A call from an unknown number

'You will be fired……,' my manager said with so much rage as I couldn't complete the assigned work on time, which employee on earth could manage to complete his work on time.

'Sir actually', I started

'No more excuses and get it done by tomorrow or else you need to find a new job', my manager said and he left the room closing the door hardly.

I started walking back to my workplace as I have to complete the given work. Oh!! God!! how can I do this all by myself in one day maybe I should quit my job and start something of my type.

A call from an unknown number, I ignored for the first time and I got a call from the same number again and I answered it I could hear more than 1 person's voice

'Hey guys look Abhiram is on call', one person said. I noticed his voice he is Amar my college mate then one by one they started talking to me.

'Hai Abhiram… how are you man, this is Amar'

'Hello buddy how are you this is Raghav'

'It has been ages since we spoke to each other, I said.

'Buddies how is life going on what are guys doing?', I asked.

'It's Raghav's wedding', Amar said.

'Hey man congrats going to start a new life, I said.

'Thanks man what about you, where is Shruthi add her too', Raghav asked.

'Forget about it when and where is your wedding?'

'Here in Hyderabad', Subash said.

'Great I am living near Miyapur', I said.

'Great ping me your address I'll come to your house', Amar said

'Raghav what about you?', I asked.

'He is in deep shit right now, Amar said.

'Why Raghav what happened?', I asked.

Raghav started:

You guys know that my goal is to be a successful businessman. I have developed a device that can actually convert the Wi-fi to mobile data means when you enable my device in the Wi-fi region it converts that signals to your mobile data which you can use like normal mobile data. Those days in Mumbai I used to live in a boy's hostel and we are supposed to share our room with strangers to reduce the price of our room. There is this guy named Adithya we both used to talk a lot about each other's life experiences and we both got connected and we became good friends. Surprisingly his ambition was to start a business and he needed some capital to start it so, he applied for a loan in the bank and those bank people asked him for surety signatures and Adithya asked me to sign those papers I believed in him that he would pay back that amount and signed those papers later his business got utter failure and one day he vacated our room and he left without a single word after a few days those bank people started calling me to pay that amount back!

'Wait what did you pay that amount first of all how is the amount you need to pay back, I asked

'I need to pay 70 lakhs by this month end', Raghav said

'Raghav are you serious why would you pay this let's find him and make him pay this amount, I said.

'Abhiram the thing is we both found him and you know what he said who is Raghav?', Amar said

'What Raghav is this true? How can you leave him like that?'

'Yes, that's true. It's okay I'll manage that amount and pay it back', Raghav said.

'Raghav you can't say that let's find him out'

'It's okay buddy, for trusting him I have to pay off that debt and guys never sign a surety paper.'

'Raghav, how did you feel didn't you feel bad and tensed after listening to this'

'My device got clicked and my company offered more money so that debt amount appeared less and yes I felt bad about betrayal not about that amount that I have to pay, I got broken when he said who am I?'

'What happened between you guys', Amar asked.

'Who'

'Shruthi and you', Amar asked

'Nothing much man she ignored me and I lost my cool and said goodbye'

'You should have talked to her again man', Raghav said

'Yes, you should have texted her, Amar said.

'I invited her to my wedding', Raghav said.

'Dude!! Seriously!!'

'Yes', Raghav said.

'Just message and ask for a meeting', Amar said.

'Yes, buddy I'll'

'Okay guys then bye for now', Raghav said.

'Bye', I said

'Ping me your address Abhiram', Amar said.

'Yeah okay bye'

'Bye', Amar said

Raghav how can he leave that moron like that and look at Raghav's attitude he took it easy and was ready to pay that amount though he didn't use a rupee from it coming to me shame on me even completing the assigned work seems a burden to me and feel like quitting my job, Raghav's attitude must be appreciated not fully if we take it on a scale he is at one end and I am at another end what about Shruthi should I text her but she should have texted me first if she does not need me why should I what if she is thinking the same way why don't we give a try for one last time.

'Hai… this is Abhiram', I texted to Shruthi.

'Hey… how are you?', she replied with quite more emojis.

