It was Wednesday and Anjali and Ritu were hanging out in the terrace and sharing acigarette hidden from the eyes of Ritu's grandfather who at that time was away from the house running some errand while Ritu's grandmother had gone to nearby house to meet her friend and exchange the usual gossip. Now Ritu at that time was staying in Mumbai with her parents and was doing B. Com from the St.Xavier's college in Mumbai and was in Surat for her college vacations. Anjali had met Ritu in School in 8th grade when both of them were in the same section and during this time Ritu's father was posted in Surat as the manager in Tata chemicals. Ritu left Surat after doing her 12th from the same school,as her father had been promoted to vice-president of operations and was transferred to Mumbai. Whenever Anjali and Ritu got together they did all sorts of things getting drunk, smoking cigarettes and while walking on the road discussing that which guy would be better for Ritu and which guy would be suitable for Anjali. As they were on the terrace smoking all of a sudden they heard the door bell ring which them a quite a start. They quickly put out the cigarette and frantically looked for the bottle of mouth freshener as they thought that Ritu's grandfather or grandmother had came back and if they had caught them smoking then there would have been hell lot to pay.
Well, they quickly got done and went downstairs and opened the door and there was the cutest guy they had ever seen in their life with a cylinder of gas, wearing the blue and red uniform of with a logo Indane on his shirt pocket. He had the most innocent face and charming smile we had ever seen. Both Ritu and Anjali just stood there transfixed staring at this guy like a statue just looking at him. That guy just smiled at them and said, “Well, if you lovely ladies are done checking me out then can I come and put this gas cylinder down? It is very heavy and my shoulders are hurting." It got them out of our trance and they let him. They told him that they did not know how to attach a cylinder to the stove so he would have to do it. While he went inside the kitchen and was doing his work an argument started between Anjali and Ritu that who would be the one to get his number but they were not able to decide, so they decided that they would let him choose between the two of them. Well after he was done hooking up the gas cylinder to the stove he came out of kitchen. At this moment Ritu did something unexpected," Hey, I know you must be tired from carrying all that weight on your shoulder in this heat so would like to have some cold drink?" Ritu asked him. Well at first he said that he cannot as he was on duty and needs to go but Ritu was a master in the art of persuasion. She with a flirtatious smile on her face said to him would he not even stop and have a glass of cold drink with her even when a beautiful girl like Ritu asked him. Anjali knew at that point she had lost him to Ritu because she had one of those smile that would drive any guy crazy and would make him do anything for her.
He hesitated in the beginning but her smile melted his heart and he agreed to stay back. So Anjali went inside the kitchen fuming from inside and left Ritu and that guy alone and came back with three glasses of cold Pepsi and sat with them. He told us that his name was Ravi and he was studying under IGNOU doing bachelors in Economics and that being a gas delivery boy was his job which he did to support his education. It was soon visible that by now Ravi was enchanted with Ritu by now and more I spent the time with them the more I felt like a third wheel. So I got and went into the kitchen with my Pepsi and sat there on the kitchen dining table drinking my Pepsi alone. From the snippets of conversation that I could catch I was able to make out that they were flirting with each other outrageously. Well after from what I thought was considerable amount of time Ritu finally came in the kitchen. There were a dreamy expression on her face and a stupid grin on her face," So how did it go?”AnjaiI asked Ritu. “Anjali, Anjali you would not believe the kind of guy he is? So charming, so gentle and he also told me a poem Page on Too was so beautiful." At that point Anjali knew that there was no use talking to this girl so the only thing that AnjaliI asked that was she seeing him again to which she answered in affirmative that tomorrow she is meeting him for lunch, movies and walk in the park and then she went on and on about Ravi till the point Anjali was ready to chuck the glass of Pepsi at her.
Next day in the evening as Anjali was at home sitting in her room when suddenly Ritu barged in, ran towards Anjali and gave her a hug. From this Anjali could make out her date with Ravi went pretty Page on Wellshe asked her to give her all the juicy details. She started by telling that they gone for the Ranjanna movie where Ritu had insisted to pay for her own ticket since she knew Ravi did not earn that much that she would pay for her own ticket but Ravi did not let her and paid for her ticket and for the snacks. After the movies she told Anjali that they went Filet O Fish restaurant which on hearing Anjali was quite surprised as it was really one the expensive restaurants in town. So Anjali asked her that how come Ravi could afford taking her there, in reply to Anjali's question Ritu told her that he had also been saving some money for sometime so it was really no big deal. The last part which she told me that it really surprised Anjali was that after lunch they went to the park and that she kissed him and he was really surprised, " Ritu, you stupid girl.", Anjali shouted at her. “How can you do this ? Remember Sushant and after your break up with him you promised to take it slow with the other guy and now please do not tell me that you have already slept with him." At this point all could Ritu say was that how nice he was, how gentle and he was definitely not like Sushant who cheated on her even when they had been together for two years. At least she convinced Anjali that she had only kissed him and had not gotten physical with him, which was a great relief for her as she did not wanted to see her best friend get hurt.
