Stirred Life

The Story so far....


Part 1


Part 2


Journey from home was pleasant. I kept getting her in my thoughts all the time; I tried to focus on work aspects (shocking? I know), but duh she had captured me with her smile.
Reality sucks the hell out of you isn’t it? You have had a great vacation and start to feel that life is getting better and “Bang” work hits at you. It was just 10 minutes that I was on my chair and I got a call. It’s my Project Manager and wants to have a chat.
“How was your vacation back home” Sanjay asked.


“Relaxing is the only word I can think of” I murmured.


“Anyways not wasting much time, I called you to announce that you will be heading to US and working there with the client for 3 months. Congratulations.” Sanjay declared.



“What???”


“I mean how come all of a sudden Sanjay?” “But I am glad you have chosen me for this role. I am more than happy to take up the responsibility” I spoke in sheer joy as I saw my dream coming true, yes I shall be going overseas.


Calling home, informing all, packing things and boarding the flight all took very less time I must say. Back home parents were more than happy to know that am about to realize by dream. Although they did bring the marriage thing pretty serious this time that when I am back I ought to get married to “Anu Pallavi” no matter what and not date any foreigner back in the US.


I nodded. These days all I did was the nodding. I was pretty used to it by the way.



“It is freaking cold here” I spoke while I unpacked my baggage with my friend Vikram.


“and I live in this freaking cold without a girl friend” he laughed.


I know Vicky since 20 years. We studied together for majority of years although he came to US 3 years back to pursue his MS, I chose to work back in India and not study further. He works for as a consultant here and stays alone in his 2 bedroom apartment. My company provided me a guest house for my stay here, I wanted to stay with Vicky and moreover his apartment was just 10 min drive to my company.


“So you still write diary huh?” I ask Vicky flipping through the pages.


“Of course I do dude. Now stop scrolling the diary and tell me what is happening with you on personal front” Vicky snatched his the diary from me.


“Hold on, see this photo” I take out Anu’s pic and pass it to him.



“She is Anu Pallavi. The girl whom I am supposed to marry but cannot even talk to her before that coz of the silly customs; I don’t even know what kind of girl she is, where she works and how liberal she is” I shared my mammoth problem with him.


“Dude why are you so dumb? You can’t get in touch with her from your name right. What is online media for? Fetch her email ID via any of the social networking sites. I mean search for her. Then mail her from my e-ID. Check how she is and stuff, isn’t it simple?” Vicky gave that wicked smile.


“Vicky you rock! I will search and do what you said right away”



Here she is! So different from this matrimonial photo of hers; These special effect photographers do make lots of changes. I finally hit the “Send” button and finish sending her a friendly mail in Vicky’ s name.



I reach office and met all people whose voice was all I used to hear past several years. There is one person I wanted to see more than anyone. “Jaya” for all the torture she gave and still gives mind you, I badly wanted to see how she looks.



“Don’t you know why you are here for? Jaya quit job. That is the reason we wanted you here so that we finish the project as planned” George explained when I enquired about Jaya.



Whoa. Jaya is gone. But what could be the reason. How come she never wrote to me before she left? I should be happy that she is not around. Why am I worrying so much about where she is right now and the reason of her leaving job? Hmmm strange ;



Work isn’t challenging anymore because of no criticisms. I realized that I am missing Jaya. The fights that we had at work, how she outnumbered the debates, how career oriented she was and how good she was in her talks and that laugh. I started missing each and everything now.



Meanwhile Vicky tells me that he got reply from Anu saying that she doesn't know him and hence will not respond to any of the mails.



“I guess I am in love Vicky” I tell softly.



“Yes of course I know. This girl is not like all the other girls man right choice” Vicky hugged me.



“It is not her. It is someone from work” I explain him every tiny thing that is going on in my mind.



“You better don’t drag the alliance matter if you are firm that its love and not infatuation towards Jaya, call home and tell your parents” Vicky was loud with his thought.



After telling a “yes”, how can I now say that I am not interested in marriage?
I look for vicky’s ideas and as usual I get them.



“I cannot get married so soon; I have decided to pursue my MBA.” I disconnect the phone without even hearing to the yelling back home.



