconds.

"How are you doing?" I finally asked breaking the silence.

"I am good. Mom just slept so I thought of giving you a call." She said.

"So you finally got the time to talk to time." I said finally bringing up the issue that I was trying to avoid all along.

"What do you mean?" She asked a bit startled.

"You know what I mean Tanya. It's been more than two weeks since I have been lying in the fucked up place half dead and yet you didn't even care to talk to me or even talk to your best friend Ayesha to check if I was alive or dead when the beating I took was because of you in the first place." I said and immediately repented doing so.

"What the fuck are you talking about? How can you even think that I wouldn't even care! I was in constant contact with Simran di. I used to talk to her all the time just to know how you were doing." She replied.

The words hit me hard. It left me perplexed and confused. Simran never really mentioned it. In fact she was the one bugging me all the time for Tanya not being concerned, for not calling even once since the happening and then it was Tanya who is now saying that she was in constant contact with Simran. Who was to be believed and who wasn't to be. I loved them both and trusted them as well but who was right and who was wrong I just couldn't understand. I was completely lost in thought.

"Hello." Tanya said again when I didn't speak for a minute. I woke up from my thought and said, "yes."

"What yes?" She said.

"Nothing. I am sorry." I said.

"You are what?" She said pretending that she couldn't hear what I had just said.

"I am not playing your sorry game again please!" I said a bit more irritated.

She laughed.

"You are so sweet." She said.

"Shut up." I replied.

"You are shoooooooo shweet." She said again.

"Shut the fuck up." I replied, my irritation level on a soaring high. The thought that Simran hadn't told me the truth still troubled me.

"Okay." She replied, her voice sounding irritated.

"Sorry." I said.

"What? Come again?" She said and laughed.

"You are..." I said and paused.

"Sweet and intelligent. I know that, tell me something new." She said before I could complete.

"You just wouldn't change would you?" I said.

"Do you want me to?" She asked.

"No, I don't and this one was with a comma hence I meant I don't want you to change." I said.

"Ya ya I get it. There is nothing to get hyper about." She said.

"I am not getting hyper; I am just clarifying before you start your shit again." I said and repented it soon after.

"So you mean I talk shit." She said.

"I didn't mean it. I am sorry." I said.

"You meant it Vishal. I am me when I am with you and I thought you loved me for it but I guess not anymore." She said sounding bereaved with every word she spoke.

"I didn't mean it Tanya. I am sorry." I said repenting even though I was still pissed at her.

"It's okay asshole I was just kidding." She said and laughed.

"You weren't." I said.

"I was kidding. Seriously." She said.

"You know this is where you are wrong. You think that you know yourself but the fact is I know you more than you know yourself." I said.

"That's one sexy line. Which movie is it from?" She said and laughed.

"Shut up. Don't piss me more as it is I am pissed enough for not giving me a call." I said coming back to the point of conversation.

The constant smile that was across her face faded. Even though I couldn't see it but I could feel it.

"Vishal I told you. I did call Simran di up almost every single day to ask how you were." She said sounding a bit irritated.

"Then why didn't she tell me?" I spoke.

"How would I know that Vishal. It's for you to ask." She said.

She was right. I should confirm it with Simran first before confronting her.

"But why didn't you talk to Ayesha all this while. She is your best friend. You should have called her at least." I reasoned.

"I did try to call her up but most of the times I tried it was either switched off or busy. Maybe she was out of balance or maybe she didn't want to talk. I don't know. Moreover I thought that since I am talking to Simran di, everybody would be aware that I was fine. For the later part I was all busy packing up for the shifting process." She said sounding more pissed every single time she spoke.

"Okay." I said.

There was silence for ten seconds. Neither of us spoke. It was enough of a fight in one night. It was as it is a rarity in our case. I thought of cooling it down.

"So why did your Mom move along with you? You still a kiddo or what?" I said.

"Shut up. I am no kiddo. You are a kiddo. I am very capable of living alone and at first that was the plan but Dad is still mad at me for whatever happened that night. Hence he asked Mom to move with me. It's just temporary though. She will go back in a month or so. Once I have settled into the system over here." She said.

"First, I am not a kiddo. Secondly, you are for you needed your Mom to move with you till you settle in." I said.

"There you go. You have found a point to banter me about and you will continue to do so and keep irritating me." She said.

"Maybe you are right kiddo." I said.

"I am not a kiddo." She said.

"You are" I said.

"I am not" She said getting all the more irritated every time I used the word kiddo.

"You are." I said.

"I am not." She said.

"Are" I reiterated

"Not" She reiterated.

"Are" I said

"Not" she said

"Are" the loop continued

"Not" the loop continued

"Are" the loop continued

"Not" the loop continued.

"Not" I said trying to catch here with that very old trick which works more often than not.

"Are. Oh no. Shit. I am not. " She finally said.

"There you go. You have finally confessed it. You are a kiddo." I said.

"Okay I am a kiddo. Happy?" she said, her voice showing that she had reached the highest level of irritation.

"I am always happy. I still need to resolve a couple of issues though." I said after thinking for a second.

"What issues?" She inquired.

"The one relating to you calling Simran and her denying the fact that you called." I said.

"Well I can't help you on that front." She said.

"I will sort...."

"I guess Mom is coming. I will call you up tomorrow myself. Bye. Love you. Good night." And hung up immediately before I could complete my sentence.

"...it out myself. Good night love you. Bye." I completed my sentence even though she had hung up a couple of seconds ago.

A few more questions loomed in my head now. The previous ones were all gone, most of them clarified by Tanya's call but the big one that now came up was 'why did Simran hide from me that Tanya had called.'

There were a couple more things I didn't know about like what Tanya's Mom's stand about the whole issue was. Where was Kushal and what happened to his plan of making-it-work with his Dad. The questions were such that they were making me an insomniac. I was lying in my bed, sleep deprived, lost in thoughts that were making my head pain. It was around 3 A.M. in the morning which meant the misery was to stay for at least four hours more till someone comes to the room. I tried to sleep but the thoughts got better of me. I felt irritated, annoyed. Maybe I was missing Tanya. A number of mixed emotions made me feel all the more frustrated. I couldn't resist anymore and hence gave Simran a call.

I dialed her number and waited for her to answer. As was expected she didn't answer the first time round. I called her again.

Waking her up in the middle of the night was one job even Hercules would have had a tough time in achieving. She was like the 'kumbhkaran' prototype of the modern world!

She didn't answer the second time either. I wasn't going to give up for I was irritated and I wanted to confront her, wanted to know why did she lied. I called her up again.

No answer. The machine beeped again.

I redialed. No answer yet again.

I wasn't going to give up till she answered. As it is I didn't have anything better to do.

I called her up again. No answer. This continued for another fifteen odd minutes and she didn't answer which meant I had already left 20 odd missed calls on her phone. After that, I lost count of the number of times I called her. It had gotten on my reflex now. I was like a robot now, automatically pressing the call button twice to give a call to the most recent called number which was Simran's. Waiting for her to answer, cutting the call as soon as the machine came up with the message, cutting the call and then pressing the call button twice again.

At around 4.15 A.M. which roughly makes it 90 odd missed calls later she answered but because it had gotten on my reflex my thumb cut the call even though I didn't want to!

It was like:

Hello." Simran said still half asleep.

"Hello" My mouth uttered as I beamed for she had finally picked up but before I could say more I cut the phone for my mind thought that it was the machine which had answered and it was time to recall and wait for her to answer. That's something you are bound to face if you give 100 odd calls to a person in an hour! Personal advice: Don't do it!

I called her up again, this time in a hurry just to prevent her from sleeping again for waking her up this time would take more than a 100 calls! The phone rang and there was no answer for about ten seconds. I felt disgusted at the thought of her having slept again. She didn't pick up. I called her up again and 'impatiently waited' for her to answer.

Finally, she did.

"Hello." She said in a sleepy and irritated tone.

"Come to my room right now." I ordered.

"Why?" She asked still pretty much irritated.

"Because I am asking you to." I said

"Shut up. It's middle of the night. I am not getting out of bed for no reason." She said, her voice still sounding sleepy.

"You want to know the reason for me to call you?" I asked.

"Yes." Her plain blunt reply.

"Well, I have fallen off my bed and I am just not able to get up myself because of the broken hand and foot which is because of the ass whopping I received a couple of weeks back. Now will you please come and help me." I lied.

"What?" She shouted. The exact reaction that I had expected. All the sleep in her voice and presumably in her eyes was gone and I could hear her hurriedly getting up.

"I will be right there. Stay as you are." She said with a bit of urgency in her voice.

"I can't move signifies I will stay where I am." I said.

"Shut up. I will be right there." She said and hung up.

After around 30 seconds she entered the room. There was urgency in everything she was doing from the way she opened the door to the way to the way she looked in and came close to the bed. Once she stopped and found me sitting on the bed without any sort of trouble her eyes narrowed as she gave an angry stare as if to say, "What the fuck is this?"

"What?" I said.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" She said.

"No." I said and smiled.

"Very funny. You seem to be fine. This was a very bad joke Vishal. You shouldn't have done this." She said.

"Done what?" I said and shrugged.

"Calling me up in the middle of the night, waking me up in the middle of my sleep for no reason whatsoever." She said in a rather angry tone.

"Well I am sorry but I needed to talk to you and you were just not ready to pick up the phone or come here without a valid reason and the real reason was not worth conversing over the phone." I said.

"We could have spoken about whatever it is in the morning as well." She said.

"That's the point. I just wasn't able to sleep hence I couldn't help but call you here and to tell you the fact I am angry with you." I said. It was lame and stupid yet I did say that.

"What did I do know? I should be the one angry with you for what you did, instead you are the one who is saying this to me. How idiotic is that." She said.

"It's regarding Tanya." I ignored what she had just said.

She was about to speak something but then stopped after hearing what I had just said.

"What about her?" She asked. Her expression changed from anger to a rather strange one.

"She just called." I said.

"Oh......So......finally......she did call." She stammered.

"Yes she did but there was something strange about our conversation." I said.

"What?" she asked rather lightly.

"She sounded too normal as if nothing whatsoever had happened that she knew that I was fine." I said.

"Oh. Did she? That's very strange." She replied.

"Yes it is." I agreed.

"As I told you Vishal. She is very ignorant and I don't like her one bit. I think it's time you too realize that." She said.

"Is she?" I asked.

"Is she what?" She asked.

"Ignorant?" I asked again.

"I think so. I know you love her but I don't think she reciprocates the same feeling for you. I can be wrong but at least that's what I think." She said.

"I don't know that Simran but what I do know is what Tanya told me. I don't mean to confront you or anything but I am just too confused and want to know what the truth is." I said.

"What did she say?" She asked.

"She said that she was in constant contact with you throughout the last two weeks. She said that you were keeping her updated on everything that was happening and that's the reason she didn't call me." I said.

"She didn't call me." She denied.

"Please Simran. I trust you and I hope you are speaking the truth because she means more than life to me." I said.

She simply nodded and didn't say a word.

"So?" I said.

"So." She said.

I didn't want to get stuck into the infinite loop of 'so' hence I finally asked.

"Listen Simran this is the final time I am asking you. It all depends on you now. I just hope you will tell me the truth because whatever you say might end up turning my life upside down. Shoot me the truth irrespective of the fact that it may be an ugly one. I am ready to take it all. I love her and maybe I will never be able to forget her so it's really important for you to say the truth." I said in a very serious tone.

She nodded as she thought for an apt reply.

"What exactly happened?" I asked finally.

"She did call me up." She finally confessed as her eyes stared at the ground.

"Tell me about it." I said.

"She was with you the entire time when you were in the Dehradun Hospital. That's where she met Mom and Dad and they came to know the truth about the two of you. When you were moved back here in Delhi she wanted to come along but it was unreasonable. Her Dad was still mad at her for not telling him the truth and also, her call to join office had arrived hence I asked her to stay back." She said and paused to breathe.

I was going through mixed emotions. I was falling in love with Tanya all over again and had just started hating Simran for lying to me.

"Go on." I said weakly.

"She called up every single day, two to three times each day to ask how you were doing. Not a day went by without her calling me up. The fact is she supported me and calmed me down more than anyone else did." She said and started weeping.

I didn't say a word. I was still confused and still a bit angry at her for lying.

"But why didn't you tell me the truth?" I asked.

She didn't reply. Crying always kind of got on my nerves not in a "I hate tears....Pushpa." kind of a way but "There is nothing to cry about" way.

"There is nothing to cry about Simran. Stop behaving like a kid. I asked you a simple enough question. Why didn't you tell me the truth?" I asked in a rather angry tone.

"I was just trying to protect you." She said through her sobs.

"Protect me? Protect me from what?" I asked.

"Tanya's Dad and his contacts." She said.

I laughed.

"What's there to laugh about?" She asked.

"Just that you were trying to protect me after I had already been thrashed." I said.

"It happened once and I didn't want it to happen again hence I didn't want you to be around Tanya anymore." She said.

"That's ridiculous Simran. How could you even think of something like that. You thought that by keeping me away from Tanya, you will be able to keep me safe but to me, I don't see any point living safely if there is a life without her." I said.

She smiled even though tears still rolled down her eyes.

"What now?" I asked.

"Nothing." She said and started laughing.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"No. Just the dialogue. You are slowly and slowly becoming that perfect 'majnu' that the world talks about." She said and laughed.

"Shut up. I don't care about it. It's a fact and hence I don't mind being laughed at about it." I said.

"Okay okay lover boy I get it." She said.

"Shut up." I said still a bit annoyed about everything.

"I am sorry." She said with a lot of emphasis on the last word.

"Sorry for what?" I asked.

"Sorry for everything I did." She said.

"Better be. I wouldn't say anything to you for you know what you did was wrong plus I don't really have the authority to say anything to you." I said.

"Oh come on Vishal. You don't have to be that rude. Yes, I do realize that I was wrong and I am sorry for it." She said.

"It's okay." I said and smiled.

She simply nodded.

"Go and sleep now. I have satisfied my hunger to know the truth and hence I feel super sleepy now. Good night." I said and lay in my bed; eyes closed waiting for her to leave the room.

"Good night." She said.

"Good night." I replied. I still couldn't really sleep. There were a lot of thoughts which still troubled me. I was, at first, mad at Simran but when I thought about it with a cool mind, she was just trying to protect me, to keep me safe hence I couldn't blame her for doing what she did. I couldn't blame Tanya either for it wasn't her fault whatsoever. What had the world come to! I couldn't understand what was to be done or what was to be said. I loved Tanya and that's all I knew as of now. I wanted to be with her no matter what, which was the bottom line. What was to be done next, no one really had a clue about but all that could have been said is that it sure will be filled with adventure.

