Trying not to love you

Rohit stated incredulously, "Really? Your eyes didn't sting or anything? I mean not even a teeny weeny bit?"

Monica shook her head with a naughty stubbornness. "No, I didn't cry a bit!"

"You're such a guy!" Rohit's lips broke into a teasing smile. "How could anybody hold back the tears after watching Barfi 's ending?"

"Seriously,what size bra do you wear?" Monica remarked, a hint of mischief twinkling in her eyes. "I'm not so  girly and emo like you!"

"Hey!" Rohit laughed and replied. "I'm just nice, friendly, and I've never been in rehab. An ISO 9001 certified decent guy!"

"Whatever!" Monica rolled her eyes dismissively.

Rohit pretended to bring something from his back. With his fist holding that imaginary object, he brought it to his nose, closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He then opened his eyes, crouched on his knees and presented Monica with the dreamed-up article. He smiled sweetly as he looked up at her.

Monica's face lit up in amusement as she pretended to be touched. "Flowers?! How thoughtful!"

Rohit got up on his feet, brushing off imaginary dust off his clothes. He immediately flashed a bright smile, raising his left hand and opening out the thumb and index finger below his lips. Like Ranbir Kapoor used to do in 'Barfi'.

Monica burst out laughing. "So you're Barfi now? And we are what..playing dumb charades, is it?"

He threw both his arms outwards animatedly and took a bow. He then extended his right arm to her, as if asking for her hand.

"You asking me out?" Monica touched her chest and blinked her eyes repeatedly, feigning disbelief at her good fortune.

Rohit nodded and smiled happily.

Monica's eyes gleamed wickedly and she said irritably, "Look, I, I tried calling you. I've got an awful headache, and a stomach ache, and several highly contagious diseases. I’m afraid tonight won't work out."

Rohit, like the textbook definition of a sensitive guy, looked crestfallen.

Monica pouted her lips and made a sad face. "I'm sorry."

Rohit pointed to the non-existent flowers.

"Well, yes, the flowers are nice," she agreed.

Rohit began prancing around, picking off flowers from hard to reach imaginary trees and bushes.

"You went to so much trouble?" Monica made a puppy face.

Rohit pointed to her.

"Just for me?"

Rohit nodded.

"How thoughtful. But, well, I'm really not feeling well..."

Rohit made a long face, grunted and looked away.

Monica couldn't help grinning. "Gee, I hardly ever meet a guy who's willing to show his feelings. Oh, well. Just a short one, okay ?"

The deaf and mute Barfi was all-smiles again.

"So. .. What did you have in mind for this evening?" Monica looked questioningly at him.

Rohit mimed eating.

"Dinner." Monica said out aloud.

Rohit mimed dancing.

"Dancing," she exclaimed gleefully.  "I love to dance."

Rohit mimed kissing.

"Uh, let me tell you where I'm coming from,  Barfi," Monica started to protest. "It's just, well, you seem very nice, and your style is very... retro, but I’m just not into dating for dating's sake any-more. I finally think I'm ready to develop something... substantial."

Rohit pointed to himself, indicating that he was substantial.

"Oh, I'm sure you're very substantial, but, well, I am playing for keeps, and I want someone who could take care of me."

Rohit flexed his biceps.

"But who's still sensitive."

Rohit pointed to the fictional flowers.

"And who isn't afraid of intimacy."

Rohit mimed kissing.

"I meant emotional intimacy," Monica stomped her foot and stated angrily.

Rohit grunted, "Oh.” He cocked his head sideways, rested his cheek on his fist, and started writing in the air with his other hand.

Monica lifted her eyebrows. "What are you doing? A poem?"

Rohit nodded. He mimed a globe.

"The world...," Monica tried to decipher.

Rohit nodded and then mimed craziness.

"Is crazy."

He enthusiastically bobbed his head up and down, and then he stood firmly with his feet shoulder width apart. 

"We're standing-"

Rohit looked down, as on the edge of a precipice.

"On the edge of... of..."

Rohit brought his hands very close together, indicating a small word. 

"A, an... On the edge of an..."

Rohit repeated the small word gesture.

"Uh... A!"

He mimed urinating.

"Eww! What? Urinal?... Pee?... Piss?"

Rohit agreed enthusiastically, and motioned to group the two together.

"We're standing on the edge of an a-piss... abyss! We're standing on the edge of an abyss." Monica almost jumped in elation.

He pointed to his eye, and drew a straight line towards her.

"But...I...see...you."

He mimed ”small word " again and then nodded when she got it.

"A, and..and..."

He pointed to her and mimed her shape.

"You... you are a Coke bottle."

He shook his head disapprovingly and continued.

"You have a have nice figure."

He brought his arms outwards, indicating ”more. ”

"You're beautiful."

Rohit nodded affirmatively.

"But I see you and you're beautiful."

He touched his heart.

"My heart..."

He filled his heart.

"Is filled..."

He mimed ”small word" then nodded.

"With? My heart is filled with..."

Rohit pretended to pick up two sticks, rub them together, and make fire. Monica stared at him curiously, unable to figure him out.

He then pretended to burn a finger. He covered it with his mouth.

"Oh, you've burned your finger. You have a blister. So you wanted to say- My heart is filled with blisters?"

Rohit asked her to repeat and repeat, and then he stuck his hand over her mouth in mid-word.

"My heart is filled with blisters. My heart is filled with blis.."

Rohit stopped.

"My heart is filled with bliss."

Rohit bowed gallantly.

"Oh, that was adorable." Monica squealed in delight.

But Rohit wasn't finished. He came close to her and rubbed his finger lightly against her eyelids. He then held out the finger for her to see.

"Mascara? My mascara?"

Rohit nodded and while looking intently at her, rubbed that finger from below his eye to his cheek.

"Huh?"

Rohit rubbed his eyes, pretending to cry.

"Tears? Tears...Mascara ...Mascara running down my eyes."

Rohit pointed to his watch and then at her.

"Time. When. When you've mascara running down your eyes."

He nodded again and then encircled his arms as if hugging someone.

"Hug? I want to hug you. When you've mascara running down your eyes, I want to hug you."

He mimed ”small word " again.

"And?"

Rohit's eyes brightened and he brushed his finger over his right ear.

"Brush hair over ear. When you've mascara running down your eyes, I want to hug you and brush your hair over your ear."

Rohit grinned grandly.

"That was freaking awesome!!!!" Monica's voice danced.

"So," Rohit finally spoke, "you felt any real connection between us two?"

"Um," Monica replied haltingly. "Rohit...I don't know...I.."

"Hey, chill!" Rohit chortled. "Just messing with ya! So when is your date coming? It's ten already."

Rohit and Monica were standing on a lonely footpath, a couple of minutes walk from the theater where they had just watched Barfi a little while ago.

"Do I look okay?" A little bit of anxiety crept into Monica's voice as she straightened her dress. "Is this too tight?  Not tight enough? What do you think?"

"He he. Okay doesn't even begin to cover it. I hope he doesn't stand you up though." Rohit looked into the distance, waiting for any headlights to show up.

"He better not," Monica said grimly. "I'm gonna kick his ass otherwise."

"Looks like his sorry ass heard you," he said cheerily. "Here he comes." 

A Swift Dzire pulled up shortly in front of them. Rohit momentarily froze as he saw the reflection of them,  standing together,  framed on the car window. Monica's lustrous black hair outlined her oval face like an exquisite wavy casing and it cascaded over her creamy-white bare shoulders like a soft waterfall. But it was her eyes which always got him. Those dark eyes, so knowing and secretive. Eyes which kept thoughts enticingly closed, an imposing wall filled with memories and speculation. It was just too tempting to scale that wall. Without permission. 

The reflection drowned as the car window rolled down. A head with a shock of wavy hair bobbed out and said, "Hi Mon. Hey Rohit. Sorry for.."

"You're late, you ass!" Monica folded her arms and burst out.

"Hey, Money honey..got caught up," the guy apologized. "I'll make it up to you. Promise."

"We shall see," Monica said unrelentingly. As she got into the car, she poked her head out and said, "Rohit, thanks a lot. See ya tomorrow, okay?"

"Hey, Rohit, thanks for watching over her," the guy smiled. "Bye. Good night."

Rohit just smiled weakly in response. It didn't escape Monica's notice.

As the car peeled away the footpath, Rohit thrust his hands into his jeans pockets and started walking. He had no wish to come out with Monica tonight. But she had insisted. And although the idea of baby-sitting her while they waited for her boyfriend had turned him off like a bag full of cockroaches, he still relented. 

Just then, his cellphone beeped. It was a message from Monica.

"Hey, you okay, nah? Everything cool? You looked a bit off."

Rohit's fingers flew as he punched in his response. "OK? I'm fallin apart jus thinking of you 2 getting cozy together in dat car of his. :-P LOL. Just 4get abt me and njoy urself.:-D".

Two seconds later, his cellphone beeped again. It was her. "Jerk!:-P Fk u!"

Rohit smiled to himself, as his fingers moved to the music player of his phone, scrolled through the playlist and finally selected a number. He resumed walking, as the sound of the song, "Trying not to love you" by Nickelback, filled the silent night air. 

The End

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Definitely,maybe

**Disclaimer: For adults only. If raunchy stuff is not your thing, or you are below 18, just stay away! :-D Rest of you, hop in!! **

I stared down at the naked woman sleeping next to me, noting the way her long dark hair fanned out across her pillow like someone had spilled a pot of black grape-juice, and told myself this would be the day, this would finally be the day that  I left  her.

Her  bare  shoulder  peeked  out  from  the under  the  covers  and  I mentally  connected  her  freckles like dots, imagining I was doing it with my finger instead.

Maneka was so beautiful when  she  slept.   Well,  she  was beautiful all the time, but there  was  something  about  the way  she  looked  when  she  was  sleeping  that  was particularly beautiful, an innocence about her, maybe, that made her look almost, well, blemish-less.   That was no  small feat considering that just the night before she had downed six cans of beer and begging for more.   Somehow,  in spite  of that,  she  still looked innocent when she slept.

If only I still loved her.

