Muddling Dilemma

Namit

FLASHBACK (3 MONTHS BACK)

I got up with a severe headache, having drunk a lot the previous night. It had become a habit, whenever I missed her terribly I drank too much. I looked around and my disarrayed brain could only make out that I was on the third floor of my building where I had set up my minibar. I was never a fan of drinking but I did whenever her memories plagued me, drinking helped me drown those chaotic memories. There were only two important things in my life then, my work and alcohol, either I worked tirelessly or I drank. The more I got myself engaged, the easier it got for me not to think of her.

But, I struggled to remember what happened a day before. I was down here with a client, that’s all I remember.

I got up holding my head because the pain was killing me. I went towards the lift and pressed the button for the fourth floor. I went directly towards my room and saw the time.

“Shit!” I cursed when the clock signified it was noon already.

Reprimanding myself in mind for being a careless fellow who had to attend a meeting at 12:15 with some Italian Clients I thought to call Steve, head of my marketing team.

I searched for my phone, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Somehow I trudged back to the bar but it was not even there. I couldn't lose that deal. I had worked for it for a year and I wasn’t in a shape to give up. I searched for my phone everywhere possible but still couldn't find it.

It would take around two hours for me to reach the office, but before that, I had to call Steve.

‘Namit Khanna can't lose like this, I have to think something.’ I composed myself.

I remembered that I had a phone, that I hadn’t used for the past three years or rather switched it on. Taking it out from a black box from the lower cabinet, I connected a charger to it. In the meantime, I made myself a fresh cup of coffee to help my hangover. After passing several minutes, I switched on the phone and dialled the number of Steve after I put in a spare sim card I used to have with myself.

Never had I imagined I would be using the spare sim one day.

“Damn it! Steve, pick up the call!” The same caller tune went on five times but he didn't answer. I already had a hangover and all of it added to it further increased my headache.

I thought of my secretary, Stacy. Deciding I could call her, I called and she picked up. Even though she was irritating at times, at least she did a good job by picking up my call.

“Hello, this is Stacy speaking. Who is this?”

“Hey Stacy, Namit this side—” but before I could continue further she started blabbering.

“Namit Sir. Where are you? The clients are here and they are asking for you. I tried to call you but you didn't pick up. They are not ready to wait, sir! They wa—”

“Listen. To. Me. First!” I shouted, grinding my jaw on each word. That was enough to silence her blabbering.

“Ok-okay si-sir,” she replied.

“I don't think I can make it up on time. So just go to my cabin and in the top right cabinet of my table, there is a pen drive with ‘S’ initials on it. Hand it to Steve and tell him to handle the meeting okay? Tell the clients I had to go to Paris for some very important issues. I know my absence won't bother them as long as we are offering them what they want.” I told her but there was no answer.

“Am I clear Stacy?” I again shouted. Oh God, why did everyone love to test my patience?

“Ye-yes Sir.”

“Okay,” I said and disconnected the call.

Even though I didn't want to, I had to use that phone. I was about to turn it off when my hangover made me check the mail I previously used back in college. Not my fault, but the hangover of mine would always accompany her memories. My brain at that moment would always stop working and my heart, well, all it would crave to read our old conversation.

I read our old conversations, laughed, smiled, and cried but something unusual caught my attention.

There was an email from an unknown recipient named XYZ that I had never paid attention to. Maybe, I used to be drunker, I thought. I don't know why but I just wanted to read that mail. I skimmed over to the messages and what I saw was unbelievable, “No this can’t be true.”

Those messages were three years old. I scrolled up and read every message, there were more than twenty pictures of her.

“No. . . this never happened. It's just a lie, that's it. It's not her. It's not my SAMA.” I was battling between my need to trust her or trust the pictures. When I saw the last picture, my control just snapped.

I threw everything within my range and like a crazy man started punching the wall until the pain from my raw wound overcame the pain emanating from my heart until darkness engulfed me.

Arjun

I was talking with my client about the murder of his wife when my phone rang. It was Christina, Namit's cook. I had given her my number after the last month's incident and told her to call if something like that happened again. Last month, Namit hadn’t opened his door for several hours and when I reached there, there were already police standing outside as Christina had called them. When we broke into his room, we found him slumped on the bed and three glass bottles lying on the floor. We had to take him to the hospital, for alcohol poisoning.

It was sad what a mess of a guy he had become, opening up to neither of us. The five of us, Namit, Dhruv, Kiaan, Hredhaan, and I have been the best of buds. Though I knew Namit and Dhruv since childhood. But things changed three years back. Namit distanced himself gradually, giving neither of us the reason for his mess. The only thing we knew was, she left him— the girl he loved like a mad man.

“Excuse me, this is an important call,” I muttered before my client and sauntered to the door of my cabin before shutting it close behind me.

“Hey, Christina. What is it? Is Namit fine?” I asked her and looked around once to make sure no one was there.