"I need to meet her." The thought came up and it wasn't ready to fade. With the thought of meeting her soon, I slept off and waited for my destiny to unfurl the way it was planned by the one above.

Chapter 16: Laying the plan for Mumbai!

The next week went by just like the last few had gone by- on the bed with nothing much to do. The number of visitors decreased by the day and the hours of loneliness increased. Mom was still mad at me for not telling her about Tanya from the very beginning but the fact is no matter how cool Indian parents are something related to the opposite sex always makes them act weird and then comes a point when anything and everything, the smallest mistake you do, it's the relationship that will be blamed! Plus saying the whole "Mom, Dad I have a girlfriend" is bound to bring a number of mixed emotions which are too much to handle. Quick tip: Avoid telling it, as long as possible!

Tanya did call up which too was just a rare call at an odd hour at night which meant that there was something fishy for sure. She didn't admit it but I could just feel it in her voice. Something most definitely was wrong. She wasn't comfortable with something and what that something was I had to find out. Hence, getting out of bed and going to Mumbai became a necessity. I just had to go. I just had to meet her.

The week passed by rather quietly even though the constant thought of Tanya being in some sort of a trouble kept troubling me throughout. Finally, the plasters came off and the doctors, yes, I say doctors for it was a whole bunch of them, came to check me. Classic moments of your life if your father is a doctor. Now as I was on my feet and my call for job was still a couple of weeks off the hook, there was no one who could stop me from going to Mumbai.

Getting a train ticket for any day in the next couple of days was an impossibility, thanks to our rather enormous population. No matter what day of the year it is, you will never ever get a train reservation a day before and if you are the luckiest person alive, you might get a seat a week before. I didn't have a week and I surely wasn't the luckiest person alive hence the only way out was travelling by air and that meant more tantrums from my rather agitated mother. The flight from Delhi to Mumbai was for two hours which meant that Mom would be praying for two hours continuously in the hope that the flight will take off and land safely. This sort of, doesn't trouble me (unless it's air India of course!).

The thing that remained to be decided was the reason for going to Mumbai. Telling them the real reason would have meant the end of the chapter hence I had to think of a valid reason for going to Mumbai in mid of July. I called up the person who could be the only day saver.

"I need your help." I said as soon as Simran picked up the phone.

"What now?" she asked.

"I need your help." I reiterated.

"Have you already started earning lac per month." She said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I said.

"It looks like you have started earning a lac per month for if you remember that we stay in the same house hence it is pretty much possible for us to talk face to face rather than talking over the phone." She said and entered the room.

"You are already in my room. Kindly cut the phone." I said.

"Shut up. What do you want?" she said.

"I need your help." I said for the third time.

"In what?" She asked irritated.

"I have to go to Mumbai." I said.

"Are you nuts?" She said.

"I have to go." I said ignoring her statement.

"But why?" She said.

"That's a stupid question. I thought your IQ was rather good." I replied.

"My IQ is better than you." She said.

"I have to meet Tanya. I hope that makes it easier for you to understand." I said.

"Okay. So what do you want from me?" She said.

"I want you to give me a reason to convince Mom and Dad to allow me to go." I said.

"But why do you want their permission. You are an adult. You don't have to ask, you just have to say that you have to go." She said.

"And you think after everything that has happened, they will let me go anywhere without asking a reason?" I said.

"No chance. That's exactly what I want in fact!" She said and laughed.

"Shut up. We have gone through this haven't we Simran? I love Tanya and I at least expect you to respect that and be a bit more supportive." I said.

"Okay. I am sorry. Let me think of something." She said.

We both thought of more than ten plans but nothing was fool proof to prevent any sort of counter attack and finally the easiest and the simplest plan struck us.

"Let's make it a family trip then." Simran said.

"Are you crazy! You want me to take Mom and Dad along! You sure have lost it." I said.

"Listen to me first dumbass." She said.

"Go on." I said.

"I said let's make it a family trip. It didn't mean that it will end up being a family trip." She said.

"I recently had an accident and now I guess I am getting symptoms of retardness. I think I should talk to Dad about this first. What are you trying to say?" I asked confused.

"It's mid-July dumbass. Even if you say that you want to go for a trip for you were tired and bored of living in the same place i.e. staying in the same room on bed for almost a month, they wouldn't deny and as there isn't a pack of holidays anywhere near hence Dad wouldn't be able to get leave, if Dad wouldn't be able to get leave, he wouldn't come, if he wouldn't come, Mom wouldn't come! Simple!" She said.

The plan was nice. In fact, the first sensible thing Simran had said in a very long time!

"And what about you?" I said.

"What about me?" She asked.

"Are you coming with me?" I said.

"Well, it's part of the plan!" She said.

"Okay. As it is I guess this will be your last trip before your marriage!" I said teasing her. "Shut up." She said

That was another big happening that had occurred in the time being.

Simran had all of a sudden grown up to be a 27 year old which meant it was time for her to get married and given that she never really had a boyfriend, hers was a classic arranged marriage thing going to happen and while I was bed ridden, the things were decided and a big pay package, a year out of top B school groom was ultimately Simran's choice. The pay package bit pleased Mom, the top B school thing pleased Dad and the guy who goes by the name Aditya pleased Simran overall which meant everyone was happy and hence things were taken forward. As for me, well, anything that makes these guys happy. I have nothing else to say on the topic but if asked, Aditya did seem like a nice guy.

The plan was carried out as it was intended. I called up Dad and asked him when he will come back home. A rare call like this made Dad anxious and hence he returned home earlier and this is what happened. Dad came a couple of hours earlier than his normal time.

"I want to go out somewhere." I said when he asked what was up.

"Where exactly?" He asked.

"Well I thought of a number of places." I said and paused.

"The driver is standing outside. Take him anywhere you want." He said.

"I don't want to roam in the city Dad. I want to go out somewhere." I said clearing the confusion.

"Oh okay. Have you decided on a place?" He asked.

"Well I thought of a number of places but finally picked Mumbai." I said.

"Mumbai?" He looked at me with questioning eyes.

"Yes. Mumbai. It's a nice place to be. Nice weather. Constant rain, a slight drizzle throughout the day. I need to visit a place like this. I am tired of staring at the walls sitting in the same room for more than a month now!" I said putting forward my point to seal the deal.

"Hmmm. Looks like you have done some research on Mumbai. Who all are going?" He said.

"I thought let's make it a family trip. It's been quite a while since all of us went out together." I said and prayed that he would deny.

He laughed and didn't say a word.

"I don't think it will be possible. I wouldn't get any holidays plus my patients are important to me. The three of you go." He said after a while.

"But how will you live alone?" Simran intervened.

"Oh that shouldn't be a problem." He said.

"I will stay back with you." Simran said.

I gave her a stern look confused what she was doing.

"No, no, there is no need for you to stay back. Plus sending these two is the biggest risk that I am not willing to take. I want my family to be safe and not to be news in the newspaper saying son kills his mother or vice versa." He said.

"Oh come one dad, nothing of that sort is going to happen." Simran said and laughed.

"I doubt that." He said.

"I will stay back instead." Mom spoke finally.

"I think that's a better idea. You kids go have fun and we will stay back." Dad said.

"Are you sure?" Simran asked.

"Yes. You guys enjoy your trip. I think this is a good idea." He said nodding his head to show his approval of the idea.

"Okay dad." Simran said.

"Are Ayesha and Kabir coming too?" He asked.

"Um... I don't think so. We haven't spoken to them about this." I said.

"Ask them. If they are willing to go then I will book all the tickets together. When do you intend to go?" He said.

"Latest by day after." I said.

"What's the hurry?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"There is no hurry as such Dad just that I will have to leave next week for Bangalore. My call letter is here and I really want to enjoy this trip as this will be our last trip together. Any trip there on will also have her 'wo' with us!" I said.

"Stop being cheesy. Aditya is nice and you will have a nice time even if he was to go with us on this trip." Simran said.

"Actually that's a nice idea as well. Ask Aditya as well. If he is free. This will be a great opportunity for the two of you to get to know each other better." Dad said.

This one took us aback. I couldn't think of anything to say.

"I...I will ask him." She said.

I gave her yet another stern look.

She simply shrugged and went off to call Aditya and check if he was free.

Now, you don't expect a Manager to be free and that too for a week so I was still optimistic about him denying going for the trip. As far as Kabir and Ayesha were concerned, well that didn't trouble me, in fact they surely were going to be a boon and a huge moral support.

Soon Simran was back after making the call.

"What did he say?" dad asked.

"He said he would love to come. Coincidentally, he also has some work in Mumbai in the week so he will not go with us but will join us later when he will gets the time." She said.

"Okay. What about Ayesha and Kabir?" Dad asked

"Oh as always, they would love to come. Have we two ever done anything without them?" Simran said and smiled.

Dad smiled too.

"So I think I will have to book flight tickets then since you have to go to Bangalore next week and as it is there won't be any train reservations available." Dad said.

"I guess so." I said and nodded.

"Okay." He said.

The tickets were booked for the following day and the packing began.

Mom had already begun with her tantrums and rebuking Dad for booking flight tickets. She got too paranoid sometimes!

It was an afternoon flight and Kabir and Ayesha were to arrive in the morning which meant another few days of tense awesomeness were on the cards.

"So it's a family trip after all." I said to Simran while packing up my stuff.

"Be happy that at least Mom and Dad aren't coming along. Plus all of us being with you will be more of a support than anything else." She said.

"You, Kabir and Ayesha sure will be but what about Aditya?" I asked.

"He wouldn't disturb you plus he is very understanding. As it is he wouldn't get much time to meet us so there is no need to worry on that front." She said.

"Already getting so protective about your 'wo'-to-be." I said with a smirk.

"Shut up and pack your stuff." She said blushing.

The packing was done and everything was finished in the night itself.

At around midnight Tanya called and I told her about the plan.

"What? Why? Why are you coming here?" She asked her voice filled with excitement and a bit of fear.

"Why do I have all dumb people in my life. I am coming to meet a couple of Bollywood stars." I said sarcastically.

"Oh you have fixed an appointment with them. That's nice." She said playing along.

"Yeah I have. Will you like to come along?" I asked.

"I don't know. I am not too sure." She said.

"Shut the fuck up will you. I am coming to meet you obviously." I said.

"But why? What's the need?" she said.

"What's the need? You are my girlfriend right?" I asked.

"Yes. So?" she said.

"And you love me. Right?" I said.

"Yes I do. So?" she said.

"So that means we should meet every few days to confess our love for each other and as it is I haven't seen you for such a long time now that I have forgotten how you look. If I don't see you for a couple more days I might die of starvation or drug under doze." I said.

"I guess you should fix a meeting with a director instead for at the moment you are talking so Bollywood." She replied.

"You are such an unromantic woman." I said.

"And you are such an over romantic man." She said.

"And I thought women liked romantic men." I said.

"Sure they do." She said.

"What do you mean by they? Aren't you a woman?" I said.

"You have doubts about that?" she said.

"I don't know. I don't have doubts but I can't confirm that you are a woman either. I haven't done anything to be able to know." I said.

"Stop being cheap." She said.

"Look who is talking." I said.

"Shut up." She said.

"You shut up." I said.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." I replied.

And then there was a weird silence which was followed by a minute of uncontrollable laughter which had no specific reason.

"I will be in Mumbai tomorrow and I want to meet you. End of story." I said.

"Is that an order or a request?" She asked.

"It's none." I replied.

"Then why exactly should I listen to you?" She said.

"Because I am asking you to." I said.

"So that means it's an order." She said.

"You just wouldn't give up being an asshole that you are." I said.

"It's an order right?" She said.

"Yes it is." I said.

"How dare you order me!" She said.

"You are impossible." I said.

"I know. I have to go now. Will talk to you tomorrow. Bye. Love you." She said and hurriedly disconnected the phone.

It was the first time in so many days that her voice actually sounded happy even though there was still something that was fishy which included the part when she hurriedly cut the phone every single time. Also, the fact that she used to call only late at night.

I had to find out what was going on and I was just about 18 hours away from knowing the truth.
Chapter 17: The Mumbai Trip

The next morning, Ayesha and Kabir arrived at around 10 A.M. which meant a couple of hours to reach the airport which in turn meant that we had to leave at 10.30 to reach by noon.

Dad had taken the day off and was to drop us at the airport. We left as we had planned after bidding adieu to Mom, who was still a bit annoyed and a bit worried about us going by air.

The journey from home to airport was a rather silent one. There was a lot to talk about but with Dad's presence, it meant most of it couldn't be discussed, for anything and everything we had to talk about involved Tanya and her presence in Mumbai. If Dad came to know anything about it, we might have had to take the next u-turn back home hence we all decided to stay silent rather than causing a scene by saying things!

We reached the airport ten minutes before noon and hence had plenty of time for the security check and the other procedures. Kabir took out the bags from the car's boot space while Simran and Ayesha were talking about something or the other, gossip, the thing that can always keep girls occupied.

We took a trolley and placed the two suitcases on it. We were about to check in to the airport when I heard a voice calling me from behind. I looked around thinking that maybe I was hearing things or maybe some other Vishal was the person who was being called. I looked back a second time as I heard my name being called again.

It was Dad.

He was waving at me and once my eyes fell on him, he called me with the famous hand action that Indians are fond of using.

"I will see you guys inside. Dad is calling me." I said and asked the rest to check in while I moved in the direction in which Dad was standing.

"Yes Dad?" I asked as soon as I reached in vicinity that he was able to hear me.

"Son, I know why you are going to Mumbai." He said.

That took me aback. I couldn't really understand how I was supposed to react to what he had just said.

"Um......Dad. I told you.......... I was feeling too bored to home and just wanted to move out for a while." I said stammering with every word that I uttered.

He laughed.

"What happened Dad why are you laughing?" I asked.

"When I said I know why you are going to Mumbai, I don't think there was any scope left of giving an alibi." He replied.

I didn't say anything, as it is saying anything would have made it worse!

"Look son, I don't have a problem with what you are going to do. In fact I am proud of you for standing up for your love. Most people aren't just able to do that. I am proud of you for that but I just want you to promise me one thing son." He said.

"What Dad?" I asked, my eyes still staring at the ground below.