Maneka  twitched  in  her  sleep,  shifting  under  the bed-covers  with a little sigh.   This  would  have  been  the perfect  time.   I  could  just  slip  out  of  bed,  stuff  some clothes into a suitcase and be gone before she was  ever the wiser.  But I thought that yesterday morning, and the morning before that, and the morning before that one, and always I found some excuse to stay.  It was raining, and I didn't want to drive amidst the chaotic traffic.  Or it was sunny and I didn't want to waste a beautiful day hitting up friends for a room to crash in.  There was always some reason  that day couldn't be the day.

Leaning forward, I pressed my lips to the back of her neck,  kissing  her  gently.   Maneka  moaned  softly,  stirring under the blankets, pushing her naked body back against mine as if by instinct.  Her firm, round ass slipped into the hollow  between  my  legs,  fitting  there  perfectly,  snug against  my  maleness.   I  purred  against  her  neck.   As  I nibbled  her  skin  I  slid  my  hand  over  her  hips,  easing around her to cup a breast,  kneading  it with heel of  my palm,  using  my thumb  to  stroke  her  nipple,  teasing  the plump little nub firm.  She pushed back against me even harder, grinding her butt against my very hard staff, and still, even as I coated  her  ass  with my juices,  I thought,  this would be the day I finally left her, left Maneka.

I let go of her breast and slid my hand down her soft little round  belly,  reaching  between  her  legs,  easing  my fingers down the length of her furrow.  Maneka moaned  in answer, arching her hips at me, wordlessly begging for it, begging  for  my touch.   I rubbed  her  cuntlips,  tenderly, feeling the slickness of her coating my fingers, her  folds swollen with desire, hot and wet and wanting me.  Then Maneka parted her thighs a little and I slid into her, dipped my finger into her wet flesh and wiggled it.  She called this frigging, said she liked to be frigged, and I did, I frigged her, swirled my finger around inside her like I was stirring the  juices  simmering  in  her  pussy.   Maneka  whimpered softly, the way she did when she wanted to come, like a trapped little puppy wanting  to  be  let of  a locked  room when company was over.  I dragged my finger over  her clit, stroking the hard little pebble, rubbing it, tracing the shape of it with the tip of my finger.  Her breaths came in shallow,  ragged  gasps  then  she  started  to  hiccup  like  a frightened child, and I knew she was almost there, that she was  going  to  come  for  me.   I  rubbed  her  clit  a  little harder,  a  little  faster,  feeling  it  throbbing  under  my fingertip, pulsing wildly, out of control, and as her body shuddered  in climax  I thought  about  the  suitcase  in  the closet, just waiting to be packed.

As the last tremors of climax faded I kissed the back of her neck  again,  tasting  the  saltiness  of  her  skin.   Maneka purred and snuggled back against me, pressing her body even tighter against mine.  I kept my arm around her waist and her hands moved under the blankets  to  cover  mine, trap it, hold it against her belly.

"Good morning," I whispered.

"Mm," Maneka murmured, "A very good morning.That was nice."

I nuzzled my face in her black curls, breathing in the scent  of  her  expensive  salon  shampoo,  knowing  that  it wouldn't be the day after all, that I wasn't going to leave her, that I couldn't leave her today of all days.

"Happy birthday," I whispered.

I wondered again if I had to leave her really because I wanted to. Or because I had to. Maneka and I would never work out. All our nights of passion, and on not a single one did I dare enter her. We were first cousins after all.

Tomorrow I would run out reasons not to go. Definitely.

Maybe.

The End

Author's note: Trying something new and totally unfamiliar is a very intimidating task. :-D I almost wet my pants while writing this out, and no, not the fun-kinda wetting. Till now, my stories had been relatively 'clean', restricting themselves to a little bit of cussing here and there. But, this story just went over-board, treading dangerous territory.:-P Anyway, hopefully, you guys had fun reading this. Do tell me what you thought. Adios!

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Coupling

There is a schoolmate of mine, settled in US, who once told me ,"Choice is the root of all evil". It was kinda an odd-ball discussion to be having on a FB chat, but then again weirder stuff has happened with me on social forums. (Don't ask!!) He was actually trying to impress on me the viability of an arranged marriage over a romantic one. Apparently, his mom had got hold of a foreigner (who according to my friend was pretty hot) for him to tie the knot with. The point he was trying to sell me was- the girl really did not have much choice in the marriage. She couldn't really say NO (yup, don't ask M.E. where she hails from!! If the initials make some sense, you are clever). And mind you, this is not even taking place in India, but on foreign shores. Since she had been bred not to assert her independent choices, my friend opined that it would lead to a complication-free marriage life. He was confident of his innate goodness (bless his soul!) and his capability to treat her well. Since, in his own words, he was "a good guy"!

It's an interesting concept. Earlier marriages (those of our folks and grand-folks) seemed to work because people really did not have the choice to opt out. Women were not self-dependent, divorce was a taboo, a woman staying away from her in-laws' home for long periods was frowned upon, men did not have women working in their offices, so extra-marital affairs had a relatively low incidence, husbands and wives have pre-defined roles handed down to them, and there was not much they could do to change it. Society was a lot more stereotypical those days. People had a pre-specified template to fit into. Individuality really didn't count much back in that era. I know, I kinda make 'that era' sound like something out of our history books, but seriously...Comparing ol' times with ours is like placing your old time local grocery store by the side of a modern supermarket. The friendly neighbourhood grocery-man offers less choices, hence less confusion. The Dr Octopus of the super-markets grapples you with its tentacles of options and causes your head to spin. And in the matrimony supermarket, choices of husbands, choices of wives, choices of lovers- things don't really stay that simple.

Since the last few weeks, I have read up a lot on what people have to say about arranged or love marriages. Mostly the same stuff, written in various flavors. Don't get me wrong, folks! This topic hits a dead-end at one point. We all know the foregone conclusion- marriage is about the willingness to adjust and compromise. Love or arranged- it basically counts for nothing. There is a risk involved in everything.

The sad truth about today’s marriages is that many of them fail. I don't mean, just ending up in divorce. But failing to provide meaning and fulfillment in the lives of the couple. Most marriages start out great but the stress and difficulties of everyday life often take their toll. Love and adjustment really have their hands full. They have to contend with money, careers, family demands, a lack of communication, jealousy, family interference, parenting and (Oh boy!) boredom. Marriage is not easy, folks. Far from it. #true story#

I guess, after a point of time, a couple eventually runs out of stimulating topics to talk about. Yeah, arguing over who is going to the sabzi market to haggle for the best prices isn't exactly romantic. Once wed, between fatigue, stress and the constant demands of everyday living, communication begins to break down. Then, one day they find they don’t talk as much as they used to or the conversations they are having lack substance and meaning. And then add to it, the resentment and grudge building up, all the blame over unmet expectations, a lack of honesty , the peeling away of mutual respect, and the next thing you know, you are looking around for a good divorce lawyer. The solution to all this? Open and honest communication to be made a constant priority in marriage. Sounds easy? I'm sure it is not. You've to slog all day in office and you can't be yourself at home. No rest. No respite.

I've always found male-female friendships a confusing area. I mean just how much of intimacy between people of opposite genders can be tolerated before a husband or a wife earns the right to start smelling something fishy? Jealousy is another common reason that many marriages break up. Once married, many people expect their spouse to give up friendships with members of the opposite sex. Innocent interactions among friends are sometimes misconstrued and, if not handled properly with honesty and openness, jealousy and mistrust grow. Lots of gray areas in this one. When you love someone deeply, insecurity is bound to creep in. You start caring about that person and just can't remain aloof anymore.

I remember a line from the movie "Ghosts of Girlfriends' Past" which went like this- "Someone once told me that the power in all relationships lies with whoever cares less, and he was right. But power isn't happiness, and I think that maybe happiness comes from caring more about people rather than less... "

Problem is- jealousy inevitably rears its ugly green-eyes head when you start genuinely caring for somebody. If a couple lets things go out of hand, a lack of trust and openness mixed with bitterness will break down the marriage. Let's face the truth-marriage will inevitably change previously established friendships, especially with members of the opposite sex. Ideally, neither spouse should have to give up those well-established friendships to suit a mate. In an ideal world, one has to include one's spouse in one's friendships and work to foster trust among one's friends and the spouse, but that's too much of work, right? I mean, what are the odds your spouse will actually like the people you do? Or your friends will like your spouse for that matter?

Seen "Meet the Parents" ? Robert Di Niro gives Ben Stiller, his prospective son-in-law, a hell of a time when he visits them over the weekend. While the movie provided great laughs and a hilarious take on the subject of in-laws' disapproval, truth is- if you don’t like yours, that dislike often causes trouble for years. Family often causes a great deal of stress in a marriage (do I have someone nodding his head sadly among the readers there?); familial conflicts also frequently lead to the demise of the marriage.  Interfering in-laws often put stress on marriages by trying to force a spouse to choose between their marriage and their family. The recently married girl in my project team has to flee the office before 6 pm everyday because of her hubby dearest's insistence. And did I mention, her family had to cough up 9 lacs in dowry too? Ok, maybe I am diverting from the topic here. Bottom-line is, the scene looks bleak. Parents aren't always the heaven's gift to children which we imagine them to be.

With divorces on the rise, so are re-marriages. So what does a bloke or a gal do with the step-children and ex-spouses that come with second marriages add stress to the new family dynamic?  Everyone has to be added carefully into the blended family mix. And everyone seems to have an idea about how to raise children, leading to more friction, often resulting in the inability of the new family to mesh correctly. So when you marry, you think you are bringing in bliss to your home? I guess we need to think again.

I recently watched "American Reunion", the latest installment in the American Pie series. (Yeah, those are the kind of movies I watch. Sorry, guilty as charged!) In that movie, there is a moment when the character Jim confesses sadly to his dad that his marital life hasn't been as much fun since he and his wife had a kid. And it is here that Jim's dad drops in a pearl of profound wisdom. You cannot let parenthood make you forget that you are also husband and wife.While a child comes as a blessing, parenting can also be overwhelming for any couple.  The introduction of a child into the marriage shakes up things, dramatically in some cases, as each spouse must now also take on the role of parent. Couples often become so caught up caring for their new baby that they forget to make time to focus on each other. In addition, spouses might feel left out of the new relationship. If you take my two cents worth of advice, I guess couples should enlist the help of babysitters and grandparents so that they might make time to focus their energy and time on their relationship.

