Chapter 4: Do Not Disturb - Sorry, You're Not My Type

10th August, 2012

It’s said that when one wants to live life to the fullest, one should go to college and when one wants to attain knowledge, one should go to the library. What’s there in college apart from sipping a few glasses of beer and roaming around with beautiful girls? Nothing at all!

Members of VAYU were living a life they had always dreamed of. Vikrant was delighted to be in the company of Yuvi and Anamika during college, but his nights were reserved for dreams of the girl whom he had seen a couple of times in the metro. Anamika had overcome her initial phobia and was now in a steady relationship with Anurag after promising her group that her love life won’t affect the band in any way. Yuvi had his girlfriend Kashish to keep him company. Sanaya too had decided to move on after coming to know that Anurag was now dating Anamika.

Yuvi and Kashish had decided to spend a day out together as they had completed four years of their relationship. Another reason why they wanted to spend time together was that Yuvi would get extremely busy in rehearsals for the band’s live performance that was scheduled for Saturday, 18th August. Yuvi had asked Vikrant to tag along with them too. Both of them left from college early that day.

‘Where are you guys meeting? I mean, where is she waiting for you?’ Vikrant asked as he took his seat in the car.

‘Khan Market,’ Yuvi said adjusting the mirror.

‘Any special plans?’

‘Nothing really. We will have lunch and then a movie or probably go back to my home. Let’s see,’ Yuvi replied.

Anamika called Vikrant to inform him that their practice for the show was scheduled to commence from the next day onwards. Vikrant informed Yuvi about it.

‘I hope our show goes well,’ said Vikrant.

‘It will. Just that Anamika needs to get her act together. I don’t know… There’s something that’s changed about her ever since she started going out with that Anurag guy. Sometimes I hate her for it as I think her relationship will spoil everything we’ve planned. I get this weird feeling every time I see her with him. Maybe all the drugs I’ve been on are causing the hallucinations,’’ Yuvi said.

‘Kya bole ja rahe ho yaar. Leave it. A few minutes ago you were saying she is not wrong and that she has promised us nothing will happen. So why are you doubting her now?’ Vikrant asked.

‘Have you met Sanaya?’ Yuvi asked.

‘No, why? Who is she?’

‘She was Anurag’s girlfriend. She had come to me to ask what was brewing between Anurag and Anamika. I told her all that I knew but I felt she was upset at what I told her. Either she still loves Anurag or she hates Anamika.’

‘Did she ask you this casually?’ Vikrant questioned.

‘Casually dude. She just came over to me in the canteen. I entertained her questions because she was looking upset. We chatted over a cup of coffee and she told me all about herself,’ Yuvi said.

‘What the hell! Where was I that time? I could have given you guys company. I could have been the shoulder she cried on,’ Vikrant laughed.

‘Why not? But you were fucking sleeping at that time… dreaming about that metro girl of yours,’ Yuvi added.

They reached Khan Market and Yuvi messaged Kashish telling her that he had reached. He got a message from her saying she would reach in a few minutes.

Kashish was a very sweet and down-to-earth girl. She was someone you could take home to meet your parents. She had dimples to die for and glowing skin that could get her commercial ads for face creams. Her smile could lighten up the whole room. She felt uneasy in the company of strangers but would completely let loose in front of her loved ones. The best quality in her was that she knew exactly how to handle Yuvi which was no child’s play. Kashish and Yuvi were a perfect match for each other as they complimented each other beautifully. That’s probably why Yuvi had mixed feelings for Anamika since she was the extreme opposite of Kashish. Kashish was not a girl who you could let your imagination run wild every night. She was more the sort of girl you could watch for hours without getting tired.

‘Kashish, this is Vikrant and Vikrant this is…’

‘Chill. There is no need to be formal,’ said Vikrant abruptly stopping Yuvi.

‘Cool. Let’s go to the Big Chill restaurant,’ suggested Yuvi.

‘No. Please let’s go to OTB,’ Kashish sweetly requested.

Yuvi had no option but to agree to her request. After all, it was the supreme court’s suggestion. There was no way he could say no to her. Finally, they made their way to Out of the Box restaurant. The ambience was vibrant and there was live music being played. They ordered a hookah with chilled beer. Kashish wasn’t a drinker but she never stopped Yuvi from drinking or even smoking weed. She had learnt to accept Yuvi as he was. And four years was a long time to be in a relationship. It certainly called for a celebration.

‘Cheers on completing four years. God bless you Yuvi and Kashish. May you have a hundred years of togetherness,’ Vikrant said raising a glass to the couple.