"I want you to comeback no matter what happens." He said, his eyes now wet even though he wasn't ready to shed them.

I looked at him for a minute and then nodded.

"I will comeback Dad and I know everything will be fine. As it is I am not going to end up as a Devdas Dad. That's not the way I am." I said trying to ease him down.

"I love you son. As it has been repeated infinite number of times in millions of love stories, everything is fair in love and war but all I can wish is for God to be fair to you on this one. The next time we meet, I want to see you in a single piece, the way you are going, I want you back the same way. Understood?" He said.

"For sure Dad. I hope breaking a couple of someone else's is allowed though." I said and winked.

"Most certainly. I have a lot of contacts in a number of hospitals in Mumbai so once you are done breaking the bones, call me up, I will give you the number of the appropriate doctor." He said and laughed.

"Fine Dad." I said and hugged him.

He then went back home while I checked in to the airport to meet the rest.

"Everything fine?" Kabir asked as soon as he saw me.

"Yeah...Yeah all good." I said and smiled.

We then moved for the security check.

After the security check was done, we waited in the lounge for the boarding call. Now even though this exactly wasn't a trip to enjoy, we were going to Mumbai on a purpose yet as it always was, whenever the four of us were together we were bound to have an awesome time. There were passing comments, jokes and lot of sweet banter going around. I missed Tanya though. It was always more interesting whenever she was around. The banter wouldn't have been sweet but competitive which would have made it more interesting.

When this thought came to mind, I decided to send her a text message on the number she was using.

"At the airport. Will reach Mumbai by 3.30 if the flight is on time. Any plan of meeting as yet?" I wrote. Even though she had asked me never to message on the number unless she did but I just had to. I was missing her and nothing less than a word from her could satisfy my thirst.

The phone buzzed and the delivery report came up. The message was delivered and hence I waited impatiently for her to reply.

There was constant chattering going on about something or the other and if there was nothing to talk about, a public place like an airport was sure to bring a number of cartoon characters (to put it lightly) and hence a lot of liners were formed, the shapes were related, in short, we were being racist!

I was checking my phone constantly every 5 minutes just to see if there was anything from her but there was nothing other than some random jerks who were interested in selling a flat. If I had responded to all the messages from these people, I would have owned a city by now!

Finally, it was about ten minutes from the boarding time, when we ran out of topics and hence began the banter on the topic which was always the talk that amused the three of them. The Tanya-Vishal-relationship-jokes.

Ayesha spotted me checking the phone every five minutes hence she began.

"Looks like someone is not replying to someone." Ayesha said.

"What do you mean?" Kabir asked even though all of them very well understood what she was talking about.

"Arrey someone is not talking to someone." Ayesha said again this time eyeballing me.

"Ooooooooo. That's sad." Simran said.

"There is nothing of that sort happening." I said.

"What? What do you mean by nothing of that sort is happening?" Kabir said.

"None of us out here is dumb enough to not understand whom you guys are referring to ." I said visibly irritated.

"We were talking about that child Vishal. He is not talking to her Mom. Child tantrums I tell you." Simran said.

"Stop being so self-centered." Ayesha said and laughed.

I looked at the child and cursed my own stupidity.

"Oh okay. I am sorry." I said.

Then began the laugh in unison which was loud enough to draw the stares of more than a couple of people.

"Who is the dumb one now!" Kabir said.

I was about to reply when my phone rang. I hurriedly took it out of my pocket to check who it was. Tanya's name flashed on the screen and I picked it up in an instant.

"Hello." I said. A reaction which no one would have got out of me on a normal day.

"Yes fucker." A male voice said from the other side.

"Hello. Who is this?" I enquired.

"Your worst nightmare ch*****." Said the voice.

"Sorry?" I said still trying to analyze the words in my head.

"You will have to be sorry now fucker. Where did you get the balls of being able to call Tanya again." The voice said.

"Who the hell is this?" I shouted.

"Your Dad you fucking cunt." The person said.

"Oh really. Didn't your Mom tell you who your real father is?" I replied as there was no holding back to anything like that.

"Shut up son of a bitch. You are coming here as per your message. We are waiting. Let's see how will you be able to get anywhere near Tanya." The man barked.

"We will see." I shouted into the phone and hung up.

"What happened?" Kabir asked concerned.

Before I could answer him, the phone rang again. Tanya's name flashed on the screen yet again. I picked it up.

"I promise the day I see you, you wouldn't live to see another day." The voice said again.

"Oh really? We will see who lives to see another day. Who the fuck are you?" I said.

"Didn't I make myself clear the first time round? They call me Striker but you can call me Dad." He said, his voice still harsh and loud.

"Okay dumb fuck. We will see who lives and who dies. Now if you will excuse me I have a flight to catch so as to be able to rip your ass apart." I said and hung up again.

The laughing incident had already brought in enough attention and then the shouting over the phone turned out to be even more eye catching. There were faces staring at me from all corners of the lounge. For a moment I thought of shouting but then resisted the thought to calm myself down.

"Who was it?" Kabir asked again.

"I don't know. Some fucked up son of a bitch called up from Tanya's phone. Was warning me to stay away from Tanya. He also said that they are eagerly waiting for me to come to Mumbai." I told the rest what had just conspired.

They were shocked and annoyed at the same time.

"Don't you worry. We will take them down." Kabir said putting up a brave front.

I simply nodded.

"Did he tell who he was?" Ayesha asked.

"Yeah. He did. Said people call him Striker." I said.

"Oh fuck." Kabir said. The reaction that my words had brought up were horrifying.

Ayesha and Kabir were looking at each other with signs of worry showing on their faces.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Tanya did tell us about him." Ayesha said still with a horrified look on her face.

"What about him?" I asked.

"He is Tanya's Dad most able and most reputed body guard. He was always given the responsibility of protecting the family every time Tanya's Dad got a threat call from anyone and he never failed." Kabir explained.

"He is an ex-police officer and has a reputation of ripping apart whosoever came his way." Added Ayesha.

The words were hard to digest and sent a chill down my spine. We were in for something dangerous now and if Tanya was being protected by this guy named Striker, I was the person she was being protected from and hence I was the one he totally wants to rip apart at the moment.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Simran said.

Kabir and Ayesha stayed silent which I was the one and rightly so the person who was to take the call.

I measured our chances and to be honest, the chances of coming back 'in the best of health' weren't pretty much a surety. Neither was I a Bollywood hero nor was this a Bollywood movie where irrespective of the ass whopping I get, I would still survive but then a life without Tanya wasn't worth living anyways!

"I don't have a choice." I said looking at Simran.

She understood completely what I meant and hence didn't say anything and simply kept nodding.

"I guess you all should stay here." I said analyzing that one on bed was far better than four.

"Shut up. We are coming along. For moral support if not for anything else." Kabir said.

"Totally." Ayesha said supporting Kabir.

I looked at Simran.

"Why are you looking at me like that? We are in this together." She said.

"Thanks guys." I said and smiled.

"There is nothing to thank us and as it is we would be required to carry you or at least call the ambulance after Striker is done whopping your ass." Kabir said.

"Shut up. We will whop his ass instead." Ayesha said.

We smiled.

Just then, the announcement for boarding the plane came and we were in the plane in about ten minutes.

It was a two hour flight but these two hours seemed to be longer than life now. There were a number of thoughts looming yet again. I wanted to be with her irrespective of the consequences even if it meant fighting with destiny. I closed my eyes and tried to have a nap just like the rest three of them.

It was my mistake in the first place. I shouldn't have messaged on the number when Tanya had asked me not to. The only thing that was good about what just happened was the fact that I now knew something was definitely wrong with Tanya.

Hence began the nostalgia. As soon as I closed my eyes Tanya's face flashed in front of me. I could almost feel her standing right in front of me, with a short and sweet smile across her face even though her eyes told a whole different story yet again. I reminisced the days gone by, how we met, how we fought, how we became friends and how we eventually ended up being what we were. And then I felt guilty for committing a mistake for which Tanya might have had to pay but then I didn't know anything of this sort was the reason for her asking me not to message her. She was calm, composed, happy bubbly self, more often than not, every time we conversed over the phone. I did get the feeling that something was wrong. This in itself was the reason that I wanted to see her in Mumbai but I never knew that she was being kept under protection. Her Dad is a big shot after all.

We reached Mumbai on time and after a half an hour ride in the famous Mumbai taxi, we reached our hotel. Right after the check in, calls were made to Delhi and Dehradun that everyone was safe and sound. It was already around 6 in the evening. After resting for about half an hour, we went to the Hotel's restaurant to have a cup of coffee.

The place, Mumbai, was fascinating. There were so many places to see yet we weren't going to see any, not as of now, for we were there on a cause.

"So. What next?" Kabir asked while we were having coffee.

I was clueless. I had nothing to answer. The fact is, no one had. We all were clueless about it. All we could do was wait for Tanya to call which was now pretty much an impossibility given that Mr. Striker had come to know about the whole thing, of us arriving. We were trapped.

Just then the idea occurred to me. I couldn't call Tanya but Ayesha surely could. Yes, Striker might know of Ayesha as well but then Ayesha could pretend to be someone else, some friend from school times or someone similar. It was an idea worth trying as it is we had nothing to lose.

We used the nearby PCO to avoid any sort of identity revelation. Who knows the brains that Mr. Striker is carrying. We were still at a risk though, after the phone conversation in the morning, Striker would have been expecting such a call from me and a number from Mumbai would have raised an eye brow.

The phone rang and no one picked up at the first ring. We waited anxiously for someone to pick it up.

At the third ring, someone finally picked it up.

"Hello." The heavy voice said. It was Striker.

"h...Hello." Ayesha stammered. We gave her silent "what are you doing" expressions for the stammering.

"Hello." Striker said again.

"Hello. Is this Tanya's number?" Ayesha asked.

"Who is this?" striker asked.

"This is Archana. Tanya's friend. Is this her number?" Ayesha said. We were ready for this question and hence Ayesha replied as was planned.

"Yes." Striker said. It was a weird reply really. How is one supposed to answer when some random person picks up someone else's call and replies in a way that he just did.

"May I know who is this?" Ayesha said speaking very slowly just to avoid saying anything wrong.

"Hold a minute." Striker said.

We 'yelled silently' for having able to fooled him but it was just the first phase of the plan which was completed.

After around twenty seconds, I finally heard the sweetest voice in the world.

"Hello." Tanya said.

"Hi Tanya... this is Ay..." Ayesha said and was interrupted in the middle by Tanya.

"Before you say anything, don't bitch about anything for there are people around and you are on the speaker." Tanya said and laughed.

Intelligent move by Tanya. Had she not done so, Ayesha would have revealed her identity and the plan would have failed. The thing that amazed us all was how Tanya came to know that it was us!

Ayesha faked a laugh. She was still very nervous and very cautious of every word she said and every emotion she revealed.

"This is Archana. How have you been?" Ayesha said.

"I am good. How are you doing? It's been such a long time." Tanya replied.

"I am doing good too. Yes, it surely has been a long time. I just wanted to let you know that we...I am in Mumbai." Ayesha said.

"Oh you are here. That's great." Tanya replied.

"Yes. Hence called you up as you had asked me to once I reached Mumbai. You are in Mumbai right?" Ayesha said. She was doing a terrific job.

"Yes. Yes, I am in Mumbai only." Tanya said.

"I am staying here for a couple of days hence it would be nice if we could meet." Ayesha said.

"Um... yeah sure. Why not. How about tomorrow afternoon at around 3 at Gateway of India?" Tanya said.

"Um...Yeah sure. That would be great. See you then." Ayesha said after we all gave her a nod.

"Okay. See you then." Tanya said and hung up.

And hence the second phase of the plan was complete, hopefully, Striker having no clue about it!

The big worry now was what would happen when Tanya comes tomorrow. We all knew that Striker would be with her and hence he might very well be able to recognize Ayesha and Kabir. I was the one he was protecting Tanya from hence my face would be in his mind 24*7! With this thought, came the solution, not exactly a solution but the only way out for us, Simran!

All we could hope for was that 'Daddy big shot' hadn't shown Simran's picture along with mine to Striker and hence when Tanya met Simran, he would take Simran to be Archana and hence she would be able to talk to Tanya and the next phase of the plan could have been decided. Sending Simran in was a chance we were willing to take and Simran too had no problem with it.

After devising the final plan, we had dinner and went off to sleep, or at least tried to. It was around 11.30 P.M. when we decided to doze off but the situation was such that it didn't let any of us rest let alone sleep. We all had the same questions in our mind, "What if something went wrong tomorrow? What if Striker knew who Simran was?"

Nobody knew what was going to happen tomorrow, all we could do was hope for the best.

At around 12.30 A.M. my mobile rang and it was one of those moments, as if the detonator of a bomb was going to blow off in a minute and the mob somehow came to know about it.

Simran, Kabir, Ayesha and me jumped up from the bed as soon as the phone rang.

"Had Striker somehow come to know of the plan and was also able to track us down and was now standing with a shot gun in his hand in the door way of the hotel to shoot our heads off." That was the thought that came to my mind as the phone rang.

I looked at the screen and it was an unknown number. It made us feel all the more agitated. Maybe he has come to know about our presence!

"Hello." I said slowly after picking up.

"Hi is this Vishal?" The voice said. It wasn't striker. I took a sigh of relief but what if it was his aide. The feeling of danger was back again.

"Yes. Who is this?" I said.

"This is Aditya." The voice said.

"Huh...Who?" I said.

"Aditya...Simran's...future...husband." He replied pausing after every word.

"Oh... Hi." I said finally understanding who he was.

"I am sorry for having called at such a late hour but I was trying to contact Simran since evening but wasn't able to do so. Hence I called you. Is everything fine?" He said.

"Yeah. Everything is fine. Just a minute." I said and gave the phone to Simran.

Once she was through with the call, we all looked at each other and laughed. It was one of those moments when our heart was in our mouth.

"May be we are taking this Striker guy a bit too seriously." I said.

"Well, I wouldn't say that. He is tough and smart. Trust me on this one." Kabir said.

"All we can hope for is he turns dumb for a day." I said.

He nodded.

"Oh by the way, Aditya wanted to meet so I have called him along. He will be going with us too." Simran said.

"What!?" The three of us shouted in unison.

"What?" Simran said and shrugged.

"Why are you involving him into this?" I asked.

"You are such a kiddo. Hear this. If I go with him to meet Tanya, the little bit doubt that Striker might have would be gone plus in case something goes wrong, there would be someone around, someone who is local over here to help us out!" She said.