Marital boredom!!! You know the way things are going, I won't be surprised if one day boredom becomes a factor in the dissolution of many marriages. It isn't really difficult for couples to simply grow bored and grow apart from one another over time. They see the marriage become stagnant and, rather than working to resolve the problems in the marriage or add new life to the relationship, desire to move on. Of course, truth be told, when they find someone else to settle with, they discover they have just traded one set of problems for another. But I guess, boredom is perhaps the easiest fight to avoid. Make a commitment, as a couple, to spend time doing things together, travel or surprise each other. Focus on adding new energy to your relationship to keep it fresh and strong.

All the merry scenarios I described above are equally applicable to love as well as arranged marriages. Maybe, just maybe, arranged marriages are a little bit more secure in some ways. Less expectations, less disappointments. You know, there is an escapism involved in opting for arranged weddings. People don't want to take charge of their own lives. They want to thrust the responsibility of choosing a suitable life-partner on someone else's shoulders. I guess when people do that, they automatically turn down the regulator dial of their hopes as well. Maybe that's one way of saving a marriage. Temper your anticipations. But then again, settling down with a complete stranger is a much worse proposition than buying a pair of jeans you have never put on in a trial room. At least, the so called love marriages can mentally prepare you somewhat for what's headed your way.

Which brings me to an interesting thing. Neuroscientists claim love isn’t an emotion; it is activation of the reward center in our fore-brains (I know I sound geeky with all that fat glasses look and all). And new love (the first 7 months to be precise) produces a chemical response similar to narcotics. I guess it isn't so hard to make relationship mistakes when you know you are on drugs. Red roses bloom in your heart, your reddened derriere throbs from the puncture Cupid's arrows made in it.It’s easy to do something that seems like a good idea, say move in or start to make long term plans, when life seems so grand. Shit, everything seems so great, you think you can spend the rest of your natural or supernatural existence with that person.The point is, if the bloom comes off the rose and you've made commitments, you could easily end up waking up next to someone after 5 years and wonder, ‘What the fuck have I done?”

Unfortunately, once you settle the interior decor of your new house and your dopamine runs out (i.e. roses ain't so rosy anymore), you generally assume the relationship can be fixed because it had been “so good". But then again, life can be quite a prick sometimes and you start pricking your fingers on the now glaringly apparent thorns.

So,all in all, if you are already married, best of luck. If you are planning to get married, best of luck then too. If you are not planning to get married, God bless you, for sure as hell, your parents and married friends will force you to. Just keep your expectations in check, will you? Hope for the best and expect the worst, as they always say. So that when life usually hands you something mid-way, you don't get showered in the piss from the busted balloon of deluded dreams and fantasies you built up.

P.S. I wrote this Piece of Shit (P.S.) for a contest.Do have a look here-www.facebook.com/LoveYaArrange

If you want, you can vote for me here.

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Escape

“Hey brother!,” came a velvety voice from the street along side the dark Koregaon Park.

Vishal reluctantly stopped and looked at her, sweat dripping under his shirt.

“Where are you sneaking to, handsome?”

“Er, nowhere. I’m just..,” Vishal didn't know how to complete the sentence.

“Better watch out. It’s not safe walking alone this late around here,” the gorgeous woman said.

She was one of many hookers that stand around the big park. Vishal had come around to sneak a look at them, as he did on lonely Saturday nights. But look is all that he did.

“I assume you got money?”

“No. How much?,” asked Vishal.

“Just 5,000 will buy you an hour with lil’ ol’ me… Interested?”

“Er, yes…but I don't have that much money.”

“How much have you got?”

“2000.”

She laughed so enticingly.

“For that you get one finger,” she said, lifting up her index finger.

“One finger?”

“Give me the money and I’ll show you,” she said with a wonderful smile.

The woman approached him now with exaggerated swaying steps. Her excessive perfume arrived well before her body in the humid night.

She pulled Vishal by the hand behind a defunct phone booth and placed both his hands on her ample and soft breasts.

“Go on, squeeze. It’s a bonus,” she laughed.

Vishal did as he is told, and just about melted into the night from the pleasure of it. He could do this all night and all day.

The young woman now placed his right hand under her skirt where it met a dense bush of soft hair,  not covered by any underwear.

She put his middle finger on her warm and moist opening, as a pungent smell rose.

“Go for it,” she said.

Go for what?, Vishal thought.

Instinctively, he held his breath and slipped in his middle finger to its base. The tight hole squeezed it alarmingly in return.

“Now you’ve got it. Or I got you, really,” she laughed.

“Oh, goodness, oh…”

“Good, is it?,” she asked.

“Oh yes … but…too late, too late,” mumbled Vishal, shuddering.

“Has the water main burst already? Don’t worry. Come to my house and I’ll clean you up,” the woman said.

Her house was dingy and filthy with just two rooms. There was a large and soiled one-way mirror built into the wall between the two rooms.

Vishal sat down in an armchair. The mirror gave the full view of the woman’s large bed in the next room.

"So what are you doing alone in this neighbourhood, handsome?" The woman smiled and spread her legs suggestively as she sat across from Vishal.

"Just needed to get some things off my chest," Vishal grinned in a calm manner. "Been up to a lot of naughty things lately."

 The woman was surprised to see his sudden gain in composure.

"What's troubling you, huh?" She looked on at Vishal with a mischievous affection.

"My shrink tells me I've a lot of pent up emotional energy that does not find a release."

"That's sad. So what are you doing about it?" The concern in her velvety voice sounded too synthetic.

"I killed my ex-wife and her baby some nights ago," Vishal said non-chalantly."As well as her hubby. Trying to move on and find some closure now."

"What?" The woman's jaw dropped in surprise.

"You realize I'm going to have to kill you now, don't you?" Vishal's lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Nothing personal. Just can't afford too many people knowing about this."

The woman tried to bolt away from her chair but he was upon her in a flash. His big rough left hand clenched her right wrist tightly as his other hand coiled around her slender neck.

"If it's any consolation," Vishal started saying with an affected look of regret and remorse on his face, "I had no wish of finishing you off tonight. Thanks for the wonderful time though. But I'm kinda moody."

The woman started choking as his grip tightened on her windpipe.

"Nighty night, beautiful." His words fell ominously on her ears as darkness descended in her eyes.
--------
Two weeks ago
"Let my baby go, you psycho!!!" Radhika screamed in terrified agony, clutching her bleeding stomach where Vishal had just shot her.

"Oh, I think he kinda likes my toy," Vishal smiled a crooked sinister smile as he watched the baby eagerly grab the nozzle of his revolver, its big cherubic eyes dancing in wonder at the object in its hands.

The baby's father was lying on the floor in a pool of blood. Vishal had cracked open his skull mercilessly with a heavy marble statue a few minutes ago.

"Vishal, please...don't," Radhika pleaded, her face a paroxysm of shock and fear.

"Oh,look, how cute," he observed cruelly as the baby started sucking on the nozzle ."Your kid has found a nice pacifier."

"Vishal,nooooooooooooooooo!!!!!" Blood gushed out even more forcefully as Radhika screamed on top of her lungs, straining her stomach in the process. "Fuck you, Vishal!! I am gonna kill you if you dare do anything with him."

"Funny thing," Vishal let out a guttural slur as he looked on at the baby. "Your mom always called me a sucker when she was with me. Life sure has a ....ironical way of evening out stuff." The baby had taken almost two inches of the gleaming metal into his mouth by now, happily sucking on it as if it were some candy.

"Bye bye, beautiful," Vishal winked as he pulled the trigger.
---
Present time
"So what do you want to report?" The paunchy police officer looked lazily at Vishal as he sat across from him in the police station.

"Murder.Three. Oh no. Make that four." Vishal replied ,pinching the bridge of his nose, as if suddenly remembering.

"Four murders?" The officer now sat up in his chair. "When? Where?"

"Three of them two weeks ago. One tonight." The corners of Vishal's lips curled up into an imperceptible sneer.

"And you witnessed them?"

"I should say," Vishal chortled."I killed them."

"Is this your idea of a joke? " The officer on duty said irritably. "One night in the lock-up will set you strai.."

"On the contrary," Vishal interrupted. "I am as serious as serious can be. My wife left me for another guy a year ago. She had been sleeping around with that fucker even when we were married. Got a kid  from her dalliances. Sad for them, I snuffed out all three ..man, woman and baby."

"Didn't you mention four? " The officer's eyes squinted. The tone of the man had bothered him from the moment he heard it. There was a cold pathological aloofness to it. And his words were not helping making things any better.

"I killed a hooker tonight," Vishal continued with his characteristic insouciance."Don't ask me why. She was a sweet kid. We shared a....deep intimate moment." His lips curved into a smile involuntarily, savoring the memory. "Guess I was just getting tired of not killing anybody for so long."

"And you want to turn yourself in now? " The officer couldn't help sounding incredulous.

"Something like that.Not been able to sleep for the last two weeks. Frankly, not been sleeping at all for the last one year. Ever since the wifey walked out . Guilt and too much unresolved shit ,I guess."

"What exactly do you have in mind?" The officer's curiosity shot one notch higher.

"Yeah. I am about to attack you and I hope your constable out there can shoot straight enough to do me in." Vishal grinned and before the officer could react, Vishal had picked up a pen from the pen stand on the desk and pushed it into the officer's hand with brutish ruthlessness.

The officer howled in pain as blood spurted from where the pen punctured his hand. In an instant, Vishal was behind him and had taken out the policeman's revolver from its holster. A bead of sweat formed on the officer's forehead, as Vishal touched the cold metal against his Adam's Apple.

"Now maybe a good time for call for help," Vishal whispered in the cop's ear.

"Hari,help!!" The officer yelled, wincing in pain as he did so. "Bring everybody!!!"

A geriatric, bespectacled constable appeared seconds later, shakily aiming his rifle at Vishal. Behind his inch-thick lenses, his magnified fear-laced eyes looked hopelessly grotesque.

"This is everybody?" Vishal shook his head in a disappointed fashion and continued with sarcasm, "A toothless oldie who can't even hold his gun straight? I'm gonna pretend it is not symbolic in any way....A scathing commentary on our law and order."