'I am doing good, how are you doing?'

'All good… it has been several days we spoke to each other, again with more emojis.

'Yea… where are you living?'

'I'm here in Hyderabad with my husband'

My heartfelt sad seeing this message.

'Congratulations on your marriage'

'Thank you Abhiram'

'Shall we meet this weekend at our place?'

'Sure Saturday 5:00 pm'

'Yea okay'

'Bye'

'Bye'

It's 4:30, 30 minutes less than the given time I really can't stop myself to see Shruthi my love sorry my ex, my obsession all these days since we stopped talking to each other. We fought with each other, cared for each other, at the end of the day got separated. She is in 90% of my beautiful memories which means, she occupied me. It's time! I can see a lady walking towards me with a big stomach, probably she is pregnant. No!!!!, can't believe it's Shruthi, suddenly I can feel an increase in weight on my heart everything near me became silent I can hear my heart pounding like a drum. She came it's her Shruthi her dressing changed to a traditional woman, she wore a saree in which I haven't seen her in,

'Hey, Shruthi said.

'Hello', I replied.

'It's been ages we've met'

'Shruthi, I have a lot to speak with you'

'Yes please'

'Things are never good between us Shruthi, situations aren't good. You know what I loved you!! Loved you a lot I have tried so many times to confess to you but I couldn't you know why coz you don't even have time to talk and you're busy.'

'Abhiram', she interrupted.

'No please let me continue'

And I continued.

'Do you remember that day Shruthi I called you 3 times you didn't answer, again I pinged you on what's app message was seen but there is no single reply? Do you remember what you said "I was busy" seriously Shruthi how can a person be busy all the time??'

'Abhiram whether you believe or not I was busy that day how can you expect me to chat with you when I'm busy with my work??'

'You are absolutely correct, I have no right to say that, okay does it take more time to say I'm busy call me later or ttyl, which you use all the time. These small things say how much I mean to you and you took me for granted. "No person on earth is busy it's just a matter of priorities". I would exactly treat the same way you treated me when someone is nothing to me.

'You loved me!!', Shruthi sobs.

'More than myself, my heart and mind couldn't take you off. When I try seeing someone, my mind starts comparing her with you, for example, She has got eyes like Shruthi, her hair is like Shruthi's when I talk with someone and he/she uses few words which you use, it reminds me you, I still couldn't find out why I took you too close. There is this one question killing me all the time why did you ignore me, my texts and what did I do which made you hate me?'

'Abhiram even I liked you and I don't know why you're thinking that I am hating you I never hated you

'Then why didn't you reply to me, why did you ignore me I said it in a loud voice with urgency.

'Wait let me finish, this is the reason I was like that. You are too impulsive, you react spontaneously without having a second thought and I was angry because you humiliated me in front of my friends and I stopped replying to your messages to make you understand my anger and you couldn't control yourself and thought I was hating you and you simply said goodbye!.'

'Maybe I shouldn't have been like that, maybe I should phone and talk to you about this I made a mistake which now can't be corrected and why didn't you answer my call on that day.'

'Same reason I was still angry with you and I didn't expect that you would propose me on that day and after that, you simply said goodbye and blocked me on social media which actually increased my anger on you. I expected you to unblock me and message me but you didn't.'

'The same way I did expect it from you that you would talk to me first.'

'So, we both didn't, love died ego wins', Shruthi said.

'Wait you loved me?',

'Actually, yes I was waiting for your proposal'

'Shruthi, I am now kicking myself for not talking to you if I did talk that baby in your womb would be ours'

We both are silent for a minute.

'So, what else Shruthi how's life going?', I asked.

'It's going… busy how is your life going, She replied and asked.

'I was struck couldn't move on thinking about you all the time couldn't focus on my career and those questions, are killing me and the regret of not confessing you bothered me, even more, Shruthi, I am afraid that I'll never be able to let you go'

'Then don't…you need not forget me, but you need to move on and start a life of yours'

'How is your husband taking care of you?'

'Actually good'

'Do you remember that day on a new year which we spent all the day together and enjoyed a lot'

'Yes, such a memorable day!! why would I forget that!!, Why did you ask me?'

