Room for One, Room for All

Present.

02:10

"You're the one who did this!"

"Why are you even alive?"

"Just get your shit out of here. I don't want to see your face!"

"Stop talking to me and just piss off, man!"

Isn't it crazy when your own mind becomes chaos? This is what was happening to me. A lot of voices were troubling me, haunting me, all at the same time. Some strange thing was going on for sure.

I gasp and suddenly open my eyes, panting with sweat all over my body. I close my eyes and hold my face in my palms rested on my thighs. Phew! It was a dream, after all. There's an eerie silence and darkness everywhere. I look around for my mobile and turn on the flashlight.

"What the….!"

I look at the area surrounding me, covered in blood. I point the flash further away from where I was sitting, and I see the dead body of my girlfriend, Kritika.

A Few Hours Ago.

20:30

"Do you really have to go now?" I ask Kritika while she is putting her clothes back on.

"I swear, Sid. I want to stay, but what can I do? You know how my parents are, right?"

I get up from the bed and start wearing my pants.

"Yeah, yeah. I know that. It's just that I had all the plans of spending this night with you."

Kri approaches me and rests her head on my chest. I rest my chin on her head and wrap my arms around her.

"I know, ya. This was supposed to be our night. But you know I can't let my parents doubt me. I don't want to lose my freedom."

"Yeah, I know that."

Kri pulls back and looks at me.

"Don't worry, babe. Tomorrow night will be ours," she winks. I smile.

"Oh, come on. I want you to start your birthday with me, not end it with me. Anyway, now go quickly. You're going to be late."

"I promise I will make this up to you tomorrow night," says Kri, biting her lip.

21:00

I turn on my laptop and go to Facebook. There is one unread message from Vicky. I open it -

Hurry up, honey. I'm waiting for you <3

I smile. It's Kritika's Facebook account, not mine. I've hacked into her account, and I've been reading her chats for a few months now. She is cheating on me. I haven't told her anything, though. I secretly read the conversations now and then, and maintain a stable relationship with Kri on the front. I don't want her to realize that I know everything.

I know that she is giving me false excuses about her parents being strict and that she's actually going to meet Vicky. Who is Vicky? He's my closest friend, or at least he used to be. He's the son of the CM, while my dad works as his assistant. Vicky and I have been through everything together. Since childhood, we used to share everything, and I guess he took that seriously and thought that my girlfriend was for him to share. It's not his fault. He is like that, always going after women who are committed. He just throws his father's money and gets the girl.

Right then, I hear the doorbell. When I go to open it, I see Vicky standing there, looking scared as hell.

"Sid, please help me, man!"

"What happened, Vicky? Why do you look so scared?"

Vicky hurriedly enters the apartment and locks the door.

"Tell me, man. What's going on?"

"I don't have much time, but I need to tell you something," says Vicky.

"What?"

"I've been sleeping with Kritika."

"What the fuck, dude?" I stand up.

"Sid, listen. Please let me explain. I didn't do it intentionally. She blackmailed me into this."

"What the hell, Vicky? First, you tell me you slept with Kri, and then you're telling me that she forced you into this?" I push him back. He falls on the sofa.

"Just get your shit out of here. I don't want to see your face!" I am about to hit him on his head, but he stops me.

"Sid, please, man! Just listen to me once."

"Stop talking to me and just piss off, man!"

"Sid. Please. Just once."

21:30

In the next few minutes, Vicky narrated to me his side of the story. According to him, Kri flirted with him all the time, but he avoided her since he was close to me. Then, one day Kri saw him making out with the daughter of his father's opponents behind the city's temple. She recorded the incident and blackmailed him into sleeping with her. To save his father's reputation, he did as Kri said and has been fulfilling her demands since.

I believe Vicky. I know he's telling the truth. He showed me a video recording of him making out with Kri. Kri has this weird habit of recording videos, even when we used to make out. So, after looking at the video, I called Kri and told her to come to my apartment for a surprise. Initially, she refused to come, but somehow she agreed.

"Thanks for understanding, man. I was really freaked out," says Vicky.

"Don't worry, man. I got you. Have some water while I get some whisky for you," saying this, I get up and go inside the kitchen.

I come back outside, and I see Vicky busy on his phone. So I go toward him and slit his throat with a knife. Then, I stab him on his lower back until he falls to the ground.

"How does it feel to be stabbed in the back, huh?"

Vicky is holding his throat, struggling to breathe or say anything.

"You're the one who did this!" I sit near him and watch him struggle. He tries to scream, but his voice becomes inaudible.

"Why are you even alive?" I press the knife against his throat and slash it across, killing him in an instant.

I drag him toward the bedroom and keep his body near the bed.

23:00

Just as I finish cleaning up the living room, the doorbell rings. I open the door for Kritika.

"What happened, Sid? Why did you call me here all of a sudden?"

"Come inside, babe. I have something special for you."

Kri comes inside and keeps her bag on the couch. I hug her and kiss her on the forehead.

"I have a surprise for you," I tell her.

"Oh, yeah? What is it?"

"Come with me." Saying this, I take her to the bathroom.

"Seriously? You have a surprise in the bathroom?"

"Wait for it, baba. Have some patience," I smile.

I turn her around. Now we both are facing the same direction. I look at her eyes through the mirror and rest my face on her head. She smiles, looking at me. I smile back.

"I know all about you and Vicky."

"What? Me and Vicky? Who's Vicky?"

"Don't act smart now. Vicky was here a while ago. He showed me all the videos you had recorded with him. I know everything."

"What videos, Sid? What are you saying?"

I look into her eyes, which look confused and scared at the same time. I gently move her hair on one side, kiss her neck, and in an instant, I bang her head on the washbasin. She falls to the floor, bleeding profusely. I lift her head and drag her near the bathtub, and I hit her head again on the edge of the tub.

She seems dead to me now. I drag her across the bathroom to the bedroom and keep her body beside Vicky's. Then, when I'm about to enter the bathroom to clean it up, I trip and fall.

Present.

02:10

"What the….!"

I look at the area surrounding me, covered in blood. I point the flash further away from where I was sitting, and I see the dead body of my girlfriend, Kritika.

Everything comes rushing back to me. I remember everything now. It still feels like a dream to me. I hurriedly get up and go toward the bathroom. It's all messed up. I wash my hands and face.

"S… Sid… Sid…" I hear a familiar voice coming from the bedroom. I go and check, only to find out that Kri is alive, struggling to breathe.

I look around, but I am not able to find Vicky anywhere. Where did his body go? Is he alive as well? Did he run away? Trying to avoid all the questions, I sit beside Kri and gently touch her face.

"Kri, I'm so sorry. I don't know how all of this happened. I'm so sorry."

"Le… left.. left dr.. drawer."

"Left drawer? What's in there?"

I hurriedly get up and open the left drawer. I found nothing but a file in there. What is Kri trying to tell me? I open the file and look inside.

File No.: #7614

Patient Name: Siddharth Bajaj

Disease Condition: MPD

Previous Medical History: Schizophrenia, PTSD

What is this? Was it my file? How can it be? What's wrong with me? I turn around and ask Kritika, but there's no response. She has stopped breathing. I try to wake her up, but she's dead. Suddenly, my eyes fall on a photo frame hanging on the wall, wherein my father is being sworn in as the CM. But how is that possible? My dad is an assistant to Vicky's father, who is the actual CM.

Right then, it hits me. The reality hits me. I recollect everything that has happened in the past few hours. The only thing wrong with my memory is, instead of Vicky, I'm seeing myself everywhere. There is no Vicky in my memories. It's just me. Alone. Talking to myself. Isn't it crazy when your own mind becomes chaos?