“Sir you should come fast. He is unconscious and bleeding, I don't know what to do.” She said anxiously.

“Christina just calm down okay? And don't you dare to inform the police okay. I am coming there asap.” Involving the police again could ruin Namit or N.K. Cosmetics image. The last time I managed to subdue the police officers somehow, being a lawyer was quite helpful.

“Okay.” She replied. After cutting her call, I instantly dialled Dr. Xavier, our friend, and Namit's doctor.

“Hello Xavier, this is Arjun. I need you to come asap to Namit’s house. I am reaching there too. He’s bleeding and unconscious.” I said hurriedly, before rushing my way to my clients.

“We will talk later. I have something very urgent to deal with. Please excuse me.” I nodded

at my client once before rushing to take my coat and running to the lift.

I dialled Dhruv while the lift was still going down.

“Hey, afternoon Mr.Lawyer. What's up?” Dhruv asked.

“Dhruv it's an emergency.”

Understanding what an emergency could be, he said, “Don't worry I will reach Namit's asap. See you there.”

For the last three years, Namit Khanna and emergency had been kind of synonymous.

Dhruv

When Arjun called to inform me about the emergency, I knew who he was talking about. It was Namit. It hurt to see him suffer and more than that we couldn’t even do anything because we didn't even know what exactly happened between him and the girl he loved. He only said that she left him but he never mentioned the reason.

I reached there only to find Christina pacing before Namit’s room, an obvious frown marring her face.

“Where is Namit? What happened?”

“Na-Namit Si-Sir—” Before she could answer, Arjun strode out of Namit’s study.

“Christina, my driver will take you home. Don't be scared and please don't tell anyone about this. Not even Namit's Parents if they call. Okay?” After directing Christina, he waited for her to go out of earshot before turning to me.

“Arjun what happened. Why was she so scared? And where is Namit?” I asked.

“Xavier took him to the first floor. His treatment is going on there.” He replied.

There was a mini-hospital set up by Namit on the first floor. It's for his personal use since visiting an actual hospital could lead the media to discover that he was sick. The fault of being a successful man was, they had no personal life. Namit couldn’t risk getting his sickness out in public, that would cause a huge loss in business. In a way this setup helped him keep a healthy and strong image for others, only we knew how miserable he was.

“What do you mean by treatment? What has happened to him?”

“Come with him to his study room,” Arjun said before trotting towards his study. I followed behind only to step into something unbelievable. That room was a mess, everything was broken, there was blood on the floor.

“When Christina came here she found Namit lying here unconscious. She instantly called me and informed me. I informed Xavier. According to Xavier the whole thing his hand was bleeding from the punches he threw on the wall and he was passed out from alcohol.” Arjun informed me.

“Arjun this is enough. I know he is hurting himself because of her. I can't see him like this. We need to do something.” I urged.

“I think something big happened,” Arjun said, he was looking worried but scared as well.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked him worriedly.

“When I came here. I found this phone. You remember this right?” He held the phone in the air, the one Namit bought to talk to her three years back.

“I saw something in it. I guess it's her. I saw the messages, they were not of her but about her.” He told me.

“What are you trying to say Arjun? Just be clear. . . I am not getting it.” I was anxious, I wanted to know what happened that made Namit's condition that worse.

“See for yourself.” He left a breath handing over the phone. I took the phone from him and looked at all those messages and pictures. I was shocked to see those pictures on Namit's phone, and all those messages were mostly threats but when I scrolled to the last picture, I couldn't believe what I saw.

“Arjun, what's her picture doing in Namit's phone? Why would someone threaten Namit with her picture? This is way more complicated. I need to know what's going on.” I said to Arjun.

“I also want answers, Dhruv but I think we should wait for Namit to wake up. Let's go to check on him.” He sighed.

We were on the way to see our friend when my phone bugged with a text. It was from my cousin and our friend Kiaan.

‘Keep me and Hredhaan posted about Namit’s condition.’ the message read.

‘Sure.’ I texted back.

“How is Namit?” I asked Xavier, reaching the first floor.

“His hand is fine. The injury was not that serious. He is just unconscious because he drank too much. Don't worry he will wake up in 5-6 hours.”

“Thanks, Xavier,” I replied.

“Seriously dude, am I not your friend that you are thanking me for helping him out?” Xavier said, disappointed.

“You know I didn't mean to. . .” I was cut off by Xavier.

“I was kidding dude. . . I know you are tense.” Xavier replied, bringing out a small smile on my face.

“By the way, who is Sama?” Xavier asked, looking at us for an answer while Arjun’s eyes met mine, asking the same question as me. How do we answer him? Sama was the girl he loved, but how do we tell him that without going into excessive details?

“Namit in his unconscious state was taking her name. He was saying. . . wait, it can't be her. It can't be my Sama, right?” Xavier asked, looking at us for an answer while Arjun and I were ourselves in a Muddling Dilemma.