7^th August, 2014.

      Amidst the crowd, she found herself all alone. Seated on the couch in the lounge, this drunken teenager gulped down a few more vodka shots which helped her escape the reality, but also stirred up the juices in her stomach. Everything around her was nothing but just blurry shapes now. A couple of guys, far elder to her came up to her, trying their best to approach her, but failed miserably. She lit her cigarette, took a deep drag and let out a cloud of smoke. Another drag and the bile juices came up to her throat,  quick enough to overpower the fastness of her reflex to walk up to the washroom, and she puked on the table. A couple of people who’d been sitting on the next table insisted on changing their tables. A few even passed comments on her.

This wasn’t something new. Since past one month, Saanvi had been consuming too much of alcohol and smoking packets of cigarette every passing day. It had resulted in loss of her appetite. She ate too little food now, especially compared to the number of vodka shots she had. Her parents had been worried about the change in her behavior. They even thought she was depressed, and to state the truth, she was.

Her younger sister, who stood at the bar counter ordering drinks for the two of them was too busy to realize till one of the bartender informed her that the girl she was with had puked and perhaps needed her at the moment. She glanced towards their table and ran up to her sister.

“Come Saanu di, let me take you to the washroom.” Shreyanshi, the younger of the two sisters, managed to take her to the washroom.

In the washroom, Shreyanshi stood behind Saanvi and rubbed her back, till she was done throwing up all the she had consumed that evening. Her sister meant the world to her, and no matter how much she hated the smell of vomit, she stood by her sister.

“Are you feeling better?” She asked earnestly.
“I’m sorry for ruining your night, Shreyu.” She apologized, feeling guilty.

“Shut up, bitch. You didn’t do anything.”  Shreyanshi retorted.

“Of course, I did. If I had been drinking in my limits, I would not have done this, but I kept drinking in spite of knowing that it wasn’t possible for me to hold it, and see what a mess I created.” She cried.

“It’s totally fine, di. You’re drinking to get over that asshole. But trust me; there are better ways to get over him. Look at me. I am totally over him.” She tried consoling her sister.

“I don’t want to get over him. I want to receive his calls, reply to his messages and unblock him on the social networking site.” She cried loudly.

Although a lot of eyes turned towards them, and it was embarrassing, Shreyanshi didn’t care. After all, her sister mattered to her more than the strangers who were looking at them like they were aliens.

“Then do it.” Shreyanshi smiled.

“Seriously?” You don’t mind? You hate him, don’t you?” She shot the questions, curious to know the answers.

“To be frank, I do, then again, he never really loved me, and the both of you actually love each other. I know you dumped him because he hurt me. Now that I am over him, and the both of you just don’t seem to get over each other, I think you should have a talk with him. From the way he’s pestering you since past one month, I think he really loves you.” Shreyanshi, although 14 sounded even more mature than her 17 year old sister.

Saanvi hugged her little sister tight and apologized for what she was going to do.

“You don’t need to apologize. I’m happy because I would be getting a better guy than this loser, and you’d be with this loser, perhaps forever.” She laughed.

Saanvi smiled. Her smile was worth more than riches of the world to Shreyanshi.

“Take this. Call him.” Shreyanshi offered her phone to her sister.
“Not now, I look so ugly with the mascara smudged around my eyes, stains of tears which have dried up still visible on my cheeks and lips which look swollen.” She panicked, afraid that her sister would call him.

“You look perfectly fine. And he loves you for what you are and not for your looks, so, just call him up. Now.” Shreyanshi insisted.

“You did not drink as much as I did, then, how the hell are you supporting him out of the blue?” Saanvi asked, baffled at her sisters behavior.

“A few minutes before you puked, he called me from an unknown number and begged me to pass the phone to you. He cried over the phone, and although he’s fooled me before with his words and acting, this time, he meant every word of what he said about you to me. I know he was veracious, I could sense that from his voice.” She explained, jubilantly.

“What did he say about me?” She inquired.

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Her sister smiled, passing on her cell phone.


Two months ago.

After the chemistry tuitions, Snehansh had asked his friends if they would want to join him for a long drive to the beach in his new car. Kabir, Dharav and Nishanth had readily agreed. On the way, Nishaanth was too engrossed with his mobile. On inquiring about the person he was talking to, he blushed. He said he was flirting with a girl called Shreyanshi Shrivastava from the St. Thomas. St. Thomas was an all girls’ school, and very few guys were known for their association with the girls from that school, and Nishaanth was not one of them. On further questions, he said he had accepted a random request on a networking site which had resulted in their friendship.

“So, you’re still exchanging messages online?” Dharav asked Nishanth.
“Ummm, yeah. It’s just been a month. So, you can’t expect more than this.” Nishanth retorted.
“Had it been Kabir, he would have been sipping a coffee with her.” Dharav laughed.

