1. THE GIRL IN BLUE

Don’t you dare touch me!" she screamed, her voice cracking under the strain. “How dare you come back here? Haven’t you done enough?" She picked up the vase from the mantle place and hurled it at him with all her might. He ducked, and it hit the wall behind him, smashing into a million pieces. Just like her shattered heart, she thought, as tears streamed down her pale cheeks.

Theirs had been such a sweet love story, or so it seemed. She had walked into the classroom, all dressed in blue, and straight into his heart. "My name is Sapna," she had replied to the teacher's query. "The girl of my dreams!" he had thought instantly, and then chuckled at the corny thought. But she was exquisite, with an elfin face, and a pointed chin that seemed to hold its own against the world.

"Hi, I'm Ronit," he held his hand out to her as she was walking towards the college gate. She glanced at him, and replied, "Hi!" The curt word startled him. He had hoped to start a conversation with her, but those icy cold eyes had stopped him in his tracks. Before he could say anything more, she had moved on.

Days went by, and Ronit continued to persevere. Finally, those cold eyes turned a trifle warmer, and she smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Sapna."

"I know. We're in the same class, after all."

From then on, Ronit and Sapna spent time together. She loved reading, as he did. They had many things in common. And many differences too!

"Ronit, why were you laughing so heartily with Sandra?" Sapna's eyes were icy again. Ronit smiled at her as he teased her.

"Sandra wanted to go out for a date with me," he said.

"What did you say?" her voice was controlled, but he did not miss the tremor in it.

"I said I would think about it," he was still smiling, when Sapna suddenly turned to him. The next moment, her hand connected with his cheek. The pain threw him off balance, as he put his hand on his cheek instinctively.

"What is wrong with you, Sapna? Are you crazy?" he bit out.

"Yes, I am. Crazy about you, Ronit! I cannot bear to think of you with any other girl." She was not apologetic, and Ronit looked at her in disbelief.

"Sapna, just because we are friends, it doesn't mean that I cannot talk to other girls. I have many friends, many of them girls, you know."

Sapna shook her head. "Ronit, we are more than friends, aren't we? I don't see any boy asking me for a date."

Ronit nodded, "But if you do want to go on a date, I wouldn't stop you. Or slap you!" His cheek still smarted. However, their relationship changed after that day. It was as though she lived only for their relationship, a fact that Ronit found strangely exciting. His friends were all envious of him.

"That Sapna is one sizzler, Ronit! How did you manage to seduce her?" Gagan, his roommate, slapped him on the back and laughed. Ronit did not bother to correct him. He knew Gagan and the whole gang would laugh even more if he told them that Sapna and he were just platonic friends. That would hurt his macho image, and so he laced his conversations with details of his so-called affair with Sapna.

From time to time, Sapna would let fly at Ronit, especially when she saw him talking to other girls. The moment she saw a girl's number on his mobile phone, she would begin probing. “Who is this girl? Are you interested in her?" It got to the stage when Ronit began to mask the names of the girls in his phone directory. Devika became Deva, Prabha turned into Prabhakar and Rajini metamorphosed as Raja.

"Aren't you petrified that Sapna will find out?" asked Samar, his best friend. Ronit shrugged. "She will never find out. Even if she checks my phone, she will find only boys' names. So, where's the hitch?" The playboy in him reveled at the suspense. However, he knew that he would have to tiptoe around Sapna, because she could be quite violent if she was crossed.

"Anyway, just be careful! That woman's crazy!" his friend said sombrely.

Ronit could not sleep that night. Sapna's beautiful face kept haunting him. She smiled at him alluringly, and as he smiled back, her eyes turned icy cold, and her lips twisted into a mask of anger, her eyes bloodshot. She looked demonic now, and he awoke with a start. He never wanted to see her in that form, ever! A chill ran down his spine when he recalled how grotesque Sapna had looked in his dream. More like a nightmare, actually!

Sapna sat, brooding in her room. A tremendous rage was consuming her. Was Ronit betraying her, she wondered. She had walked into his room, without knocking. He had been on his phone, and he had not heard her come in. “Don’t worry, Raveena, I will pick you up. Just tell me which train you are coming by.” He cradled the phone against his ear and shoulder, as he bent down to write down the details. Sapna had crept out like a cat, her eyes icy cold. Raveena! Who was she? Why was Ronit going to pick her up? There was a red film before her eyes, as she leaned against the wall.

Ronit had not even realized that Sapna had come in and gone out. He finished his conversation and went in for a shower. Sapna, who was right outside, heard him move into the bathroom and made her way silently back into the room. Her eyes were still icy cold. Ronit’s mobile was on the table. There was a note with the details Ronit had taken down.

Sapna picked up the mobile and looked at the last call. It was from someone called Ravi! Ravi? Who was Ravi? Hadn’t she heard Ronit say Raveena? Ravi! Raveena! The penny dropped. She scrolled down his entire directory and found only boys’ names. She went back to Ravi’s number and pressed Redial. There was a little pause, and then a girl’s voice said, “Hello again, Ronit!” She switched it off immediately and went into Ravi’s profile picture. Ravi was a young girl with a stunning face.

She dropped the mobile back on the table and took up the note on which details had been written down. The train number and the coach numbers were there, along with the time of arrival, the next morning. She took out a tiny notepad and jotted down the details. She quickly shoved it into her handbag as she heard Ronit open the bathroom door.

“Hi, Sapna! I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Of course, you didn’t!” she thought to herself, as she forced a smile on to her face. Her icy eyes gave her away though.

“Anything the matter?” Ronit’s voice broke into her thoughts.

“No, nothing,” she replied quickly, aware of the probing glance he threw at her.

“So where are we going for dinner?” She forced a note of gaiety into her voice.

“How about a pizza tonight? With loads of cheese?” Ronit smiled, and added, “You are looking stunning today. You know I love you in blue.”

Pizza Hut was crowded as they walked in. They ordered a large pizza with double cheese and managed to find a table for two. As she bit into a piece, Ronit said, “You’re quieter than usual, Sapna. Anything the matter?”

She shook her head, as she looked at his handsome face. How could he be so natural, so easy with her, when he was two-timing her? She felt her face turning red, but tried to hide it from Ronit, who was busy wolfing down his pizza. He did wonder why she was quieter than usual, but he knew how capricious she could be. He did not want to explore any further and singe his fingers. The next day was an important day for him, and he needed to tread warily because she knew just how possessive she could be.

After they had had the pizza, they had gone back to Ronit’s room. She could not hold herself in anymore and she had screamed at him, accusing him of having cheated on her with many other women. She had not mentioned Raveena, though. That was her secret, and one she preferred to keep to herself.

That scene with Ronit had drained her. She had thrown the vase at him and walked out before he could react. Since then, she had not seen him or taken any of his frantic calls. This morning she had made her way to the railway station. The train had come thundering in, and she had seen her. The stunning Raveena! Ronit’s Ravi! She had gone up to her and greeted her. “I thought I would give Ronit a surprise by picking you up!” she smiled. “Let’s go to his room and catch him before he gets here. And yes, switch off your mobile so that he does not have an inkling.” It was almost too easy. Raveena had no suspicion, and she went willingly with Sapna.

She sat in the cafe, sipping her lemonade, waiting for Ronit. The blood-stained knife nestled within her handbag. In a few minutes, Ronit came in. His hair was all mussed up, and his eyes were blood shot. As he came towards her, she could sense that he was in a dreadful state.