Vinay Loves Maya. Sanjay also Loves Maya, but with a twist. Does Maya love any of them? Or she has better plans. This is the thrilling short story of forged friendship, hatred and extreme greed. And finally who wins?
The Story-
Sanjay was dragged out of the Kasbar Night Club, Dubai by two bouncers and hurled to the ground. As he lay there, he could feel the soreness in his back.
‘’Why the damnation did I ever come to Dubai,” Sanjay yelled at the bouncers.
He picks up his mobile phone from the ground and gets up. He staggers but tries to recover himself. As he limps towards the taxi, the whole succession of past events moved like a puzzle motion picture before his eyes.
Sanjay and Vinay worked in corporate sales group of a multinational Bank in Delhi. Both were MBA pass outs from Delhi Management College and had joined the bank two years back as a part of campus recruitment. Vinay was married to Maya whom he met at the college.
‘Maya…a straightforward young lady from Lucknow…Stunning, dim complexioned, long chestnut hair with spellbinding eyes of a deer. An immaculate looking female from a legendary Indian story. She also got campus enrolled for another bank in Delhi. Her engagement with wealth management group kept her entirely occupied.
All three of them knew each other from their MBA days. Vinay was a keen and studious individual, belonging to the family of educationalists. Maya regularly consulted Vinay for any of the troubles in her subjects, chiefly the bookkeeping part.
Furthermore, Sanjay; a shy but sneaky man from Meerut, U.P was the one, who constantly put on a show to be a companion to both, yet adored Maya subtly and frequently attempted to approach her in the college. Maya was without a doubt close to him. Sufficiently close to talking about everything about Vinay. What Vinay thought, how he acted, what marks he scored thus endlessly. Be that as it may, since Sanjay fancied Maya, he overlooked this.
It was a Holiday and a splendid Sunday morning. Sanjay was unwinding in his sweet single room leased flat. There was a thump at the entryway.
‘Coming, coming’ said Sanjay as he strolled towards the door. Sanjay was taken aback to find Maya and Vinay together, holding a fancy looking gift in their hands.
‘Greetings come in’ said Sanjay, ‘what a surprise.’ They both sat on the couch.
‘What will you have, and ……uh…what’s this in your hand.’ said Sanjay vacantly.
‘Oh. We thought we should share the good news with our closest companion first.’
‘‘We are getting married Sanjay, and this is our invitation.” said a thrilled Maya.
Sanjay was about to suffer a heart stroke. His body struck as he sat glued to the hard wooden chair.
‘Congratulations. What stunning news and doubtlessly this is fabulous”, said Sanjay with his eyes very nearly in tears.
‘‘You both just can’t understand my sentiments, I am, actually now emotional and so happy.” Sanjay gets up and hugs both of them. After a while, both left, and Sanjay fell onto his bed, smashed and heart broken.
A couple of months passed. Maya and Vinay were making the most of their happy wedded life. Be now, Sanjay’s psyche was getting sharp step by step. He was simply not able to tolerate this and was thinking about each plausibility of either leaving the bank or flee from Delhi. Other than this enthusiastic torment, Sanjay had different issues too. That issue was Sonia, his Boss.
Sonia was Boss to both Vinay and Sanjay. A divorcee, in her early thirties, sharp, reasonable, tall with a flawless ego of a boss. She now and again bullied both of them for the non-accomplishment of targets. But almost cherished them if everything went on well with authoritative objectives. Their mobiles loaded with dozens of business-related SMSs of Sonia. Late hour meetings and con-calls were a usual affair. Maya detested this. She was annoyed at Vinay on any discussion on Sonia. Sanjay recalled a day when he had gone for dinner to Maya’s House. Maya appeared to be exceptionally angry with an SMS from Sonia to Vinay, which read. ‘Magnificent Vinay, I adore you for this.” Sanjay knew such content were entirely basic from Sonia to anybody in his group who had done work well.
