part0027

‘I knew Karma will fuck her one day. The bitch finally knows meaning of betrayal,’ Hari screamed cheerfully when I met him and narrated the entire issue. He was my only friend in Indore whom I could have trusted to share that grave issue with. I actually wanted him to help me in getting Tara out of that mess, but he seemed too busy in celebrating it.

‘Oh fuck you. That bitch deserved it.’ He did not give another fuck to my words.

‘Take me to Ronit,’ I demanded as I pointed towards my car. We were standing outside his house and my old but elegant Hyundai Accent was parked only a few cars away.

‘You said you work as a waiter, right?’ Hari asked checking my car out. His eyes ogled at its sight. It made me feel proud.

‘I work in a five star—not a tea stall,’ I laughed. ‘I will explain it to you later; take me to Ronit first.’

‘Yes. I think we should go to him and thank him for the great work he has done,’ Hari declared. I wondered how to make him understand that I wanted his help for doing something totally opposite.

Though Hari’s reactions were pissing me off, he too was not wrong in his place. His hatred for Tara was justified; he loved me too much and cared for me deeply. It’s a basic, untold rule of true friendship. Someone who harms your friend is your enemy.

‘There is nothing great in clicking vulgar photos of a girl and then blackmailing her,’ I began.

‘We need to get those photos deleted. And we need to make sure that that sick pervert never blackmails Tara again.’

‘I am sorry, buddy. Neither I am doing it—nor letting you do it. Never.’ Hari looked too serious with whatever he said. He rarely looked serious. ‘Did you forget how you cried for her in McDonald’s that day? And did you forget her reply? Don’t be a fool again, Kunal. Go back to Mumbai. Don’t go crazy for that selfish bitch again.’

‘Alright. Thanks for your precious time. I am doing it myself then,’ I said and sat back in the car. That was the only way to make Hari do what I told him without arguing further. I was sure he would jump in the car watching me leave.

‘Fuck you,’ he said adjusting himself in the seat next to me. ‘I am doing this for you—only you. I hate that bitch.’

‘And I hate you too.’ He punched me. ‘What are his demands, by the way?’

The question made me realize that Tara left that part out. Why was Ronit blackmailing her? What were his demands? My blank expressions made Hari nod his head helplessly.

As per my instructions, Hari made a call to Ronit and asked him to meet. The bastard was reluctant initially, he also asked how come Hari remembered him after so long, but when he was told about free drinks with old friends , he agreed.

In next thirty minutes, Ronit was with us—in my car—dressed in stupid-looking funky dress, a skinny jeans and a Che Guevara T-shirt. The first time I saw him, I broke into laughter. He looked too girlish. With milky white skin and a skinny body, his looks made me wonder why Tara dumped me for him!

‘Hey buddy, this is Ronit,’ he introduced himself to me and offered his hand for a handshake. We were on the way to Super Corridor, an under construction road that was almost deserted due to ongoing construction of a railway over-bridge on one of its end.

‘I’m Kunal.’ I shook his hand lightly as I drove. He laughed listening to my name.

‘No, no. Just remembered about another Kunal. My ex left that asshole for me. His full name was Kunal Marathe. What’s your full name, by the way?’

I smiled and stopped the car. ‘Hari, can you please drive?’ I requested Hari—avoiding Ronit’s questions—and got into the rear seat, next to Ronit.

We reached the Super Corridor soon. The place was dark with hardly a few streetlights, isolated and perfect for what I was about to do.

‘So, Ronit, you like vodka?’ I took a bottle of vodka out from my bag. My car always had vodka, even if it had no petrol.

‘Good. Maybe I will test you for it,’ I smiled and he just looked at me funny. He had no idea of the gravity of the situation. ‘Ever drank a complete bottle of vodka in a single sip—neat?’

‘Hmm . . . drink it,’ I spoke and his expressions changed. ‘Complete bottle. Without a pause. Neat.’ I had seriousness in my voice, my eyes staring coldly. ‘Drink it now.’

‘Hari, stop driving like a woman. Gear up,’ I said and then focussed on Ronit again. ‘And you . . . you drink the vodka. Single sip.’