So for the entire two months for which Ritu was in town, she went on a numerous date with Ravi and after their fifth date Ritu told Anjali that they had slept together which was the last straw for Anjali," Ritu I am warning you as a friend you are going to regret it in future." But Ritu was in the cloud number nine. She felt that nothing could wrong and that Ravi was her Knight in the shining armour. It was a feeling when you get when you had just fallen in love with someone. Anjali knew that her friend's this new relationship is headed for disaster. Soon the day for Ritu to leave for Mumbai was fast approaching and both Ritu and Ravi were visibly upset as they would no longer get to see each other. So they decided that whenever possible Ravi would come to Mumbai to meet Ritu and that she would pay for Ravi's lodging since he did not earn that much and for Ritu it was easy since she had a sizable allowance
It had been two months since Ritu had went back to Mumbai to her home but during these two months they remained in contact. They talked to each other twice in a day on phone and sometimes even late in the night. They also maintained contact through watsapp. Every week Ritu told Anjali that how Ravi was making her happy and that he had even come to Mumbai twice in last two months and how they had a wonderful time visiting Marine Drive and beaches all across the Mumbai.
Then one day everything changed. That day Ravi was walking across MM Bridge which had been constructed over the Tapi River when Ritu called him." Hey, baby how are you? What are you doing?" in reply to which Ravi told her that he was walking on the MM Bridge and was going to a friend's house in Athwalines. Little did Ritu know that the next thing which she was going to say would change her life forever," Listen Ravi, if you truly love me then at this moment you would jump from the bridge and into Tapi River". Ritu said jokingly to him. Ravi did not knew whether she was serious or joking but he knew that he loved her dearly so he disconnected her call, put his mobile on the railing of the bridge and jumped down in the raging river towards his death. The other people saw him jumping they quickly rushed over to the side of bridge. Someone had already called 101 and police also arrived within few minutes. They quickly pulled the crowd away and put up the barricades. They also saw Ravi's phone which was just sitting there innocently on the railing of the bridge. They picked up the phone and dialled Ritu's number which was the last number from he had received the call. Ritu answered the call and said in the phone," I knew it you did not love me, you are a big chicken." until officer on the other side replied, “May I know who is this as whoever phone is this he just jumped from the bridge into river." The officer kept on asking on the phone that who was it but there was nothing but silence on the other end.
Well, they quickly got done and went downstairs and opened the door and there was the cutest guy they had ever seen in their life with a cylinder of gas, wearing the blue and red uniform of with a logo Indane on his shirt pocket. He had the most innocent face and charming smile we had ever seen. Both Ritu and Anjali just stood there transfixed staring at this guy like a statue just looking at him. That guy just smiled at them and said, “Well, if you lovely ladies are done checking me out then can I come and put this gas cylinder down? It is very heavy and my shoulders are hurting." It got them out of our trance and they let him. They told him that they did not know how to attach a cylinder to the stove so he would have to do it. While he went inside the kitchen and was doing his work an argument started between Anjali and Ritu that who would be the one to get his number but they were not able to decide, so they decided that they would let him choose between the two of them. Well after he was done hooking up the gas cylinder to the stove he came out of kitchen. At this moment Ritu did something unexpected," Hey, I know you must be tired from carrying all that weight on your shoulder in this heat so would like to have some cold drink?" Ritu asked him. Well at first he said that he cannot as he was on duty and needs to go but Ritu was a master in the art of persuasion. She with a flirtatious smile on her face said to him would he not even stop and have a glass of cold drink with her even when a beautiful girl like Ritu asked him. Anjali knew at that point she had lost him to Ritu because she had one of those smile that would drive any guy crazy and would make him do anything for her.