"I think di has a very valid point." Ayesha said.

I nodded simply and so did Kabir.

"Nice idea." I said.

With this final thought we all went off to sleep and this time sleep did take over, for the thoughts had become clearer after Aditya's call.

The next morning we were all ready by 11 A.M. and after having breakfast waited nervously. Today was a day which was going to decide our fate. The day my and Tanya's love story's final verdict would be out.

After an early lunch at 1 P.M. even though none of us was hungry given that we had a late breakfast, we hired a taxi to take us to The Gateway of India. It was roughly an hour's ride from our hotel to the Gateway of India and hence we left early at around 1.30 P.M. to find a good place worth hiding for the three of us while Simran and Tanya were having their conversation.

We met Aditya at the place itself. "Hi" and smiles were exchanged as we searched for the spot.

After having found that 'sweet spot'; we sat and waited for Tanya to arrive. The mistake that we had committed was that Tanya didn't have any number from us on which she could have called and the ones she had, we couldn't have called her from it for then Striker would have come to know! Hence, we couldn't have confirmed the plan with Tanya.

It was already quarter to 3 which meant Tanya would arrive any moment and hence we split up. Simran and Aditya moved a couple of yards away to the other sides of the monument but was still in range that we could see her. We then waited patiently yet eagerly for Tanya to arrive. From then on it was a wait, a long long wait. Time kept on passing. It was 3.30 already and there was no sign of her. Those were tense moments, we couldn't have gone to Simran nor could we have called her for if she was spotted with us and Striker saw us, it would have been a dead end hence all we could do was wait.

While waiting, Simran and Aditya were bonding as well. They were constantly chatting and by the looks of it, it appeared she was explaining to him the reason for us to be here. Someone was having a good time after all!

Simran went to the nearby PCO and called up Tanya but no one picked up hence we set the deadline to be 4 P.M.

"If she doesn't arrive by 4, we are moving." I said. There was this thought of her being in some sort of trouble in my mind hence every minute of delay meant more nervous moments of anxiety.

This trip was my call hence everyone was working as I asked them to. They did put their point forward if and when they thought it was required but for most of the time they agreed to everything I said or asked them to do.

It was quarter to four now which meant it had already been an hour since we had been waiting. Almost every photographer and every vendor had asked us and the couple at least once if we wanted a photo clicked or if we wanted to have whatever they were selling.

I had given up all hope of seeing her at that moment. I felt irritated, angry. In a fit of anger, I stood up and asked Simran and Aditya to come back with the motion of a hand. They followed the command like robots and started coming towards us. There was no clue of where Tanya was and hence we decided to go back to the hotel. My mind was in the middle of a conflict. One part was furious at Tanya for not showing up and the other was worried if she was fine. I wasn't in a mood to talk to anyone hence sat in the corner lost in a world of my own, thinking virtually nothing!

The rest four of them were doing something or the other but nothing concerned me. I put on my headphones, playing songs on the iPod at full volume. After half an hour of pure musical silence, Simran shook me from the arm so as to be able to talk.

"Yes?" I said unplugging the earphones.

"I called up Tanya." Ayesha said.

"So?" I said.

"So she picked up and she apologized for not having come today. She was caught up with work hence couldn't come. She said she will meet me that means meet us tomorrow morning at 11. Now stop being a cry baby." Ayesha said.

"Oh okay. I am not being a cry baby so shut up." I said.

"Well your face just beamed which shows that you surely weren't normal before." Kabir said.

"Surely." Simran said.

"Your taunts don't trouble me anymore so you can say anything you want and it won't affect me." I said and smiled.

"What do you say Aditya? You are the neutral one over here. Whatever you say is correct." Kabir said.

"Well...To be honest, he definitely looks better than how he looked half an hour ago when we arrived here." Aditya replied.

"Oh come on. You too now. This isn't right." I said.

"Well, it's always better to be with the group which has more manpower if you know what I mean." Aditya said and winked.

"Whatever." I said. There was no point arguing with people who aren't going to listen to anything you have to say plus there is no point when you know they are right!

Then on, the day or rather the evening went pretty well. Aditya took us to one of the good restaurants nearby. He was a good chap. There was nothing wrong about him at least. He was simple and was slowly becoming a part of our group.

After dinner, Aditya went back to his house while we went back to our hotel room. He insisted on us staying with him at his house but with the presence of his parents in the house, it wouldn't have been a good idea.

The night was sleepless yet again and this time it lasted the whole night, for nothing like Aditya's late night call happened. It was at around 4 A.M. that out of boredom and having ran out of thoughts, sleep took over.

The next morning when I woke up, it was already 10. Ayesha, Kabir and Simran were already prepared to go while Aditya sat on the other bed waiting patiently.

"Get up lazy bum, we are already late. We have all but five minutes lest we will be late and we can't afford getting late." Kabir said.

"Why didn't you guys wake me earlier?" I shouted after having a look at the time.

"Well, we did but you just didn't respond. Looks like you were having a nice little dream and as far as my mind can wander, it involved Tanya hence you just didn't want to get up." Simran said.

"Will you please shut up. Can't you guys be serious for one minute. This is important to me." I said.

"We know it's important to you but as I have told you a thousand times before 'seriousness kills' hence it's better to be a joke or a joker, whatever suits you." Kabir said.

"Yeah sure." I replied hurriedly getting ready. That was one day when I would have beaten the flash at getting ready. I was in at 10.03 and was out at 10.05!

I will let you imagine what happened inside that bathroom!

We sat in the Aditya's car and were off to our destination.

We reached the monument at 10.50 thanks to Aditya's great driving skills in the filled roads of Mumbai. We ran towards the same spot as yesterday while Aditya and Simran stood at the same spot where they were standing last evening.

Once we took our position, a vendor came close to us yet again. He looked at us with narrowed eyes for a minute.

"What?" I asked.

"You were here yesterday as well." He said.

"Yeah so?" Kabir said.

"I hope you aren't here to do an illegal activity else I will have to call the police." He said.

"What are you talking about?" I said confused.

"Terrorist activity. If anything happens, remember that your face is in my head and I would be able to picture you in the police station." He said.

"Shut up and get lost. We aren't here to do anything of that sort." I said.

He didn't say anything else and went on still looking at the three of us with narrowed eyes.

Aditya spotted us conversing with the vendor hence asked with another hand motion if everything was alright. I showed a 'thumbs up' to signify that everything was alright. It was 11 now which meant, if Tanya were to arrive, she would be here in a couple of minutes.

There were random tourists coming and going as my eyes were set at the entry gate in search of that beautiful face. There was no sign of her still. Disappointment was growing every moment. After a couple of minutes, a black colored Scorpio stood right in front of the entry gate and hence descended the girl I wanted to spend my entire life with.

As soon as she was out of the car, I could feel butterflies in my stomach.

She was wearing a purple colored suit and looked scintillatingly beautiful. Purple color looks good on women. I so wanted to meet her and just when this thought came to mind, arose a figure which could have easily given competition to any of those Wrestling stars out there.

"That's Striker." Kabir said and smiled.

As soon as I saw him, I understood the reason for Kabir and Ayesha to have reacted the way they did on the airport. He was approximately six foot three inches tall, and had a muscular built. The size of his bicep would be still bigger even if the biceps of the four in fact the five of us were combined.

"A punch from him would hurt as much as the beating the four men gave me that day." I said.

"This might hurt more." Kabir said.

This was most probably the first time in my life that a living being scared me. Nothing ever had an effect on me like Striker's built had. Maybe the thought of having to fight with him was the reason I was scared but the guy was huge!

Tanya spotted Simran as we kept a close eye on the two of them hoping that Striker had no clue who Simran was. He moved with Tanya and stood right next to her while she and Simran hugged. He looked at Simran but we couldn't really spot if there was a change in his expression, his sunglasses hid it from us. He stood there for a minute more and then Tanya said something to him after which he went back to the car. I so wanted to go and meet her but it wouldn't have been the wisest decision for Striker still might have spotted me from a distance. It was best to subdue my feelings of talking to her face to face and wait for Simran and Aditya to return.

The three of them roamed about the place and whatsoever they were talking about was and as should have been was serious! They did have a couple of light moments, maybe just to avoid any suspicion by the guy who should be a wrestler instead of being a body guard.

After about an hour, even though the sea was calming but I got sick of the place and wanted a change. They both were talking away and didn't look in any sort of hurry. Aditya too, I believe was getting frustrated now but he didn't show it. He was learning to be a husband before becoming one so it was a good lesson for him. He might have to do that more often in the years to come. After around fifteen more minutes, Striker came in and said something to Tanya. Whatever it was, it meant time to go. Tanya nodded as Striker went back to the car. They both hugged again and just before leaving she glanced at me as our eyes met. At moment such as these, we let our eyes do the talking and trust me; hers' had a lot to say.

I wasn't going to let go of her no matter what and I could feel her reciprocating the same but it had to be my call!

We saw the Scorpio exit and hence Simran came to where we were standing.

"What's up?" I asked agitated.

"A lot of things." Simran said.

"Tell me about it. All of it." I said.

"Cool down lover boy. Let me speak." Simran said.

"Okay." I said.

"Let's get out of here first. We can talk on the way or once we reach the hotel. This place is killing me now." Kabir said

"Me too." Aditya said.

"We expect that from you bud." Kabir said and winked.

"Let's go then." I said eagerly waiting to hear whatever happened.

"Somebody is getting too eager." Ayesha said.

"Please Ayesha, I am in mood of taking banter at the moment. It's important and I thought you all understood that." I said.

"Calm down my boy. Let's move." Kabir said as we all sat in Aditya's car to go back to the hotel.

On the way back, Simran began with what Tanya told her.

She went on and on, telling us everything that Tanya told her, answering the questions fired to her by me and the others. The ride back to the hotel and an hour after that is what it took Simran to state whatever they spoke of. Once done we thought of what was to be done further.

Whatever happened was simple and pretty much straight forward.

Tanya's dad was mad at her for not telling him about the two of us. There was excessive tension at their home in Dehradun. Tanya' Mom backed her, Kushal too tried to explain him but he just wasn't ready to listen. Later, when Tanya's call came for her job in Mumbai, her Dad didn't want her to go alone. After a lot of resentment from the three of them he agreed on the condition that Tanya's Mom would accompany her to Mumbai and Striker would go along to protect them. Of course, the allotted duty to Striker that wasn't really shared with anyone but was evidently to keep Tanya away from the guy named Vishal. Once they shifted to Mumbai, Striker was performing his duty with too much interference in Tanya's personal life. He just wouldn't leave her alone irrespective of the place which was the reason that she couldn't talk during the day and hence called after midnight once Striker went off to sleep. That day when I had messaged her, it was a matter of chance, or maybe pure destiny, that Striker was in possession of Tanya's mobile phone and hence saw the messages which lead to the events that occurred at the airport. Ever since, Striker has been very observant of everything around Tanya and just wouldn't leave her alone. This meant me meeting Tanya was an impossibility. Here we were still in search of that master plan of what was to be done next.

Facing him and taking him down was one possibility in my mind but that was far from being realistic, facing him was something that could have been done, but taking him down was a different story altogether. It wouldn't have been possible for four of me.

We thought of a lot of things but nothing really seemed to be anything close to being the fool proof master plan.
Chapter 18: Is it the end?

While we were all still thinking, still in search of that fool proof plan, the doorbell of the hotel room rang. Kabir went to open the door. It was the waiter with the tea and coffee that was ordered by us a little while back.

"There is a call for Mr. Vishal at the reception." The waiter said after putting the tray containing the tea and coffee pots on the table.

"Oh okay. Can the call be transferred to the room?" I asked.

"We are sorry sir. The intercom has encountered some problem. The technicians are working on it to set it right. You will have to go to the reception to take the call." The waiter said with a broad smile on his face.

I was as it is confused who it could be.

"I will just be back." I said to the rest of them.

"Do you want me to come along?" Kabir asked,

"No need. It would either be Tanya or Dad. I gave Dad the room number. The signals around here are quite weak so in case he wasn't able to contact any of us, I had asked him to call at the hotel's number." I explained.

"Okay." He replied.

The others nodded as I went to the reception to take the call.

"Hi this is Vishal. Is there a call for me?" I said at the reception.

"Yes sir." The lady at the reception replied and handed me the receiver.

"Hello." I said into the phone.

No one replied.

"Hello." I said again.

No reply.

"Hello." I said in a very different accent in the hope that it might help.

"Turn around." The voice in the phone said.

"What?" I said.

"Turn around." The person said again.

I turned around to see who it was.

It was Striker, one hand holding the phone to his ear and the other in his pocket.

That was one horrifying moment. I just couldn't understand how I was supposed to react. All I did was stand in front of him staring blankly at his huge body and waited for him to say something.

"Welcome." He said with a broad smile on his face, his heavy voice enough to scare a man to death. He had a stern look in his eyes which simply added to the fright.

"Would you like to come along with me the peaceful way or do you want me to drag you out of this hotel and into the trunk of the car." He said.

I didn't say anything. I was still confused. I thought of calling out for Kabir but there was no point in creating a scene plus I had forgotten my phone in the room itself hence it wasn't possible to contact the rest of them.

"Looks like you are deaf and dumb. I guess you chose the latter." He said and grabbed me by my shirt dragging me from the reception to the exit door. I tried to resist but he was too strong for me.

"Hey. Wait." A voice shouted from behind. Striker stopped, his grip still tight on my shirt, to look back how it was.

It was Kabir. He had come down to see if everything was fine and luckily enough, he had come in time to prevent unleashing of an assault yet again.

"Wait." Kabir said again and came running towards me.

Striker turned back and kept on moving without paying any heed to Kabir. I resisted with all my might and yet there was no effect on Striker. He kept on moving without a worry. Kabir came running towards me but was stopped by a couple of men right outside the hotel. These guys looked to be with Striker for they prevented Kabir from coming any further. They didn't beat him; all they did was prevent him from moving forward.

After a walk about hundred yards from the hotel, into the parking lot, he threw me in the backseat of a car, the black Scorpio, in which he had brought Tanya to The Gateway of India a few hours back.

"Where are you taking me?" I shouted still trying to resist, trying to open the door of the car to move out. The doors were locked and he wasn't really answering to anything that I asked. Soon, a couple of men came and sat next to me in the back seat while Striker occupied the driver seat. The men who were sitting on either side of me held my hands so much so that it was almost impossible for me to move.

I kept asking the same question again and again but none of them replied.