The slap shook him well; his head hit the window with a huge bang. ‘Do it or I will slap you again,’ I shouted. The helpless bastard was literally in tears now. I could see his legs shaking and eyes widening with fear.

Terrified, he opened the bottle and placed it on his lips. He waited for a moment hoping I would ask him to stop, but instead, I pushed the bottle in his mouth. Having no other option left, he started taking the vodka in. I expected him to fight back after being slapped, but he turned out to be too cowardly to do so.

‘If you stop, I will push you out of the car,’ I warned him and looked at the speedometer. It was over a hundred kilometres per hour.

The bastard had hardly finished quarter of the bottle when he began coughing heavily. ‘I can’t drink more. Please let me go,’ he cried. He was shaking furiously.

‘Alright. Coming to the point now—you have some objectionable photos of Tara,’ I said lighting a cigarette.

I slapped him hard again. ‘Look around. If I kill you and leave you here in the middle of the road—no one would even come to know about it till the morning. Maybe dogs will feast on you, which, to be honest, would be too bad for the dogs.’

‘Answer to his question, brother. That is the only way you get to go home. Trust me, this guy is mad,’ Hari scared him further.

‘Yes. I swear,’ he lied very unconvincingly. It pissed me off even more.

‘Alright, motherfucker.’ What I did next was pure adrenaline. I grabbed Ronit’s neck and pushed him against the door. The bastard was so terrified that he didn’t even struggle. He was staring horrified into my eyes, and without another thought, I pulled the lever of door handle. The next moment, he was out of the car.

‘ Abey chutiye kya kiya? ’ Hari yelled and pushed hard on the brakes. ‘You said you will only talk.’

‘Chill . . .’ I stepped out of the car. Hari too jumped out and ran towards the wounded coward.

Ronit was lying on the road, screaming in pain. I checked around to see if someone was there.

I walked to him, the burning cigarette still in my hand. I wanted to rub it on his face, but I resisted.

His cloths were torn, hands and legs had blood-filled scratches and one of his shoes had fallen off. He was badly hurt, though not fatal.

‘We should take him to hospital,’ Hari exclaimed, worry creased his face.

‘Where are the photos, Ronit?’ I sat next to him in the middle of the road. A couple of stray dogs walked towards us.

‘He has just fallen out of the car—he won’t die. Not yet.’ I took a puff and blew the smoke in Ronit’s face. It had scratches on the left side. ‘Photos?’ I demanded.

‘They are in my phone. H-h-here,’ he slurred and took out his phone—an iPhone—with shaking hands. I had heard a lot about the iPhones and also saw many guests and managers in my hotel using them, but it was the first time I got to hold one in my hands.

His hands were trembling while he unlocked the phone and opened the image folder.

I was disgusted and filled with rage to see those photos of Tara and Ronit. I slapped him again, this time, harder than ever.

‘Do you have a copy of these photos somewhere?’ I asked, pulling him by his hair.

‘Alright. Now listen . . .’ I now grabbed him by his neck. ‘If any day in future, I come to know that you have another copy of these photos, or I come to know that you are blackmailing Tara again—I will kill you. And I swear upon my mom, I will. I hope that now you very much believe that I can kill you.’

I avoided his suggestion and looked at Ronit again. ‘And if you tell anyone that it was me who threw you from a running car—remember I have your phone and the photos with me. I won’t think twice before revealing that you were blackmailing a girl. Trust me, we both will end up in jail if you open your mouth.’

‘You are a psycho,’ Ronit opened his mouth as we walked a few steps away from him.

‘No . . . I am Kunal Marathe, the asshole your ex had dumped for you.’ I winked with the most notorious smile and walked away.

‘You are really a psycho,’ Hari yelled as I took a u-turn and drove towards the city. ‘What if he dies there?’

‘C’mon. Those injuries were not at all fatal. He will definitely spend some good time in hospital, but won’t die.’ I picked the vodka bottle from rear seat and took a sip. ‘And in case he dies, we will have one motherfucker less on this planet.’