Chapter 20 | Her
My day skipped straight to the evening; since I have been sleeping all day, like I’m kind of doped. Way too dazed to sit and assess the joke I’ve made out of myself, before falling to sleep again.
The vicious cycle of falling into my nightmarish slumber is on repeat.
What the fuck happened to routine!
I rub my eyes in the dark hall, trying to get on my feet with support of the couch’s armrest, when I get reminded how bad I am afraid of the dark now. Paranoia fills me as memories of my deranged lover flash in my mind.
My mind races along with my heart; arhythmic and unsteady thuds beating inside my chest. While my mind seems determined to make me nauseas.
Breathing becomes erratic as I make my way towards the light switch; like his phantom is going to jump out of a corner and drag me back to my bedroom to brutalize me again.
The ring of my doorbell makes me jump. For the briefest moment, my heart was in my throat; threatening me to shoot out. But thankfully my head reacted swiftly and with the jolt I switched on the lights, filling the dark hall with a warm yellow light.
With a hand on my chest, I approach the door, when the bell rings again. Covering my mouth to muffle the slightest whimpers, I reach for the doorknob before turning it with a slow click.
“Hey... what took you so long to answer the door?” Jessica fills the hall with smiles and a scent of something like jasmine.
She’s a beauty standing at about my height only bit more goldish tan, with beautiful black soft curls around her roundish face flaunting pouty full lips; sometimes I wonder how I end up befriending the hottest ones out there.
“I... I was asleep. H – had to switch on the lights... It was – it was – dark.” I stutter, rubbing the sweat off my face.
“Here... these were by the door when I came.” She hands me a somewhat huge bouquet.
Of FUCKING RED ROSES! I instantly recognize who it must be. Taking it hastily, looking for a note.
Please tell me it’s not him!
There is a card with what seems like a handwritten note inside.
What will it take to make you believe that you are meant to be mine, muffin?
I could let you slit my throat, if that would make you love me in return.
And then I would love you in death and beyond... that’s a promise!
My instant reaction on reading the stupid note is throwing the whole thing the fuck away, startling Jess in the process.
“What the fu... what happened D? Who is it from?”
I recollect my lost breath before breaking into silent sobs of defeat.
“This man has the fucking audacity to make love professions, after destroying me like the toy I am to him...” the dam breaking into J’s arms on the floor.
And for a moment I forget the fact that he may be watching me through the dozen cameras that he has set all over this place.
When she manages to compose me a little, I swiftly pull out my phone before typing out telling her that we’re being watched.
Later, I message her about everything that happened on the night of my first date with Nakul. The good parts in detail; the horrible parts in short. But she gets the message.
I am falling for my lover – the guy that I absolutely need to avoid now. And I have to be a slave for the maniac who believes he’s in love with me. Like that’s the only thing important.
He did save you once...but I still fucking hate him.
When I am done explaining, I take my leave to bathe and dress up in my night shorts and tank tee. I had informed Jess about the cameras so she could avoid being indecent; but being indecent was never a concern for her. She’s way too cool for that kind of thing.
I lowkey envy her for being so unbothered. Carefree.
WE SETTLE DOWN AFTERdinner; my body almost crazed craving the booze that has kept my shit together for the past days.
“Booze time... I’ll get us –”
“Wait!” she calls out behind me, “I need to talk to you about something...”
My face tenses instantly; there are only so many times I’ve heard her say something in that tone.
“Don’t tell me you’re in trouble again...”
She bites her lip and I surrender, “Okay, what have you done this time?”
“Anya called me in her office to hand me another bounty for my performance last month.”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
She tenses for some unknown reason; staring at me as she speaks, “I must have done better than the average; but not good enough for the boss – of my boss, to hand me a hamper full of assorted alcohol.”
“You’re overthinking. Get drunk, think straight. Like you always say...”
“Disha, I am not touching that thing again,” she retorts breathlessly.
“The last time when I was upset with my now-ex boyfriend, I binge boozed two bottles of vodka from the bunch. And got so sick, I had to be rushed to the doctor. Thank God! An old friend of mine who happens to be a general physician, was in town and asked me to come over to her clinic. She did a few tests on me.”
Her brows scrunch as she continues, “You won’t believe what she found out.”
Now I have another reason to be tense. If whatever she’s about to say is related to the liquor we have been ingesting like crazy; it could mean that I am in trouble, too.
“She told me there were traces of psychotropic and narcotic substances in my blood sample. And that something that I’ve drank or ate must’ve been spiked with those.”
My mouth dries at the thought of having drugs in my bloodstream. What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?
And suddenly, I feel grateful that the creep drained a little of my blood.
Maybe I’ll ask him to do it again; only to get rid of this shit from my system.
The next hour or so goes by thinking of ways to steer out of this mind-numbing situation, after which we drain the bottle of wine down the sink; the one that I was planning of finishing tonight.
Just as I am heading to get the comforters, Jess calls me from the bedroom, “D, were you planning on going to this thing alone?”
When I head over to her, she is already studying the invite Payal handed me over in the morning.
“Aprons Unite Art Festival. Invite only. The biggest one in town! Wow that sounds cool!”
“But I don’t think I’ll be able to attend it. You can go if you are interested.”
“We’ll go. Both of us. You and me together – against the world.” She chuckles trapping me in a warm hug. “And we’ll have fun, and forget all the drama in our lives. Okay?”
“Why are you dragging me into it, Jess. I’ve got too much on my mind. I don’t think I’ll be able to enjoy anything, anytime soon.”