But one day something different took place. The entire group was called for a business meeting which began little late in the evening. Sanjay was late for the meeting as he was on a field visit to a corporate client and was trying to rush back to the office as quickly as he could. As he was about to enter the room, he saw Sonia’s cell phone lying on her table outside her cabin. What’s more, this was the day when Vinay had also forgotten his mobile at home.
‘’What an opportunity.” Sanjay thought, ‘I must do something fast, I have no time.”
‘‘Should I write something, imagine a scenario in which Sonia turns out all of a sudden and sees me, no, no, I ought not to dare.”
After a quick battle with himself, Sanjay picks Sonia’s cell-phone and in a glimmer of a second writes ‘Vinay, it feels great to see you day by day at work’ and sent it to Vinay’s phone. He instantly erased it from Sonia’s mobile and went into the room.
‘’Where have you been dear, we all are waiting for your presentation.”
‘Sorry Sonia got stuck in traffic’ said Sanjay and gave out his slideshow, his forehead sweating badly.
The following day turned out to be exactly as Sanjay anticipated. Vinay wasn’t in a decent state of mind. He was by all accounts conversing with himself.
‘Are you ok Vinay’ asked Sanjay guiltlessly.
”No I am not, you know Sanjay. Sonia’s propensity for keeping in touch with every one of us with all sorts of writings. She texted something yesterday to me, and Maya read it. She just confounded it, why doesn’t Maya comprehend this hellfire corporate world, ‘Vinay was completely befuddled.
‘I am making a decent attempt to persuade her however of no benefit. ‘said Vinay.
‘Try not to stress, I will converse with her,’ said Sanjay with all sorts of wild musings in his psyche. As his cerebrum was making all kinds of changes, his cellular phone rings with the other ringtone, which was obviously what his ears were waiting to hear. It was a ringtone extraordinarily set for Maya.
Sanjay moves to another corner of the workplace to take the call.
“Hi.” said Sanjay with a delicate voice.
‘Hi, Maya here.’
‘Goodness, Hi Maya, it’s been quite a while. What an awesome feeling to hear your voice.’
‘Sanjay, would you be able to come home at this point.’
‘At this time, I am in office … but…but… I can try.’
‘Yes, Sanjay, I am on leave today, but don’t tell Vinay that you are coming here.’
‘Fine.’
Without squandering much time Sanjay informed Sonia about an urgent meeting with a corporate customer and takes off. He reached Maya’s home and rings the doorbell. Maya opened the door.
‘‘Oh, Hi…” said Sanjay, his eyes stunned by her beauty.
‘Hello…’Maya embraces Sanjay. Sanjay never needed to part away with the embrace yet did as such.
Sanjay sat on a couch with Maya sitting beside him. She was calm. There was a pause of one moment.
‘What is it Maya, you look strained.’
‘Time flies.’ said Maya with tears rolling down her cheeks. It is the worse time of my life. I never thought in my wildest dreams that Vinay would have an extramarital affair. It’s been less than a year since we got married.”
‘What are you talking Maya?’
‘Sanjay, let me know the reality about Vinay and Sonia, ‘asked Maya with her voice dry at this point.
‘‘What, nothing that I can figure ” said Sanjay.
‘What the hell is going on between my husband and that bitch?’ Maya’s patience was at its lowest ebb, and she was ready to burst.
Sanjay knew that she was serious. ‘Look, Maya. Nothing is going on between the two of them. Just a little bit of healthy flirting, I’d say.’
‘Flirting? Healthy flirting? Sanjay. .’ She rolled her eyes in disgust. ‘That’s what you men call it? There is nothing healthy about flirting, Sanjay, not for a married man.
Healthy flirting is a term introduced by perverted men who want to lend legitimacy to their extramarital dalliances. Flirting invariably has a sexual connotation to it.’ She got up from her seat and walked around the room gesticulating and muttering something to herself. Suddenly she stopped, turned back, looked at Sanjay and asked, ‘Did my husband sleep with her? You are his friend. Did he ever tell you anything about it?’
Sanjay was not confused at this point. He recognized what exactly to reply.
‘I don’t have a clue,’said Sanjay making a face indicating precisely he knew everything.
