Read It Started With a Friend Request Online

Authors: Sudeep Nagarkar

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It Started With a Friend Request

BOOK: It Started With a Friend Request
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Also by Sudeep Nagarkar

Few Things Left Unsaid
That’s the Way We Met

Published by Random House India in 2013

Copyright © Sudeep Nagarkar 2013

Random House Publishers India Private Limited
Windsor IT Park, 7th Floor, Tower-B
A-1, Sector-125, Noida-201301, UP

Random House Group Limited
20 Vauxhall Bridge Road
London SW1V 2SA
United Kingdom

This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

EPUB ISBN 9788184004540

To my Mickey and Minnie

Kisi ko paana ya khona apne bas me nahi hota,
Kisi ko badal ke pyaar karna, pyaar ke naseeb me nahi hota!
Sachhi chaahat hai agar usey paane ki,
Toh himmat rakho usey waise hi apnaane ki!

Contents

 

Prologue

Aleesha

Akash

Tamanna

A Date on BlackBerry

A Movie During Interval

Coffee on the Rocks

Four Seasons to Cloud Nine

Sealed With a Kiss

Exploring the ‘No-Male’ Territory

Corporate Atyachaar

Unhooked and Booked

Go Goa

Kisses and Misses

From Ashes to Ashes

Price & Prize of Professionalism

Everything He Did, He Did It For Her

I Love You So Much, It Hurts

What an Idea, Sirji!

Never Knew Love Like This

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

A Note on the Author

Prologue

 

H
e was sitting all alone, away from the world, hoping for a new morning in his life, thinking about how harshly life had treated him and brooding over what exactly had gone wrong.

He was busy thinking,
When things go wrong, you feel so miserable and all you wish for is to completely erase the bad memories, especially when your intention was never to do wrong. Or was it? Was her death my fault? When things are not under your control, you feel so helpless before your so-called ‘destiny’
.

The cold moon was peeking through the clouds floating above Lavasa valley. It was a perfect moment to hide yourself in the arms of your beloved; here he was, all by himself, with no one to keep him company. His fair skin was hidden behind a stubble and his depressed state was visible not only from his sore eyes but his defeated face as well.

As he threw away his cigarette and turned, he saw a girl walking towards him. She was wearing a red top and jeans. He could not see her clearly as she was a bit far off and the fog had lowered visibility. He kept on staring at her to find
out who she was. As she came close, he could see that she had left her hair loose. Her face was still not visible. But he felt as if it was a familiar face by the way she walked and the way her hands played with her hair. It was then that he saw her clearly. Her smiling face and her sparkling beautiful eyes made his heart skip a beat. She was his girlfriend, the one for whom he could have sacrificed his life. They loved each other so much that if angels were watching them from heaven, they would have been left stunned.

She came and stood close to him. He was lost in her eyes. He didn’t realize when she came and sat on his lap. Their breaths embraced and their lips were only inches away from each other. Then a strange sound fell on his ears and he closed his eyes. Suddenly everything flashed in front of him and took him back to that day when he lost his love, friends, job—everything.

He remembered all the accusations she had made on him—
You are solely responsible for this mess. You deserve nothing better. You can try to be honest to yourself, if nothing else. And if you can’t, then go away!
Suddenly everybody was pointing fingers at him. Suddenly he had become answerable to everyone around him. He saw nothing but a dead end ahead.

He opened his eyes wishing to see her in front of him, but there was no one. He searched for her in all directions, wishing to be with her at that moment. He wanted to relive all their memorable moments again, but all his desires evaporated in thin air as he sat in his resigned state. Sometimes he would question himself whether he was really innocent. Or was he the culprit behind all the chaos that had occurred in the last few months?

He was about to light another cigarette when Kritika came and stood next to him, patting him on his back. Kritika was his 4 am friend who always supported him in the worst of situations. She was your typical girl next door, with short hair and a cute smile. She was full of positive energy and could make anyone feel happy even on the worst of days. According to her, the reason behind her charm and beauty was the amethyst crystal she carried in the locket around her neck. She believed it was a symbol of positive energy and could seduce anyone around her. Kritika was one of his best friends, even though they had met only a few months ago. Together they believed that: ‘Time cannot define your relationship. It’s the bonding you share even if you have met a day before.’

