As planned, Chaits sent a text to Anjali informing her that he would pick her up by next day noon. She immediately texted back, her readiness to join. Chaits put his phone on silent mode and with difficulty – slept with all kinds of horrible thoughts swirling in his mind.
He woke up in the morning to find that Anjali had called him many times and had gone unanswered. She had sent almost about a hundred texts trying to tell him as to how much she did love him. He read those messages, tears flowing from his eyes, one of the messages read…
‘Do you know the cost of your life?
Sunny asked me with a wile…
I closed my eyes for the answer –
I found the cost – It’s Your Smile…’
He knew very well that it was indeed going to be a tough time ahead. All he could do is to hope that everything was going to be alright…
At the breakfast table, he showed others the texts she had sent to him. It seemed like she had been calling and texting him all the night. She didn’t seem to have slept even a wink.
“She seems to be deeply in love with you.” Dr Pallavi observed, “Really have to find out what kind of impact this guy Sunny has made on her mind.”
Chaits was tense and others sensed it. They didn’t bother him and let him be alone in his hotel room. Meanwhile, Tanvi called her parents and informed them that Dr. Pallavi was going to be with them, staying in her room for two months.
They left the hotel as planned and proceeded to the restaurant to book their tables. They called Chaits and informed him that the tables had been booked according to their plan. Chaits then texted Anjali, he was on his way to pick her up for lunch. She was ready and waiting for him at the main gate of her bungalow. Her eyes were swollen of all the tears that had flowed from her eyes and black circles had appeared from lack of sleep…
They settled at the table booked as planned. Chaits and Guru on one side and Pallavi sat behind them, facing Anjali so that she could observe her. The restaurant was really quiet that day and there was no other group present to disturb them.
“Do you really want me to say everything in front of everyone?” Anjali almost begged him, her tears ready to flow again.
“Anjali – these are not everyone. Tanvi is your sister and Guru is my brother. We are the only people here who know you. There is nothing and there will be nothing that will be hidden from these two. I trust them completely and I want you to trust them as well.” he gently prodded her to go on and speak.
Anjali looked around at everyone – not sure that she wanted to share her experience – but she knew, she had had to share this with everyone who was on that table… She heaved a long breath and made up her mind even as her eyes wandered off to a distant point in her memories. She looked directly at Chaits for strength…
“You know and I have told you many times that you are the only person I have fallen in love with and you will be the only person I will be in love with… You started off as my first crush, the moment I saw you enter the college campus with a trophy on your head and the crowd cheering you madly. I was finished and completely in love with you when you had suddenly popped out of nowhere and asked my name. My love for you didn’t fade even after you left the college. I had plenty of your photographs. You have seen them in my room.” she extended her hand so that she could reach out and touch his palm for support. He realized it and extended his hand for her to hold it.
“Sunny joined our college about a month later. He was in the same class and we studied together. He was clownish and did many things or said something that would make entire class laugh. Soon we became friends and our friendship grew. Before I knew – he was my best friend in the college. He still is…”
Tanvi looked at Chaits in concern even as Anjali mentioned Sunny and started to relate her past. She was relieved to see that he was calm. He knew that Anjali had to speak out her mind and her side about Sunny so that Dr. Pallavi would understand how to treat her to normalcy. He patted her hand fondly encouraging her to continue…
“We were together, almost everywhere. He used to drive me to and fro the college to my home on his bike. He was a fast and a dangerous rider and I used to beat him a lot out of my fright whenever he used to drive hazardous…” she laughed as she started to remember those days.
“We used to attend and bunk lectures together. Go to movies – he used to patiently wait for me to arrive whenever I used to visit my parlour or disappear into a ladies store. He never failed to compliment whenever I changed my hair style or adapted a new one. It used to boost up my confidence.” She smiled looking at everyone. She now seemed to have overcome her shyness of speaking it out in front of everyone.
“One day – he drove me far off telling me that it’s a short – one day picnic. We were miles away from the city and the spot was really scenic. We enjoyed trekking up and down a couple of scenic hills. We were about to start our return ride when he suddenly said that he was desperately in love with me…”
“What happened then?” Tanvi couldn’t stop herself from asking her.
