Chapter-5 | My Dearest Aazaad.

‘When life gives you fruit, what should you do with it?’
‘…Eat it?’
‘Then dude, eat it or donate it if you don’t want it.’
‘Huh?’
‘Wifey, either take Wifey or donate her to me. Why are you wasting her? She is not that bad to be wasted. Actually no, don’t donate her to me she isn’t my type she is more of that ‘gharelu’ type and you know I am into the smoking hot types so just give her to Arun instead. Either way, he isn’t going to get any girl at least you set him up with your roommate. His soul will bless you.’

• Read Previous Chapter-4
• Read Preface and Chapter-1

‘Talk for yourself man, why can’t I get girls? I can get any girl if I want. I don’t need you to set me up with someone I can get someone on my own I am just not interested in anyone as of now.’
‘Really, Arun? My dearest child, can you really get a girl on your own?’
‘Of course, I can get any girl I am interested in.’
‘Take Wifey, then. Impress her and let’s see how capable you are. If you win you can take whatever you want from me but if you lose, you’ll be my servant for a week.’
‘One day.’
‘5’
‘2’
‘5’

Would things have been better if either one of them would have taken her from me? None of us would have gotten hurt, neither of them would have felt betrayed, neither of them would have wanted to choose the ways I chose for myself. It would have been better if they did, it would have been best if I never loved her or… met her. Probably if one of them would have had her from the very beginning, neither of us would have been as hurt as we’ve been. Neither friendships nor the hearts had to be broken.

As soon as our office hours ended we all left for our own places with a promise to be ready till 9. Nakul, as usual, was going to pick us all up. I went home thinking Aazaad was probably going to be excited to go out for the first time but when I reached home I found her note, ‘Dear Ayush, I have something to do. So don’t worry I’ll reach their on my own ’.
‘What is this smiley for? Is she trying to be cute or something?’
Without wasting anymore of my time I hurried to get ready. It was exact 9.04 when I heard the car honking outside my building. 'I will have a fun night. I will only focus on myself tonight.' 

‘What if Aazaad won’t come? Can I still take anything from your wardrobe?’
‘If she won’t come, you’ll be my slave.’
‘And why is that?’
‘Isn’t it a given?’
‘No. It’s not.’
‘Then impress someone else.’
‘Hey, Ayush! Isn’t she coming? Ah! She isn’t the party type, right?’
‘Of course, she isn’t. He said it himself, she is that boring type of a girl. But those boring types are really easy, you know. You just have to say something that sounds meaningful and cheesy then play a little push and pull thing and she is all yours. I can just tell everything about a girl’s type just by looking at her once. You know that, right? I'm just that cool.’
‘Hmm, I guess you can say that. But how are you so confident? You haven't seen her yet.’
‘I have a sixth sense when it comes to women I can tell anything about a girl even after hearing about her too. Just that cool as I said earlier.’

If she was that easy he might not have done what he did, I might not have done what I did but because she wasn’t that easy, we both ended up doing exactly what we shouldn’t have- begging her and changing ourselves into our best and our worst.