“We’ll sort that out later. First you need to message her if she has another one of these.” She fans the invite with a determined look on her face.
I am only getting accustomed to giving up so I text Payal asking for another invite.
Ten seconds later she texts me back saying she’s out for some business; but her husband has been informed to hand us over the other one.
“We’ll have to go collect it from downstairs. Are you coming?” I say meekly.
She nods and we head downstairs.
Like my floor, this one is also entirely unoccupied, except for the one Payal and her husband lives in.
And I’ve never met him before, but I’ve heard about the middle-aged man working his ass off for his family’s comfort. That’s the version I know from what Payal told me the few times we met.
After the second ring the doorknob twists open to a man with greyish black hair probably in his late forties, smiling invitingly at us.
His expression freezes me instantly as he scans my attire. And I suddenly realize what I have been wearing.
Shit! I don’t normally roam around in these.
His eyes ogle both of us while he speaks in sort of gibberish, “So you are the Disha she’s been talking about?”
He clearly looks way too drunk for any conversation, though. I feel so thankful that Jess agreed to accompany me.
“Uhm... We were told, you are going to hand us the invite Payal talked about.” I hesitate.
His intentions taint his crazy eyes, “Yes. I will. Come in, please.”
My intuition is stopping me from considering to enter that place; instead, one more creepy activity, and I’m making a run for it.
I eye the invite resting on the table by the side of the door, “No, thanks. We’re only here to collect the spare ticket right now.”
“Oh yeah. But I still insist. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
The next moment, I’m being tugged in by the wrist, “Come on, in. Let’s give each other company for some time and I’ll get you your invite.”
“Are you nuts. Just... leave her.” Jess says struggling with his hand to release mine.
“Oh, you can come in, too. So nice I have two beautiful women in my company tonight.” He’s struggling to pull me inside, just as hard as I am to free my hand from his hold.
Paranoia is getting to know me, once again. Short breaths. Gasping and struggling on my weight.
“It won’t matter after a few days, anyway. Maybe, I could teach you...”
“Let go off of her right now or I’ll call someone. Just fuckin let...” Jess huffs jerking at his hand, releasing mine from his in process; after which we waste no micro second to fucking run for our lives.
Tears of horror run down my cheeks, as the cryptic message plays on repeat inside my head.
It won’t matter after a few days, anyway. It won’t matter after a few days, anyway. It won’t matter after a few days, anyway.
But why? What the fuck is going on here?
Do people know I am being visited, and for what?
We shut and lock the door behind us. I rub my bruised wrist feeling the sting, sobbing while she tries to calm me down.
It takes a lot of time to build something, years maybe; but when it comes to shattering, there’s only so much required to break all that you built inside you.
Jess leaves me tucked in my couch, while she heads to the bedroom.
I have grown paranoid about sleeping in my bed, so I let Jessica sleep inside; while I lay blanketed on my cozy little couch. Curled up into a ball, thinking how I could not notice my life going downhill.
WE GO DOWNSTAIRS FORa walk at about seven. More like a walk for the talk, as I’m only allowed privacy when I’m outside my apartment.
Clouds cover the sun in a way that warms the pluviophile inside me. The weather is serene, yet my mind is not at peace.
It can’t be.
I tried shoving the negativity behind as the sky slowly turned from crimson to grey. Problem is, I still can’t see the silver lining, although the sky is bright now.
But my friend here, has a different opinion.
Apparently, Jess believes it’s not bad luck that’s driving me towards these people. Instead, I might be under the golden parasol of God to be able to escape every one of those.
In fact, she thinks that apart from all the bad conduct the maniac is subjecting me to, he’s still protecting me from about all evil around me.
And I was shocked pretty much at that. Because, I could understand it when she shipped me with Nakul, but with this maniac... No.
No way in hell.
“But I never said I shipped him with you...” Jess retaliates.
“You did. What else does it mean that he protects me. You’re trying to defend him!”
“I don’t even know him. I mean we don’t even know the guy’s name,” her defense dips down to a whisper, “That’s okay if you fucked him, without knowing his name.”
Is that a silent chuckle?
“It’s not even funny, Jess,” I frown.
“Okay. I admit, it’s not funny. Look, all I am saying is that he’s not a monster. He’s just obsessed about you for God knows how long.”
There’s a look of concern on her face, “But there are things far worse than what he is subjecting you to.”
“That’s bullshit. He’s an asshole. No more of his talk, okay?”
Her eyes look shocked at someone standing behind me, most probably at a distance.
Guess I’ll have to make a run from Nakul again today.
When I turn around, the image behind me is of pure chaos. Policemen and people have crowded below my apartment building; an ambulance is being taken inside.
When the elevator doors shut, I scoot through the crowd, looking for familiar faces to gather information on whatever is going on here.
“Excuse me, do you know what–” my question has not even made its way out of my mouth, when I hear a shrill cry from behind me.
I turn around to find the stretcher back; carrying something bloodied. Way too well concealed for anyone trying to look. Following it is Payal. Screaming and crying. Shit!
He’s dead!
He’s dead. And I’m the one to blame. Because I know, this is not a suicide like they’re saying. No one takes their life with a chainsaw, no matter how drunk they are.
I know who is behind this, and I’m the one to blame. If I stayed back last night, he would’ve been alive.
“Jess... he is dead. He’s dead, because of me.” I stare at her blankly. Too stunned to speak anything else.
I can see her throat bob before she speaks; and I know that it’s just as dry as mine.
“You need to get the fuck out of this place. Asap!”