‘Sanjay!!!!!’Maya screamed.” ‘Don’t shroud, simply talk and I am prepared to listen to all the scrap.’
‘Yes!! He slept! Is that fine with you. ”Sanjay’s pitch was high at this point.
Maya went still. There was a long hush. At that point, Maya breaks down. Sanjay gets up and wraps his arms around her as a caring gesture. Maya’s head was on Sanjay’s shoulder, and she continued crying.
‘Leave now Sanjay, I will be okay.’
‘‘All right, however, take care, and if you need anything, please call me. Also, kindly don’t tell Vinay that I let you know this, Please, please.”
‘Try not to stress, I am matured enough to handle this,’ said Maya sobbing.
Sanjay clears out. It had grown dark by now. Sanjay decided to pay special mind to the closest bar to have a marvelous lager.
Days pass by. Maya would battle almost every day with Vinay over the Sonia Issue. Vinay’ s strain was indicating badly on his work. He was depressed and appeared to be lost majority of the times at work. He was the person who was getting the bulk of Sonia’s bullying for non-execution of important tasks. And Sanjay exploiting this, dealt with Vinay’s work more often and got much-awaited appreciation by Sonia and other seniors. He was without a doubt coming closer to Maya as by now she was sharing a lot with him.
One day Vinay was missing from the office. Sanjay rings Vinay.
‘Hi Vinay, where the hell are you.’
‘I won’t be able to come today, please inform Sonia.’
‘What happened?’
‘Sanjay don’t tell anyone, but Maya and I have split. She has packed her bags and already left for some place.’
‘What…Sanjay was shocked?’ He could not believe it. ‘Don’t worry, just take care of yourself.’
Sanjay promptly rang Maya and conversed with her. She told him that she could no more stay with Vinay and was getting ready for a separation soon. She was staying at her best friend’s place for the time being. Sanjay comforted her and guaranteed all backing from his side. He even specified a decent legal advisor for her.
Sanjay began calling Maya every day and even traded SMSs. After around a week Maya sends separation notification to Vinay. Vinay tries hard to make up with Maya. However, she was resolute. Vinay was not able to discover the genuine explanation for this. He had now no decision yet to acknowledge the turn of the occasions as they dropped by. His profession additionally began demonstrating a descending pattern as he scored exceedingly terrible in his yearly evaluations. While Sanjay got an impeccable ‘One Rating’ on one to five scale and at this point and has turned into almost a sweetheart to Sonia.
Sanjay rings Maya and shares the uplifting news.
‘Amazing Sanjay that is great.’
‘Maya, I need to meet you.’
“Why?”
‘No, this is something I can’t let you know on the phone.’
‘I can’t meet you, I am leaving this place.’
‘‘Goodness, don’t Maya, alright I am coming at this moment.”
‘‘Ok, then come to Nehru place, ‘Bistro Espresso.’ ‘I am here for a meeting with a client and will be free in fifteen minutes.’
Sanjay and Maya meet at the Coffeehouse.
‘Maya…I need to ask you something,’Sanjay appeared to be urgent.
“What?”
‘I wouldn’t fret on the off chance that you say no.’
‘‘All right… what?”
‘I want to marry you.’
‘What!! Don’t Sanjay, kindly don’t do this to me, I am already a harassed woman, don’t harass me more.’
‘‘Why, you have already filed for divorce. We can begin a new life.”
‘No Sanjay, it would be better for me to take a transfer from my bank to some other location and leave. I don’t think I need anyone in my life.’
But Sanjay continued demanding. He had all the earmarks of being very nearly at her feet.
‘Ok, fine.’ said Maya with an expressionless face.
‘Oh I am so delighted.’
‘But when?’
‘Today, tomorrow, whenever you say, we will get married in the temple and afterward break the good news to our friends and relatives.’
After a chat, they decide to meet each other on a coming Sunday morning at 8 am in a temple. Both were excited.
‘I would arrange for the Panditjee.’ said Sanjay.
