LiFE.... AS IT COMES (CHAPTER 14)

“You lied! You were lying the whole time?”

Sheila was seated in Danny’s office, facing him. Julia or whatever her name was had been roughly bid goodbye by Danny.

“God! Who told you to come now? Had to miss out on more than 30 minutes.” Danny was regretting.

“This is all you can think about right now? About how much time you missed out on? What about Tam?” Sheila shouted.

“Tam? What about her?” asked Danny in a confused voice.

“What do you mean? You go to our house, you make out with her, you propose to her, and you are romping around with a girl in skimpy clothes in office? What does it mean Danny?” Sheila ranted off.

Danny’s eyes hardened as Sheila was speaking. As soon as she stopped speaking he grabbed the glass paperweight and held onto tightly without making a single sound.

“Danny! Am talking with you! And I bloody well expect an answer!” Sheila fumed.

“Well, you won’t get one.” Danny said in a tight voice.

Sheila had enough of it. A few hours ago she was perfectly happy knowing that she would get a good job, and maybe unravel the mystery in her friends life. It was more than obvious that the magnitude of the mystery itself was staggering to her now.

“Danny! My friends entire life is at stake here.” Said Sheila her voice shaking with emotions. “I won’t just stand by and let you crush her life with your feet. Maybe I don’t know Tam for as long as you know but I do know her pretty well. And I demand a reason behind your actions right now! For if it comes out that it is my friend who is at fault then I will correct her. But nevertheless I think Tam deserves a reason for all of this. And I mean it.”

Danny clenched the paperweight and threw it hard across the wall. It smashed into bits with shards of glass flying everywhere.

“Reason? Huh! You want a reason! Very well. You will get one. But what about me? What about my reason? You ever think of that?” shouted Danny as he leaned over his desk towards Sheila, his eyes all bloodshot and his face swollen.

“Danny.... What, I mean..... Huh?” stammered Sheila. She was literally scared. Never had she seen Danny this angry and the way he shouted gave her a bad feeling of what was going to come next.

Danny withdrew himself from that position and began pacing the room. As he did so he began recounting his side of the tale.

“Tam and I were neighbors since birth. We were destined to be friends as our family were friends for ages. We were never given the option of selecting each other as friends. It was somehow taken for granted that we were meant to be friends.

Tam used to hang around with my brother, Rohit, and me. Though, I was elder to her and even cared for her more she would always prefer Rohit over me. They were inseparable in the childhood days. One couldn’t live without the other. She used to look at me as Rohit’s elder brother- a freak, a geek. I used to be always immersed in books, spying her from behind the book.

She used to look so happy, prancing around in the field with Rohit. She was my angel and I loved her like anything. I rarely played with them. As if I played with them I couldn’t stare at her and dream of our future together. I began studying more, to get established fast and marry her off!

When she just turned 11, Rohit went away. My parents had realized Rohit was much more smarter than me and had an aptitude for conquering. They sent him off to live with my uncle in the suburbs of London. He went happily but always missed Tam. Tam too was broken hearted, but concealed it well. I saw my golden chance and became her friend. She accepted me gladly and we did become fast friends. But somehow I always used to feel she would compare me to Rohit at some level. Or maybe, still consider me as Rohit’s brother, who is my friend, not, just my friend.

We both passed college and while I went away to Punjab, she stayed behind in Kolkata. Mailing and chatting over the phone were frequent. And then she began regaling to me about the boys she was going out with. It made me insanely jealous. I used to sit and wonder what was there in these guys that she didn’t find it in me. I once casually mentioned this to her, but she had laughed it off! And then it hit me. I wasn’t smart. I was still the geek friend. First she chose Rohit over me and now there were scores of other guys. I vowed to erase the competition.

I went for a makeover. Complete makeover. And I did something I knew would definitely pull Tam towards me. I began to be exclusive. No silly chats and all. I was always busy. I pretended I hardly had time for her. She realized something was amiss as there was no one to oil her huge ego.

So she began pursuing me. Pursuing me to know what was the reason behind my change. When I met her this time, I pretended to be too busy to meet. She begged me like anything. And then I just experienced the sheer joy of seeing her beg! I wanted a complete revenge on her. A complete revenge for ignoring me, for insulting and humiliating me. I waited for her all these years and she goes around banging guys behind my back!

My newfound personality and charm was getting girls from places I used to dream before. And now it was all in my hands. I can play with Tam as much as I want now. Make her my puppy. She will do whatever I want now. And I can now go around fucking the beauties while she waits dutifully for me. Like I waited for her all these years.”