In love with a stranger...(part 3)

'Are you sure, that this girl is that girl?' asked Varun, over the phone.

'I'm damn sure. I can't forget that face,' I said sounding eager.

'Hmm, okay,' he said. 'And the way that they both posed, it seems that they are in a relationship,'he added looking at his monitor(I guess).

'But he said he was single,' I reminded him.

'Ya, they must have broken-up,' he said thoughtfully.

'But why?' I quickly asked.

'How would I know that?' he said a little irritated.

'But you can ask him,' I suggested which sounded more like an order.

'Okay, I'll talk to him.'

'We'll go together.'

'No!' he snapped,'I'll ask him my way.'

I remained silent for a couple of seconds. 'Fine,' I said slowly.

'I think you should forget about her,' said varun rushing into my room. It was some fifty minutes ago that I talked to him on phone. I was waiting for him, holding my urge to call him again. To be honest, I wasn't really holding my urge but it was that picture of hers that prevented my eyes to look away from her. The more I looked at her the deeper my love grew.

Startled by his sudden appearence in the room, I closed the Facebook tab. But unfortunately my last stunt couldn't escape his eyes. He moved towards my computer, clicked on the Mozilla Firefox icon; it exposed the picture of her that I was watching. He looked at me and heaved a sigh.

'There's no way you can get her, Tanu,' he said closing the picture.      

'Are they still together?' I asked, but couldn't hide the falling pitch of my voice.

'No. They broke-up long back,' he said making himself comfortable on the bean bag ,'It feels so good on this,' he added pressing himself against the bean bag. I glared at him.

'What?' he threw his hands in the air.

I shook my head,'What else did he say?' I asked,'What else did you ask?' I added quickly.

He again looked at me and computer in quick succession - it was viewing her picture again.

'Did you ask him if she has come here to meet him?' I asked to detrack him from the screen.
'I hinted about it. I asked him when was the last time he met her and he said nearly a month ago - the day when they broke-up.'

'No way. He's lying,' I shouted,'screw him!'
'Whatever. He also said that she stays at Sharada girls hostel at Gulbarga; doing her MBA, she's actually from Delhi.'
'Delhi? She has come all the way from Delhi to do her MBA?'
'Not really. She wanted to be close to Vikas, he was in Gulbarga then.'
I turned to her picture again. What a girl she must be! I thought So full of love. I smiled to myself.
'Don't tell me that you are planning to go there,' Varun interrupted my thoughts.
'You're a genius,' I said.

'But you're crazy,' he said roughly,'Don't expect me to come.'
'Did I ask you?'
'Thank you for not asking.'


The next day I sat on a bench at the Kachiguda railway station, waiting for the train. I dropped my head on my hands, bent forward and eyes closed.
                    

'You're such an asshole,' said a voice; I also heard him sitting beside me. There wasn't a bit of doubt that it was Varun!
'I knew you would come,' I said my eyes still closed.
'Yeah right.'
I showed him the extra ticket that I bought for him. 'Wait. Did you buy any ticket?' I asked.
He shook his head. 'I knew you would buy,' he said smiling.

'What did you say to your mom?'he asked as I passed him coffee.
'Friend's sister's marriage.'
'Was she okay with it?'
'Pretty much. I assured her that I'll be back in two days.'
'So, what's the plan now?' asked Varun taking in his last sip.
'Searching for our seats,' I said, loading my bags on my shoulder.
'Not that,' he said following me,'what will you say to her?'
'Don't know,' I said plainly.
As I sat near a window, his questions rang in my ears. What will I do after I find her? What will I say?