‘What are you doing here?’ she asked.

‘I just want to be left alone. I want to be away from everyone.’

‘What will you achieve by doing that? We all know that you are innocent. Whatever happened was fate’s doing. You are not responsible for the accident. I am sure you will find some way or the other to prove your innocence. You just have to wait for the right time to come,’ Kritika consoled him.

‘I really don’t know how to do that. It seems as if sand is slipping through my hands and I am watching helplessly.’

‘Come on now, everyone is waiting for you at the hotel. It’s my birthday.’

Kritika had booked them at the Ekaanth Hotel to celebrate her birthday on February 13.

As soon as he got up, a drop of tear rolled down his cheek. He remembered all that he had been accused of, and that
broke his spirit into pieces. He took out his mobile phone and sent a message to Aleesha.

It’s hard to describe how I feel now. I want to explain everything to you, but I don’t know how to. I feel so alone and I’m scared. All kinds of thoughts are running through my mind. Stress is eating me up every minute. If only you were by my side today, I would have never felt so alone. Our gang has gathered here to celebrate a birthday party and my eyes still search only for you. But alas, you are not here. Do you feel the same pain as I do?

 

Kritika was watching him, waiting patiently for him to finish texting. She thought of making him understand that everything will be back in its place one day. However, she avoided looking at him as it would hurt him more. She looked the other way round, rubbing her hands, trying to keep herself warm in the cold wind.

It was a starless night. The other couples around him seemed to enjoy the darkness of the night and the privacy it allowed them. It was not the same for Kritika and him though. Kritika was extremely worried for her friend who was looking for a way to bring back normalcy to his life. But they knew that they were trying to climb an impossibly high peak. They were trying to forget the hurt of the past and the fears of the future, wishing his life gets back on track soon, and with it, the smile on his face.

‘Thanks, Kritika, for being by my side during this tough phase,’ he said feigning a smile.

‘Oh, shut up! I know how much you love Aleesha.’

Just the mention of her name was enough to bring a smile to his face. She meant a lot to him and he needed her to support him against all odds. She was the love of his life. He looked back to see whether he had really seen her a few minutes ago. But Aleesha was nowhere around him.

Aleesha

 

‘A
leesha…Aleesha… Your dad just called up to say that the first list of colleges is out,’ Aleesha’s mom screamed from the kitchen.

Aleesha was addicted to her BlackBerry Messenger and was busy chatting with her friends in her bedroom.

‘Aleesha… Keep your phone aside. Your BBM is not going to help you secure admission anywhere. You need a degree in BMM, not BBM. Stop that right away and check the list on the website,’ she continued screaming.

Realizing her mom was not going stop till she succeeds in stopping her, she kept her phone aside. She looked irritated at having been asked to stop chatting since she was expecting a confirmation message from one of her friends for a late night house party. She turned on the monitor and logged on to the website. Simultaneously, she also opened a separate tab for Facebook.

Born and brought up in Kolkata, Aleesha was the only child of her parents. They were Thakurs, and her parents saw to it that she was thoroughly pampered. She was extremely beautiful, so much so that no one could ever get
tired of looking at her. She was as picturesque as a sunset on the ocean shore. Her eyes twinkled and glittered, her lips were luscious and glossy, and they had the power to mesmerize anyone. Her smile was enough to lighten up the whole of Kolkata. She was like a hot summer’s day which could make one sweat. She was not a fashion freak, but knew how to carry herself gracefully. The dimples on her cheeks could give any Miss World tough competition. Not only did she possess looks to die for, she also had equally sharp brains which made her an instant hit wherever she went. She was one of the toppers of her college and had aimed to do her graduation from the dream city—Mumbai.

It was decision day for her. She entered her application number and closed her eyes for a minute, praying for the best.

Nielsen College, Mumbai

 

Aleesha shouted in happiness so loudly that her mother came running from the kitchen.

‘Yay mom, I made it,’ shouted Aleesha jumping on her bed.

Her mom gave her a tight hug and went to share the news with her father over the phone. After a long discussion with her parents, it was decided that Aleesha would soon fly to Mumbai and take up admission in Nielsen College. Aleesha’s dream was finally coming true and they decided to call for a short family get-together as a success and farewell party for Aleesha.

BOOK: It Started With a Friend Request
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