After about twenty minutes of ride, Striker stopped the car. The place was silent, secluded and looked to be on the outskirts of the city.

He stepped out of the car, the other two men followed, dragging me out of the car and throwing me on the earth.

"So you did have the guts to come here." Striker said.

"Just like I had promised." I said.

"And didn't I tell you I am your worst nightmare hence stay away from this fucking place." He said.

"Didn't I tell you I will take you down? One thing I forgot to add, I am gonna kick your balls." I said confidently even though the insides of me were horrified.

"Is that right." He said and laughed.

When I said this, his men started moving forward and most probably were in a mood of giving me a whacking.

"Wait. Wait. Wait." Striker said stopping his men.

"It's just me and him. Let's see what you have got." Striker said.

I got up from the ground and stood in front of him. All I could see was him and Tanya's image in my mind. It was as if this was the guy who was between me and Tanya and if he was gone, all the problems will be gone too which obviously wasn't true but was the little bit inspiration that I needed to face the whole six and a half feet of him.

"Come on young man, let's see what you got." Strike said.

I threw a punch with all my might and it landed on his face. That was the punch that had all the power I could build. The funny part, he didn't move even an inch. There wasn't even a mark on his face. In fact, it hurt my hand more than it hurt his face.

"Is that all you got?" Striker said and laughed.

"I am just getting warmed up." I lied.

I threw around ten consecutive punches in his stomach and he still didn't move. My knuckles pained now. His abs felt as if they were made of steel! Nothing could hurt a man like that.

"Tell me when you are done." He said. His men laughed on hearing this.

Finally, I threw in the final punch which most probably was the one that was sure to hurt him. I lifted my leg and banged my knee into his scrotum.

This time he did move. He did feel the pain for this one was natural and no gym of the world has built a technique to make scrotum painless by exercise, using protection is a different thing though!

"You son of a bitch. You shouldn't have done that." Striker said. His expression changing from a grin to that which meant he was angry.

After a minute or so he had recovered from the pain of the hit and didn't look happy one bit. Nobody feels elated after having got hit in the scrotum for sure.

Hence started the ambush. He grabbed hold of my shirt yet again and punched me in the face. The punch landed with a thud on my nose and I felt a crack. It just wasn't his body but his hands too were made of steel. One punch and I was on the ground with huge amount of blood flowing down my nose. My nose bone was gone for sure. He picked me up in an instant and start slamming punch after punch in my ribs. It hurt all the more with every punch. He sure had broken a couple of ribs as well.

"I told you not to come here. Stay away from her but you just wouldn't listen would you." He said taking a break between the numerous punches that were all aimed at killing me.

He then went back to thrashing me, hitting me as hard as he could and yet it didn't look like it was giving him any sort of pain. It looked as if it was his routine exercise and he was just getting warmed up!

Once, he thought it was enough he threw me back on the floor and said, "So is this enough to explain that you shouldn't be here anymore or do I need to explain it more. I am asking you for the first and the last time, Will you meet Tanya again?"

"Yes I will and you can't fucking stop me." I said.

"You will meet her if you survive today and as far as stopping you is concerned, watch me stop you!" He said and laughed. He picked me back up and started with his punching exercise again.

This continued for five more minutes after which I didn't feel anything. My whole body went numb especially my ribs and face, there was blood oozing out from various parts of the body and his punches didn't hurt anymore. It felt nice like this, the feeling of silence, the feeling of numbness, slipping into the calmness of death. Death felt nice, it was so peaceful. I collapsed on the ground as soon as he stopped his exercise.

"So I would iterate my question yet again. Would you try and meet Tanya again." He said.

"Yes I will and you wouldn't be able to do anything." I said forcing the words out. I didn't know if I even meant them but I just didn't want to give up on Tanya. It took a lot to say those few words. That was all I was left with!

He didn't say a word and kept laughing uncontrollably. His laugh did appear to be visibly fake but he did look amused.

"Enough of this bullshit. I told you, change your answer if you want to survive, to see another day but you failed me hence be ready to face the consequences." He said and pulled out a 45mm caliber pistol from under his shirt.

I was already half dead and with the gun in his hand, it was sure that I wouldn't be able to fulfill my promise that I made to Dad. I had broken it as it is. He wanted me back in one piece and I was broken up in more than two already. Death most probably was standing right in front of me and the fact was I didn't want to run away from it either. I had lost my ability of thinking clearly and all I could see now was my family and Tanya standing right in front of me, tears rolling down from the eyes of all of them. It did look as if it was the end. There was no escaping the reality anymore. This most probably was the end and to be honest I didn't want to run away from it. The beast standing in front and his boss wouldn't have let me live a life with Tanya and thinking of a life without her was in itself dying each moment while I lived.

Love is a fucked up thing, you can run from it, but you certainly can't escape it!

Meanwhile, the potential wrestler was standing with a gun in his hand aiming it straight at me, apparently in search of that sweet spot to avoid sparing a second bullet. I was writhing in pain hence it made it difficult for him to take the aim. After a couple of seconds, he seemed to have found his 'spot of action' and seemed ready to pull the trigger. Just then, his mobile phone rang and he cursed technology for disturbing him at such situations. He broke his aim and picked up the phone.

"Hello." He said into the phone.

What followed was something I couldn't really interpret.

All I heard was the "yes sir" that Striker said after every couple of seconds, apparently after hearing the instructions given to him.

After a couple of minutes he hung up the phone and looked at me with a smirk on his face. Two minutes of life and we are back to reaching my end.

He then took his aim again, the smirk still covering his face and after an instant tugged his gun back into his jeans.

"This little piece of technology has successfully managed to save your life and I hate the son of a bitch who created it." Striker barked.

"What do you mean by saved your life?" I said.

"You will know soon. Put him in the car." He said and instructed his men to put me back into the car.

They threw me in the backseat again as I laid in the seat occupying 2/3rd of the place. One of the men sat next to me while Striker and the other man occupied the seats in the front. Striker was driving at a great speed by Mumbai's standard. I couldn't really see anything but I could still feel the car racing. My vision was blurred, most parts of my body were numb, I had trouble understanding that was happening around and yet I was alive. Still surviving for some godforsaken reason!

I fainted somewhere during the ride to wherever these people were taking me and the next time I woke up, it was a room which was pretty similar to the one I was a month ago- it was just another room in a hospital.

Once I woke up, I could see Ayesha, Kabir, Simran and Aditya all sitting around me. It wasn't the general ward and hence the presence of all of them at the same time was in itself a pretty big achievement.

"Our lover boy is up." Ayesha said as soon as she spotted my eyes open.

"I just don't want to talk to him." Simran said looking visibly upset, almost in tears.

"What did I do now." I said with huge difficulty.

"You still have the guts to ask that?" Simran said.

"Break it off you two." Kabir said.

I didn't say a word and stared blankly at the ceiling of the room.

"I am not shutting up this time. Enough of this Tanya bullshit. Love is one thing but getting yourself killed for it is something just not acceptable. You aren't meeting that girl ever again. This chapter of yours closes right away and there would be no discussion about it. That's final!" Simran said.

"You are being irrational Simran." I said after a moment.

"I am being irrational? This is coming from someone who is ready to give up his life for a girl? I am being irrational? Looks like Striker's blows have made you mentally demented. Call the doctor someone. This guy needs a CT scan." Simran said.

"Shut the fuck up you two. We are in a fucking hospital there are patients out here who are being disturbed by your fucking voices. Vishal, you fucking need to rest and Aditya take Simran out of here, she needs some air." Kabir shouted.

Just then the nurse entered the room.

"Kindly keep it down. You are disturbing the patients around." The nurse said looking at Kabir. Kabir was dumbfounded for he was being blamed for something that he was trying to prevent. That was a real comedy of errors and a moment of laughter for sure. There was too much tension in the air and the nurse unknowingly had cooled down the atmosphere.

Simran was mad at me and she had every right to be. She was trying to protect me more than anything else and I should have tried to understand that but deep down my love for Tanya knew no bounds. Maybe that's how love is. It has it's evil way of coming to the fore.

I didn't say a word after that neither did Simran.

"I thought we were here to kick some ass not to get your ass kicked all over again." Kabir said after a while.

"Yeah sure we were but then it was Striker of all the people. Ever heard of the phrase 'that guy has balls of steel' well I just saw the literal meaning of it in the form of Striker. That guy definitely has balls of steel." I said.

"Why do you say that?" Kabir said.

"Because it didn't really hurt him as much when I kicked them!" I said.

"You kicked his balls?" Aditya said shocked.

"Literally but that's pretty much all I could manage." I said.

"That's more than enough my boy. " Kabir said.

"By the way how did I end up here?" I asked.

"Well, Striker threw you out of the car in front of the hotel entrance after which you were carried here by the ambulance." Ayesha explained.

"Hmmm. I still wonder what changed his mind." I said.

"Changed his mind about what?" Kabir asked.

"Well I can't tell you that with her around." I said pointing at Simran.

"Oh sure you can't and hence I shall leave." Simran said and went out of the room. Aditya followed calling out her name.

"Now tell us." Ayesha said.

"After thrashing me into pieces Striker took out his gun to shoot me and finish me there and then but then someone called and he put me back into the car where I went unconscious." I explained.

"Well we might have an answer to that." Ayesha said.

"What?" I asked.

"After Striker picked you up, I called up Tanya to tell her about it. She did pick up and told me that she would talk to her Dad about it. May be that's what changed his mind." Ayesha explained.

"Maybe. By the way how many days have gone by since then?" I asked.

"Three." Kabir said.

"And what's my body condition. I don't feel anything to be honest, everything is numb." I said.

"Well, apart from a broken nose, three broken ribs and a badly bruised face, everything else seems to be functioning normally." Ayesha said.

"Awesome. I am getting used to this now." I said and smiled.

"Shut up. This is the last time you are ever getting into a hospital. The next time you should be in a hospital should be when your Dad calls you or when your wife, whoever it might be is in labor." Ayesha said.

"Cool down Ayesha. I was just kidding. I certainly don't like it either. What about Mom and Dad? Told them already?" I said.

"You expect us not telling them this? How do you think there can be five visitors in a room in a hospital? It's your Dad who is the reason that this is possible. Your treating doctor, this time as well, is a friend of your Dad. He would be here any moment." Kabir said.

"What about Mom? Where is she?" I asked.

"Well, to be honest, she isn't in the best of states at the moment. Most of the time she is either crying or is praying. She rarely says a word. She was here all night hence was forced to go back to the hotel to rest for a while." Kabir said.

"I am screwed." I said.

"Sure you are but then you were screwed up a very long time ago, it's just that you have realized that today!" Ayesha said.

"True that. Anyway any word from Tanya?" I asked.

"Yes. She did call up a couple of times and the truth is she did pay a visit yesterday." Kabir said.

"Oh she did. That's great. Would she be coming today?" I asked.

"No clue. She did want to meet you though." Ayesha said.

I simply nodded or at least I thought in my mind of nodding but my muscles didn't really move. It was the Striker effect after all!

"Bro let's get serious for a moment." Kabir said.

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked.

"Tanya who else." He said.

"What about her?" I asked.

"That how she is fucking up your life." He said.

"I thought you were with me on this one Kabir." I said.

"Look bro, initially, I was but then this thing is getting too fucked up and it's not only screwing you but everyone's life around you and hence this needs to stop!" he said.

"I didn't ask you all to get bothered about me. I can handle all of this on my own." I said.

"Oh you really think that?" Kabir said, his tone showing a bit of surprise and anger at the same time.

"What's wrong with you Vishal. You have literally fucked up your life. Anyone who looks at you can easily tell that you are a total mess. It's just a girl god damn it. I know I am talking about my friend over here but this is more about you than her. She has fucked you up completely." Ayesha said.

"And I am fully aware of that, to tell you the truth but that's how love is Ayesha isn't it?" I said.

"Love is never meant to kill anyone Vishal, hatred is. As for love, well, I guess Tanya's Dad's hatred for you is far more superior than Tanya's love for you and maybe that's the reason you end up being here every month." Ayesha said.

I didn't say a word as it is I didn't have any support from any of them and there is no point trying to prove a point when you know that eventually you are the one who will be blamed for what you have ended up as!

After a few minutes of bare silence, Mom came in.

I looked at her for a second and as our eyes met, she looked away. There was pain in her eyes, they were visibly wet and there were no points for guessing she felt hurt on seeing me in such a state.

"Oh come on Mom. I am just fine." I said.

"You certainly don't look fine! How many times Vishal? How many times would we have to see you on all fours, lying on a hospital bed with broken bones?" She said.

"I am sorry Ma." I said, not trying to make an eye contact anymore.

"No Vishal. The fact is you aren't sorry because if you were, you just wouldn't have come to Mumbai. You are here because you just weren't sorry the last time." She said.

She was right.

I didn't say a word and kept shut most of the time.

"That girl is completely messing up your life Vishal and you are letting her ruin it." She said after a while. The feeling was the same, her words were just a little more subtle and without swears!

I simply nodded and kept my eyes shut and pretended to have slept.

After a while Dad came in.

"So you needed my contacts out here after all." Dad said right after entering the room.

"Well, I certainly wasn't the one who called. Maybe someone of these guys did." I said.

He nodded and smiled.

"That's all you have to say to him?" Mom said.

"What do you mean by that?" Dad asked.

"What do you mean? Your son is ruining his life and in turn ours as well and all you have to say is you needed my contacts after all?" Mom said.

"Oh come on. I certainly can't scold him. He isn't a small kid anymore; he is a full grown man now. He is capable of taking his own decision and do whatever he wants to." Dad replied.

Someone was with me after all!

"You are supporting him on this one? Are you serious?" Mom said shocked.

"I am not supporting him, all I am saying his that he has the right to take his own decisions in his life and we should respect that." Dad said.

Mom simply shook her head in disbelief.

Right after this, all I could do was smile. There was a smirk right across my face and I just couldn't help no matter how hard I tried.

Simran too was back after a while. She still looked pretty mad at me and hence I didn't utter a word ever since she entered.

What followed were numerous kinds of brainwashing techniques being applied to take Tanya out of my head and the fact was maybe it was working. Maybe she was getting out of my mind, but then mind and heart are two very different things. They could have brainwashed me but heart washing was something that no one had ever tried for it was sure to have gone in vain!