It was their day. They hugged each other and Kashish asked Yuvi for her gift.

Yuvi got up and went towards the stage. He took the mike and started singing for her,

‘To my love, my sweetheart, and my adorable wife. Though we are not married, we share the same emotions that husbands and wives do. This is a small token of my love for you today to mark the success of our very passionate, successful, and lively relationship.’

Dil ko,tumse pyaar hua,

Pehli baar hua, tumse pyaar hua…

Mein bhi aashiq yaar hua,

pehli baar hua, Tumse pyaar hua!!

Kashish had tears in her eyes. Tears of joy. Tears of happiness. Even Vikrant got teary-eyed. But they were tears of surprise. He was completely unaware of Yuvi’s romantic side. There was obviously more to Yuvi than what met the eye. Kashish and Yuvi hugged each other tightly, their hug symbolic of their passion, love, and care for each other.

If you don’t understand your companion’s silence, you won’t understand their words. If you don’t understand their pain, you won’t understand their tears. If you don’t understand their smiles, you won’t understand their joy. True love is strong and enduring. But how do we know our love is true and our companion is not fooling around with us? How do we know it’s not mere infatuation? How do we know that our relationship has the power to last? The truth is that these questions can be answered only with experience. It may take a few bad relationships to figure out who is truly made for you. Yuvi and Kashish had found that enduring love in each other.

After having lunch together, Vikrant left giving Yuvi and Kashish sometime to spend with each other on their anniversary.

‘So Kashish, how does it feel after spending four precious years with me?’ Yuvi asked.

‘You want to hear the truth?’

‘Yes, of course,’ he added.

‘I never thought that you would love me so much and treat me as your wife even though we aren’t married. You know what? Sometimes, I really feel as if we are married. I am seriously lucky to have you in my life and I want you to be very successful in your music career. You say that I am your lucky charm, but it’s all your hard work and your parent’s blessings that has got you where you are today. But you still have a long way to go. Make us proud, Yuvi. Make me jealous with girls swooning over you, asking for your autograph. But cherish these present moments as they won’t last forever. Even if I die before you, then somewhere from the sky I will watch your performances. I will always be with you. You are my best friend, my one true love, my one and only. I love you more today than I did yesterday, and I’ll love you more tomorrow than I do today. I promise I won’t be a strict wife. Yuvi, never leave me.’

Her speech left him speechless. Kashish loved him more than he could even imagine. His love was the only thing that made her life worth living. In the last four years, she had lived a different life altogether.

‘What about you, Yuvi?’ she asked holding his hand tightly and resting her head on his shoulders.

‘I just want to say that you complete me. I thought that I would never find a love that is as strong as ours. But now that we’ve found each other I know that you are the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with, the girl I want to marry, the girl I want to have babies with, and the girl I want to grow old with,’ Yuvi said kissing her on her forehead and taking her in his arms.

Their bond was unbreakable. No couple could have loved each other as passionately as them. Despite so many girls who wanted Yuvi in their life, he was dedicated to Kashish. The same held true for her as well. They drove to Lodhi Garden on Kashish’s wish.

Lodhi Garden, located on Lodhi road, is one of the most famous parks in Delhi. If you can’t find a place to romance, you can land up at this place without any hassles. Kashish wanted to take a walk in the lush green gardens with Yuvi.

‘What are we going to do in a garden?’ Yuvi said confused.

‘Romance each other. I have made something for you,’ said Kashish and kissed him on the cheek.

All Yuvi could do was give her a slight smile and follow her orders. They entered the garden and walked alongside each other.

‘How can you manage to look so beautiful all the time?’ he teased her.

‘It’s your love for me which makes you feel I’m beautiful,’ she responded holding him tightly and leaning on him.

‘You should have been a writer. You speak so poetically,’ he smiled.

‘For now I am fine being your girlfriend. But if you insist, I can pen down a few songs for you,’ she laughed.

From the day they’d met, God had made them grow closer to each other. Their past pain had vanished and their tears washed away.

Yuvi took her in his arms and started feeling her up.

‘What are you doing Yuvi?’

‘Exploring your body. Do you have any problem with that? Don’t worry, no one is watching us. Wasn’t it your idea to come here and romance?’

‘Achha. Was it really my idea? When did I say that I was going to put my hands inside your T-shirt the way you are doing now?’

‘Did I stop you from doing it?’ Yuvi winked.

‘Shut up. Now sit quietly and relax. I have brought something for you,’ she said and took out something from her purse.