"Hari,shoot him," the officer barked.

"Yeah,Hari...shoot me!!! And hurry up, will you?" Vishal shot back as he poked the revolver further into his hostage's throat.

Hari leveled his gun, but his hand continued shaking. The whole scene was almost funny to watch. Vishal could easily see Hari would miss him by a wide margin.

"At this rate, he is probably gonna end up shooting you in stead of me," Vishal smirked at the officer. "Maybe I should just kill you myself. And then him. Just where are all your other men, officer?"

"Please..don't shoot me," the officer pleaded, sweating profusely now.

"Give me one good reason why not," Vishal said with malevolent relish.

"I..I've a fiancee," the officer blurted. The rifle continued awkwardly oscillating like a vibrator in Hari's shaky hands.

"The line is..I've a wife and two kids," Vishal said with disdain. "And no..in my book..that still falls short."

Within the blink of an eye, Vishal raised the revolver and shot Hari squarely between his eyes. As his lifeless body slumped to the floor, Vishal went on,pausing liberally and injecting a bit of regret in his otherwise deadpan,  matter-of-fact tone, " This was supposed to be my fucking moment of glory....Had it all pictured. Me.... riddled to death with bullets by five or six cops. Bye-bye insomnia. But you and your pathetic helping hand.... ruined my fucking night."

"Why..why are you doing this??" The officer was on the verge of tears now.

"Oh..I want to go out..But with a bang!"

"You're fucking crazy!!" The officer's eyes almost popped out in panic.

"Sure took you a long time to figure that one," Vishal fired again and watched the officer's throat blow up spewing blood like a geyser. "Guess they don't make cops like they used to," Vishal rued as he rubbed his finger-prints off the revolver handle and flung it aside.

Two years ago, Vishal had been a cop too. He had slogged his way through IPS to be in the force. Just as Radhika had been.
---
Two years ago
"Five broken bones. Jaw displaced. Ribs fractured. Gosh, Vishal! The commish is gonna have your head for this!" Radhika exclaimed at her colleague.

"The commissioner should be happy," Vishal replied indifferently. "I finally got all the information we need to shut their cartel down."

"This is the third time you almost killed someone in your interrogations, Vishal," Radhika protested. "Despite the warnings. That's not how we are supposed to.."

"I don't want to go over this again, Radhika," Vishal said dismissively. "You're just not .." and he left the sentence trailing.

"Just not what?" Radhika demanded.

"Forget it."

"No,I want to hear it."

"Willing to do what is necessary," Vishal's face hardened.

"Gratuitous violence is necessary?" She stared at him.

"Without a doubt."

"Truth is you just want to beat someone up badly. You just need an excuse, don't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't pretend as if you don't know it."

"You're starting to sound like my parents, " Vishal shrugged. "Nothing I ever did was enough for them. Not even IPS."

"Vishal, I told you...you need help," Radhika's tone assumed a softer timbre.

"We've been over this," Vishal's indignation rose. "I don't need a shrink!"

"Please, Vishal, Animesh was telling me yesterday he knows a good counselor. Maybe you can.."

"Animesh?" Vishal furrowed his eyebrows. "You've been meeting that school buddy of yours a lot lately."

"I already told you," Radhika tried to defend herself. "He's new to this town. He doesn't have any friends here."

"It's been six months since he has been here, Radhika," Vishal protested. "He even knows a good counselor by now. And he still hasn't managed to get any friends besides my wife?"

"You're being impossible," Radhika made no attempt to hide her irritation. "I think you should be more worried about your job right now. You've  a lot of heat headed your way for the way you manhandled the witness this time."

Radhika was right. Vishal was soon charged with misconduct during duty and asked to file his resignation. At home, with nothing to do, Vishal got sucked into a quagmire of whiskey-fueled rage. Radhika tried to put up with a brave face for some time, but after a year, she decided she had had enough. She was already pregnant when she filed for divorce. Vishal begged her to stay, promised to change, but all his entreaties fell on deaf ears.

They day she left their home, Animesh was there to carry her and her belongings away in his car.
---
Present time
"Oh,no Dr. Trisha," Vishal said warmly into the phone as he neared his house. "I don't think I'll need that appointment next week. I'm feeling absolutely fantastic these days."

"But Vishal," a concerned voice came from the other end. "You need help. Please trust me. Let me help you."

"On the contrary," Vishal replied as he opened the gate to his house, " I've never felt this great in a long long time. You always urged me to be myself, remember? Guess what? I finally found who I am."

"Vishal, listen.." the psychologist tried to say.

"Dr. Trisha, I think I'll have to go off now," he said, noticing someone standing in front of the door to his 2-BK house, and disconnected the call. "My escape plan is here."

"It's about time," Vishal grinned. "I was beginning to think you won't show up."

"You're too eager to die at my hands, aren't you?" Radhika barked back, her face twisted in disgust.

"Oh c'mon, I shot you at point blank range taking extreme care to avoid your spine and major organs," he answered with an air of pride. "I think the academy's shooting gold medalist deserves a round of applause."


"So what do you want to report?" The paunchy police officer looked lazily at Vishal as he sat across from him in the police station.

"Murder.Three. Oh no. Make that four." Vishal replied ,pinching the bridge of his nose, as if suddenly remembering.


"You're gonna regret not killing me when you had the chance," she said coldly.

"Frankly, been waiting for this for the last two weeks," he quoted with his trademark indifference. "I knew you wouldn't call the cops on me. You'd want to finish the job all by yourself."

"Trust me, Vishal, I would have come earlier if I could," she breathed vengeance. "Those two weeks in the hospital..you're all I thought about."

"How romantic," Vishal said impassively."And FYI..I was getting bored waiting..Been up to some more killing..just to kill the time. I must say I am beginning to enjoy.."

Without giving him a chance to finish, Radhika brought out a pistol, took aim and fired at a startled Vishal. Before he had had any time to react, the bullet had grazed past his shoulder.

"It...tickles," Vishal bit his tongue, trying to tune out the physical anguish and burn in his shoulder blade.

"My wounded stomach..for..your shoulder," she flung aside her gun as she said so. "I guess that about evens the odds. Let's finish this." She brought up her fists in front of her face in a boxer's stance. "Man to man!"

"A bleeding man versus a woman who's been nursed back to health?" Vishal ignored his aching shoulder and lunged for his former wife. "Still no contest!"

Radhika clutched her stomach to brace it from the shock and raised her leg swiftly to meet Vishal's hurtling body squarely in his nose.

Vishal fell onto the concrete pavement, red fluids oozing out of his broken nose.

"Bleeding so soon,Vishal?" Radhika mocked. "But the night is so young...and I have so much planned."
She kicked with all her might against Vishal's flank and immediately after, she bent her knee and used her weight to ground her knee-cap into the base of Vishal's left palm.

Vishal could feel more than one of his ribs breaking from the impact of her assault. His left wrist was crushed and his ribs were moving with a life of their own.

"You're beginning to get the idea, aren't you?" Radhika snarled as she punched him in the ribs again. "This is the end... for both of us."

"You...two-timing whore!!!" Vishal growled, wincing in pain as he swung his fist, but still missing Radhika by inches.

Radhika delivered a hard upper-cut to his chin and simultaneously kicked in his shin. Vishal grunted in pure agony.

"That was your own baby, Vishal! You killed your own baby," she cried out, tears pushing out of her eyes.

"You'll say that now, won't you?" Vishal looked up to meet her eyes.

"It's the goddamn truth, you fucking bastard!!" She screamed so hard the veins on her neck stood out.

"If you're expecting me to get burnt up by an overpowering remorse ,then forget it," Vishal managed to wink. "My baby or not..the look on your face...as I pulled the trigger on him...Pure pleasure!"

"You're nothing but a monster, Vishal," Radhika spat on him. "And I used to think..underneath all that...you were a good person somewhere."

"I'm just a desperate man doing desperate things," Vishal breathed heavily. "Well, I did try to turn myself in. But those dickheads at that under-staffed police station simply weren't up to the task."

"Remember what you used to say, Vishal?" His former wife smashed her fist against his cheek. "That the world only makes sense when you force it to? Guess what..I finally see your logic!"

"Stop!" Vishal cried out. He could feel some of his teeth shattering.

"You want me to stop now, Vishal?" Radhika smiled, mockingly yet ruefully. "After you've so successfully brought me down to your level?"

"Oh, hardly ..my sweet," he gasped out. "I wasn't talking about the pummeling. It's your incessant jabber that's driving me crazy." Saying this, he swiftly withdrew a pen-knife from his pant pocket and lunged it in her stomach. The blade was so sharp, she hardly felt it enter her. But there was the searing pain soon after to remind her.

She grit her teeth and reached for Vishal's neck with both her hands. Vishal was going on talking. But she couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything. His neck would have to do.

She slowly started twisting it. He was moving more quickly than she was. Stabbing her. She went on applying pressure with a single-minded determination.

kraaaaaak

The bones in his neck started snapping. She could hear that. And she could hear something else. Voices. Calling her a killer.

She wished she was. She let go of Vishal.

"I'm really...very disappointed in you..my sweet..," Vishal struggled to speak."The moment was..perfect..and you didn't have the nerve..Paralysis..really?"

Radhika was in a world of pain of her own to reply and he went on,"Just a little bit more of pressure..but you've always let me down..darling..your nerve gave out...See you... in hell!"

And with a devil's strength, he twisted...

kraaaaaak..
And twisted...
kraaaaaak.

What was left of his spine ...went. All the while, Vishal laughed. An eerie laughter which filled the night. Long after whatever was in him rustled and left.

For Radhika, the world was going dark..and cold. She passed out too, wondering whether she would live to see the next morning's sun.

Not that she wanted to. She would rather see her baby.

The End

Read More

A Life Les Ordinary-II

"Finding out the gal you are totally nuts for is a lesbian?Ouch!Must have hurt," Satish tried to sympathize with Rohit.

"I still can't fucking believe it," Rohit grunted in response.

"And she had nothing to say about all this?" Satish asked curiously.

"Yeah.'I was born this way and I can't help being who I am',that's all," Rohit jaw tightened.

"No fancy explanations,huh?" Satish asked again.