While I and Arun were calmly sipping beer Nakul’s curiosity of proving his theory on Aazaad was hyping up level by level every single second. He kept asking me to call her and I kept refusing to do so. Why will any normal person want to get stuck up with his boring roommate on a night he is out to have fun? I did regret my decision to ask Aazaad to join our group but at that time it was the only thing I could do to repay her back. Somewhere inside me, I was really hoping for her to not show up. But things never go as you plan. My phone rang up ‘Aazaad calling’ it said. With a heavy heart, I picked it up and answered ‘Hello?’
‘I’m here. Can’t find you, where are you? Oh, wait! I think I found you.’ Before I could reply to any of that the call got disconnected.
‘She is here.’
Listening to my words Nakul suddenly jumped in front of me, the guy was too excited to see a boring girl at a club than a sexy one. It was a first.
‘Is she? Where is she? Is she coming here, to us?’
‘Why are you so excited? I thought she isn’t your type.’
‘That’s why I am excited. I have never been friends with any such girl, I haven’t even spent much time with any of them. It’s new to me, I am just curious to see what kind of simple boring type girl is ready to live with a guy she doesn’t even know about.’
‘I thought you have dated every girl in this city.’
‘Not the…’
‘Excuse me?’ The voice was familiar, but it was difficult for me to calculate who it was. Nakul turned around and replied, ‘Hey beautiful, give me a second I’ll just get back to you.’
‘Sorry? Do we know each other? I don’t think we do.’
‘Ah? Are you trying to play hard to get? Don’t you think it’s not possible to do it now since you’ve already walked up to me on your own? You don’t have to do all this, usually, I don’t talk to a girl this easily but since you are trying to make an effort, I will. Give me a second, love.’
Laughing to his words, the woman answered, ‘I am sorry, but I wasn’t trying to make an effort and approach you. I actually don’t even know you. It’s just that you were in my way.’ Though I was unable to see her face, I was sure the voice was of someone I knew, someone who was close to me.
‘Okay sweetie whatever you say, tell me what do you want? I’ll give you my time so don’t act like this, it’s getting on my nerves now. It might work on other guys but I like women who are straightforward. All this story making and playing won’t take you anywhere. So try it, be straightforward and say what you want? Wanna go and have a dance or should I buy you a drink and give you my number? What is it?’
‘How about you take two steps to the left? I actually came to...’
‘Aazaad?’
‘Huh?’ Nakul gave me a confused look and I myself was surprised. She looked… she looked beautiful. Seeing her in trousers and oversized T-shirts I never tried to imagine how she’d look in a dress. For a certain moment, I thought I was dreaming but I wasn’t. I never even knew she had such great curves. Thankfully for her black fitted dress, I actually got the chance to see how she looked dressed up. It was far from what I imagined.
‘Y-you look nice.’ Was I being too awkward? Yes, I was. One day you go to a party and realize the person you ignored thinking it was a frog, turned into a princess without even your kiss. How would you feel? I felt wronged. It was disappointing.
‘Thank you. You look nice yourself.’
‘She is- she is her? She is Aazaad?’ When I looked at Nakul I realized that if I was surprised to see Aazaad, he was in a shock. ‘You are Aazaad? But you look- you look hot!’
‘Uhm? Thank you? Is he your friend, Ayush?’
‘Ayush, are you sure she is Aazaad? But you said she is the boring type? This girl, she is my style. You brought someone else, haven’t you?’
‘Are you crazy? I didn’t say anything like that honestly.’ My eyes scanned onto Arun who was carefully trying to escape from our side. Maybe he already knew about his defeat. ‘And yes, this is my friend Nakul and he is Arun. Sorry, they lack manners a little.’
‘What do you mean we lack manners? She just… she is different from what you said about her. Hey Aazaad, you don’t really do all that what he says right? I mean, taking care of him and stuff?’
‘What do you mean? Be specific, its okay.’
‘All that making food for him and all that.’
‘I do that.’
‘You do? And what about writing? You are a freelance writer, right?’
‘Yes, I am.’
‘Are you kidding me? What kind of girl stays at her home all the time read books, write, takes care of someone she doesn’t know and looks like this? What kind of hot girl behaves like this?’
‘Well, aren’t you too judgmental? It’s not necessary for everyone to be the same. Like people may take you for a guy who enjoys drinking and has fun in life. I am taking for you as someone who is trying to hide his problems behind this cool boy facade.’ The smile on her face was provoking and what she said was totally uncalled for. Why was it? What did it mean? Did they know each other already? Neither I nor Arun could understand her statement but Nakul’s expressions were changed. It was like he was ridiculed by what Aazaad said but why was he feeling all that? She didn’t even know him enough to say anything that could hurt him, she didn’t know who he was and how could there ever be problems in the life of a rich guy who is dating someone new every single day? Her statement itself was uncalled for, his reaction was confusing too it was difficult to grasp a hold of the situation but I wish I would have had that day. Maybe things would have turned into something else or maybe… I at least have had the same friend I once had, today too.