‘What’s this?’ he asked with curiousity.

‘Your favourite parathas. I made them for you this morning before leaving from home,’ she said pulling his cheeks.

When you are with your love, you have the strength to conquer the world. Yuvi felt the same strength within him. He kept his head on her lap while Kashish fed him the parathas she had made especially for him. In between munches, he bit her fingers a few times just to tease her. Sometimes he bent her head and kissed her on her forehead. Yuvi kept his head on Kashish’s lap while she stroked his hair gently. It’s said that people change themselves when they are in love. Yuvi didn’t change himself or his feelings. He was still the same guy who shed tears after watching a romantic movie, who preferred weed over a smoke or a hookah, who abused a football player if he missed out on a goal, and who enjoyed playing his guitar or singing even when he was alone. The only time he’d feel satisfied was when he would be in the company of Kashish. They lay on the grass and just watched each other without uttering a word. When it got dark, they decided to leave.

‘Where are we going now? Are you dropping me home?’ Kashish asked.

‘Not so early. You will go home tomorrow morning. There is no one at my place and you are keeping me company tonight,’ Yuvi smiled.

‘Are you nuts? I can’t do that. I have not even informed my parents about my whereabouts. They will kill me,’ she said nervously getting into the car.

‘Call them now and inform them. Till then, let me get some food packed for us,’ said Yuvi heading to a nearby restaurant.

Kashish anxiously called her parents and informed them that she was going to stay with her friends in Janakpuri for the night. After a lot of convincing, her parents finally agreed. She let out a sigh a relief. Yuvi returned with a packet in his hand. Handing her the packet, he took to the drivers’ seat and sped off towards his home.

‘So what did you tell your parents?’ he asked.

‘Did you leave me with a choice? I just told them that I was going to stay in Janakpuri with my friend,’ she added.

‘Kya baat hai. So your Janakpuri friend is going to get wild with you tonight,’ he said grabbing her and kissing her passionately.

Kashish responded with the same urgency and wished that their relationship lasts forever. Even after four years of dating, they behaved like love struck teenagers in each other’s company who couldn’t get enough of each other.

* * *

After they reached his apartment, Kashish rested herself on the sofa while Yuvi went to freshen up. Once done, he rolled up some marijuana he was hiding in his jeans pocket, brought it near his lips, and took a puff. He had a habit of smoking marijuana before getting intimate with Kashish. That’s the reason he would get rough and extremely wild during their love making sessions. The drug brought out a completely new side to him.

‘Come on, how much time are you taking? You want to waste the night?’ Kashish winked.

‘Sweetheart, it’s not a cigarette. It’s marijuana, for Christ’s sake! It sends me straight to heaven,’ he added taking another sniff.

‘Let me also try it.’

‘You just relax, darling. This is not for girls. I will play your favourite music tonight. What should I play? Milkshake or chocolate candy?’

‘Shut up, you dog and let’s go inside. I can’t wait anymore.’

‘You get turned on so easily. I like it. Makes you look sexy,’ he said. He was clearly not in his senses.

He told her to go inside and wait for him wearing the costume that he had brought for her. He kept taking one drag after another. He felt everything spinning around him. He got off the chair and moved towards the bedroom where Kashish was waiting for him.

‘Are you ready for it?’ he asked her and knocked on the bedroom door where she was waiting for him.

‘Come in. The door is open. Take me for a ride,’ she said in excitement.

Yuvi slowly opened the door and found Kashish sitting on the bed.

‘Your nurse is ready, doctor,’ she winked biting her lower lip.

He took one look at her in the dress he had brought for her and exclaimed, ‘Oh Jesus! You look like a bombshell.’

It was a short white top that could hardly contain her big bosom. The red micro mini skirt showed off her perfectly shaped thighs. Her hair were wet and a few drops of water rolled down her neck, making her look sultry. That’s exactly what Yuvi wanted. He walked closer to her, which made his heart beat faster. His desires were at their peak due to the drugs he had consumed a few minutes ago. He wanted to eat her alive.

‘You look better without clothes, darling,’ he said pulling down her skirt.

‘Do I? Come here, you naughty little thing,’ she moaned trying to unbuckle his belt but he stopped her.

‘Ssssh. It’s my turn. Relax.’

He lifted her in his arms and gently placed her on the bed.

‘Come here you…’

‘Shut up, you bitch! I am going to give you the ultimate pleasure today. Just enjoy the ride, baby,’ he said taking out an apple from the drawer next to the bed.