'Nothing I just want you to think about it right now, I said and grinned.

Shruthi's mobile rang. Her husband may be asking her to come home fast she is saying that she'll come fast.

'Okay then I have to leave now, my husband needs me.'

'Shruthi…', I called.

'Can you do me one thing', I asked.

'What can I do for you'

'Do you mind if I hug you for last time'

She grinned and said yes, no problem.

I gave her a tight hug and she hugged me back and we hugged for 30-40 seconds and at last, I kissed her cheek and stepped back, she was surprised and took it easy, for one last time we said bye and we departed. I started walking back and after this meet, I am feeling super active, recharged maybe due to the clearance of the regret and the beautiful thing is she had loved me but unfortunately here we are, maybe everything has happened for good and maybe we might fight due to these differences and land in more shit.

After 3 days;

Amar came to my house and asked what happened with Shruthi

'Amar, I got all my answers for the questions which were bothering me all these days. You won't, believe me, she said she did love me and unfortunately, we didn't confess our love', I said

'So, you guys had spent some good time', Amar asked.

'Yes, why don't you sit down I'll quickly say all the chitchats that took place

'That would be great but I gotta go I'll meet you this evening'

'Got to go', my mind voice and felt the nostalgia of Shruthi as she says the same words when she needs to go.

'Let's go out for a movie, Amar said.

'I am feeling headache lets go some other day'

he said let's go to the hospital and get meds and we went to the hospital we took an appointment and we are waiting for the doctor to call us meanwhile I started Amar we would have been together if I had initiated this conversation long back she would have been mine bad luck we both didn't, a nurse came and gave an injection to me I can feel losing my consciousness why am I seeing Shruthi all of a sudden…

Doctor called Amar

'What is the problem', the doctor said

'Sir I don't know what has happened to him (Abhiram), he said that he met a lady but what happened is, I phoned her (Shruthi) and this happened,

'hey Shruthi, what have you done to him?',

'I am so sorry Amar', Shruthi interrupted.

'why'

'I said to him that I would meet him on Saturday at 5 pm but I couldn't make it as I was supposed to go to a village for work purposes and tried to phone him but there are no signals, so I couldn't tell him that I'll catch him on this weekend.'

'So, you didn't meet him', Amar said

'Sadly yes'

'Yea I'll tell him all this', Amar ended the call.

I was shocked listening to Shruthi's words and asked Abhiram what happened. He said that he met her and started to narrate the events between them.'

'This seems beyond the normal need to perform some tests', Doctor said.

After 30minutes

The doctor called Amar to his cabin and started explaining

'Amar, the problem with Abhiram is when he talked to her last time he had regretted so much that he shouldn't have done this and started talking to himself more and more which he has done this beyond normal and we people do it normally but the case with Abhiram is he developed a similar case to multi-personality disorder I'm stressing it is a similar case the difference is very less he thought that she would definitely come at that time and you won't believe I can surely say he practiced how to meet her a minimum of thousand times and when it is the time he started imagining her with him at that time and made situations of his like, nothing to worry this will go away as the time passes and he'll become normal'

'Sir how long does it take to cure this'

'It completely depends on him if he is free of her it is gone if he is still holding her then it takes time better don't say to him that he hallucinated her he might get too low and this may go to next level'

Amar started imagining the events and felt goosebumps. The doctor said he can take him home once he is awake and gives him a few medicines.

"Life will be good and beautiful but not without heartbreaks "Pain is the cost of living" like love it's how we know we're alive.

This reunion after 5 years has definitely changed him, he started living his life completely, he got over Shruthi, his performance in job is increasing, became responsible. There isn't a complete mistake of Shruthi she is correct in her ways and he couldn't take it It was good for him that they were not together she isn't a correct choice for him maybe God knew that she isn't the right person and didn't make them together so today's pain turns definitely leads to tomorrow's happiness.

 

Abhiram woke up and started to question what had happened to him Amar replied sarcastically, 'you sleep head since childhood I have been seeing you, your sleep doesn't have proper timing', and both laughed.