The Plot (LVIII)

Reviewed by Padu & Ridhi.

I recognized him in the first sight, though he looked a little different from his picture on Orkut. Elvia and Gokul were walking side by side into our college. I was set on fire. Right from the hair on my scalp till my toes, I felt everything burning. He held her hand; I turned away at the right moment.

I couldn’t even tolerate someone holding her hands. I wondered, how I thought that I would stay with her forever as a good friend, just as a friend. Lost in agony, I walked back to our hostel.

The same person who told Manikandan about me, the same person who told me about Gokul’s proposal, called me, “Hi Preethi.”

“Hi Shantanu, how are you?”

“I am fine, how do ya do?”

“I am fine too. I called to tell you something important.” I knew she was about to, and I did know she was about to tell me about Gokul and Elvia. I waited to hear it from her.

“Today Elvia and Gokul went to a shopping mall, and he bought her some expensive gift.”

“Oh I see, ok I will ask her about it”

“Heard you are not in speaking terms with her.”

“No, nothing like that. We are just fine.”

I called Manikandan to ask him about it. His phone kept ringing, but he didn’t pick up. I knew he must have got so engrossed in his work. I checked whether he was online.

When others spent much time either programming their asses off or watching movies, I spent more time on the internet. I made a lot of friends on the internet than in the physical world around me.

That’s how I had got Manikandan’s acquaintance. As soon as I knew Elvia got her internship in that company, I searched for the company’s employees. With the subtle information and the 1 or 2 names she uttered to me on phone, I zeroed in on her team.

Step by step in a matter of a month I got to know Manikandan, Elvia’s team leader. Initially I didn’t tell him, that I knew Elvia. Later I told him like it was a coincidence, that my classmate was in his team.

But he was no dumb ass to believe my story. Right that moment he asked me, “Are you spying on her?”

I was taken aback, but before I could reply him anything, he just ignored the subject. Later on we got closer, that, he even discussed about Gokul to me, as I had said that I was just a friend.

Disturbing these thoughts my moto rang again. “Hey Mani” I would have loved Elvia to hear this.

“Hi man, wassup”

“Looks like Gokul came down to Chennai to meet Elvia. You never told me this”

“Well I didn’t know that”

“You didn’t?”

“Ya man, believe me. Anyway I am in office now so...”

“Ok fine will talk to you later.”

The cheerful hostel, which remained so even when we had a nightmarish semester exam in hours turned dark. Everything around me lost color. I felt an unknown anger surge in me. I didn’t know on whom I felt that angry or why. All I knew was I was so very angry.

The last look of Elvia flashed before me. It kept reappearing before me. I just lay down on my cot and closed my eyes, the blue eyes turned red again and again. My moto rang; I slowly opened my eyes and fumbled for my mobile phone on the table.

“Hi Anu”

“Hi na, how are you?”

“Fine dear. I am really, really sorry that...”

“That’s all fine na. I do understand the situation. I perfectly do”

“Hmm... thanks dear. At least you did.”

“Very soon Elvia will also understand.”

I knew she was about to tell me something, but she didn’t. That didn’t matter. I couldn’t stay calm anymore, after all he had done to my loving sister. ‘Avenge for Anu’ my soul kept nudging me, for my every breath.

I waited for an opportunity to make him feel the same pain as Anu. I knew physical hurting was no match to what he had done to Anu. He deserved something more. There was to be no more waiting. Opportunities are something that we create. I had made a decision.

First years had just then entered our college. My school junior Harini was one of them. She was a kind of girl, who never feared anything. She was a brilliant girl, well known for her courage at school.

I called her at once and explained everything about Anu and Kiran. She first hesitated a little, and then she acquiesced to the plan. I mailed her the picture of Kiran from our NSS albums.

I arranged for other people required for the plan. The 3rd day we were all set for the plan.