It was not a regular apple! It was OhMiBod, a music-driven vibrator! It translated an electronic music output into vibrations.

‘There’s your music player,’ he said with a naughty smile.

‘Get on me now,’ she moaned taking off her top.

Yuvi moved closer to her with the vibrator in his hand and laid down beside her.

He brought his mouth to her belly and kissed it.

‘How do you feel?’ he asked.

‘So good, baby. I need you inside me now,’ she moaned in pleasure.

‘Hold on. I will take you to a different world. The world of imagination, the world of romance, and the world of love.’

Their lips came closer. He rubbed her thighs and caressed her back.

‘Why do you have to always kiss with closed eyes? Today you won’t close them,’ he ordered.

‘I find it weird to keep them open,’ she answered.

‘Open them. It’s my order,’ he said slapping her back and touching her lips with his fingers the next moment. The drug had aroused his carnal instincts and he wanted to touch every part of her body.

He trembled as her breath tickled his ears. She kissed him on the ear and whispered ‘I love you’. The flame of passion, desire, and love took control over them and as he touched her bare skin, she moaned wildly. When she could take it no more, he put the vibrator to work. That was the final touch! It made her go weak in the knees. So weak that she could hardly speak. He crawled seductively between her legs and their bodies met for the ultimate union. Their bed sheet was almost in tatters by the end of their love making session. She was shivering by the end of it.

‘That was tiring but so good,’ she moaned covering her body with the tattered sheet.

‘I love you so much,’ he said kissing her on the forehead.

‘Do you realize that you are a completely different man after you consume drugs? You forget who am I and who you are. You are so rough and hard,’ she teased him.

He didn’t utter a word but just took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. Like a kid, she rested her head on his chest and shut her eyes. He knew that every time he took drugs, he would float in air and everything around him would turn hazy. It would bring out all his carnal instincts. Both slept in each other’s arms—tired and content.

* * *

Mia Bella

15th September 2013, Around 1 am

‘Why did you stop? I want to know what happened after that and I am sure everyone here wants to know too,’ I said curiously.

‘Aditya, don’t be so loud. Your voice will reach downstairs,’ Sakshi pinched me.

Some stories steal your heart, some give you goosebumps, while some fill the air with romance. But only some stories have all the elements. I was listening to one such story. There were different things going on in my mind. Who was the girl that Vikrant had seen a couple of times in the metro? What was going on in Anamika’s mind when she said yes to Anurag? What was going to happen to Sanaya? When everything seemed fine, what made Vikrant take up the job of singing in Mia Bella? While listening to Vikrant’s story, I realized I hadn’t moved an inch. I don’t think anyone else sitting there had even realized it was raining slightly till Vikrant had stopped.

‘Is there something wrong?’ Sakshi asked Vikrant.

‘Can I freshen up and come back? I need to use the washroom,’ he asked.

I nodded. What was strange was that no one had even touched their drinks while Vikrant was narrating the story. It just went on to show how exciting the story was. Loving someone can either take you to dizzying heights or spoil your life forever. I was confused whether Yuvi was going to reach those heights or would he become hazy? To me, his life seemed smooth with a perfect girlfriend like Kashish.

‘Would you like to eat something?’ Sakshi asked me. I was lost deeply in thoughts. I got up from my chair and went towards the corner of the bar to smoke. Till date, I had heard about complexities in a college band. I had also witnessed complexities in relationships. But Vikrant and his friend’s lives had a different level of complexity to them. Anamika was a bombshell whom you could flaunt around in the college campus to make a few boys jealous. Vikrant was in love with a girl whom he had never met but merely seen a couple of times. He didn’t know her whereabouts or whether she was committed. Yuvi and Kashish were stable in their relationship but what was even more important for Yuvi was that he wanted to make their band popular. They already were to some extent. I was still not in a position to comment on Sanaya. Anurag was the luckiest of all because he slept around with a different girl every month. But I felt he had become a changed man after meeting Anamika. Of course, my judgement was based on the basis of what Vikrant had narrated.

Vikrant had come back after his little loo break and took off from where he had left.

‘Who was that girl in the metro? Do you really love her? I mean loved her?’ I asked out of curiosity.