"None."

~~~~~~
10 kms away,in her 2 bedroom apartment,Riya and Annesha were having a heart-to-heart too.
"Gosh!I'm feeling so bad about this," Annesha looked guiltily at her friend."We shouldn't have drunk so much yesterday.We screwed up bad,didn't we?"

Riya said grimly,"He had to find out one day or the other."

"I can't help feeling bad for Rohit," Annesha shook her head sadly."Poor chap."

"He's a nice guy,"Riya's tone became softer."It's tough for him,I know."

"I wish he didn't have to find out this way though,"Annesha looked at her friend, expecting a response.

"How do you think he is coping?" Riya asked after a moment of silence,more to herself than to anyone else.

~~~~~~
"Okay?????????!!" Rohit screamed as he paced the floor frantically."How the fuck do you think I'm gonna be okay??My gf and her good-for-nothing buddy are together at her apartment right now.Banging each other away to glory,for all I know."

"Technically,there'd be no banging,"Satish pointed out."Just licking,fondling and cuddling.But...I get your point."
When a guy gets one thing straight- that his girlfriend is not,he needs a reliable guy to take one's troubles to.And Satish could be relied on with blind faith to say something utterly inappropriate in all such circumstances.

"Spare me that tongue-in-cheek humor." Rohit's eyes narrowed as he looked at his friend.Totally peeved.

"Tongue?"Satish's lips curled into a half-smile."Isn't that what your gf and her lesbian friend must be using right now???!"

"Fuck you!" Rohit uttered,utterly vexed.

"What?" Satish eyes lit up with mischief,"You want us to end up banging each other?Thanks,but I'll pass."

Rohit mumbled some curses in frustration.

~~~~~~
"He must be screaming his heart out to that useless friend of his...Satish," Riya said."He can become quite a cry baby sometimes."

"And Satish is a great confider?" Annesha queried.

"Far from it,"Riya chuckled."You know the type of guy who stays away from women...because they're too scared???...and then sit back and make fun of all people in committed relationships?"

"Oh boy!!The perfect guy to take your relationship problems to,"Annesha grinned.

~~~~~~
"Hey,you know this reminds me of a joke,"Satish said in a jocund tone.

"Yeah,shove it up your ass,"Rohit answered without looking up.

"I'll tell it to you anyway,"Satish continued, unperturbed and merrily."Question-how can you tell a tough lesbian bar?"

"Lots of chicks singing folk-songs about the.... empowering experience?"Rohit ventured,forcing a smile.He needed to diffuse his steam and a few laughs wouldn't hurt.

"He he,no," Satish guffawed."The answer is-even the pool table won't have balls."

Rohit couldn't help chuckling.

"You know there is always this thing I was curious about with lesbos and gays,"Satish put on a thoughtful face."Who decides who gets to be the man in the relationship?"

Rohit didn't answer.He just kept on looking into the distance, and Satish continued."Hmmm...Riya is the more assertive one.Yep.That's gotta be it."

"What makes you think they need to crack their heads over that kinda thing?"Rohit presently said.

"What?"Satish blinked at his friend.

"Gays won't necessarily need pre-outlined gender roles,would they?"Rohit said after reflecting a bit.

~~~~~~
"This thing about Rohit.." Riya said to her friend as she huddled a pillow on her sofa,"..he is just so easy to talk to regarding a number of things.He always tries to figure out another person's POV."

"Uh.huh?"Annesha spoke.

"He is the first guy I technically didn't say 'no' to," Riya went on."The others before him...I just had to shoot down..."

"Coz he is different?"

"Kind of,"Riya bit her lip thoughtfully."I mean when I am with him,our conversations happen outside of some societal weight.... or expectation of norms.... you know..."

"Perfect male buddy for a lesbian to have,huh?"Annesha said with an amused expression.

~~~~~~
"Any romantic relationship....homosexual or otherwise... always has a dominant one and a submissive one!" Satish raised his voice."Someone leads.The other follows."

Rohit kept silent.He had never been much for pre-set, narrowly defined ways in which relationships were expected to behave.If you take away what everyone tells you it means to be a man or a woman and what that implies for how you supposedly must exist in the world then, well, you just have a bunch of people trying to adapt to a changing world and do the best they can while caring for and loving the people around them.

~~~~~~
"Look,you know how I've been.No one ever told me to wait for a Prince Charming to arrive on a white horse. I didn't grow up with roles and expectations around how my relationships would function.I could easily tell Rohit all that.He used to get me,"Riya said as she fiddled with her cell phone.

"A very understanding kinda guy,huh?"Annesha asked sympathetically.

"Very."

~~~~~~
"What do you think they must be doing right now?"Satish asked Rohit.

"Planning their children,for all I care,"Rohit answered sourly.

"Like who will give birth to the baby and all that?"Satish grinned mischievously.

"And ask me to be the sperm donor?"Rohit smiled wryly."Nah.I guess adoption is the route they are gonna bet on."

Satish's grin got wider."He he,maybe they are quarreling over whose career would be more important than the other after they have children."

Rohit replied with a smirk,"Yeah.Fighting over how to divide housework and childcare on top of that!"

~~~~~~
"But he's very moody,"Riya said."He will cry and whine like a baby sometimes.Say stuff which he doesn't mean.Just because he is hurt."

"Looks like you know him better than he might know himself,"Annesha said appreciatively.

"Maybe I do,"Riya replied."Which makes me feel all the worse for it.I should have said no to him three months ago."

"Hmmm.If you don't love him,maybe you should't have led him on.I am not judging you or anything.Just saying."

"Who said I don't love him?"

"You do?"

"I love a number of men, but have never been interested in them romantically.And out of them,I love him the most.I can say it as many times as you wish me to.I love him.Seeing him hurt makes me hurt.And knowing I caused this pain..well...." Riya's voice trembled a bit as she left her sentence unfinished.

Annesha went over to Riya's side of the couch to hug her.As her friend held her,Riya went on,"I don't go about my life or reach out to my friends for companionship or advice because of their gender.I hate grouping my male friends and my female friends into separate categories of human beings.I mean,it sometimes feels weird that I have to think that they are inherently different in what they have to offer just because of their chromosomes."

"Yes but...unlike me...you are an out and out homosexual,"Annesha said soothingly."I have bisexual tendencies.But I know I can still get attracted to a guy.That's why Akash and I are still going strong.But you can never feel attracted to Rohit.It simply won't work."

"Yeah,"Riya sighed."I know.It's just...I don't want to lose him...that will hurt me too much.You know something?"

"What?"

"I wish he were gay too.That way he would never get attracted to me.And we would still remain friends."

~~~~~~
"I should've seen it coming," Rohit said quietly."The signs.They were all around."

"Hmmm?"Satish's tone became querulous.


"Never wearing make-up, always wearing baggy clothing.Because typically she was not trying to attract men."

"Interesting,"Satish pinched his chin thoughtfully."And most of her friends are male."

"Exactly," Rohit snapped."She feels more comfortable with people she is not sexually attracted to.And there's something more."

"What?"

"Whenever I used her laptop,I found her browser history always clean."

"You mean to say.." Satish began questioningly.

"She used to check out lesbian porn,dammit!!!!Something she didn't want others to see."

"Nice deduction,Sherlock,"Satish looked amused.

"What're you doing?"Rohit asked Satish as he saw his friend intently twiddling with he QWERTY keyboard of his phone.

"Tagging you."

"What?"

"Yup.I updated my FB status-@Rohit Gupta cannot think 'straight'.Courtesy @Riya Basu."


"Are you outta your freaking mind?"Rohit shouted.

"Relax,cry baby,"Satish chortled."Just messing with ya.I didn't put that on my wall or anything."

"Fuck you!If people read that,they will think I'm gay.And not Riya."

"If you were gay,there would be no problems to begin with,"Satish said with sarcastic relish."You would have been the gay best friend which every good looking babe wants to have."

"Screw you!!"Rohit growled.

"You are using the terms 'fuck you' and 'screw you' quite frequently today.Makes me wonder.Are you gay?Like you have latent feelings for me or something?'Coz I'm totally straight." Satish made a faux-scared face as he shot off his joke.

"Fu.." Rohit started and then swallowed his words.Satish laughed out.

"I should just go ahead and break up with her,right?"Rohit asked after his friend had stopped laughing.

"Nyah.You should stick with her.Who knows you might get lucky."

"What?"



"You might land yourself in a threesome,you idiot!!" Satish grinned a toothy smile."Think about it."

~~~~~~
It was a Sunday.And the following day,it was back to office for Rohit and Riya.They worked at the same place.Rohit maintained a stoic,stubborn silence all the time Riya was in his vicinity.Finally Riya gave in,and confronted him near the coffee machine.

"We need to talk,Rohit."

"Ok.Talk,"Rohit crossed his arms.

"Not here.My place.Evening."

"Your place?Won't I be invading your and Annesha's privacy?"Rohit poured in a good helping of sarcasm into his tone.

"Annesha left yesterday night.And would you stop being so childish?"Riya couldn't mask her vexation.

"Childish? Woaah!I learn my gf is actually more interested in playing for the opposite team than mine.And I'm supposed to be all cool and calm about it!!Right??"

"That's what we need to talk about,Rohit.Gawd!Stop creating a scene here,"Riya almost pleaded.

"You were just playing me all the time!"Rohit accused.

"I wasn't."

"Oh yeah!Why did you hide this tiny little detail about your sexual orientation then?So insignificant it slipped your mind,eh?"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me?You make me laugh.Why on earth would you care about hurting me?It's not like you're in love with me or anything." Rohit's annoyance was growing steadily.

"I may not be in love with you.But I sure as hell do love you."

"Now,that's a new one."

"Why does love always have to be about romance and stuff?Is your definition of love really so narrow?"

"Ohh...so ..lemme...see...if I got this right...Riya Basu loves me...like someone loves her pet dog..right?"

"My gawd,Rohit.You are being so impossible right now."Riya shook her head in disappointment.Deep down,she knew Rohit didn't mean a word of what he was saying.He was babbling just because he was in too much pain.She wished she could ease his misery.But he wouldn't let her.

"Look,Riya,"Rohit's voice now took on a guilty softness."Things haven't been easy for me since this Saturday night.One moment,I'm head over heels in love with someone.And the next,I discover she’s less turned on by men than she is by women.It's just too much to process for me."

"I know,Rohit.I know,"Riya locked her eyes with Rohit's."But I wasn't using you.For god's sake,please don't make yourself believe that.That's as far from the truth as it can get."

"I dunno,"Rohit looked down at his feet."I need time."And he turned and left.Leaving Riya alone at the coffee machine.

