When the unexpected happens...

I

A Monday morning is always an action-packed occasion for Anvesha. And this particular Monday was no exception. She was busy filing an important news story on her office computer. She would have continued had a ‘new mail’ message on her GTalk not popped up, all of a sudden. On other instances, she would have overlooked the message and went on with her work, but this time, Anvesha couldn’t resist opening her mailbox, since the message carried ‘Very Urgent’ as its subject line. Moreover, the sender was Sameera.

Once she was done with quickly scanning the email, Anvesha was forced to pick up her cell phone and dial Sameera’s number. In the process, she had forgotten that only recently she had a grim fight with Sameera and that they (best friends, once upon a time) had not been talking to each other! On the flip side, when Sameera answered the phone call and confirmed the contents of her email, none mentioned the fight episode, as if it had never transpired.

“Beware Anvesha! Your would-be father-in-law is very dangerous. First, he phoned me up few days back, and then dropped in at my place last week. Now he rings me everyday… twice, thrice, even four times! He badmouths about you. Calls you names. Ill-speaks about your sisters, your parents….” Sameera poured out, at one fell swoop. Now it’s Anvesha’s turn to first swallow this new ‘development’ in her life and then curse her fate that she was unable to get in touch with her boyfriend, at that instant.

“This is the biggest shock of my life,” Anvesha heard herself speaking finally. “I knew he hates me to death, but I never had an idea that he would go to such an extent. But… how did he get your number?”

“That’s what bothered me at the outset, when he called me up. When asked, he said his son had given…. Hey, can Nikshay really do so?” Sameera asked. “Of course not! And Nick does not have your number, in the first place. I myself don’t have it, let alone Nick,” Anvesha had a point. “True,” Sameera agreed, “but then, who was he talking about? Nikshay’s younger brother?” “Possible…,” Anvesha found herself even more bemused and hurt at the same time.

II

“I can’t… believe this,” Nikshay was flabbergasted. Speechless! “How could my… dad do this? God!” and he broke down. Anvesha, his girlfriend, made an effort to soothe him, but she herself was down in the mouth. She embraced him… wiped his tears, her own rolling down her cheeks. Nikshay hugged Anvesha. “I am so sorry baby. You were so upset, undergoing this entire trauma and I wasn’t here in those needy moments. Really sorry doll… for whatever my dad did,” Nikshay hugged her tighter. “Why are you sorry for this, Nick? You haven’t done anything wrong,” Anvesha wiped Nikshay’s tears, Nikshay hers.

“Don’t worry my love, I am there with you… always. I’ll try and set everything right,” said Nikshay. They hugged each other…

III

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She felt the earth had moved under her feet. “Are you sure, Nick? I mean… it’s just unbelievable,” stunned Anvesha managed to speak. “Of course, I am, Anvi,” Nikshay assured her. “In fact, a comprehensive look at that email and you will be in no doubt yourself. Sameera is the mastermind behind all this,” he added. “I don’t believe this…. How could she backstab me… like this?” Anvesha found herself unable to stomach undoubtedly the biggest shock of her life.

“Yes Anvi, Sameera plotted all this. My mom just told me… my brother had received an anonymous email that carried the foulest language possible for you, smudging your character badly. Calling himself my family’s well-wisher, this ‘secret’ person gave Sameera’s mobile number, asking to contact her for more ‘information’ against you…. And I am damn sure Sameera has done all this… no one else but Sameera is this anonymous sender,” Nikshay asserted.

“Oh my god! Sameera? I trusted her so much. Made her my confidant. Why did she do this to me?” Anvesha couldn’t help crying. She was hurt.

And then she remembered the last message that Sameera had sent her after their last row… “I will never let you live in peace, Anvesha. I will take all your happiness away. Just wait and watch….”