chapter 15

     In the evening as I was preparing to leave for home, my phone started ringing. I prayed with all my heart that it would not be the boss’ summon for preparing yet another presentation which meant extra working hours on a lovely weekend. I looked at the phone half-heartedly but was relieved as it turned out to be Ajay who lived in Surat. We were classmates and best friends during our college days. But then life happened and our friendship was limited to occasional phone calls.“Hi, Ajay!” I greeted him enthusiastically, “What a pleasant surprise?”“Meet me at Coffee n’ Cream within half an hour,” he fired it straight.“You are here in Mumbai?” I was surprised. “But, what are you doing here?”“Half an hour,” he said before hanging up, “make no delay, please.”Being an old friend of Ajay, I was used to his mysterious telephone calls. Half an hour later, we were sitting opposite each other in the café.“Now tell me, what brings you here?” I asked.“I am here for a business deal.” An exultant Ajay banged his fist on the table. “And you know what, I have cracked a magnanimous deal!”“Wow! That calls for a celebration.”“Of- course, Sam,” Ajay said as he got up. “But before that, let’s have some coffee.”As Ajay walked towards the counter to place the order, I checked some emails on my phone.“I was dying to meet you, Kavya.”I overheard someone saying from the table right behind me. I assumed him to be some lover-boy and turned back to my emails.“So is it your place or my friend’s apartment tonight?”The voice came again and I raised my head from the mails to listen attentively.“Hey, what’s it?” Ajay asked as he returned with the coffee and saw my utterly bewildered face.“Can you see the man sitting on the table behind us?”“Yes,” Ajay said as he sneaked a glance at him.“Is he the same guy you see in this picture?” I held out a picture on my mobile phone for him to see.“Yes,” Ajay said as he matched the face with that in the picture.“Then, let’s go,” the voice from the table behind us said, “what are we waiting for?”I signalled Ajay to remain silent and heard them walk out.“I don’t believe this!” I said as I saw the face of the man from the window of the café as he walked hand-in-hand with a woman towards the parking lot.“Who is he?” Ajay asked.“Kabir,” I said as I placed a hand below my chin, “my colleague. He is cheating on his wife, Ajay.”“Let him have some fun, Sam.” Ajay chuckled. “Why do you have to bother about it?”“I caught him red-handed with some other woman this morning and now…”“What!” Ajay coughed as he choked on the coffee. “Anyway, let’s have a sumptuous dinner and then go to our favourite discotheque, ‘HELL.”   *     * I closed my eyes and shook my head rhythmically to the music playing in the disco. Ajay looked around and then took a sip from his glass.“Sam,” he finally said after pondering for a while, “This place is my all-time favourite.” “As it is mine,” I opened my eyes at once.“We used to come here on most weekends in college, didn’t we?”“I still miss those idyllic days of college life, very much!” I took a long sip from my drink.“Do you remember the night when we came here after our farewell?”“How can I forget?” I sighed. “That night we were…”The music stopped abruptly and noise from the dance floor seized our attention. Both of us instantly turned to look that way. It seemed like some people were fighting over there. “Oh my God!” I slapped my head as I recognized a familiar face.“What happened?” Ajay asked.“It’s Kabir again!” I said as I jumped to my feet and ran to rescue him.“Hey, Kabir!” I said as I tried to pull him away from the dance floor. “What happened?”“How dare he touch my girlfriend!” A drunk Kabir yelled, pointing a finger towards the woman standing by his side.“You!” I was shocked as I recognized the girl. “What are you doing here? Just go home right now.”“Who is she?” Ajay asked. “Do you know her, Sam?”“She is my neighbour, Tina!”Ajay covered his mouth with his hands and chuckled hilariously.“If you have had your laugh,” I told Ajay, “would you please help me take him home?”  *     * It was already well past midnight when we reached Kabir’s place. Sonia came running to open the door. Her bloodshot, drowsy eyes told me that she had fallen asleep while waiting for her husband.“What happened to him?” Sonia was on the verge of breaking down.“Oh, there is nothing to worry about, Sonia.” My courage helped me cook up some lies. “We had a party at the office and he got drunk.”Sonia helped me take Kabir in. On the way, I noticed that plates and dishes were arranged on the dining table and deduced that Sonia hadn’t had her dinner.“He will be fine by tomorrow.” I hadno  words to console her but still kept trying. “Why don’t you have some dinner, Sonia? We all have already, at the office party.”“I am fasting today, Sam.” She kept her eyes down and I understood that she was lying.We stepped out of her house feeling pity for that meek creature, Sonia.“A man like Kabir doesn’t deserve a wife like Sonia,” Ajay snorted on our way back. “Why is she still clinging to him?”“Because she loves him, Ajay.” GOA, Present Day “What a disgusting man Kabir is!” Chetana scowled.“Disgusting?” Sam laughed at Chetana’s contorted face till he was out of breath. “He is a charmer. And we, his friends, call him Mr. Casanova!”“What a nice name!” Chetana stared derisively at him. “Suits him very much.”“In a way,” Sam sighed thoughtfully, “I hold myself responsible for poor Sonia’s plight.”“How come?” Chetana’s surprised eyes turned his way.“Kabir met those three women through me,” Sam disclosed.“How mean of you, Sam!” Chetana rolled her eyes.“Why do you always jump to conclusions, Chetana?” Sam chuckled. “Listen to the story first.”“Please go on.” Chetana crossed her hands on her chest as she prepared to listen.Â