Chapter 19
Love came back home at 11 pm, all shattered and emotionally wrecked.
‘Hey, you are back already? I thought you’d stay at Sameera’s friend’s house and at least spend some time with her, what did she say? How did it go?’ Radhika fired back to back questions, but Love didn’t answer any of them.
‘Hey man, what’s wrong?’ Aarush came for his rescue.
‘Sameera went…’ Love’s voice was choking, ‘She left me, aborted the baby, went to Australia…’
‘WHAT?’ Aarush and Radhika both shouted together! They didn’t see that coming.
‘Yeah…’
‘And you didn’t try to stop her?’
‘I dropped her to the airport myself.’
‘You asshole! Couldn’t you call me once? I would have talked her out of this.’ Aarush smacked his head.
‘It’s of no use Aarush, I know Sameera. Since day one, she is stubborn and very determined. Whatever she decides, she gets it done. She filed for resignation yesterday, the mail might have gone to Harish, we both were too knocked up to keep a check on anything happening in the HR-department anyways, so I had no idea what she was doing. She booked tickets to Australia, her sister lives there, she said she will get an abortion there, and try to find a job.’
‘So she’s going to settle down permanently?’
‘No! She’s just going on a tourist visa for now, and if she gets a job, she will stay.’
‘If not?’
‘I don’t know man, and how does it matter? She has broken up with me. There’s no hope!’ Love reassured himself and tried to accept the bitter fact that it was over between him and Sameera.
‘That’s horrible man…’
‘I know, right?’ Love wiped off his tears, ‘But that is what I deserve!’ he sat in the couch, and Radhika sat next to him, while Aarush grabbed a chair.
‘You know what I thought about while driving back home from airport? That Sameera was the girl I never deserved. Such a headstrong, independent, amazing woman with a vibrant and vivid personality! Such an amazing woman. I think it’s very right of her to dump me and move on. I deserve it. I deserve every ounce of what I have got. I always knocked up women, ditched them, dump them, made them cry – and now life has thrown me at a point where I am going through what I made others go through…’ Love broke down once again. Since last few days, he had been emotionally wrecked.
‘Damn it man!’ Aarush hugged him tight.
‘I’m so broken, that I’ve even started liking the hugs by men!’ he still knew how to make Aarush laugh, though.
‘Oh you both…’ Radhika hugged Aarush from behind – the three of them were hugging in a unison.
‘Hey, stop it! I’m not into this weird shit of yours…’ Love backed off as Radhika started pulling his cheeks.
‘Come on you guys, let’s go out for drinks!’ Radhika suggested.
‘Look who’s talking!’ Love eyed Aarush who was already staring at Radhika.
‘Someone is pregnant!’ Aarush scratched his beard.
‘I know husband, I won’t drink I promise, and I will even drive the car once you are done!’ she kissed his chin.
‘Alright!’ Love got up seeing them getting cosy and intimate.
‘Hold on, are you coming?’ Aarush asked Love who was about to walk out.
‘No man, you guys enjoy, I will join you some other day!’
‘Hey, don’t be a spoil-spot. Come on! Let’s enjoy like those old days. Infosys days? Remember?’ Aarush smiled.
‘Not anymore man. I don’t remember anything past last four months. I think I was alive only in the time I was with Sameera. Before that I was dead. After it, I am dead again…’ Love walked into his room, and Aarush followed him.
‘This is not going to happen. I am not going to make you be miserable, cry all night, drink like Devdas and puke in the morning. Get a hold of yourself Love, look at what are you doing! If you continue this horrendous shit of yours, I am going to call uncle and aunty from Bangalore, to have a look at their glorious son!’
‘Hey you, don’t drag them in the middle. They are anyways too stressed about wedding of my elder brother.’
‘Oh yeah, I forgot! When is that going to happen?’
‘Next week. I thought I would attend it with Sameera, introduce her to my parents, and talk about my own wedding too. But see what happened…’
‘I understand man, which is why I am asking you to join us. I will honestly get bored with Radhika. She isn’t going to drink, and I can’t even ogle at women when I am with her! With you, I can not only check out hot girls, but also have a company to drink…come on!’ Aarush tried to give him some hope in his dull life.
