| ANGAD |

Violet: I can't believe you.

Me: Wait.

I opened my camera app and clicked a picture of Naina, who was swearing at me, unaware of what I was doing.

Me: Now, I'm busy. So, don't disturb. Bye!

I locked the mobile, placed it inside my pants pocket, looked at Naina, and raised my hands, gesturing at her to pause.

"Wait. Don't you remember me?" I asked THE question finally, eyeing her with much anticipation.

"Ummm... I think I have seen you somewhere, but... Where did I see you?" After chewing her hair as if it were peppermint, she spit it off, only to say, "Ah, yes! Angad Sharma. Flight from New York, right?" I nodded a yes fervently, unable to control my volcano of euphoria. "Well... How are you?"

"Yeah. I'm good. You?"

"Broke!" She yelled in my face as if we were amidst an argument, and let out a chuckle that developed into a Cruella-level laughter. Landing on the couch with a thump, she pulled my hand, coiled her hand around my neck, and whispered, "Do you want to drink something?" on my ears soft enough to tickle me.

"Well, no, I just had my champagne," I replied in a tone that matched those of a submissive.

"Then, I'll have one!" Her tone went up the graph as she let out another iconic laughter. "Waiter!" She called him in a tone as slurry as a sauce and ordered five shots of Vodka.

She's one kind of an atom bomb indeed.

"So... What happened?" was what I planned to ask, but she replied to it without allowing me to do that.

"You know what? Once upon a time, long, long ago, there lived an asshole-" She kicked the table that was in front of our couch and continued, "- named Richard Madison. That bastard!" Her teeth became gritty as she added, "He broke up with me since his best friend didn't like me. He called me on the day of the flight and said-" She cleared her throat to imitate, "Naina. It's over. I prioritise Jenny over you. That's it." Letting out her chuckle that always goes up as laughter, she commented, "Like, who the fuck are you to break up with me? Let me tell you. Get the fuck out of my life, you filthy fucking asshole!"

As the fellow drunkards in the bar were eyeing her like a lion does to a worm, I patted her shoulder and whispered, "Naina, relax. Why pressure yourself over a douchebag? I'm sure you will get a tall and tanned doctor from New York with dark blue eyes and a broad nose."

Twisting her neck in my direction with her eyes squinted suspiciously, she questioned, "Are you flirting with me, huh?" While I broke into a toothy grin, she slapped my back twice and continued, "That's fine. I won't scold you."

"Naina, where do you live?" I sat erect while scratching my neck and noticing the bartender bringing her five shots of Vodka.

"Why are you asking it?" She emphasised the word "you" and carried her first shot, only to gulp it down in the blink of an eye.

"Never mind," I sighed and instead focused on her activities.

We didn't talk at all after she gulped down the shots. Five became ten when she chose not to drink anymore.

We were the last people at the bar; Naina waiting for her cab, sitting cross-legged at the entrance of the bar while I was waiting for her cab so that she wouldn't be left behind.

As the black-and-yellow cab stopped at its destination, I gripped Naina's shoulders and guided her to the cab.

As she sat inside, she whispered, "Good night, love," and spoke nothing else as the cab went past this lovesick guy who was blushing like fuck.

***

Violet: Angad, this is too much.

Violet: What would you tell Meeta if she knew this?

After a sweet break from a traumatic argument with Violet, there I was again in my room, arguing with her.

Me: Let's talk about this if she knows.

Violet: No way, Angad. I can't allow this. You're also cheating on Naina in the name of loving her.

Me: Of course not.

Violet: Rubbish! What you are doing now is called an affair.

Violet: If you have guts, break your engagement or leave Naina.

Violet: You can have only one at a time.

Me: Vee, you know that I can't speak against my parents. Then how come breaking the engagement? And you know that I have limitless love for Naina. Hence it's impossible either way.

Violet: But are you going to maintain this even after you marry? What if Naina knew about you and Meeta? After all, she's her best friend.