~~~~~~
"Trouble is,I can see exactly how Rohit is feeling right now,"Riya said into the phone."He loves me like crazy, but if he's giving me all of himself, it's so normal for him to want the same from me.I feel so guilty for putting him through all this."

"I think the best thing to do is kinda start easing out of the relationship and try to preserve the best-friendship while it might be possible,"Annesha spoke into the other end of the line."That's the most he can get from you."

Riya was about to say something when her door-bell rang."Hey,I'll call you back,"she said and hung up the phone.She ran to the door,hoping it was Rohit.

It was just the cable guy,asking for the rental.

After sending him away with the money,Riya plopped dejectedly down on her sofa.She was about to call back Annesha when her bell rang again.She went tentatively to the door.To her relief,this time it was Rohit.

"I'm so glad you came,"Riya managed to say with a smile.

"Yep.I've a lot of talking to do myself,"Rohit replied,brushing his hand through his hair in that cute way.

"Ok,you first then,"Riya responded.

"Look,I've been thinking,"Rohit's voice became flat and grave."A lot.And I realized I cannot....I do not want to break up with you because you like girls.But if I don’t,what's in store for me? You're never gonna be with me both emotionally and sexually.And that's guaranteed to wear me down eventually."

"I do not want to break up with you,Rohit,"Riya's voice suddenly assumed a steely resolve.

"Why?Just because you're feeling too guilty to call it quits?"

Riya didn't have an answer to that.Somehow,she knew Rohit was right.
"Maybe it's just time to move on,"Rohit said.

"Rohit,don't go away,"Riya felt ashamed of herself for saying these words."I need you."
He was her emotional support, he was already the best friend.
And although her better judgement dictated otherwise,her heart was just not ready to let go.

Rohit quickly took her in his arms and hugged her tightly.He didn't want to leave her.The very thought scared him like hell.She was the only girl he ever truly loved.

But she wiggled uncomfortably in his embrace.And he knew.

"It isn't gonna work,is it?"he said,looking into her eyes.

"No."She wished it did though.Deeply so.

He unwrapped his arms from around her and said,"You know it is funny."

"What?"Riya asked curiously.

"See,all of us go about life,debating an abstract painting and being absolutely sure that what we see in the art is the correct interpretation," Rohit smiled smugly.

"What're you getting at?"

"When you move beyond what you're told you're supposed to be because of biology, the potentials are endless," Rohit looked over her shoulder to the wall behind as he uttered these words."Whatever gender means or doesn't mean is a shifting more and more every day."

"Yes," Riya's voice warmed.She was again beginning to realize why she liked Rohit so much."Strictly held beliefs fall by the wayside and the world changes.Today's convictions become fables of tomorrow."

"Precisely.Life is slowly lacking defined lines clearly pointing out what things should necessarily look like."

"Is that a bad thing?" Riya's gaze searched Rohit's eyes questioningly.

"No.Not at all." And saying this,Rohit bent his head and planted his lips passionately on hers.This time Riya didn't feel uncomfortable.Not the slightest.The remained like that for a full minute.

As Rohit finally withdrew,Riya asked,unable to contain her surprise,"Woaah!Did this....mean anything?"

"You tell me.Was it good?" Rohit smiled down at her.

"Yes.Very...very good,in fact." Riya's voice trembled noticeably and her cheeks became red.

"Good.It was a good-bye kiss." And saying this,he left.For good.

And surprisingly,neither Riya nor Rohit felt it could have ended any better.Love stories are usually of two kinds.Either the guy gets the gal or he doesn't.But just as there are people who don't identify along the binary of expected male or female roles,so are there some stories,which don't belong to either.

~The End~

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A Life Les Ordinary

Love stories are generally of two kinds.Either the guy gets the gal or he does not.This one belongs to the third.

Rohit and Riya were walking barefoot in the sand.Amidst a soothing night breeze and the sound of waves crashing on the shore,Rohit knew there couldn't be a better time and place to do what he had in mind.He suddenly stopped walking to Riya's surprise.It was quite dark and the moon shone from behind the clouds quiet faintly.Rohit could barely make out Riya's expressions as he heard her chuckle,"Stopping in a lonely dark beach where no one is watching?I hope you don't want to rape me."

"What if I do?" Rohit joked back."The idea does seem inviting.Judging by the way you made yourself look tonight."
Rohit was earnest about the latter half of his statement.He could keep smelling the sweet scent of her jasmine perfume all night.The stirring which he felt each time when her bare arm grazed against his was indescribable.The shine the moonlight made when it bounced off your smooth shoulders was something he could never get enough of.

"A deluded dude," Riya began merrily,"who thinks throwing some rehearsed lines at a chic is gonna impress her......a forgetful doofus..... who has forgotten I have a Black Belt in karate.....all potential ingredients of a guy who is gonna get beaten up very badly today at my hands,I should say!!!"

"Well that might actually happen today!" Rohit grinned."But not for the reasons you mentioned."

"He he.Why?" Riya's eyes shone mirthfully."You got something more sinister planned in that big skull of yours?"

Rohit brought out his cell and pressed the 'Unlock' key.His cell had a strong back-light which shone quite brightly.Riya's face gleamed eerily in its whitish glow.Rohit felt his heart skip a beat.Maybe two.He couldn't be sure.

"Here,"he handed his still lit up cell-phone to her."Take a look around."

Riya took his phone with an amused quizzical expression on her face and shone its light around.She yelped in amazement at what she saw.

There all around them was a huge heart shape drawn in the sand.On one arc of the heart,the name Rohit was scrawled.On the other,there was Riya.
"My gawd!!!" Riya shrieked in delight."This thing is as big as your living room!"

"Oh well,I've a big heart!" Rohit smirked."And you are standing in it right now!"

"Hmmm," Riya put her hands on her hip with a mischievous look on her face."What if I trample on it?You sure you have a spare heart in your  car for the heart-broken ride home?"

"I don't want to sound corny,but...if I did I would have given that to you as well," saying this,Rohit brushed his hand through his hair in a way which Riya always found cute and endearing.

"What??"Riya guffawed."So that I can break that too?"

"Would you do that?" Rohit locked his eyes with Riya's in an earnest gaze.

"Umm..."Riya shifted uncomfortably,dragging her foot in the sand a bit."You mean you are serious about all this?"

Serious?Serious would be an understatement.For the last two months,ever since they had met,Riya was all he had thought of.He didn't recollect anyone he had been more comfortable with.She was the kind of gal with whom he could discuss anything about.Being prude was simply not in her behavior's lexicon.While talking with her,Rohit often forgot that he was talking to a girl.Her inhibitions regarding talking on certain topics were surprisingly low for a chic.There had been multiple instances where they had even rated together gals on the scale of attractiveness.Typical guy stuff.But Riya was surprisingly easy to talk to regarding all these things.She could easily make guys feel at ease.You didn't have to worry about ruining your impression using loose guy-talk when she was around.

Rohit had come to this beach alone earlier in the evening and had drawn the heart in the sand using a bucket as a shovel.He had then finger-written their names in the sand.Never too proud of his own handwriting,he had washed and rewashed the writing away a dozen odd times before he was finally satisfied.

"Ohh.." Rohit suddenly became tongue-tied."I guess you always saw me as Just Friends material,huh?" was all he could mumble.

"Rohit,I'm sorry,"Riya looked guilty."I'm sorry if I've led you on.I know we gelled very well in the last couple of months.....I really like your company..But..."

"Hey,it's cool," he tried to put up bravely."You were just being friendly.I guess I misunderstood....I should be the one saying sorry..I..."

"Don't Rohit."

"No,I meant...."

"I said,don't.You've nothing to be sorry for.I kinda knew...."

"You knew?"

"Yeah..this has happened before.I get close to some guy.And he starts thinking I'm into him."

"Happens to a lot of women,I guess,"Rohit looked uncomfortably down at his feet."I'm sorry you had to face this again."

"It happens a lot with women,yes.And believe me...It happens A LOT with me," Riya looked steadily at his face now."I guess I must be doing something wrong."

"Look I'm saying it again.I'm sorry...let's forget this ever happened,ok?" Rohit looked up and said clumsily.
"Will you forget this ever happened?" Riya's gaze into his eyes bore deeper."That easy,is it?"

"What's the option?" Rohit now matched her gaze."You don't .....you don't feel anything for me..No point thinking over it,is there?"

"Who said I don't feel anything for you?" The timbre of her voice suddenly shifted.

"You do?"

"Yep.You're not like other guys.It's very easy to talk to you."

"That's got nothing to do with me.Guys feel it is easy to talk to YOU!"

"Do they?" Riya smirked mischievously.

"Yeah.Cross my heart." Rohit smiled.

"Even then,you are much nicer to talk to than most other folks," Riya's voice grew warmer."You don't come with a baggage of preconceived notions of what is right and what is wrong.You're very accepting of a lot of things.I like that.A lot."

Rohit didn't reply.He just brushed his hand through his hair in that cute way which made Riya want to hug him.
"Rohit?" She said suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"How serious are you about me?I mean if I say yes and things don't work out that well between us,will you be ok?"

"Umm..I think I can take a heart-break," his smile poured goofiness."Guess things ain't that serious." Even as the words left his mouth,something occurred to Rohit and he immediately added,"Wait..was that a trick question?Was the correct answer supposed to be something else?"

Riya's tight lipped smile grew wide."Gotcha!!"

"Gotcha,what?" Rohit burst out confused."Yes?No?What is it?"

"He he," Riya chuckled tantalizingly.

"Gawd,Riya!!!Say it...."

"Are you up for a probation?" Riya's eyes gleamed as she cocked her head to one side teasingly.

"Probation?"

"Let's stay together and see how things work out between us,ok?" Riya's tone became serious now."I am not saying yes right now."

"And you're not saying No either," Rohit's hopes sore.

"No,I'm not," she smiled again.