‘What do you mean?’ Nakul forced a smile.
Aazaad didn’t answer anything to his question and replied only with the same smile. They both were looking at each other with an intensity hard to explain, the look in Nakul’s eyes said something completely different from his face. His eyes showed that he was enraged while Aazaad, she was just giving her usual smile. I would have let them carry on their staring competition for some more time but it was already getting too uncomfortable for me and Arun.
‘Okay then, who wanna have a drink?’ I tried to break the ice.
‘I think I have to take this call. You guys continue.’ With that Aazaad left us and in a blink of an eye, she just disappeared. Neither of us said anything, mostly because we didn’t want Nakul to get angry again. But just when I thought I should ask, my phone rang too.
‘Hello?’
‘Where are you? What is all this noise?’ Without even checking whose call it was, I picked up the phone and the luck was definitely not on my side that day, it was my mother’s call.
‘Oh mom, I-I was in an office party. Give me a second.’ I ran out as fast as I could and in the way my eyes caught her in a corner talking to someone standing behind a car. ‘She has friends? But she said she didn’t.’ I thought but then left the place to find a quiet corner.
‘Yes, mom.’
‘We are at the New Delhi station. Where did you say you live?’
‘Wha-what? Where are you? What are you doing in Delhi? Also, I live in Gurgaon but just why are you guys here?’
‘We wanted to surprise you. It’s your birthday next week so we thought we should come by and surprise you. You don’t even call us anymore.’
It was a disaster. Surprise? It was more of a shock. I had no clue what I should do and what will I tell my parents about Aazaad. I was freaking out but somehow a stupid idea struck my brain. Maybe it was all led by my foolishness all along. From moving into the home knowing that there was a girl living as my roommate, to sending that same girl to my friend’s house, my foolish brain made our lives take the wrong turn to the endless dark road. If I would have thought wisely once, maybe things wouldn’t have become so difficult.

‘Arun, where’s Nakul?’
‘He left a few minutes after you. He said he wanted to have a smoke. Why? Didn’t you see him on your way?’
‘No. Where is he? I need to ask him for a favor. I don’t know what to do.’ I was freaking out. Was it even alright to ask Nakul to let Aazaad stay with him? Will Aazaad even agree to help me? What if she won’t go? She also pays her part of the rent, why will she leave the house just because my parents are coming? What will I tell my parents?
‘There they are. What are they both doing together?’
‘Nakul bro, Aazaad, I have a favor to ask you both for. Aazaad can you stay at Nakul’s place for some days? Or any other friend’s home but you said you don’t have friends so… Nakul, please. My parents just called and said they are here, waiting for me at the railway station. I can’t tell them I live with a girl. Please. Please. Please do me this favor and I will do whatever you ask me for. I’ll do anything. Please, Nakul. Please, Aazaad.’
‘Anything?’ Nakul asked with an evil smirk while Aazaad just watched me silently.
‘Yes, anything. Just do me this favor.’
‘Ok well, I have no problem I live alone anyway. Though I don’t like her I guess I can manage for some days.’
‘I’m fine too but how many days?’
‘I’m not sure. I am sorry but it all is so sudden I can’t even understand what is happening exactly but ugh! I’ll tell you once I’ll find out. I am so so sorry.’
‘Don’t you have to pick up your parents? Do they know where you live? I can come to pick them up with you.’ Nakul said.
‘Oh yeah, I forgot, thanks for the help ma-’
‘Nakul should come with me so that I can collect my stuff. And Ayush can take a cab and pick his parents up. By the time he will be back we’ll be done.’ I was amazed, I told her to move into a man’s house whom she has met just today and she without saying anything, accepted it and all the more she was helping me instead of saying ‘they are your parents it’s not my headache’. But I guess that’s just how she was. And anyhow she was living with a guy anyway.

With farewells and apologies, I booked a cab for myself and that’s when we all parted.