‘Loving someone or not is beyond your control. It didn’t take me even a second to realize that she was the one. She was the one who would understand my needs. She was the one who would help me be a better person. She was the one who could make me feel like I was perfect even though I was not. Her smile would enlighten my thoughts every morning. But the more I travelled by the metro, the more I seemed to be lost. I couldn’t trace her anywhere after those two times. Maybe she had seen me staring at her and changed her route. That’s when I understood that the feelings do not hold value and it was the actual execution of one’s feelings that mattered. I had to show my love to her. But she never gave me any signs. My determination was not enough. Not for me at least. You have to let the other person know you like and care for that person. But she just didn’t,’ said a visibly upset looking Vikrant.

‘So your paths never crossed after that?’ Sakshi asked.

He just smiled and sipped his drink even though he had told us that he wasn’t really fond of it. ‘Why have you started drinking?’ I questioned.

‘Takdeer, my destiny,’ he said recalling moments from his past. ‘But did Anamika share her intentions behind her relationship?’ she added.

‘Yes. She did. We understood later why she had a phobia of getting ragged. Why was she told stories about it from the very beginning? The stories were not of any unknown people—they were of her very own elder sister who was tortured so much during college days that she eventually ran away. She was still missing and the Delhi Police had declared her dead by showing her parents one dead body that was not in a recognizable condition. Her experiences in the past had fuelled her fear of ragging and to get temporary relief for her phobia, she had accepted Anurag’s proposal. Yuvi and I knew that the senior guys had planned something as horrible as stripping for her. After she told us what had happened to her sister, even we were convinced that Anamika was not wrong. She was not a slut. The situation had forced her to make that decision,’ Vikrant added.

‘But did the relationship last?’ I asked.

‘She never wanted it to last. She herself knew that it was not going to last forever. But she held on to it till she could. She enjoyed roaming in Anurag’s big car. Moreover, her low attendance didn’t matter too. After all her boyfriend was the Student’s Union president. Sometimes she would feel bad for keeping Anurag in the dark, but she would keep telling herself it was only a matter of a few days. We just hoped it did not turn ugly in the future because I had heard that Anurag didn’t like if anyone hurt his ego.’

‘I feel bad for Sanaya who got trapped without her fault. She could have handled things better,’ I added.

‘She did. She surely did. Till then, I was not aware of anything. I had never seen her nor talked to her. All I knew was she was Anurag’s ex-girlfriend and was upset with Anurag and Anamika’s relationship even though she had told everyone that she had decided to move on,’ Vikrant explained looking at the menu card.

‘You won’t order anything now. First tell us more about the story,’ Anuj, the manager of restaurant, added.

‘At least you can bring me something to munch on,’ Vikrant requested.

Anuj accepted his request and told the chef to whip something up for us. We were chit-chatting normally till Vikrant heard a fuss downstairs. I got up to see what the chaos was all about.

‘Don’t worry. That’s regular routine. Look at the time. It’s 1 am. Some group does all the drama after getting drunk and the police takes them away. So chill. Just let me switch off the lights and close the door otherwise they will create a problem for us too,’ Anuj said.

‘But you want to sit in darkness?’ I asked.

‘Sssh. I have a few candles here with me. I am not switching off the fan though,’ he whispered.

‘Dude, how do you expect the candles to light when the fan is on at full speed?’ I laughed.

‘Leave it to me.’

I checked the watch and I was dumbstruck to see the time. We were so engrossed that we had forgotten about the world outside. The permit time was over and the police had come to dispel the mob comprising mostly of youngsters downstairs. They were also doing a routine check to see if all the lounges and restaurants had closed. We went inside so that no one could guess we were sitting on the rooftop. I understood then the reason why Anuj had asked for the lights to be switched off. We remained quiet for some time until the noise died down. Anuj once again went towards the corner to make sure the police had left. He came back and gave us two thumbs up to signal everything was fine.

Love can neither be defined nor expressed. The night was such that nobody cared about whether the lights and fans were on or off or whether there was a moon in the sky. You just wanted the night to continue. I was eager to hear the rest of the story. Everyone settled down and Vikrant continued with the story.

‘VAYU. Everyone had high hopes from our band. We were becoming popular not only through our shows but also because of our live videos that we had uploaded on our YouTube channel which had gone viral within a couple of weeks. Anamika’s popularity on the social media increased with a rapid pace and at the same time music lovers had gone crazy about Yuvi’s voice with more than half a million hits on YouTube. We had a show scheduled the coming week and we were preparing day and night for it. Though Yuvi was still a big drug user, we were confident that we would outperform the other groups and give our best performance.’

Just then Vikrant’s phone rang. I could make out a girl’s voice on the other side. He talked to her for a few seconds and quickly hung up the phone.

‘Sorry, she was…leave it. It’s not important. So where was I? Our performance and rehearsals…’