"And when does this probationary period end?"Rohit grinned.

"It's not even started and you're already aching for the end?" Riya tittered and then cooed,"No no no!!!You can't fast forward to the ending so fast."

"Ok,I'll take what I can get,"saying this,Rohit took her hands into his.

Riya looked at the happy glow in her friend's face and couldn't help feeling sorry for him.He was a gem of a person.Not perfect.Very much flawed.But he seemed to understand her like very few others did.Despite everything,the truth was-she didn't love him.And she never could.No matter how much Rohit tried.Or even,she tried.One day,she would have to tell Rohit that.And that would hurt him.She knew.She didn't need to tell him the whole truth.She decided she would try everything in her power to ease things for him.

But,if everything had gone according to Riya's plans this would have just been another ordinary tale.Of a guy spurned by a gal he cared for.The extraordinary part arrived when he did find out the whole truth.And she didn't even need to tell him.Three months later.

It was when Riya's best friend from school,Annesha visited their town.They went to a pub and catching up on good ol' times somehow led to both Riya and Annesha having too much to drink.Rohit had felt highly uncomfortable during their entire outing.Riya and her bosom buddy almost seemed to have forgotten that he existed.They were so busy catching up with each other,that Rohit felt that he was only chauffeuring them around. The pub which they went to had sheltered private booths.As he returned to their booth after paying the bill, the most unexpected sight greeted his eyes.Riya and her friend were in a passionate lip-lock!

Riya was a homosexual.And realizing it...was just about to make Rohit's life a lot les ordinary.

To be continued...

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Teri Meri Kahaani II

2012 was here.The year the world was supposed to end.Rajiv was fine with that.His foremost concern was just that he would be headed to the other side without a taste of love.Lately a nagging realization had been slowly growing within him-that deep down somewhere he had been comparing all women in his life with Rashmi.She was the benchmark.The unadulterated mercury with which he measured a prospect's hotness in his compatibility thermometer.

So you know you are in love.What happens next?Do you call her up in the middle of the night,when she wakes up all groggy eyes and wonders if you are out of your senses,and then drop the bomb on her?Do you jump the guns on her the moment her name appears in your online chat friends list?Or,in case,you want to avoid being too direct,do you shoot off a long mail pouring out every ounce of pure emotion you felt for her?

Rajiv didn't know what to do.He was afraid that whatever option he selected on the multiple choice question paper of love,he would inevitably flunk.In the high school where Cupid is the Principal,Rajiv was notorious for fetching bad grades.So he just sat on his feelings,like a hen sits on her eggs.Foolishly hoping that love would hatch out of them on its own.

January 2012 Gtalk chat
Rashmi: Wass with you?You don't come on FB.No skype.No gtalk.Is everything all right?I can't even remember the last time we had a chat.
Rajiv wondered why even deliberately avoiding Rashmi hadn't helped decrease his feelings towards her one little bit.
Rajiv:Yep.Everything's cool.You say.How are things @ ur end?
Rashmi:Okayish.I am in a long distance kinda something with this guy I told you about.
Rajiv:The PhD guy?
Rashmi:Hmmmm
Rajiv:What's this guy's name?I am tired of just calling him PhD guy!!!!
Rashmi:Pranabesh.Pranabesh Thakur.
Rajiv:Told your folks back home?
Rashmi:Yep.For the first time,my parents seem to approve of my choice.:-P
Rajiv:Ohhh..okk.Gr8.
Rashmi:Umm..you don't sound so excited.
Did Pakistan sound very excited when India ended its World Cup dream in the semi-finals?
Rajiv:It's nothing.Got an important thing @ my office tomorrow.So I am kinda off.Sorry about that.
Rashmi:Ok.
Rajiv:So I take it you aren't so lonely out there anymore,right?:-)
Rashmi:I can't say that.It's still long distance and all.Sometimes I still feel utterly miserable here.:-(
Rajiv:Hey gtg.Will ttyl..ok??
Rashmi:What?!! :-O We haven't talked to each other since so long..and you leaving now??
Rajiv:Yep.Sorry.Have a long day @ office tomorrow.SO...
Rashmi:Ohh..it's ok...Bye...best of luck @ the office:-)

Rajiv chose to opt out of opting for options.He didn't want to be said No to.So he never asked.
But take a guy who is in love on one hand.
And his expressing his feelings before the gal on the other.
And you know that the two will inevitably draw themselves to each other.
It is destiny.It's fate.
Just like pirated downloads and anybody with an internet connection inevitably draw themselves to each other.

And so it was,on February 2012,that Rajiv finally decided to take the plunge into the icy cold waters of friendship-turned-into-love.He would finally tell her what he felt for her and get over with it.Leave the rest for HER to decide.And maybe,Cupid!

10 February 2012 Gtalk chat
Rajiv:Hey,I needed to say something important.
Rashmi:Umm...I have something to say too.
Rajiv:Ok..you first!! :-)
Rashmi:No no..you say what you want to..
Rajiv:I insist!! :-)
Rashmi: Cut the crap out,Rajiv!!!!Say it...
Rajiv:I said,I insist!!:-)
Rashmi:Umm...I dunno how to say it.
Rajiv:Try typing it out one word at a time.:-P
Rashmi:I wish I could laugh now..but I ain't really in any mood for it.
Rajiv:Why? :-( What's wrong?
Rashmi:Nothing.
Rajiv:Now I'm getting worried.
Rashmi:Hmm..
Rajiv:Would you tell me already?
Rashmi:It's not that easy to say,Rajiv.If it were I would have told you.
Rajiv:Just tell me,ok?
Rashmi:I think I maybe pregnant.
Rajiv:What??!!!!
Rashmi:Yes.Now you know why I was hesitating.
Rajiv couldn't help thinking he had just waited around far too long.
Rajiv:Would I get to know exactly how this happened?:-O
Rashmi:Remember that guy I told you about?The PhD one?
Rajiv:Woooaah!!You don't say...
Rashmi:Hmmm.. :-(
Rajiv:Wow!For the first time,I don't really know what to say.
Rashmi:I am just such a bad person!I feel so cheap!:-(
Rajiv:Hey..hey..hey!!Hold on there.You got lonely.And stuff happened.It's cool.:-) Cheer up!Btw,you sure about the pregnancy thingy?
Rashmi:Umm..I dunno.I will go to the clinic tomorrow just to be sure.
Rajiv:Ok.
Rashmi:I just hate to imagine what you must be thinking about me right now.
Rajiv:I am not thinking anything.
Rashmi:Don't tell me you are ok with all of this!!!
Rajiv:I am.Except one thing.
Rashmi:What?
Rajiv:Why the hell didn't you use protection??!!! :-D
Rashmi::-( :-( :-(
Rajiv:Hey it is ok.You both are full grown adults.There is nothing wrong in making out!!
Rashmi:My parents are gonna freak out!!!:-( They trusted me and this is how I repaid them.
Rajiv:Ok..don't tell your parents.Problem solved.
Rashmi:I have to.
Rajiv:Why?
Rashmi:Coz he and I want to keep the baby!
Rajiv:What?You sure?
Rashmi:I was reluctant.But he insists we should keep it.And he has already told his mom.It's my turn now!
Rajiv:Woaah!
Rashmi:It sounds bad.I know.:-(
Rajiv:Everything's gonna be all right,Rashmi.:-) Cheer up.Your parents may be angry at the beginning.But hey..they will understand.You staying away from friends and family for so long.They must have guessed you may have made out once or twice.It's ok..Trust me.
Rashmi:I wish you were my dad,Rajiv! :-(
Rajiv:Best of luck...and hey...you never know...maybe you are not pregnant after all.See what the clinic says.
Rashmi:Fingers crossed,Rajiv.:-(
Rajiv:Everything's gonna be ok.Relax.:-)
Rashmi:You know it's weird.Three years ago,I never imagined in my wildest dreams that one day I would in...THIS.So messed up.I mean I'm gonna get married to this guy!!!And this whole thing had to happen like this.I feel so...
Rajiv:Hmm?
Rashmi:I dunno...
Rajiv:That's what life is,I guess.Takes you by surprise.:-) I've realized it now too.
Rashmi:You did?Why?
Rajiv:Never mind.:-) Not important.

11February Facebook
Rashmi:It's official.I'm carrying a baby!!
Rajiv felt something sharp stab through somewhere in him.
Rajiv:Hmmm..and how do you feel about it?
Rashmi:I honestly dunno.At one level...I kinda feel good actually.That I am gonna bring this baby to earth.At another..I am just shit scared!
Rajiv:Told your home yet?
Rashmi:I hate to think how my parents will react!!!:-(
Rajiv:You have to tell them sooner or later.Delaying will only make it worse.They deserve to know,Rashmi!
Rashmi:I hate it when others tell you something you don't want to do and you know deep down they are right!!:-(
Rajiv:Ok.Don't tell your folks!!!Marry this guy!!And then 9 months later...tell ur mom and dad on Skype..Hi mom...hi dad..Look you just became granma and grandad!!!Isn't he cute??Dad,I think he got your nose!!And mom,your lips!! :-P
Rashmi: :-D
Rajiv: :-D Now THAT would be something your parents might freak out over!!!
Rashmi: :-) Thanks for listening to all this,Rajiv.I couldn't tell it to anybody else.
Rajiv:What?You mean...no one else knows?
Rashmi:No.And please keep it to yourself.Please.
Rajiv:Of course.You don't need to tell me that.
Rashmi:Rajiv?
Rajiv:Yeah?
Rashmi:I still dunno if we should bring this baby!What if we can't handle it?Both of us still have our studies.I will be off my PhD for a considerable time because of all this.What if I mess up everything?
Rajiv:Look,Rashmi.I dunno what should be done and what shouldn't.All I know is-it takes a lot of courage to be ready to bring an unplanned baby into this world.And you guys already showed that courage.I am proud of you for that.And even if you don't decide to give birth,it is still ok.Coz if you feel you are not ready to be a mom yet,it's best for the baby that it doesn't come here.In either case,do whatever you are ready to face the consequences for.No point debating what's right and what's wrong.10 people will give 10 different opinions.Just take a decision and stick with it.
Rashmi:Hmm.:-( I guess I cannot take a decision I am ready to stick with.. yet.
Rajiv:It's ok.You will do fine.:-) Trust me.

