Mr. Stranger

Namit

FLASHBACK(3 MONTHS BACK) CONTINUED.....

I opened my eyes and my head was not that much hurting like before. I looked around only to find out I was on the first floor of my building lying on the bed and a needle for IV drip was connected to my left hand. My right hand was bandaged. I tried to remember how I ended up here and then those messages and pictures came flashing back to me.

I tried to sit up using my elbows as a support, my entire body protested at the pain but somehow I managed to sit up. I swung my legs over the bedside and with a grunt took out the needle. I trotted towards the lift, my head feeling heavier by the minute, and pressed the button to the fourth floor.

I was about to enter my study room when I saw them. Arjun and Dhruv were there sitting on the couch in the living room, discussing something. I ignored them and instead walked into the study, to search for the phone.

“Are you searching for this?” I heard Arjun's voice. Shocked, I turned around to find Arjun and Dhruv standing at the door with that phone in Arjun's hand.

I never knew that I would ever have to deal with a situation like this one day. But I was somewhat thankful that I had four two idiots with me, two of them present with me at that moment.

We were sitting in the living room and obviously, Dhruv and Arjun needed answers, I too needed answers but I didn't know whom I should ask. I could figure out the last part later but now I needed to address their questions.

“Namit, we are waiting. You said you will tell us everything that's why we stopped bombarding our questions on you. But for that, you have to speak.”Arjun probed. They were anxious and worried about my entire situation and to tell them I had to start the story from its very inception.

“I saw her in college, in Dhruv's section when I went to return his jacket. She had a cheerful and carefree vibe. I couldn't take my eyes off her mischievous smile. Anyway so, Dhruv was not in the class so I was returning and on the way, a guy came running to me and handed me a book and pointed me the same girl from before, and asked me to give that book to her, since he was running late for a meeting.

Before I could say anything he ran away in the direction he came from. At that moment, the bell rang and everyone rushed out of the classroom. When I looked back at her she was gone. Thinking I could return the book to the guy, I turned over the cover to find a name written there, Samaira.” At the mention of her name, Arjun and Dhruv exchanged a glance as if conveying a secret message, then motioned me to continue the story.

“It was her book, the thought thrilled me. But each successive day as I tried to approach her, I would stand at a distance trying to garner the courage and speak up to her. After all, it was just a book, and I was doing a favour, but I could never make it up to her. One day I found her class empty, so I wrote a sticky note denoting my locker number and her book that was in there and stuck it to her desktop.

I didn't lock my locker that day and I waited for her to come but she didn't turn up. So I thought she might have missed the note. But the next day when I opened the locker the book was gone and I found a Thank You note with a bar of chocolate there.

And that's how everything started. We started to communicate like this. I started to put things for her in my locker and used to put a sticky note on her desk to inform her and she used to collect them. She started to keep things for me there as a return gift. It was not long before we exchanged our numbers. I bought a new phone and didn't give my new number to anyone. We used to chat for hours. I was already in love with her and falling in deep every day. Generally, we used to share emails rather than any using any messaging app. It was her idea only.

I knew that she liked me too but we didn’t have the guts to confess. As I was helping Dad with work and I was aligned with some new projects, I was not able to give her time and we started talking less but whenever I got time I used to text her and sometimes even between meetings.

It started getting very difficult for me as I was not even able to see her because of office work since I had to skip college most of the time. Finally, I decided to meet her in person. I wanted to confess my feelings for her. I told her I wanted to meet her as I wanted to tell her something.

She said she wanted to say something too. I thought she wanted to confess just like me. We decided to meet each other on spring party night. But on that day everything changed, everything was destroyed. I was played like a fool, she found the locker exchange and all funny and that’s why kept talking to me. She never liked me.”

“You met her that night?” Dhruv asked.

“No, I didn't. I was not in my right mind to meet her.”

“Then how did you come to know that she betrayed you.?” This time it was Arjun.

“I received some pictures and a voice note of her saying how she was just playing around.”

“Can I see those pictures?” Dhruv asked me. He looked furious, in fact, they both knew something I didn’t.

“Wait, I will bring them.” I went to my study room and started looking for my laptop in the mess I had created in the morning. I found it in a corner of the room. I checked it, the screen was cracked, but luckily it was working.

I went out and opened it. It was tough for me to open that folder again. I don't know why I never deleted those pictures. I never tried to look at them again, I didn't have the courage. Those were pictures of Sama kissing someone else.

I clicked on the folder and immediately turned the laptop towards them, not daring a glance at them. They were looking at those pictures, actually not looking but observing.

“These pictures are morphed,” Arjun said.

“I checked them Arjun, I did ask some professionals to look at them but these are not morphed,” I said.

“Dude I am a lawyer, I have dealt with a lot of cases like this, do you think I won't be able to recognize? Just look at the edges!” Arjun was furious.

“No, I am not doubting you. . . Do you think I want it to be true? Do you even realize how much I want these pictures to be morphed? Not even once, not even twice but thrice. I asked three people and they all said the same thing.” I hit the table hard and was going out but Dhruv’s question stopped me in my tracks.

“Are you Samaira's Mr. Stranger?”