“Nothing – I burst out in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. I thought that it was one of his pranks… we returned without exchanging a single word as I was laughing my head off at his proposal. He dropped me home and rode off without even saying ‘Bye’ which got me thinking that – perhaps – he had been serious – this ‘one’ time…”
Chaits now extended his left arm for Anjali to hold it and withdrew his other hand that she had been holding. Guru who was sitting next to him noticed him clenching his fist in a bid to control himself. He gently tapped him on his lap for him to remember to keep control – no matter whatever she relates…
“I was upset with him” she continued, “how could he think such nonsense?” she wrinkled her nose in the anger she was experiencing – lost in her memories, “didn’t he know that I loved Chaits? – Then, for a week or two – I ignored him completely. He must have uttered the word ‘Sorry’ at least a million times. Finally … I took pity on him and made sure that he understood that I loved Chaits and he was only my best friend. I could see that he was dejected but he cleverly tried to hide it in his clownish acts. In few days – he finally accepted the truth and took a sacred oath that he will try his best to bring you and me together…”
“Oh! Such noble thoughts…” Tanvi couldn’t resist her appreciation of this gallant act by sunny.
Anjali smiled at her and continued, “Once he accepted the truth – we both had only one mission – YOU…”
Chaits had a difficult time controlling various emotions that were trying to show up ‘Is she speaking the truth? – Or – Is she trying to glorify him?’ He couldn’t decide.
“We realized that you were studying your final year of graduation. A couple of moths had already passed. The time was running short. Once the academic year ended – there was no way – no chance of meeting you again.”
Tanvi started to feel that Anjali was genuine in what she was relating. She avoided her temptation to look at Pallavi, over Guru’s shoulder. She didn’t want to alert Anjali.
“So – we started following you – everywhere you would go. I knew which flat in which building you occupied. What time you left, what time you arrived. The roads you travelled to reach our college. The movies you watched. You were always with him and I knew that you both shared the flat you stayed.” she said looking at Guru.
Guru smiled and burst out laughing much to everyone’s surprise – he raised a hand even as he tried to control his laughter and mischievously said…
“Chaits was in love with you and we did the same… In simple words this is known as ‘stalking’… You stalked him – He stalked you – Oh! What a stalk exchange…” he burst out laughing again joined by others.
With this burst of laughter, Anjali was more comfortable and now, trusted Guru and Tanvi.
“I did say this when I started to relate – I have lots of his photographs – believe me – they all were clicked by Sunny. He was good with his camera. He always used to push me to talk to you. But I was afraid – I was afraid of rejection. At times he used to insult me for lack of confidence in a bid to make me mad enough to approach you and then chid me for not doing so… Many times, I did muster up courage to approach you – but – always, one or the other of your female fans in the college would pop up from nowhere to impress you.” she wrinkled her nose in disgust, “I always felt that I should pull their hair and throw them away into the nearest dustbin. Every time, I used to fail to approach you, he would tease me till I got jittery and ready – to again find courage to approach you…”
‘Guru’s reading was correct.’ Tanvi thought, ‘she was desperately in love with Chaits since her college days.’
“The entire year passed and I couldn’t find courage to approach you. Finally, the day dawned for you and Guru to leave the campus – forever …” she looked gloomy as she vividly experienced her past as if she was living it – at that very moment…
“You were surrounded by numerous friends who had gathered to see you off and all I could do was to watch you go – from the window of my classroom. I saw you look at me even as you were about to sit in your car. Sunny saw tears in my eyes as I watched you go and tried to reassure me that I had not yet lost…”
She looked glum as she continued, “He tried to convince me that your look at me before you were about to sit in the car was a proof enough that even you loved me equally. He suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me all the way into the parking lot and started his bike. He asked me to jump on it behind him and said that he was going to take one last chance – follow you – stop you and let you know as to how much I loved you. He rode fast and dangerous in your pursuit… One of the curves, he dangerously overtook a speeding truck. Even before I could react, we looked at an oncoming bus – it was at a yard’s distance – speeding at us… I’m sure we crashed into that bus – then everything went dark… When I opened my eyes, I found myself at the hospital. My parents and the doctors were looking at me with concern. My first thought then was about Sunny’s safety. I was very weak and couldn’t move or say anything. My worries about his safety were growing. My parents and doctors saw me getting excited and were asking me to calm down when Sunny mischievously peeped from behind them and made faces at me telling me in a way that he was safe and absolutely okay…” she smiled a smile of relief.
“When nobody was around, he sneaked in and sat next to my bed. He told me that he will wait for my recovery and my return to my home. He said that I needed a good rest and I won’t get rest if he stuck around at the hospital. He didn’t want to disturb me during my recovery. I recovered in few days and sure enough – he was waiting for me in my room – smiling mischief like ever – since then, he has always stuck by my side – he takes care of everything I need…”
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