The doctors had advised at least six months of rest which meant I was bound to miss my joining time at the company who was dumb enough to give me a job and that was one thing Dad was mad at me about. It was fine to him till Tanya was getting me beaten up but when it comes to career, no Dad would want his son to miss his first job's first day of joining and here I was, in a hospital with no chance of being able to get up before the joining date which was just a couple of days away! And with this, went my only support, Dad, who stood by me as far as Tanya was concerned. Hence, here I was, in a hospital bed with six people, namely or relationship-ly, Kabir, Ayesha, Simran, Aditya, Mom and Dad, all trying to convince me that Tanya and her family was nothing but trouble for me and them! I heard everything that they had to say but never really accepted whatever they said. I had a rule, "listen to what everything has to say, do what your mind and heart say!" and I very conveniently applied that, in this situation for sure. Then they said I was being immature, acting irrationally and maybe they were right. Maybe love doesn't support rationality of thought either!

No matter what they said, no matter how much they tried, I still missed her, still longed for her! There was a possibility that I might never see her again but I had to. This wasn't how we were supposed to end.
Chapter 19: I hate her!

After a couple of weeks in the hospital in Mumbai, Dad convinced the hospital authorities and my treating doctor to discharge me from the hospital. My nose and my ribs were recovering and was now able to sit up with not much of a respiratory issue which meant I was fit enough to go back home. Now even though the authorities did agree to Dad's demand but they still wanted to keep me under observation for another week which meant a week more of listening to all the ills that were possible specially moulded in a way that it either ridiculed Tanya or someone in her family. It did trouble me at first but then I got used to it and it all was the same to me. It was best to pass a smile and stay shut and it always worked. The thing that did hurt me was the fact that Tanya didn't visit me after the day that Simran had told me. The fact was, I was now having a doubt in my mind if they were even speaking the truth in the first place but then her visiting meant it opposed their point of view about her hence I believed that she did visit.

One fine evening, when I was doing nothing, which was pretty much what I did every single day ever since I had been on the bed more than two and a half weeks ago, apart from the massive brain washing which also consumed around one third of the day, with no effect of course, my phone buzzed which was pretty much a rarity ever since the ass whopping part took place!

"Hello." I said.

It was from Bangalore. Someone from the company had finally spotted my absence and hence had called up to confirm if I would be joining or not. I told them the whole story, and a story it was for sure. I cooked up an accident which was the reason I had been in the hospital and put it up in such a manner to gain as much sympathy and pity as I could for that eventually might have saved my job, which I hadn't started off with as yet! I wasn't too hopeful about it but surprisingly, they seemed to have accepted the cooked up story and hence held back my position for a couple of weeks. No one does that in today's corporate world but well the company wasn't too big and may be the only one which understood human emotions. Maybe I was lucky or maybe these guys were dumb enough or maybe didn't have enough workers! I wasn't extraordinary hence there shouldn't have been any reason for them to hold my position. The fact was, I was unable to spot the sarcasm. No one in this world keeps a job for someone who misses his joining date at the company. They had called just to confirm that the job offer had been withdrawn and here I was jobless and maybe hopeless!

It took more than half an hour to explain them the whole story, for them to show their concern about their employee and letting me know if I was getting a job from them or not which eventually ended as I had thought.

What this job offer withdrawal did was gave me inspiration to pursue an internship program in my dream company! I was dejected for losing the job but excited for I could finally think of pursuing what I always wanted. I opened up the internet on my mobile phone and filled out a couple of forms that were posted on the company's site. Once done, a call came in a matter of minutes from the company's branch in India to set up a telephonic interview which was to take place right away. They were one mighty fast company. Doing an internship with them meant a lifetime of happiness and hence with full confidence I answered the questions they threw my way. After all this was done, they asked to me to wait till evening for the result. It was all a topic based internship i.e. you being selected or being kicked, all depended on the topic you chose and your field of interest. That's what makes this company (and I am not going to name it) my dream company. No one can be as quick and as good as they were!

After this conversation, I did realize that Tanya had successfully managed to fuck up my career and maybe my life as well. I felt stupid, dejected and irritated. It all appeared to be a big fat lie now. I had hardly spoken to Tanya in the past couple of months, nor had I seen her. I felt irritated with myself for thinking of being so madly in love but now, when the sense of realization had dawned, I felt like killing myself. Maybe whatever my family had been saying to me was right, maybe I was the one who was being fooled and at that instant in time I hated Tanya. The feeling was so powerful that it felt as if I had never loved her as much I hated her at that moment!

Meanwhile, my folks were having a great time. Now that I was recovering well, they hardly visited me and most of their time went in seeing new and wonderful places in the city of Mumbai. Maybe they had realized that there was no point brain washing someone who already lacks it!

The room that was otherwise occupied by six or seven people now had just two. One was me and the other being one of them. The duty was decided by them mutually, as per their convenience. When this instant of unmatched hatred for Tanya overpowered all other emotions, it was Simran who was sitting with me. We both had given each other cold shoulder ever since her outrage the day I came back to my senses.

"Simran." I said to her.

"Yes." She said softly not taking her eyes off the magazine that she was reading.

"I hate her." I said.

As soon as I said this, she put the magazine away in an instant and stood right next to me.

"What did you just say?" She asked with a perplexed look on her face.

"I hate her." I said again.

"And by her you mean?" She asked.

"Tanya, who else." I said.

"And why do you say that?" She said with a smile on her face.

"I don't know but I just hate her." I replied.

"But there would be some reason for it." She said again.

"Well, I just analyzed my life ever since college got over. It has been nothing but a piece of crap with most of the time being spent in a hospital bed for a girl who just didn't care to come and meet me or doesn't even call to check if the love of her life is alive or dead." I said.

"Oh okay. So finally you have understood what we all have been trying to explain to you since the past two weeks?" She asked again.

"Maybe I have. I am not sure if I still love her or not, what I do know is that I hate her at the moment. Maybe I meant nothing to her. Maybe I was her pastime for college." I said.

"You are one confused soul." Simran said with a smile on his face and shaking his head.

"I wouldn't deny that either." I said.

"You will be just fine. Don't worry. Things will eventually span out the way they have to." She said.

"And I am really sorry for being a total jerk to you. I was being ridiculous and I am sorry for it." I said.

"No issues lover boy. At least this is one thing that Tanya has achieved." She said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, she has successfully managed to change you into a cool and calm sorry man from an angry young man." She said and chuckled.

"Well, that's one transition almost every single guy undergoes after being in a relationship!" I said.

"That's so not true." Simran said defending her women folk.

"We will see. Remember this day and how Aditya is right now. We will talk an year later and see how Aditya is. You are bound to see a change, a change that nobody but you would like!" I said.

"What do you mean by that?" She said.

As I was about to answer my phone buzzed again.

"Two phone calls in one day, I am on a roll" I said to myself.

The number looked familiar and then I realized who it was.

"Hello." I said.

"Hi Vishal." Tanya said in a rather gloomy tone.

"Hi Tanya." I said.

As soon as Simran heard the name come out of my mouth her eyes widened. She wanted to say something but didn't. Now even though I was mad at Tanya for not having called or come to pay a visit and all I had for her was hatred, but as soon as I heard her voice my heart melted in an instant. The feeling of hatred was gone in a second and all my heart had was indefinite amount of love for the woman with the beautiful voice on the other end of the phone!

"How are you now?" She asked.

"I am better. Healing at a great pace. How are you doing?" I said.

It was awkward. It had been a while since we had spoken to each other and the awkwardness was such that we were talking formally to each other despite being in love for more than ten years. That's what communication barrier does!

"That's nice to hear. I am fine too. I did pay a visit but at that point of time you weren't conscious." She said.

"Oh ya. These guys did tell me about your arrival." I said.

This was followed by twenty seconds of silence. Neither of us spoke, in fact we both didn't know what we had to talk about.

"So..." I said.

"So..." She repeated.

"How are things at your job? Liking the place?" I asked.

"It's kind of okay. It's something new definitely and hence it's interesting as of now. Let's see where this takes me." She replied.

Another ten seconds of silence followed.

"And hey what did you do that Striker didn't kill me? I owe you my life." I said remembering.

As soon as I said this, Simran gave me a weird look whose meaning I just wasn't able to interpret.

"What do you mean by didn't kill you?" She freaked out.

"Well, he was standing with a pistol in his hand ready to shoot me when most probably your Dad called him up after which he put his gun back." I explained.

"Holy fuck. I had no clue that Striker was about to take your life." She exclaimed.

"But I am still alive and maybe I need to thank you for that." I said.

"Vishal." She said.

"Yes?" I said.

"When did we grow so apart Vishal that we now have to thank each other for things. I had to save you from Striker and that was my duty. As it is, you fell prey to him because of me. I hate my Dad Vishal. I guess I hate my whole family. I never thought they would react the way they did." She said.

"Don't worry Tanya. Everything will be fine. When nothing is going your way, leave it to destiny, your fate, to decide. Everything will start falling in place as they have been planned." I tried to explain to her.

"But I don't see a tomorrow without you Vishal. I don't want a tomorrow without you!" She said.

"Neither do I but as the things are going I am not sure what destiny has in store for us." I said.

She didn't utter a word and kept silent.

"So what did you tell your dad that he ordered Striker not to kill me?" I asked just for the sake of it.

"I can't explain that to you over the phone. I need to meet you. There are a lot of things that we need to talk about." She said.

"Come over to the hospital then." I said.

"That's not the right place for this discussion plus your parents are here and as far as I could understand things, I guess no member of your family likes me anymore which is the reason that I haven't visited you after that only time. Can you meet me somewhere outside? I won't ask you to come a place far from the hospital. It will be not more than a ten minute journey. Can you do that much?" She said.

"I don't know. I can try. I will call you back in 15min to confirm." I said.

"Okay." She said and hung up.

I looked at Simran with pleading eyes.

"What do you want?" She said, her tone showing signs of frustration.

"I need to meet Tanya." I said.

"And what about all the hatred that was in your heart for her just a couple of minutes before the call." She said.

I didn't say anything for a while.

"Irrespective of the fact that I love her or I hate her, I need to meet her once. One last time Simran and for that I need your help." I said.

"Are you sure this will be the last time?" Simran asked.

"I don't know but if I don't meet her today then there is a possibility that the last time has gone by a long time back. Please try and understand Simran." I said.

"What do you want me to do?" She said finally giving in.

"Well, Tanya said that she can't meet me in the hospital. She is calling me to a place which is a ten minute ride from the hospital." I said.

"What the fuck are you talking about? No one will let you move out of the hospital no matter how much we try and as it is who will drop you to the place?" She said.

"The hospital won't let me if they know that the patient is missing and as for the ride, your future husband might be able to help us." I said.

"I got the second part, even though I can't promise that he would be free but what exactly are you going to do for the first part?" She asked.

I then explained the whole plan. Luckily she agreed. She then called up Aditya to ask when and if he was free for a couple of hours during the day. Luckily enough, he was from 2 P.M. to 4 P.M. Simran called him to the hospital and asked him to reach at 2 P.M. sharp. Once this was done, I called up Tanya to ask her the exact address of the place and asked her to meet me at 2.30 P.M. and then we waited.

It was 1.30 already which meant we had half an hour for the first phase of our plan to begin. Aditya arrived at 2 P.M. sharp and hence we began the first phase. The first phase was to dress up Aditya in the clothes given by the hospital while I changed into his. When this was done, Simran and I would take the car and go to the place that Tanya had decided. It was simple but Aditya was asking thousands of questions for we hadn't really told him anything about the plan. He was horrified when we said, "Now you wait here. We will be back by 3.45 P.M. If any nurse or doctor comes, remember that you are Vishal, not Aditya. Now take rest."

Soon after, we slowly moved out of the hospital trying to avoid being seen by any of the doctors known to Dad i.e. the ones we had met before. After successfully exiting the hospital, we sat in Aditya's car. I was as it is nervous and add to that the fact that Simran was driving. Nothing scares me as much as a woman driver does! I reluctantly sat in the car, after taking God's name, in the hope that we will reach the destination in one piece, even though it was ironic enough, for I was literally in three at the moment.

Thanks to modern technology and the presence of GPS Navigation we were able to reach the destination in precisely ten minutes. It was a small hotel. I asked Simran to wait in the car or go to the nearby restaurant and said that I would give her a call as soon as I was done. After instructing her, I entered the hotel and called up Tanya's number.

She picked it up at the first ring itself.

"Where are you? I have already reached." I said.

"Just a minute." A familiar voice said. It was a male and certainly not striker but the voice looked familiar.

"Hello. Hi. I am about to reach. Right in front of the gate." She said and hung up as I saw the same black Scorpio enter through the gates of the hotel.

It stopped right in front of the entrance. Right afterwards, the front door of the car opened and Striker stepped out. I was awestruck when I saw him. I wasn't ready for another beating, not at the moment anyway for this time chances of survival would have gone in negative. He glanced at me and then opened the back door of the car as Tanya and Kushal stepped out.

"What is he doing here?" I asked Tanya pointing at Striker.

"Just performing my duty, sir." Striker said.

It was as if he was a robot. Just a couple of weeks ago, he was standing in front of me with a gun in his hand ready to shoot me and now he was referring to me as sir! He simply followed the instructions that were thrown at him.

I looked at Kushal and passed a smile for anything else would have hurt one or the other bone of my rather broken up body.

"Shall we go in and talk?" Tanya said.

"Sure." I said and followed her.

Kushal looked visibly ashamed. He just couldn't imagine that his drunk act would eventually lead to all that had happened then on!

After talking about the general stuff for about fifteen minutes, Tanya said, "I need to talk to him in private. Bhaiya can you leave us alone for a while?"

"Sure." Kushal simply replied and went outside the room where Striker was standing.

"So..." I said.

"So..." she replied with a sheepish smile on her face.

She shut the door of the room and gave me a tight hug right after that. As soon as she did, my ribs and my stomach and a few other bones did hurt but the hug was something I had been longing for a very long time hence it felt nice.

"I missed you so much Vishal." Tanya said.

"I missed you too." I replied.

We hugged for a couple of minutes and then sat down to talk for we had a lot to talk about and we roughly had an hour to do so. While we were talking, Striker came in a couple of times to check if everything was fine. We told each other of what we were going through and spoke about a number of things. With every passing minute, we both felt all the more depressed for there was nothing cheerful about the conversation. We both knew that our families were never going to agree to our relationship, not after everything that had happened for sure and hence there wasn't really a solution. Running away wasn't an option for given Tanya's Dad's power, he would have hunted us down and would have killed me for sure if not both of us.

"I guess this is the end then." I said and got up.