All this doesn’t mean anymore. All I want is to meet Jaya now. But how can I? I don’t even have her number. I decide to take it from her colleagues at work.



But in came a chocker as well as shocker, I get an email from the Anu asking that she wants to talk to me. But how can I talk to her when I am in love with Jaya. I decide to mail her about my dilemma. But I don’t even know whether she will understand the situation. Vicky too suggested that I should not tell her the details behind my “No”.



Hi Anu,


After doing vigorous thinking, I could only rely more towards my MBA stuff. That is of prime importance now. I cannot even ask you to wait for me till I finish my studies coz this ain’t love marriage. Hope you understand.



Rgds


Rahul



“Do you have Jaya’s number?” I enquire George.



“I am afraid no one has it coz she was planning to move back to India for personal reasons. May be she did or not. I have no clue.”



“Is she married” I ask him.



“No she isn’t. Haven’t you seen her till date? She is way too young Rahul. Probably in her mid twenties” he gets back to work.



While I venture to somehow get Jaya’s contact number I get another mail from Anu. A reply to my previous mail that she is ready to wait for 2yrs; all this girl is doing to me is giving shocks and nothing else. I go to Vicky again with this new dilemma.



“Do not worry man. I shall mail her from my ID and take her off the concentration. You continue with your Jaya search. All you got to do is mail Anu back telling that you do not see any luck in asking a girl to wait in an arranged marriage. Things will not work for us. That all; Rest I shall take care” Vicky said and I did the same.



Months pass and still no clue about Jaya. All I do these days is to go to “Hard Rock Cafe” and get drunk thinking how screwed up my life had turned into.



Its 12am and it’s dark. I see Vicky in another table with a girl. Vicky with a girl? She looked familiar. OMG that’s Anu with him;



How on earth did these guys meet? and is Anu in US? I never knew that. How would I, coz I had not called home after I told them “No” to Anu.



Should I go to their table and ask him why he did that to me? Better still may be I should read his diary; I will know every minute detail of this happening.



I rushed home and searched his diary, and started reading it. As in yesterday’s date it read
“Iam in love with Anu; But how can I tell Rahul? But does she like me? I am sure even she likes me. Wont the intimacies we have when we are together explain?”



I hear the door open. May be Vicky is back.



I continue reading “If she is ok with the relationship I should not bother about Rahul much. Anyways it’s my ideas that he depends on. I can somehow convince him”



Vicky and Anu? Holy shit; I have to somehow stop this. How can Vicky see a girl whom I had finalized? I reach his room and find him asleep. Its dark and all I find on the table was this fruit knife. I stab him thrice while my other hand covered his face with the pillow



I just murdered my best friend for some girl whom I rejected. But why? Is it because I did not get Jaya and he has a girl in his life now.
My Blackberry has a new mail. It’s from Vicky. Probably he mailed me few hours ago and I am getting it now.



“Rahul,



Today was the worst day of my life. After I told you that I shall take care, I started mailing Anu. She was a little hesitant in the beginning but later we became good friends. Today she told me about her life. She told that how some guy named Rahul had agreed to marry her and hence she quit her job. And few days later when she was back in India he again had mailed her that he wants to do his MBA and cannot marry her. She was confused seeing his mail. Both families met and his mom told her mom to that she has to send a mail that she is ready to wait for him.
For all the 10 months that she worked with him, only to realize that he was the one she is going to get hooked up. She was so happy. When he rejected her, she had no job also



Jaya at workplace but Anu Pallavi, the family name and her real name;



I love her Rahul but she loves you even now. It is a small misunderstanding, we will sort it out tomorrow, I couldn’t say all this in person so mailing you. Please call me once you read this mail.



Regards,


Vicky



Oh shit what I have done. I killed Vicky who wanted to get us back together.



~Beep Beep~ It’s my cellphone. It is Vicky. I pick it up with shivering hand. “Hello Rahul. Did you read my mail? If not then read it and come to “Hard Rock Cafe”. Oh btw there is a guest in my room. She is very drunk. Please don’t disturb her”


I drop my cellphone



“Hello Rahul are you there? Hello?” I can hear Vicky shout!!!



~~~~~~~~~ End ~~~~~~~~~~