Kabir looked at Dharav and wondered what was wrong with him. Kabir was known for two things – his words and his girls. He had his way with both of them. But right now, he just smiled.

“This one isn’t as easy as she seems, boy. She has an elder sister though. But only, she’s a tough nut to crack. She’s hotter, and smarter. Maybe, Kabir could try.”  Nishanth laughed.

“Are you kidding me? Kabir could get you the numbers of both the sisters within no time.” Dharav said, in Kabir’s defence.

Kabir just did not want to get into this, but Dharav had placed a bet on him. He had no choice now.

It did not take Kabir more than two days to know the sisters well, all thanks to networking sites, and less than three to have them in the ‘contact’ list of his mobile. He had won the challenge, but as his friends cheered him up, he went ahead to showcase his talent and began to see both the girls simultaneously. He was dating Shreyanshi, and cheating on her with her own sister. His friends praised him, and he went on with it. But as time passed by, he liked talking to Saanvi, and slowly and gradually, he fell for her. Alas! It was too late for Shreyanshi had read his messages in Saanvi’s mobile and told her how he had been playing with both of them.

He had tried convincing Saanvi, but had been unable to do so, in spite of all his efforts. He kept calling her, sending messages, confronting her by waiting for her outside her school, tuitions and even her flat, but to no avail. Karma had punished him for his wrongful deeds. He cried himself to sleep every night. He regretted all that he had done, but can regret undo your wrongful deeds? No. It cannot. He tried calling all the girls he had betrayed and apologized, only to hear a few cuss words from them. He felt better after apologizing to them, yet his heart was heavy.
 

7^th August, 2014.

Finally, he had decided to put an end to his life and correct his mistake. Like that would mend everything. He had managed to purchase sleeping pills using the prescription that a doctor had given to his grandmother. Before popping the pills, he tried calling Shreyanshi one last time to apologize for all that he had done to her and confess what he felt for Saanvi. Luckily, she had received his call, and in the course of their conversation, he had even criedhis heart out. After disconnecting the call, he had popped all the pills from the two strips that he had bought.

An hour after popping the pills, he had begun to faint. To his good fortune, his father who had woken up in the middle of the night to see if he was studying for his board exams had found him fainting on the bed, with froth and bubbles from his mouth. They had instantly called the ambulance and taken him to the hospital.

Soon, he was inside the ICU, and his father received the call that had led to the continuous vibration in his mobile.

“Hello.”  His father spoke in a faint and feeble voice.

“Hello Uncle, could I talk to Kabir?” Saanvi asked, a little scared if he would ask her why she was calling at that time of the night.

“Kabir has taken sleeping pills and he’s in the ICU at the moment.” His father informed her.

“What? Which hospital is he in?” She asked as she burst into tears.

Soon, Shreyanshi and Saanvi were at the hospital he was admitted at.  On inquiring about the way to ICU at the reception, they had been told it was on the right side of the elevator on the first floor.  

Soon, they were outside the ICU theatre, but they could not find his parents. Saanvi cried louder as Shreyanshi tried to calm her down. As she saw a doctor coming out of the ICU theatre, she ran up to him to ask about him.

“Is he alright, Doctor?” She asked, hopefully.

“I’m sorry, but we could not save him.” The Doctor replied.

She was shattered. She cried as loud as she could, but the tears didn’t lessen her burden. She wished she had received his calls earlier. She wished she had not blocked him on the networking sites. She believed that she was responsible for his death.

She ran inside the ICU theatre, and looked at him covered from head to toe in a white cloth. She kept her head on his chest and cried her heart out. The ward boys who had entered after her asked her to move her aside as they had to take him to the mortuary. Shreyanshi pulled the cloth from over his face to have a look at him for one last time. She loved him too, after all. As she pulled the cloth, she screamed loudly, “He isn’t Kabir”.

Saanvi looked at him, and she said, “He is not Kabir”.

They ran to the reception to ask about Kabir, and were informed that he was in Room No. 204.

They rushed to his room. Saanvi’s heart filled with joy when she saw him talking to his parents.

“Namaste Uncle, Namaste Aunty.”  They greeted his parents in unison.

His parents greeted them back, and said that they would give the kids come privacy and wait outside. As his father passed by Saanvi, he asked her to take care of him. She did not understand what he meant, but said she will.

“How dare you do this to me? You cannot leave me to suffer here and try such a stunt.” She said, holding his hand.

“Love you too.” He smiled, and pressed her palm.

“I never said I love you. I can never do such a mistake again.” She said.

“Your eyes say otherwise.” He winked.

“Don’t trust them. They’re deceptive.” She smiled, from the bottom of her heart.

“If that is the case, I would love to be deceived.” He kissed the back of her hand.

“Love you, asshole.” She hugged him tight.

“Never ever leave me again.” She cried.

“Never again.” He promised.

A promise he knew he’d keep come what may.