"I guess so too." She said out loud. There were tears rolling down her eyes and I felt like crying too but somehow controlled myself.

"It was nice knowing you Tanya. Thank you for all the wonderful memories that you have given me in the past ten years. I will take them with me." I said.

She simply nodded and didn't say a word.

We came out of the room and saw Kushal and Striker standing right in front of the door.

"Everything fine?" Kushal asked.

"Ask your sister." I replied and started walking out of the hotel. After a moment I remembered something and went back in the direction Tanya, Kushal and Striker were standing.

"I am sorry Kushal but I guess I took your mobile by mistake. You must have forgotten it in the room." I said and returned Kushal his mobile phone.

"Oh thanks. I would have been screwed if I had lost that." He said.

I simply nodded.

"Good bye Tanya." I said.

"Good bye Vishal." She said still crying.

I went out of the hotel and called up Simran to come and pick me up. She said she was on her way and hung up.

It was funny and sad how everything we did, no matter how hard we tried, this world just couldn't see us together and it's at such situations that you have to give way to new things in life. After having been beaten up like an ass two times by hugely built men, after fighting with my family, denying everything they said and after a lot of other sacrifices it had finally ended.

What no one knew was the fact that it wasn't me who was the reason for it to end. It was not Tanya either. It was us. Striker hadn't killed me that day because Tanya had promised her Dad that she wouldn't meet me ever again and that she would convince me that we were not meant to be together. After a lot coaxing, her Dad agreed and that was the reason that I was alive.

But for my folks over here, it was something that was best left unsaid.

For them it was best to know that:

I hated her after all.
Chapter 20: Family ahead of everything

As soon as I spotted Simran, I sat in the car and off we went towards the hospital. For the first time I wasn't scared that Simran was driving. I didn't really care to be honest.

"What happened?" Simran finally asked.

"Nothing. What did you expect?" I said.

"I expected nothing. You look sad. That's why I asked. What did she say?" She said.

"She said a lot of things and so did I." I replied.

"And what conclusion did you guys reach?" She asked.

"I hate her after all. I told you. This was the last time Tanya and I ever met. It's over. After all this, after everything we went through, it's over." I said and started crying.

A woman driver plus a crying passenger, we were playing with death now. In a matter of minutes we reached the hospital. We were already half an hour late than what we had thought. It was 4.15 already which meant not only me, Aditya too was in trouble.

I kept crying and Simran kept on trying to console me but nothing helped.

"It's okay Vishal. It's a wise and the best decision under the circumstances. Sometimes you have to act as per the circumstances rather than by personal desires and wills." Simran said.

"You are right Simran but I don't think the void that Tanya has created in my life anyone will ever be able to fill that." I said.

"You can't be sure of that Vishal. The fact is you have never lived a life of an adult without Tanya and hence you can't be sure of how it will be. As it is said good things end to give way for more good things so wait and good things will happen automatically. Now stop being a cry baby. I am proud of you for taking such a brave and wise decision. I thought you were still a kiddo but turns out you are progressing." Simran said.

I felt better after hearing what Simran had just said.

"Maybe she is right. Let's wait and see what happens." I said to myself.

By the time we reached the room, we could see a couple of doctors, a nurse, Dad, Mom and Aditya all in the room. To explain it in one word, we were SCREWED!

We both entered the room and a dozen eyes stared at us.

"What the hell do you think you are doing Vishal? Do you even care about your life anymore? This is ridiculous. How could you leave without permission?" Dad said, furious.

"I am sorry Dad." I said plainly.

"Don't say sorry Vishal. It means nothing when you say it. You don't understand the significance of the word sorry. You do the same mistake over and over again. Where the hell were you both?" He asked.

"We had gone to meet Tanya." I said.

"Oh God." Mom exclaimed.

"Vishal, I supported you on this because I thought you were right but I think you are nothing but her puppet. By doing what you did today, you not only have betrayed my trust but you have proved that they all were right and you were wrong." Dad said furious.

"Calm down Dad. Please. Can we talk about this later." Simran intervened looking at the doctors and the nurse.

After I had changed back to the clothes of the patient, I came back and sat on the bed. The doctors and the nurse were gone which meant it was time for the discussion to begin.

"How could you do this Vishal? Aditya and Simran you too. You all have betrayed my trust today. This has to be the worst day of my life." Dad said.

Aditya gave Simran and me a look which simply meant "It's your fault"

"Dad, listen to me first please." Simran said.

"Speak." He replied

"Vishal and I had gone to meet Tanya because they wanted to meet for one last time and end everything." Simran said. She was presenting the truth in a twisted manner!

"What do you mean end everything?" Mom asked.

"Well, Mom, they both have decided that it's best for the two of them to stay as far away from each other as possible. In simple generation x words, they have broken up. They met to talk like adults and part ways." Simran explained.

"So you mean that..." Mom said and paused.

"Yes Mom. Your son has finally taken the decision that you wanted him to." Simran said.

Mom smiled.

"At last you understood son. Had you been with her, it would have caused all the more troubles and all the more problems hence it was best for all of us if the two of you stayed away from each other. At last you understood. I feel lighter now." Mom said and kissed me on the forehead.

Similar reactions followed from Dad, Kabir and Ayesha. They were all happy that Tanya and I had finally taken the wise decision which was the best for all of us. The best for me, well, I didn't think so but as long as they were happy, I imbibed happiness from them!

It was as if the biggest tension that was in their life was now over and they all could now go back to living their normal way of life.

After all this was done, I wanted to share some important information with them.

"Mom, dad, I wanted to tell you something." I said.

"What now?" Dad said raising an eyebrow.

"Well I have one good news and one bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?" I asked.

"Shoot the bad one first. They are more dangerous." He replied.

"The bad news is the company that offered me job at their Bangalore office has withdrawn their offer because of my absence on the day of joining." I said.

"Well, that was pretty much understood hence it isn't a bad news. It's something that everyone was aware of but it just wasn't official yet and now it is. And what's the good news?" He replied and asked.

"The good news is I got the internship project with my dream company in USA and hence I would leave as soon as my ribs start functioning properly or whatever they do." I said.

"What!" Simran exclaimed.

"That's awesome. Congratulations." Ayesha said.

"Great news bro. Happy for you." Kabir said.

"I am proud of you my son. May you excel in everything you do!" Mom and Dad gave their blessings.

I was happy that I got the project, for it would have taken my mind off Tanya for six months at least, while I was away.

After two more days, most probably the best two days for my folks, we boarded the flight back home to Delhi. Once we were back, Dad didn't feel any specific need for me to be put back in the hospital as I was recovering pretty quickly.

"A week more and you should be fully fit." Dad said and smiled.

"Okay Dad. I will plan out the internship schedule accordingly." I said.

I hadn't been in the best of moods lately. Now even though Tanya's addiction was long gone, given that in the last two months, we had rarely talked yet I missed her. I missed her presence in my life. She was the one around whom I could be me, the real me and she was no longer there. She was the one with whom I shared all the small little things of life and now, there was no one to talk to about stuff like this. But it was a wise decision after all and as it is reality is sometimes more bitter than the truth!

I spoke to the people at the company and scheduled my departure two weeks later. Very soon, I would be working or at least learning at the company I had always wanted to work in. The rest of the things were planned accordingly.

The rest of the week passed by rather smoothly and the next one was full of preparations for USA. Mom wanted to pack up everything that she could find and my resistance couldn't deter her. There were a lot of arguments about what was to be taken along, what was the immediate necessity and what wasn't. Finally, a day before I had to board the flight, the bag was packed and everything was ready.
Chapter 21: And the end is here!

It had been a long time since I had opened facebook. It was a good thing. There were people who were slowly getting addicted to it. As soon as I opened it, everything was changed. It was facebook's habit now. Every time I logged in, something or the other had changed! Being a computer person I was able to understand it but I didn't really understand the necessity of bringing about the change. But then that's facebook or I love to call it FB, a short for fucking bitch! It sure was one. In a way I blamed FB too for everything. Had it never been created, had I never created an account, Tanya and I wouldn't have ever spoken to each other, hence wouldn't have fallen in love and I wouldn't have been in a state that I was. Facebook was FB after all!

And yet here I was staring at the home screen of my FB account! It was still a disease after all! Adding insult to injury, as soon as I logged in, Tanya was online and so was Kushal.

I opened Tanya's profile and check her photo albums. I missed her, I longed for her but well this had to end. Destiny is something you can't defeat. I was about to log out when Kushal's IM popped up.

"Hi bro. how are you doing?" He wrote.

"Surviving. How are you?" I wrote.

"Trying to survive."

"Why is that?"

"Because I am the real reason that things fell apart between you and my sister. I liked you Vishal. I really did but I was going through a rough patch. I am really sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry about. It's destiny. You can try and create your own but it is already decided and you are a mere follower. If on the wrong path, it has its own weird ways of putting you on the right one. You, me, Tanya, we all are mere souls who are here to follow that which has already been decided for us. I wish we could change that though. Even though I know I can."

"I know you both can..."

"How is Tanya doing?"

"Well, not too good. She is completely broken. The fact that she had to break up with you to save your life hurts her I guess but she didn't really have a choice."

"I know. I am confused if I should be thanking her for saving my life or hating her for giving me a life without her in it!"

"You can't do neither I guess. I feel so sorry for the both of you and a fact is a fact. It was my fault after all!"

"As I said Kushal, stop blaming yourself. As it is they had to know it someday. It would have happened anyway."

"I guess so."

"So you are still in Mumbai?"

"At the Mumbai airport. Tanya is leaving for London tomorrow. We have a flight for Delhi in about an hour's time. We will stay at the Delhi airport for the time in between the two flights. She has a 5 AM flight to London. I am going along for a couple of days too."

"Why is she going to London?"

"She wants to stay away from this place for a while. Wants to forget everything and start again. She will live with our bua for a month or so and then decide what she has to do further."

Those words did hurt me a little. I didn't reply.

"What's up with you? I heard that you couldn't make it on time for the job hence they withdrew the offer. What's you plan?" Kushal wrote after a while

"Well call it coincidence or whatever, I too am leaving for New York tomorrow. I got an internship set up with a company and will return in around six months."

"Oh that's nice. What time is your flight?"

"4 A.M."

"Okay. We might meet you at airport then."

"Is that necessary? I don't think it would be a wise move to be very frank. As it is there would be that should-have-been wrestler around. He will kill me as soon as he will see me."

"Oh don't worry about that. We can meet after the security check. He wouldn't be able to come with us after the security check. You two can meet for one last time. At least that's what I can do for the two of you."

"I don't think it's a good idea Kushal. If we meet, it would bring back all the old memories and we would be drawn towards each other yet again."

"Ask your heart Vishal; don't you want to meet her?"

"I do Kushal but it will make the separation all the more difficult. No matter how much I deny, Tanya is my drug and once I meet her again, it will to mighty difficult to let go."

"Okay then. It's your decision really. I was just trying to help."

I thought a moment. I so wanted to meet her, even if it was just for a moment, I wanted to have a glance at her if not anything else.

"We will see. Give me a call once you land in Delhi. I would tell you then."

"Okay. I will do that. I need to switch this thing off now. The boarding call has been made. Hope to see you in Delhi." Kushal wrote and went offline.

I glanced at Tanya's profile one last time. Right before logging out I thought of changing my relationship status. My 'FB' deserved that. I clicked to edit my profile and then I was confused if I was single or was it complicated. After a lot of thought, I clicked on the 'It's complicated' and signed out. I had to get up at 1.30 A.M. which meant I had just a couple of hours of sleep to catch. I slept or at least tried to. On days like these, sleep just doesn't come to me. The fact of getting up at an odd time always did that to me.

Somewhere in the middle of my thoughts I slept and my sleep broke all by itself at about 1.20. I waited for 1.30 and got up to ready myself. At around 2.00 I was ready and at about the same time, my phone rang. It was Kushal.

"Hi Vishal. We are at the airport. What time would you be arriving?" He asked.

"I will be there in half an hour Kushal but I don't think meeting will be a nice idea at all." I said.

"Well, Tanya wants to meet you. One final time." He said quite plainly.

When he said this, thought of not meeting her sounded like height of idiocy.

"Oh okay." I said.

"So are you meeting us?" He asked.

"If she wants then I will. See you at the airport." I said.

"Great then. Meet us in the waiting lounge at Terminal T-3." Kushal said and hung up.

"Whose phone was it?" Mom asked as soon as I removed the phone from my ear. She was standing right behind me but I hadn't noticed. A chill went down my spine as soon as I heard her.

"Just a friend from college. He lives in New York so was talking about meeting someday." I lied.

She simply nodded and agreed to what I had just said.

After about ten minutes, the suitcase was loaded in the car and I was all set to leave.

Dad was dropping me to the airport and right before leaving, Mom got all upset.

"I am sorry Mom. I wish I was a better son." I said and hugged her.

"Don't speak like that Vishal. You are the best son I could have ever had. I just wasn't a good enough parent." She said and started crying. We hugged for a couple of minutes after which she was back to normal.

Simran insisted on coming along to the airport but then leaving Mom alone at such point of time wasn't a wise decision.

"May you get a better brother next time around." I said and hugged her.

"Shut up dumbo. You are the best. How much self-boasting do you need." She said and hit me in the stomach with her fist.

"All the best for the future just in case these chaps don't give me a leave for your wedding." I said.

She simply nodded. I could feel tears welling up in her eyes. The emotional turmoil we all had gone through in the past few months had brought all of us close together. I missed Ayesha and Kabir too but it was now time to go.

I sat in the car and Dad dropped me at the airport.

There was the awkward silent moment when Dad and I both wanted to say a lot of things but just couldn't understand what was to be said.

"I am sorry Dad for having put you to so much of trouble lately. I am really sorry. I know am not the perfect son but I am trying." I said.

"Oh come on Vishal stop talking like a loser. You did something that I might have not been able to do. You gave up the love of your life for our sake! That's one of the biggest sacrifice possible." He replied.

"I love you Dad." I said and hugged him.

"I love you too son. Time to go." He said.

"Bye Dad." I said.

"Bye son." He replied.

Soon after that after the identity check at the airport entrance, I went straight into the security check after getting the boarding pass and entered into the waiting lounge.

I looked around to check if I could see Kushal and Tanya around. The airport was fairly empty and hence spotting them wasn't a big problem. Kushal waved at me from a distance and I waved back to acknowledge. After twenty odd steps I reached where the two of them were sitting. Tanya was looking visibly sad which was something I had expected. I looked at her and smiled. That's the best I could do. She smiled back.