‘Sure, but don’t tell anyone until that day, I want this to be a very close affair. We can tell our families after I officially get the divorce. And we won’t stay together until the time our family performs a formal function.’
‘Oh, Ya, sure.’Sanjay wanted to acknowledge everything.
Both leave the place. Sanjay was now happy to the point of bursting.
‘Vinay was never meant for Maya from the beginning. ‘Sanjay thought, ‘She was eventually made for me even by Gods.’
At last the D-day touches base for Sanjay. Because of excitement, Sanjay could scarcely rest the previous night. He gets up at 5 am, takes a hot shower and wears a fine linen white Kurta Pajama he had purchased recently from Fab India. He takes out his Red Maruti car and leaves for the temple and reaches there by 7.30. Upon entering the temple, he finds Panditjee waiting for them.
‘Where is the Girl,’ asked the Pandit.
‘Oh she must be on her way, you know this traffic.’
It was 7.50 now, and Sanjay was getting impatient. He calls her on her mobile.
‘The mobile you are trying to call is ‘‘switched off” said that annoying telecom voice.
‘This silly lady, Maya, doesn’t have the habit of even charging her mobile on time.’
Time was moving speedier than light. It was 8.30.
‘I will wait till 10 or else leave. I have other engagements also,’ said Panditjee
‘Alright…’
Sanjay did not understand what to do. Presently it appeared his swing to control his tears. He tried calling Maya’s best friend, but her mobile too was switched off. Sanjay was now sitting on the stairs of the temple with his head down. It was almost ten, and Panditjee was leaving, feeling sorry for him. Tears from Sanjay’s eyes were already out. The sky was cloudy and slightly dim since morning. It began drizzling. Sanjay continued sitting on the stairs, completely drenched and devastated. Then he gathers little courage to lift himself. His mobile heated up with frantic calls to Maya. Later, Sanjay heads for Maya’s friend’s place where she stayed after the split. He knocks at the door only to discover some other person.
‘What is it.’ asks the stranger from inside the house.
‘Oh, two ladies were staying here.’
‘They were on rent and had vacated the place last week.’
Sanjay could not realize what to do. He was meandering erratically. All he could do was to visit the same bar he went to a week ago. But this time with pain. He couldn’t even call Vinay to get some information about her.
Two days passed after this incident, and there was no hint of Maya. Sanjay was expecting a call from her. However, there were none aside from those business related. He finally visits Maya’s Bank and meets her colleagues. What Sanjay came to know was a noteworthy shock to him. Maya had resigned on a three months notice and had already served her last working day, which was a day before she was supposed to meet Sanjay in the temple. He inquired about her whereabouts, but no one knew anything.
‘Sunday we were supposed to meet, and Saturday was her last day, why didn’t she tell Me.’ thought Sanjay.
From that day Sanjay went on to hunt several spots. He even rang Vinay and casually enquired about Maya, but Vinay was already in bad shape and had now submitted his resignation to the bank.
‘Hope she is even alive’. Sanjay thought…’ ‘Goodness yes, social media, let me check her Facebook account.’
Sanjay checks the Facebook and finds Maya’s account non-operational. Sanjay was presently feeling miserable. His mind didn’t seem to work. Neither was he able to concentrate? He, at last, considered taking a couple of days off.
Next morning, Sanjay meets Sonia.
‘I need leave for a week, ‘said Sanjay.
‘Is everything all right? ‘Sonia asks thoughtfully.
‘Oh Yes, it’s my mom, she has a kidney problem, I have to attend to her at Meerut.’ said a lost Sanjay as no better excuse came to his mind.
‘Try not to stress, take as much time as is needed, ‘said Sonia keeping her hand over Sanjay’s hand.
‘And Sanjay, hope you know the Bank’s policy. You and your family are insured up to 4 lac from the bank against any medical crisis. If you incur any expense on your mom’s hospitalization then get those hospital invoices and prescriptions and I would raise a service request for the claims.”
‘O.K., much obliged,’ said Sanjay, maintaining a strategic distance from eye contact with Sonia.