Me: I can find a way.

Me: Thanks for the concern.

Violet: I love you being sarcastic but sorry, I don't have much patience to admire it now.

Violet: I don't care about what the fuck you will be doing. But you must either break up with Meeta or with Naina. I know that you are highly confused. Hence I will give you a week to do this.

Me: I wonder why you are so concerned about my love life.

Violet: Because... I am the bait who will listen to your ramblings when these girls break up with you after knowing the truth.

Me: If you badly wanted to be funny in this situation, I would suggest the Broadway Comedy Club for you. What say?

Violet: Fuck off.

Violet: Now tell me. Are you in? Or are you out?

Me: Out.

Then all of a sudden, she went offline while I stared at the chat box with a frown.

Did I upset her?

Soon I saw my mobile screen flash with Violet's caller ID.

"I told you clearly what I wanted, didn't I?" I raised my voice a little so she would know how upset am I with her.

"Hi, Angad." I heard an otherwise sweet voice from the other side, which made me scratch my head. It took around twenty seconds of silence for me to realise that the voice belonged to...

"Meeta?" I raised my eyebrows while praying that it should not be her.

"Wow, Angad! You guessed that right! Now I could see how much you love her." This time, I heard the voice of that ungrateful bitch, and I realised that we were on a conference call.

Chuckling unnaturally, I said, "Is that so?" while facepalming hard.

"How are you, Angad?" Meeta asked while I imagined her smiling wide.

"I'm good, Meeta. How are you?" I asked while putting the call on speaker mode and texting Violet.

Me: I'm going, Vee.

Me: Bye!

"I'm okay, Angad. It's just that I miss you so much." She sounded pouty, and I saw Violet's message popping on the home screen.

Violet: I have told her that you are at my house.

Violet: Should I tell her that it's a lie?

"Fuck!" I sighed heavily, without realising that the two girls were listening to this to me cursing.

"What happened, Angad?" I heard Violet asking me in the sweetest way possible. But I know that this bitch is a bitter gourd in the form of Belgian chocolate.

Then the realisation hit me hard.

I quickly texted Violet.

Me: We need to talk.

Violet: Why?

Me: Please, Vee.

I received a message from her in between the awkward silence over the phone.

Violet: Okay.

"Ummm... I... Uh, I'm sorry, ladies. But I just got a text from my senior. I almost forgot that... Ummm... There is surgery to happen tonight. It seems like he's in a bad mood. I have to go. I'm... I'm extremely sorry." I stressed the word sorry to sound genuinely apologetic.

"Well, that's okay, Angad. I was free now after a long day. Hence I felt like talking to you. That was when Violet said that you wanted to talk with me. But... It's okay, Angad. We'll talk sometime later. Bye!" Violet disconnected the call while I sighed loudly.

"Fuck! Did she almost screw me up?" I whispered out of shock and disbelief while I heard the pinging sound from my mobile as anticipated.

Violet: Tell me.

Me: Why did you call Meeta?

Violet: Well... To remind you of the reality.

Me: Remind of reality? What am I? Schizophrenic?

Violet: Beyond that. You're lovesick.

Me: As if you never fell in love.

Violet: I did. But at least my brain worked that time.

Violet: Unlike you.

Me: Just. Fuck. Off.

Violet: Same to you.

Me: What do you want from me?

Violet: Have one at a time.

Violet: That's my call for you.

Me: Good night.

Violet: Asshole!

Me: Thank you.

With that, I went into delusion, where I was rewinding the moments I spent with Naina at the bar.

When we met each other for the first time on the flight, we thought it was the last time. But, the famous last words died finally.

***

This Angad is surely one kind of a guy indeed. Like, look how Delulu is this guy! *rolls eyes* Will Delulu become the Trululu or will remain as Delulu?

Stay tuned for more!

Song Courtesy: Tum Se Hi from Jab We Met.