‘Fine…just for you brother…’ Love went inside to dress himself up and came out in a T-shirt and jeans.
‘This will do!’ Aarush checked him out. He looked okay. Not as amazing or glamorous like he used to, but this was his sad-version so it was bound to look a little boring and dull.
‘Let’s go.’ Love locked the apartment and Radhika pulled the car out of the garage. Aarush sat next to her, and Love hopped in the backseat.
‘Hold on boys!’ Radhika got a call.
‘Hey, yeah…Yeah! How are you? I am going to a club…’ Radhika placed her hand on the receiver and asked Aarush about the club they were going to.
‘Blue Frog, yeah! You be there, alright? See you…Bye!’ Radhika hung up.
‘Hey, who’s coming?’ Love asked.
‘A date for you!’ Radhika winked at him.
‘What?’
‘Yeah! My college friend is back in the city. Let me introduce her to you, I am sure you will love her!’
‘Hey, I am seriously not in a mood to do this. If you are thinking of hooking me up to some random chick, please let me go back home. I will listen to Jagjit Singh and cry myself to sleep, that sounds much better option for tonight!’
‘Horrible, Love! I didn’t know you will become so miserable with just one breakup. It was like a weekly routine for you isn’t it?’
‘I know it was. But not anymore. I don’t want to date any woman in my life!’
‘Ahan? What will you give to have Sameera back in your life?’ Aarush asked.
‘I will die! Seriously! You want me to demonstrate that? Hold on…’ Love opened the door of the car.
‘HEY!’ Radhika shouted and Aarush grabbed his hand, stopping him from doing something insane.
‘Are you out of your mind?’ Aarush snapped back at him.
‘I love her, man!’ Love had tears in his eyes – again!
‘Oh Love…please…’ Aarush held his own head in his hands, ‘I’m the only one who hasn’t cried in last one week. Everyone has been crying, I think I should do that too, isn’t it?’
‘Shut up!’ Radhika reversed the car and drove to Blue Frog.
‘Valet please…thank you!’ Radhika gave the keys into the parking, and three of them entered the club.
‘You remember how frequently we used to come here?’ Aarush still remembered his job-days. He even met Radhika in the club twice!
‘I do…you people have your entire love story revolving around Blue Frog and The Intercontinental. It’s time you start giving funds to them both as a token of thanks!’ Love joked.
‘Hey come on…let me buy you guys some drinks.’ Radhika pushed both of them to the liquor counter.
‘See who’s being so restless. Darling, you are not even getting one drop tonight!’ Aarush told her in firm voice.
‘I know that, I am not even asking for it.’
‘Thanks man, for doing all this for me.’ Love had to shout in the loud music to make his voice audible.
‘Come here, brother!’ Aarush hugged him again.
‘Hey, hey…the girls are looking. Don’t jump at me like that!’ Love pushed him away.
‘Thank God someone is back to being his usual self!’ Radhika winked at him and he smiled back. Aarush and Radhika were happy that Love was being normal slowly and steadily.
‘Hey, are you here? Yeah! We are at the bar…’ Radhika placed a hand on the receiver and told Love that it was her friend who was coming to meet her.
‘Not interested!’ Love whispered, and got up to walk away.
‘At least see her?’ Radhika insisted.
‘Please!’ Love pleaded her, but Radhika wasn’t ready to let him go.
‘Yeah, come over…’ Radhika hung up the phone.
‘She might be coming any moment now. I have called her only for you! Once you get to know a new girl I am sure it will become easier to move on.’ Radhika rubbed her palms as her Pina-Colada arrived.
‘This is all you get to drink tonight?’ Love looked at her with sad eyes, and Radhika punched his arm.
Love was ordering his drinks that Radhika’s friend arrived.
‘Hey Love, turn around…’ Radhika said.
Love turned around to be completely astounded and shocked. Sameera stood in front of him – all dressed up in red, looking suave and hot.