That night Sanjay sought all his old school notes. He had jotted Maya’s Lucknow telephone number at some place. Her mom used to stay there. After a frantic search, he, at last, discovers the number and calls her mom.
‘Who is calling at this hour.’ said an irritated old voice.
‘Sorry to disturb you, Aunty, I am Sanjay here, Maya’s friend from her Bank. Her mobile was out of range, so I thought maybe she is available here.’
‘Don’t you know she left a long time back. She doesn’t come here often. Neither has she called. After all adopted children are not always the right choice to take care.’ screeched the old lady.
‘Adopted!! Now, this is news to me. Even Vinay would not have been aware of this.’ thought Sanjay.
‘Aunty, did she call you.’ Sanjay heard the phone slam from the other side.
Sanjay couldn’t rest the whole night. He was strained. Dark circles were unmistakably appearing under his eyes. Consistently time was hard to pass. Sanjay even pondered over the likelihood of Maya getting killed by Vinay. He thought, maybe Maya shared everything with Vinay. He even considered informing the police. His whole week of leave was squandered sitting at home thinking or moving on the streets like drifters. By this time Sanjay also seemed to have lost some weight.
A month passed. Sonia could feel Sanjay’s predicament. Maybe she thought Sanjay was excessively strained for his mom’s wellbeing.
‘Why not take a whole month’s leave; I can talk to the HR department on this. The bank is quite liberal on such personal issues,’ said Sonia with full empathy.
‘Thanks, Sonia, its people like you who run the Bank. I am grateful to you.’
‘Anytime Dear Sanjay, Anytime.’
Sanjay now had full one-month’s time to explore. He madly visited every possible place where he could get a trace of her. Her bank, the shopping center she went by, her limited friends. But there was no sign of her. Sanjay had by now grown a large beard. He finally thought of quitting. So he visited his usual beer bar to have a drink. It took him less than five minutes to swallow two jugs. He felt at ease. He could now talk to himself. As he was about to order a third one, he saw a familiar face on the other table. It was Samya, Maya’s best friend with whom she had stayed for a while.
Sanjay gets up; trying to control his senses and approaches her table.
‘Hi Samya…how are you.’
‘Oh…Uh…fine. Thanks.’
‘‘What are you doing at the bar?” Sanjay asked.
‘Obviously, enjoying my drink.’
‘Good, now please for god sake tell me where Maya is, I haven’t seen her for months now.’
‘I don’t know.’
‘BLOODY WELL, YOU know!!!” Sanjay barked. The whole bar was now gazing at them.
‘See if you don’t tell me then God can only save both of us from the scene I would create here.’
‘Please sit down.’ said Samya, ‘please don’t shout.’
‘Good, ‘said Sanjay with a soft voice.” ‘Tell me.’
‘See Sanjay, Maya is in Dubai, Maya called me from there a few days back.’
‘Dubai!! And what the heck is she doing in Dubai!’
‘I don’t know, but you can take her current address.’ Samya shares Maya’s Dubai address with Sanjay.
‘Thanks, dear,’ cried Sanjay,”Maaayyaa…I AM COMING!”
Next day Sanjay prematurely withdraws his fixed deposit and contacts a travel agent for ticket and visa to Dubai. This was his first visit to a foreign land. Sanjay was now full of energy. He could not be happier.
‘I am sure that poor young lady must be scared and wanted to run away from all this. After all, she was under so much pressure. She would be extremely happy to see me.’
A week later Sanjay leaves for DUBAI from DELHI. He reaches around 7 in the evening, and after clearing visa, walks out of the airport to board a taxi.
‘Where to Sahib.’ asked the driver.
‘‘Please take me to Ali Hassan Building, Sheikh Zayed road.”
‘Right Sir, very posh location it is.’
‘‘POSH” there was a pause, Sanjay had expected her to stay in some downtown, suburb area.
All through the way, the tall buildings, ample of luxury cars running at high speed on extra wide roads, thrilled Sanjay.
In about 30 minutes they reached the building. It was like a seven-star apartment. Well guarded.