"How are you?" Kushal asked.

"I am good. How are you?" I said.

After a little bit of chit chat, there was silence which was also pretty much expected. Neither of us knew what was to be said.

"I guess I should leave the two of you alone for some time. Do you want coffee?" Kushal said and walked off after asking both of us.

"So..." I said.

"So..." She replied. That was our usual conversation starter.

"Kushal said you wanted to meet me?" I said.

"Um...yeah...yes but nothing important. Wanted to meet just like that." She replied. There was huge amount of awkwardness in everything that either of us said.

"Well I know I am repeating myself but I think this is it. Irrespective of how hard we tried this world just didn't want to see us together." I said.

Tanya's face went from sad to sadder. She was about to break and it was pretty much evident.

She knew this was the nightmare that she just never wanted to see come to life but it had, and it was because of her father that all of this was happening.

After ten long years of a lovely struggle trying to understand each other better, appreciating the good traits and accepting the flaws, trying to convince our parents about our relationship and trying to avoid running away from home it had all come to this.

"I guess this is the...........the end." She struggled to say the words for which she hated herself.

"It's time for us to part our ways. Thank you for the wonderful memories and I am sure I will take them to my grave." I said as I waited in the lounge for the boarding call.

There was more silence in our conversation than there were words.

"Thank you to you too Vishal. You have given me a lifetime full of memories and no matter what the world says, no matter what you think, no matter what went wrong between the two of us I will forever and ever keep loving you no matter what." Tanya said as tears rolled down her beautiful dark brown eyes.

I wanted to say, "I love you too." But something stopped me from saying so. It would have made her all the more weak. May be the things that had conspired in the past few days too stopped me from saying what I actually felt.

I hugged her instead. Her sobs now converted into full-fledged howls. She was broken to the core of her heart and most probably to a point of no return. Certainly there wasn't any way to make her happy other than I and her being together, getting married, raising a family and living happily ever after but this was not to be. This wasn't another Bollywood movie with a happy ending. There are happy endings in reel life not in real life!

We both knew that our being together was never going to be truth of our lives. We had to part ways and it was a fact of life, a challenge which we both had decided to take but both of us knew that survival won't be easy!

I kissed her on the cheek, wiped away her tears and hugged her again.

It was a long time since we had a conversation like this. As was expected, the separation now was going to be all the more difficult. We both were just inseparable at the moment

I would have given away a lifetime of happiness just to live in that moment forever.

Just then Kushal returned with two cups of coffee. It had been almost half an hour since he had been away. We both took the cups from his hand and started sipping it slowly. There were no words to explain anything. We knew that life from here on wouldn't be easy without each other.

Kushal began the normal chit chat, again, silence prevailing more often than not.

After around ten minutes, the LCD displayed that the flight to New York was boarding now which meant it was time for me to go.

I kissed her on the cheek, picked up my baggage to move for the boarding.

I kissed her on the cheek once again and started walking.

"Please don't go." Tanya caught hold of my hand and said.

Those were the dreaded words that I just didn't want to hear.

"That's not possible Tanya you know that. Even if I decide to stay, there is no way in hell that we are going to escape your Dad ." Vishal said.

"I don't care Vishal. All I care about is being with you. I love you and I will continue to do that for the rest of my life. I know I might be sounding insane here but I will as it is, die without you so I would rather die being with you rather than by being away from you!" Tanya replied. This was the reason I wasn't keen on meeting her at the airport in the first place. All the feelings of love would come to the fore and hence letting go would be all the more difficult.

All I could do was smile but she definitely had a point he thought to himself. The boarding call came for the second time but Vishal ignored it. He was pondering over the idea which Tanya had just put in front of him.

"It's time to go. It's time to go." Kushal said with a sense of urgency.

"What happened? You sound weird." Vishal said.

"Looks like Striker spotted you somewhere and hence is coming in. You should go before he reaches here. Its better you go for the boarding. We also have a VIP boarding process set for us. We are also going to board right away." Kushal said.

There was a sense of urgency in everything after that. I grabbed my baggage again and this time I wasn't stopped by Tanya. I went towards gate number 3 for the boarding while Kushal took Tanya to gate number 7 for their special boarding.

After walking a few steps I looked back to look at Tanya walking away from me and most probably from my life as well. Maybe this was the last time ever I was seeing her. Her beautiful spotless face with perfect nose and charmingly beautiful dark brown eyes and her black hair. I was going to miss her.

While I was looking at her walk away, Tanya too looked at me and our eyes met.

There was love in both of them .

I smiled trying to reassure Tanya that everything will be fine while her eyes kept on spilling the tears. The fact was, I too wasn't sure that if everything was going to be fine. I was as fucked up as she was.

Then she tried to force a smile and was successful in doing so. Even though her eyes and her lips were showing two completely opposite emotions, the process of trying to lead a life without each other had begun! This just showed how mentally stressed she was. She was also seeing the love of her life for the last time and hence I didn't blame her for crying. I could very well understand what she was going through.

I looked back one last time to see her gone in the boarding lane down the stairs. I felt a tinge of pain in my chest and considered it to be from the previous injuries or maybe because of the emotional turmoil I was going through. After the boarding pass check, I boarded the flight and waited for it to take me to a place far away from her. I was already missing Tanya. I wanted to be with her all along but again, love is a fucked up thing, no matter how much you try to hate the person you love, ultimately, the day you see them, you are bound to fall in love all over again!

In a matter of twenty minutes, all the passengers were in and announcements were made.

"Good morning. This is Vikram Sharma your pilot for the day." The pilot said and went on to give the routine information and instructions as were customary. Soon the plane after a few turns reached the run way and started gaining speed till it finally took off.

Now, the heaviness that I was feeling in the chest was increasing by the minute. At first I ignored it but ever since the plane took off, it rose to alarming levels. I felt dizzy and there was something wrong for sure. I was sweating profusely and hence I pressed the button to summon the flight attendant . As soon as I did that, I almost collapsed on the floor but the seat belt held me back . Seeing my condition, the flight made an emergency landing back at the Delhi airport.

The pilot made the announcement of the emergency landing which was followed by murmurs by various people on the flight for the delay. As soon as we reached back, an ambulance was waiting right outside the plane. I was carried down the plane on the stretcher for I couldn't really walk into the ambulance. There was a nurse in the ambulance and the driver. As soon as I was laid in it, it started speeding of most probably to the nearby hospital. After around five minutes, the mobile phone of the nurse buzzed. All I could hear was something like, "But we already have a patient with us." And a few more irrelevant lines.

"We need to pick up another patient near gate number..." That's all I heard.

The speed of the ambulance increased before coming to a standstill somewhere at the airport. The noise of speeding, taking off and landing airplanes could be heard around. The second patient too was brought on the stretcher and laid on the other side. My discomfort was slowly increasing, my vision was getting blurred and I was having trouble in concentrating. There was something terribly wrong. There was a sense of urgency right after the second patient was laid in the ambulance. A guy who presumably was with the girl who was the patient took the seat in front with the driver. He was calm and didn't say much.

"Vishal." A familiar voice said. It didn't take me a second to realize who it was.

"Tanya." I replied.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." I replied.

The girl lying on the other bed in the ambulance was Tanya!

We both were having similar problems, profuse sweating, dipping pulse rate, blurry vision and not being able to concentrate.

I couldn't see her well but I could see a female figure lying on the opposite side.

Then I saw a hand moving in my direction and presuming it to be that of Tanya, I held it with mine. We both felt each other's hand and kept holding them in different ways.

"Is this...this how...how we are...we are supposed to end?" Tanya said with great difficulty.

"I...I don't know. All I know is this is part of our destiny." I said.

"Drive faster. We are losing them both." The nurse said to the driver seeing our deteriorating condition

We were still holding hands and I could feel Tanya smile. I too was smiling for some reason.

After around ten more minutes, the ambulance came to a stop. We had reached the hospital and the ward boys/nurses hurriedly shifted us from the ambulance to the other stretchers. Our hands were still entangled into each other's and hence they had great difficulty in moving us. We were rushed inside the hospital and were stopped in front of Doctor's chamber.

He checked the pulse of both , and rechecked using his stethoscope.

"Contact their family members. They both are dead."

The plan had succeeded after all!
Epilogue

One month later in an unknown police station in Delhi.

"You have nowhere to go Mr. Kushal. We have found a number of evidence against you." The police officer said.

"Okay." Kushal said.

"So did you kill them?" The inspector asked.

"Well I wouldn't deny that." He replied.

"So you are confessing that you did kill the two of them?" The inspector asked.

"Yes, I am." Kushal replied still very calm and composed.

"Why?" The inspector asked.

"I don't want to tell you that." Kushal replied.

"See, you have already confessed your crime. If you are more cooperative all it will do is help you and maybe the years of imprisonment which is unavoidable in such circumstances, might be reduced." The inspector explained.

"I killed them because they wanted to die." Kushal said.

"What bullshit is that." The inspector exclaimed.

"I can prove it to you." Kushal said.

"How?" The inspector asked.

Kushal took out his mobile phone from his pocket and after pressing a few buttons, opened a video and handed over the phone the inspector.

The video was of Vishal and Tanya speaking into the camera. They both were sitting close to each other, hand in hand. It was the video of the last time they had met in the hotel in Mumbai.

"Hi Vishal." Tanya spoke.

"We aren't sure what we want or what we have to say." Vishal spoke.

"We are not even sure that you will take a look at this video till it has some relevance but there is something that we want from you. We will let destiny decide that." Tanya continued.

Both of them didn't look tensed and confused of what they had to say.

"It's no secret to anyone that your sister and I love each other. In fact that's what we want to talk about." Vishal said.

The inspector looked on intently.

"We wanted to say that, after everything that has conspired in the past few months, after everyone has tried to separate us, we have almost given up. We have come across the thought that we aren't really meant for each other but then we think of a life without each other and to be frank, there isn't a life for either of us without each other. Hence we will walk out of this room, as two different individuals, madly in love, but no longer with each other." Tanya said.

The inspector frowned.

"As we said, we don't see a life without each other, what we want from you is......" Tanya said and paused to look at Vishal who gave her a silent nod.

"We want you to kill us!" Tanya said looking right into the camera.

"We don't know how you are going to do so. We don't know if it's the right thing to do either. What we do know is that we both love each other and this world would never understand that feeling, so be it." Tanya said and paused.

"Seventeen days from now, we will be at the Delhi airport, going our own separate ways. We did give the consider the thought of running away to a foreign country before we came to this decision but you too know the power of your Dad. He would find me and get me killed." Vishal said.

"If it's in our destiny and you eventually do open this video before the two of us go our own separate ways, don't think twice before pulling the trigger on both of us." Tanya said.

"That's all that we have to say to you. In the hope that you will find this video someday and hopefully will give our love story the ending it doesn't deserves, but the ending it demands!" Vishal said and shut the camera off.

The inspector gave the phone back to Kushal and simply nodded.

"How did you do it?" The inspector asked.

"Added poison to the coffee that they both had." Kushal replied.

"How were you able to take the poison in after the security check?" The inspector asked.

"Well, I got the poison wrapped up into the silver foils that medicines are shipped in, checked the medicines that are allowed to be carried online, got the medicine named and boom." Kushal replied happy about what he had done.

"How the fuck can you smile. You killed your sister god damn it." The inspector got furious on seeing him smile.

"I killed her but it was her will to die." Kushal said.

"When did you discover this video?" The inspector asked.

"Four days before the day they both were supposed to leave." Kushal explained.

"And you managed to get all this done in a matter of days. Impressive. I would need the name and number of the person from whom you got the foil made and the name of the medicine printed." The inspector said.

Kushal nodded.

"They had asked you to kill them that doesn't necessarily mean that you had to do it. You could have avoided it. You could have helped them in some other way instead." The inspector said.

"There was no other logical way even though this too wasn't logical. If I hadn't, they would have wanted to die every moment they lived." Kushal said.

"But you are no god to decide who is supposed to live and who is supposed to die. You shouldn't have done what you did." The inspector said.

"I agree. I was just setting right what I had done wrong. It was because of me that the two of them were separated and hence I wanted to unite them. So I did, if not on this God damn earth then in heaven and I am proud of it!" Kushal explained.

"That's enough. We will have to confiscate your phone. It has the video. It will be duly returned after the investigation is over.

Kushal's Dad was quick enough to get an anticipatory bail for him.

The court hearing took place and Kushal confessed his crime. He iterated what he had in front of the inspector. The lawyers proved that he wasn't mentally stable hence wasn't sent to jail but was sent to rehabilitation center instead. After three months, he was out and lived a normal life then on.

Vishal's family still cursed Tanya for having stolen their son/brother from them until one day they received a letter from an unknown source. The letter was written by Vishal and it read:

"Dear family,

I thought I should write an old fashioned letter. If you have received this letter it means that I am no more in this world. I know you all would have been mourning over my death for quite some time now but all I want to say is that it's about time that you stop. Don't blame yourself or Tanya or Kushal for my death for I was the one asking for it.

I know you all are mad at me for not telling you the truth, for not telling you what I wanted but I had my reasons for it. I tried to explain my undying love for Tanya and none of you understood and hence I couldn't have taken the risk of telling you what we were about to do.

I write this to you to tell you that you weren't right and you weren't wrong. You were right in trying to protect me from the ills, in trying to keep me safe but you were wrong in trying to separate me from the only person, other than you people of course, I loved.

I know you wouldn't agree to me but she is awesome. She would have made an awesome daughter in law! I am not sure that the decision that we took was particularly right or wrong but what I do know is that it was the only thing we were left with. Death, for sure is the last resort and we were willing to take it.

I don't know if you people will ever be able to understand love or should I say, understand the real feeling of love, but what I am sure of is, the day you do, you would surely be able to understand that the decision we took was right! You might easily term it irrational but again irrationality of thought is something you can talk about, not irrationality of heart.

Love has its own mysterious ways of getting you killed and I had mine in a typical Indian setting! As I love to say, "You can run away from love, but you surely can't escape it!"

In the end, I would ask all of you, the people I loved the most, kindly move on in your life and accept whatever happened as part of destiny. In the hope that you will read this letter till the end without burning or tearing it apart, I sign off. I know it might sound a bit ironical to you but I ask God to make you my parents/brother/sister in my next life, if I have any left because you all are totally awesome!

Good Bye,

Your Son/Brother

Vishal