He hesitated in the beginning but her smile melted his heart and he agreed to stay back. So Anjali went inside the kitchen fuming from inside and left Ritu and that guy alone and came back with three glasses of cold Pepsi and sat with them. He told us that his name was Ravi and he was studying under IGNOU doing bachelors in Economics and that being a gas delivery boy was his job which he did to support his education. It was soon visible that by now Ravi was enchanted with Ritu by now and more I spent the time with them the more I felt like a third wheel. So I got and went into the kitchen with my Pepsi and sat there on the kitchen dining table drinking my Pepsi alone. From the snippets of conversation that I could catch I was able to make out that they were flirting with each other outrageously. Well after from what I thought was considerable amount of time Ritu finally came in the kitchen. There were a dreamy expression on her face and a stupid grin on her face," So how did it go?”AnjaiI asked Ritu. “Anjali, Anjali you would not believe the kind of guy he is? So charming, so gentle and he also told me a poem Page on Too was so beautiful." At that point Anjali knew that there was no use talking to this girl so the only thing that AnjaliI asked that was she seeing him again to which she answered in affirmative that tomorrow she is meeting him for lunch, movies and walk in the park and then she went on and on about Ravi till the point Anjali was ready to chuck the glass of Pepsi at her.
Next day in the evening as Anjali was at home sitting in her room when suddenly Ritu barged in, ran towards Anjali and gave her a hug. From this Anjali could make out her date with Ravi went pretty Page on Wellshe asked her to give her all the juicy details. She started by telling that they gone for the Ranjanna movie where Ritu had insisted to pay for her own ticket since she knew Ravi did not earn that much that she would pay for her own ticket but Ravi did not let her and paid for her ticket and for the snacks. After the movies she told Anjali that they went Filet O Fish restaurant which on hearing Anjali was quite surprised as it was really one the expensive restaurants in town. So Anjali asked her that how come Ravi could afford taking her there, in reply to Anjali's question Ritu told her that he had also been saving some money for sometime so it was really no big deal. The last part which she told me that it really surprised Anjali was that after lunch they went to the park and that she kissed him and he was really surprised, " Ritu, you stupid girl.", Anjali shouted at her. “How can you do this ? Remember Sushant and after your break up with him you promised to take it slow with the other guy and now please do not tell me that you have already slept with him." At this point all could Ritu say was that how nice he was, how gentle and he was definitely not like Sushant who cheated on her even when they had been together for two years. At least she convinced Anjali that she had only kissed him and had not gotten physical with him, which was a great relief for her as she did not wanted to see her best friend get hurt.
So for the entire two months for which Ritu was in town, she went on a numerous date with Ravi and after their fifth date Ritu told Anjali that they had slept together which was the last straw for Anjali," Ritu I am warning you as a friend you are going to regret it in future." But Ritu was in the cloud number nine. She felt that nothing could wrong and that Ravi was her Knight in the shining armour. It was a feeling when you get when you had just fallen in love with someone. Anjali knew that her friend's this new relationship is headed for disaster. Soon the day for Ritu to leave for Mumbai was fast approaching and both Ritu and Ravi were visibly upset as they would no longer get to see each other. So they decided that whenever possible Ravi would come to Mumbai to meet Ritu and that she would pay for Ravi's lodging since he did not earn that much and for Ritu it was easy since she had a sizable allowance
It had been two months since Ritu had went back to Mumbai to her home but during these two months they remained in contact. They talked to each other twice in a day on phone and sometimes even late in the night. They also maintained contact through watsapp. Every week Ritu told Anjali that how Ravi was making her happy and that he had even come to Mumbai twice in last two months and how they had a wonderful time visiting Marine Drive and beaches all across the Mumbai.
Then one day everything changed. That day Ravi was walking across MM Bridge which had been constructed over the Tapi River when Ritu called him." Hey, baby how are you? What are you doing?" in reply to which Ravi told her that he was walking on the MM Bridge and was going to a friend's house in Athwalines. Little did Ritu know that the next thing which she was going to say would change her life forever," Listen Ravi, if you truly love me then at this moment you would jump from the bridge and into Tapi River". Ritu said jokingly to him. Ravi did not knew whether she was serious or joking but he knew that he loved her dearly so he disconnected her call, put his mobile on the railing of the bridge and jumped down in the raging river towards his death. The other people saw him jumping they quickly rushed over to the side of bridge. Someone had already called 101 and police also arrived within few minutes. They quickly pulled the crowd away and put up the barricades. They also saw Ravi's phone which was just sitting there innocently on the railing of the bridge. They picked up the phone and dialled Ritu's number which was the last number from he had received the call. Ritu answered the call and said in the phone," I knew it you did not love me, you are a big chicken." until officer on the other side replied, “May I know who is this as whoever phone is this he just jumped from the bridge into river." The officer kept on asking on the phone that who was it but there was nothing but silence on the other end.
No comments:
Post a Comment