Fifty-Eight days passed, I did not get any single message, call or e-mail from Hritisha’s end. She had deactivated her social media accounts including Facebook, Instagram, Skype, Hike, and Snapchat. She had blocked my number and did not even reply to any of my emails. I was not aware what's going on with her life. At one point, I thought whether she was alive or not.
I booked a ticket from Dubai to Delhi and planned to stay there from Thursday to Saturday. I reached Delhi on Wednesday midnight and moved to the hotel by 2 am. After dropping my handbag on the bed, I left for her home. I waited until morning 8 o'clock opposite side of Hritisha’s home, but she did not leave for her office, maybe she had taken a leave.
However, I did not want to take any chance so, I went to Shastri Park metro station prior to her office timings. Again, I waited till 7:00 PM at the Metro station and did not see her. I came to my hotel room with great disappointment and tried to call her, but her phone was switched off.
The next day, I did the same thing again. However, unfortunately, my luck was not in my favor. I could not see her. Hritisha’s phone was switched off for the entire two days. I decided to enter her house, but then I realized it would create a huge scene. I postponed my flight from evening to the next day early morning and dropped Hritisha an e-mail that I would wait at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib the next day.
The third day, which was a Saturday. I woke up early and reached Gurudwara by 8 o'clock. Constantly, I was checking my phone and was expecting a call from Hritisha. I waited since morning till evening at Darbar for her to come and meet me once at least but again Hritisha didn’t turn up. Maybe she did not read my e-mail. Her phone was switched off for last three days.
I left Delhi but I did not give up. I had to rush, as no one in the office knew about my visit to Delhi.
Life became miserable; I could not eat properly, could not sleep properly, and could not work properly. I got a final warning from my office, for not concentrating on my job. Thanks to my manager who understood my situation and saved me from being terminated from the job.
It was almost eighty-five days, I did not talk to Hritisha. My charming face turned dull under depression and visible dark circles appearing below my eyes. I was losing interest talking in talking to others, in a proper manner; inclusive of my family. It was becoming difficult to stay at home, as tears would roll down my cheeks every night. Seeing such condition of mine, my roommates started asking me all sorts of question regarding our relationship. Just to avoid answering them, I decided to spend my night at the creek side, rather than staying in my room.
One day I called Aaqil and told him about my present situation. Madeena and Aaqil consoled me and asked me to move on. I was not in touch with Amrita and got totally detached from her after finishing the CPA. She became a mother of a child and was busy taking care of her baby. So I thought of not bothering her by narrating her awful situation.
Every night I would find a corner and whip alone, where nobody could see me. I was going mad and depressed. The pain was becoming unbearable day after day.
Almost Hundred days passed, I was totally out of my control. The only person who could help me to get out of such situation was only Hritisha. However, I did not know in which world she was living. I thought music would help me to get over from the situation so, I went to an Indian pub, near to my home. They were playing hit music of Bollywood. I wanted to enjoy silence in the loud music.
'Kuch chahie aapko sir?' A waitress at the club asked me.
She was quite tall, slim and fair; anyone would fall in love with her at very first sight.
'Red Bull' I said.
'Any drink sir?' She asked.
'No. I don't drink.'
I noticed that almost all men in the pub were trying their level best to talk to that waitress. The waitress’ attitude didn’t indulge any cheap nuisance acted by the drunkards.
When a client tried to hold her hand, she instantly called a bouncer to throw him away from the pub. She brought a Red Bull along with nuts on a tray and kept it on my table. I looked at her and she smiled at me. I did not smile back.
'Kya hua sir; Gusse me ho?' She asked me.
'Nahi' I said no.
'Achhi baat hai' she winked and left.
I ordered four more Red Bull that evening. The waitress asked me to stop drinking more Red Bulls but I did not listen to her.
'Sir, My Name is Mahi' she said.
‘Siddhant’ I introduced myself.
‘Take my phone number, call me whenever you visit pub next time, so that I can reserve your table' she took my mobile and saved her number by herself.
Office to home, home to the pub, and pub to the home became my regular schedule. As the days were passing by, I went on missing Hritisha more and more.
After a week or so, Mahi said 'Kuch problem ho toh aap muje bata sakte ho. I am like your friend Sir' she asked me if I could share my problems with her as a friend.
As soon as she told me that she was my friend, I burst into tears. I cried so loudly that everyone started looking at me. Many of them were laughing at me.
'Abey ladki hai kya? Stop crying, you fucker.' one of the customers passed a comment on me who was already drunk.
I did not listen to him, but Mahi got angry, and she slapped the customer. She asked her manager for a day off and her manager approved her half day as she was the most loyal waitress of the pub. Mahi took me to her home, where no one was present. I noticed four more beds.
'Don't worry Siddhant; they will come in the morning, after duty hours,' Mahi pacified me.
I was not in a state of mind to say a single word. I was holding my tears for last two weeks and as soon as Mahi asked me to consider her as my friend, I lost my control and started crying. She sat beside me: I told her about my love story; how Hritisha and I met, how we got separated, about those four days in Delhi, everything from the beginning. Tears were also rolling down her eyes.
Mahi wiped my tears, removed my shoes and asked me to sleep for a while. I felt relax after sharing my pain with someone who could feel the same pain as mine. She went to the washroom to change. I was shocked when she came out from the washroom covering her with a towel and winked at me.
Mahi laid beside me, put her head on my chest and wrapped me in her arms. I started feeling uncomfortable. She too shared her story; how her ex-boyfriend used to beat her, forced her into sex without getting married, forced her not to talk to any male in her place Hissar, Haryana, not even her cousin brothers. She told me how much she was frustrated with her ex-boyfriend's behavior and came to Dubai with one of her cousin brother, who was a bar manager in another pub, without informing her ex-boyfriend.
I consoled her.
I closed my eyes for a while, and I felt that she kissed me on my forehead when I opened my eyes. She was looking at me. She untied her hair and again kissed me on my forehead. The fragrance of her hair seduced me. She went one more step further and kissed me on my cheeks, bite on my neck. I turned my face when she was about to kiss me on my lips. Slowly slowly she was trying to unbutton my shirt.
'Stop' I said.
She put her finger on my lips to make me quite, removed my whole shirt and started kissing and licking my chest. She removed her towel. She was completely nude. Mahi unbuckled my pant and removed it.
‘I love you Siddhant’ she whispered into my ears.
I ignored her and closed my eyes. She bit my ears and as soon as she tried to remove my underwear, I pushed her away. I fetched my clothes and shoes and left her room. She apologized and convinced me to stay.
‘I like you Siddhant. Please don’t go’ she was pleading. However, I ignored her.
I wanted to apologize to Hritisha for the whole situation. I did not cross my limits that night. I dialed Hritisha’s number more than thirty times, but it was switched off.
'Please help me. I am dying' I dropped her email.