15th March Skype
Rashmi:I dunno if I can go through this!!!!
Rajiv:Hey...don't freak out now!!Everything is going alright,right?Your parents accepted your situation.Pranabesh is ready to tie the knot with you.And I am sure your university will be able to accomodate your pregnancy in your PhD thing,won't it?
Somewhere deep down though,Rajiv couldn't help wishing that things hadn't worked out so well.
Rashmi:It's not the logistics,Rajiv!I dunno if I want to marry this guy!!
Rajiv:Pre-wedding jitters,huh? :-)
Rashmi: :-( I guess.
Rajiv: Hmmm...
Rajiv mulled over whether to tell her now what he had in mind for so long.
Rashmi: Rajiv,do you think it is possible to find the perfect guy to fall in love with?
Rajiv:Umm..why do you ask?
Rashmi:It's like...it is always a compromise,right? You can't have a perfect score on the compatibility test,ever!!Right?
Second thoughts about Pranabesh?Was this the right time to tell her how he felt about her?
Rajiv:Well,yeah.It's just about finding the best fit.Through trial and error.
Rashmi:And time is a constraint here.We've to find someone in a finite time.
Rajiv:What are you getting at?
Rashmi:Nothing.Just trying to convince myself that settling down with Pranabesh isn't such a bad idea after all.:-(
Fuck!!Rajiv couldn't do this!!!
Rajiv:It isn't.:-) He asked you not to drop the baby.He seems to be a good guy.
Problem was-Rajiv was one too.
Rashmi:He is.Just that I dunno if I love him.
Rajiv:Have you told him about it?
Rashmi:No.
Rajiv:Maybe you should.
And there he was,playing the selfless knight in shining armor when it would have better suited him to play the scheming minister who wants to usurp the throne.
Rashmi:What's the use,Rajiv?The marriage date is fixed.There is no going back now.
Rajiv:You can at least push back the marriage.Give yourself time to think about it.
The scheming minister was rearing its ugly head somewhere.
Rashmi:Mom and dad will never accept this.
Rajiv:You don't know that yet....!!!!!!And you'll never know if you don't tell them.
Rashmi:Leave it,Rajiv.Guess I'll just take what comes my way.
Rajiv:Aren't you being stupid now?
Rashmi:I've already done the stupidest thing possible!!!How far worse can I get?
Rajiv:You are being unrealistic here.Your guilt is blinding you.
Rashmi:I dunno anymore.I dunno anything.
Rajiv:You can't let your guilt blind you.After all,you haven't done anything wrong.
Rashmi:Rajiv?
Rajiv:Yeah?
Rashmi:If this marriage craps out and say you don't find someone by then as well,will you marry me?
Rajiv:Without a second's hesitation.:-D
As if she needed to ask!!!!
Rashmi: :-) I knew you would say this.You sweet you!!!!!!!
Rajiv: :-)

1st April Skype
Rashmi:I did something bad!:-(
Rajiv:Huh?
Rashmi:We decided not to have the baby after all.:-( The marriage is still on,though.
Rajiv:Ohh..
Rajiv would have preferred to hear the same thing with the positions of the baby and the marriage reversed.But wishful thinking can only get you so far.
Rashmi::-(
Rajiv:And how do you feel about this right now?
Rashmi:It's funny.I mean the thought of becoming a mom was finally becoming likeable to me.Yes,there was this concern about responsibilities.But still.There was this some kinda warm inner glow.
Rajiv::-) Must be the hormones hopping and dancing about like the hippies in Redwood National Forest.
Rashmi: :-( Slowly,right and wrong are just becoming text-book words for me.I am doing this,I am thinking that,I am going back on my promises,my decisions changing every second.Why did life suddenly have to become so confusing????
Rajiv:Yeah.:-( Life is confusing me too a lot these days.
Rashmi:Huh??
Another opportunity to tell her.But he would just let go of it.Just like he had done several times before.
Rajiv:Yep.Chuck that.:-) But you know,maybe you two did the right thing.If you guys don't feel ready for this baby,then maybe it is best if the baby doesn't come.A baby deserves a better environment to grow up in.You probably couldn't give that to it right now.
Rashmi: :-( You will always say I didn't do anything wrong,right?No matter how badly I screw up...???
Rajiv:LOL.
Rashmi:No.I'm serious.And it's like I know I'll always get to hear what I need to hear when I'm with you.And that makes me want to talk with you again and again.You're becoming my addiction.
Rajiv:Nonsense.:-P Of course you goofed up.You goofed up bad.;-)
Rashmi: I did,didn't I? :-( I shouldn't have made out.Fuck!
Rajiv:Nyah...you definitely should have.:-) But you just goofed up by not using protection.That's the only mistake you made in my book.
Rashmi::-D Your book? What's it called? "Mistakes which Rashmi can make in my opinion"?I'm sure it must be a flimsy thin book with only a couple of pages.
Rajiv:Nyah.Just a couple of sentences.At most. ;-)

23 April Gtalk chat
Rajiv:28th June,huh? :-) The D-day!!!!
Rashmi: :-) He he.Now it is starting to feel kinda nice you know...all the attention!!Mom and dad enquiring whether I have eaten well every night.I mean they always used to do that.But now there is this extra concern.And Pranabesh's mom calls too.Almost twice every week.
Rajiv:Uh..huh....Being pampered like royalty,huh??? :-D
Rashmi:He he..yeah...hey you know something?A gal at my college asked me a weird thing today.
Rajiv:What?
Rashmi:She asked me if I knew any single nice guy around.LOL.:-D
Rajiv:And lemme guess...the first name that popped to your head was mine? ;-)
Rashmi:Well...not exactly.:-D
Rajiv:O boy!!:-( I don't even qualify as a single nice guy anymore? And I stayed alive to see this day!!!
Rashmi:LOL.No.I meant this idea of fixing someone with someone else.I always found this weird.
Rajiv:Weird?Why?
Rashmi:Well,I dunno.:-) I mean this whole idea....it's kinda like arranged marriage somewhat...I feel..:-P
Rajiv:LOL.
Rashmi:Gawwd!!I feel so relieved these days.:-) It's like the clouds have swept away.And it finally feels so good to be engaging in pointless banter with you.
Rajiv:Yep.Been a long time since we chatted on inane nonsensical stuff.:-D
Rashmi:Do you watch BBT?
Rajiv:I love it!!!Bazingaa!!
Rashmi::-D He he..Sheldon Cooper rocks!!
Rajiv:He practically owns the show.:-D
Rashmi:Are you into Lost?I am watching the final season now.
Rajiv:Nyah.I just get lost in watching BBT.:-D
Rashmi:You should try Lost.:-)
Rajiv:Hmm...yeah after season 5 of BBT gets over,I guess I will need a new series to grow addicted to.:-P
Rashmi:Rajiv?
Rajiv:Yep?
Rashmi:Thanks for everything.:-)
Rajiv:Why?:-) I didn't do anything.Pranabesh did.:-P
Rashmi:LOL.No.I meant thanks.Thanks to you for just being you.:-D

Sometimes in life,you don't know what you want.And sometimes,you know exactly what you want.And for one of the few times in his life,Rajiv realized what he exactly wanted.He wanted a happy ending.For himself,of course,in the long run.But right now,he just wanted it for Rashmi.

And the day finally arrived.28th June,2012.The day he would lose Rashmi to another guy forever.Strangely enough,he wasn't feeling that bad.He was experiencing one of those rare moments when losing something brings more of a sense of accomplishment than winning it.And as he walked up to Rashmi that day,all decked in bridal wear,he couldn't help wondering how things might have played out differently if only both of them had taken different decisions four years ago.

"Long time,huh?" Rashmi smiled at Rajiv."You've slimmed down a bit."
"Yep.And you haven't done too bad with youself either," Rajiv replied,giving Rashmi an appreciative head-to-toe scan."Say,last chance.I am here.A taxi is waiting outside.Do you still wanna make a run for it?"
"Hahahhaa", Rashmi's laughter swam into his eardrums like musical notes floating on air waves."Don't make that offer again!!You hear me?I might start seriously considering it otherwise."
Rajiv grinned.Rashmi punched him in the shoulder.
"Hey I have to go," Rashmi said in a hurried tone."Lots of stuff to take care of.You wait right here,ok?Don't go away!!!"
"Busy bride,huh?"Rajiv winked."I will be right here."

As Rashmi left,Rajiv started looking around at the wedding hall and the guest assembled.Rashmi was at a distance,merrily conversing with a group of guests.Suddenly,a female voice beckoned him from behind.
"So you are Rajiv,huh?Rashmi told me a lot about you."
Rajiv spun around to see a girl in her mid-twenties standing before him.While not drop-dead gorgeous and a bit on the heavier side,she had a stunning smile and sparkling eyes.
"Mostly good stuff,I hope," Rajiv smiled awkwardly.Talking to strangers,that too from the opposite gender,didn't come so naturally to him.
"He he,mostly yeah." Her eyes shone naughtily."My name is Radha,by the way."
"Rajiv,Rashmi,Radha,lots of R's," Rajiv observed with a joking smile.
"He he," Radha's laughter reminded him of trinkets jingling in a silent night."All your characters have names starting with R too,don't they?"
"What?"
"Your stories.On your blog.Many of them have the protagonist's name starting with R." Radha's eyes sparkled even more brightly as she said this.
"You read my blog?"
"Yep.Rashmi told me about it.I got hooked to your posts.Read all of them in a week."
"What??"
"He he,yeah.You have a stalker now,"Radha winked mischievously.
Rajiv immediately turned to look in Rashmi's direction.Rashmi smiled at him from where she was standing.Suddenly,snatches of a chat conversation they had in April flashed in his memory.Rashmi was trying to fix him up with this gal!!
"Wow,a stalker,"Rajiv smiled and turned to look at Radha again."Having one had always been a To-Do in my list of accomplishments."
"So what about your Hogwarts series?You left it midway.Why?"
"Not enough readers."
"Well you got me,"Radha smiled her bewitching smile."Your most loyal reader ever.That won't do?"
"It's certainly worth giving a thought,I guess," Rajiv brushed his hand through his hair as his grin widened from ear to ear.

The End

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