Sanjay didn’t know what to do. He steps outside the taxi and reluctantly walks towards the guard.
‘Ah…. is there anybody with the name of Maya in this building, from India,”
‘Who are you?’ the Guard asked.
‘I am known to her…ah…I am from India.’
‘Yes, Mam stays here and is about to move out right now. We will inform her, Oh! Here comes Mam.’
Sanjay was the gladdest man now. He notices Maya coming out of an elevator. Sanjay had seen Maya mostly in Salwar Kameez in India. But there she was wearing a gorgeous wine red colored knee length dress with a sparkling diamond necklace. As he tries to approach her, he had to take a step backward as there was a luxury car to pick her up. The car seemed like a Bentley. She sits in the chauffeur driven car and leaves.
‘Maya, Maya’…Sanjay shouts from behind as he runs after the car. But the car was too fast for him.
Sanjay runs back towards the gatekeeper. ‘How come this lady is staying here.”
‘Staying’ the guard said surprisingly.’ ‘She is the wife of Nazeer Sir, a pretty rich man.’
‘What? Sanjay could not believe this. He runs towards the taxi.
‘Fast, just follow that big black car.’
Sanjay follows Maya in the cab, and after some time her car stops outside the famous Kasbar Disc and nightclub. Maya enters the club.
‘Wait for me.’ said Sanjay to the taxi driver and runs inside the club.
The club boasted of an authentic Arabic style Decor followed with an overcrowded dance floor. Sanjay was looking out for Maya. He finally finds her next to the bar. He could not believe what he saw. Maya was enjoying her neat shot of some imported scotch. Without wasting time, Sanjay walks towards Maya.
‘Can I also have a drink.’?
Maya was frightened as hell as she saw Sanjay. Her face turned white and cold. But then, she smiled.
‘Oh, so you managed to reach here also.’
‘Yes, Don’t say anything, just tell me why didn’t you come to the temple that morning for the marriage.’
‘MARRIAGE? HA HA!! Do you think I would ever marry a scoundrel like you.’
‘Can you elaborate, Mam?’
‘This was just an old revenge, which was due, nothing could be better than the way I did to you, and you deserved this.’
‘‘Can you explain,” said Sanjay softly amidst the loud noise of the DJ.
‘You remember that college incident…fresher’s Party…you remember Baby…you fool, you remember.’
Sanjay’s mind pounced back to the early college days in Delhi. An incident Sanjay wanted to forget. It was fresher’s party. Everyone was enjoying, and many of them tried to play pranks. Sanjay too played a prank with Maya. He remembered tying a thin nylon wire on the loop of Maya’s skirt at the back. At the end of the wire, there was a paper attached that read, ‘My Tail.’ Everybody was laughing. But Sanjay could not predict its consequences. The nylon rope accidently got stuck in a latch of a door, and her skirt tore in full view of others. Maya realized the prank and tried to gather her torn Skirt and ran inside the room crying. It took a long time for Sanjay to console Maya over the incident.
‘So that was the day I thought of taking the revenge from you, thank God I got It.’ said Maya.
Maya continued ‘I thought Vinay was good and would understand my feelings, but after that stupid marriage, I realized he was a totally Mamma’s boy, always talking about Mom. Mom would do this; Mom cooks like that, Yak Yak Yak.”
‘Sanjay, I knew you very well; you always fell for me so easily. There couldn’t be a better way of using you against Vinay and then take my revenge with you as well,” said Maya with crooked eyes.
‘May I know who this Husband of yours, Mr. Nazeer or what so ever.” asked Sanjay.
‘I met Nazeer in Delhi during my wealth management days with the bank. He was an NRI and wanted to invest. Naturally, he also fell for my poisonous-stunning beauty and me. That was the time I made up my mind to get rid of Vinay and also take my revenge against you.”
Sanjay was out of patience now. ‘‘You Fugly female,” Sanjay shouted hoarsely and loses his temper.
‘Oh somebody please help me, please help,’ Maya screamed.
Before Sanjay could react, two bouncers had already lifted him, ever ready and glad to throw out such people from the club. Sanjay was dragged out of the Kasbar Night Club by the bouncers and thrown to the ground. As he lay there, he could feel the pain in his back.
‘Why the hell did I ever come to Dubai?’ Sanjay bawled at the bouncers.
He picks up his mobile phone from the ground and gets up. He staggers but tries to recover himself. He limps towards the taxi and leaves for his hotel.
But Sanjay had different plans. Next day he calls up Maya at her Dubai number.
‘Hello.’ said somewhat sleepy voice, ‘’who is it.”
‘Its me, Sanjay.’
‘WHAT DO YOU WANT!! Wasn’t yesterday enough for you or you wanting me to call the police.’
‘Maya, do you have a pen with you right now.’ Sanjay said firmly.
‘Pen, yes, but why?’
‘Please note down a number, I promise I will leave after this.’
‘‘O.K.’ said a surprised Maya. She picks a pen ready to jot down.
‘0173……….4203.’
‘What is this, it seems like an account number.’ said Maya.
‘Yes, you are right, this is my account number, please transfer eighty lac in next ten minutes,”
‘Eighty lac, are you crazy or mad.’
‘Listen Maya; let me remind you if you have recently suffered a memory loss. That dormant NRI account in your bank, which wasn’t operated for many years due to the death of that NRI in U.K. Even his family members didn’t know about the account. Almost a crore was withdrawn over a period of one year without anyone knowing about this. And you were the only one in the bank who had rights to that account. The bank somewhere has an idea about your doings but couldn’t do much due to fear of loss of its reputation. But if you don’t wire the money to my account then, definitely I will ensure that this news is officially everywhere. With your bank, police, media and of course with that Nazeer Sahib. After all, he should also know with whom he is married. And twenty lac is the grace given to you. After all, a lady like you must have already spent that much money by now to impress that husband of yours.”
‘Oh please, Sanjay you will not do any such thing, you will not!! I am already well settled here.’
‘Ten minutes only, you have ten minutes, and I will bloody well not wait for the eleventh minute. And I don’t need to remind you my bank’s name and code required for transfer.” Sanjay slams the phone down.
Sanjay keeps his mobile on the table and sits on the sofa. He knew something like this coming. Getting married to Maya was an excuse to get that money. But what goes in female’s mind is something even gods cannot tell.
There was another call from Maya on Sanjay’s number. Sanjay picks up.
‘Please Sanjay, I will do it but not so early.’
‘Six minutes.’ Sanjay disconnected.
Just a minute before the deadline, there was a beep on Sanjay’s mobile.
Sanjay picks up the mobile. There were two messages on it. Two account transfers of forty Lac each.
‘Thanks.’ Sanjay sends one last SMS to Maya. ‘You won’t ever see me again.’
Sanjay gets up to gather all his stuff from the hotel.
‘Get up darling, we have to check out.’
‘Oh, please Sanjay, it was wonderful sleeping here…’
That was Sonia, his boss and now his girlfriend. They were soon to get engaged.
‘It was so tough to get leave from the bank on month end closings. The flight was also delayed today. I am so tired. By the way, how was your meeting with the consultant you said you had last evening? Is he offering you anything in Dubai?” ‘And how is your Mom’s health now.’
‘Moms Fine, let’s move now… I think we are better off in India only. Let’s check out and move to Burj Al Arab Hotel. This hotel seems to be little stinky.’
‘Burj Al Arab!! Are you Nuts!! That’s a seven-star hotel.’
‘Anything for you my love, anything, at least for a night.’
‘Fine.’ said a pleased Sonia.
There was another beep on Sanjay’s mobile. Sanjay pushes his fingers on the touchscreen to read the SMS. It said ‘your account is credited by Rs 4 lac as medical reimbursement, your total balance is…”
‘Great’ ‘Sanjay mumbled. ‘After all, it was never tough to get those hospital invoices and prescriptions from my college dropout friend’s Hospital at Meerut.’
Sonia and Sanjay embrace each another firmly and get themselves prepared to move out of the Hotel.