In love with a stranger...(part 2)

     As soon as my eyes opened, I picked my cell and ringed my friend, Varun (the one who brought me home yesterday).

     'Who's this?' he asked, slumber clouded over his voice.

     'It's me, Shantanu,' I said.

     'What?' he said, there was no sound from his side.  He was checking if it was me, perhaps.  'What happened?' he said in a concerned tone.

     'Varun, I want to find that girl,' I said.

     'You asshole, its three in the morning,' he shouted,'Just shut up and let me sleep now.'

     'But, listen - '  the call was disconnected from the other side.  I toiled on the bed, trying to sleep; but as I closed my eyes, her wet eyes appeared and when I opened my eyes, her face flashed in my eyes.

     After struggling for some couple of hours, I called Varun again; hesitatingly though.

     'Who's this?' he asked again in the same sleepy voice.

     'Hmm, Tanu,' I said tentatively.  I heard him sitting up on his bed.

     'Yes, I'm listening,' he said.

     'I think, I love her,' I said.

     He fell silent for a minute.

     'Tanu, you're freaking me out,' he said.

     'I'm equally freaked out.'

     'You must be crazy,' he laughed, 'you're in love with a stranger?'

     'I think so,' I said.

     'What do you want to do now?' he asked.

     'Find her.'

     'You know her name?'

     'No.'

     'You know anything about her?'

     'No.'

     'Great!' he said, irritated, 'How do you think you'll find her now?'

     'That's why I called you,' I said.

     'Brother let me remind you,  I don't have any special powers to trace girls for you.'

     'I wish you had.  But you can suggest something,' I said.

     'The only thing I know about is FACEBOOK.  See if you can get something out of it,' he said.

     'Are you out of your mind?' I said.  'There are millions of people on FB, and I don't even know her name.'

     'That's the only choice you have now,' he said.

     I switched my computer ON, logged in into my account.  Not knowing what name to start with, I typed 'A' in the search tab and clicked 'ENTER' button.  It suggested some names but I choose the option  see all the results.

     Without counting for number of persons, I started scanning for the girls name and checked their profile pictures.

     It was past eight when my head started aching, I got up from the chair and tumbled over bed, into deep sleep.

     'Any luck with FB?' Varun asked in the evening when he came over my place.  I shook my head.

     'It didn't give any clue?'

     'It just gave me a headache,' I said holding my head with both the hands.

     'Tanu,' he said, his hand on my shoulder, 'Just forget about her.  You can never meet her again.'

     I sat, silently, closing my eyes.

     'She's gone; don't think about her.'

     She's gone I said to myself.

     We sat there for some fifteen minutes without speaking a word, looking away from each other.

     'Let's go out,' said Varun pulling me up, 'Come on.'

     'Where?' I asked lazily.

     'There's a friend of mine; he stays nearby,' he said.

     'Nearby? I know him?' I asked as we walked out of house.

     'I guess, no, he shifted here recently.'

     I nodded softly.

     We zoomed on Varun's bike to his friend's place.  There, he introduced us to each other.  His name was Vikas and was a student of Mass Communication at some unpronounceable college.  He was a decent looking. He had a well built body and was quite handsome.  His funky hairstyle was an added bonus.  As soon as I saw him, I wished if I had atleast one quality of his.  Atleast then, that girl would have noticed me.

     We three talked about all the things in the world, from IPL to EPL, from KFC to Dominos and about every unimportant matter.

     We sat there for a couple of hours before taking leave.

     'I'll drop you home,' said Varun as he accelerated his bike.

     'No, it's ok.  I'll walk home,' I said and started walking.

     'Bye,' came a shout from behind.  I waved my hand in response.  It was the same road, I followed her on.  Though it was just yesterday that I saw her, I felt it like years.  As I walked, the memories of the previous day followed.

     

     Vikas Tejwani.  I was going through Varun's profile when I saw this name.  I clicked on his friend's list, instinctively and seen the profile pics of all the girls in there (for that girl, of course).  But couldn't find anyone atleast close to her.  I went back to his wall and there saw Vikas standing on a rock and behind him was a river.  I moved to the next picture where he was holding a basketball with his shirt off, flaunting his muscles.  Feeling jealous, I changed the picture, after some fine pics, I saw him sitting near a huge tree, his arm around a girl, who was happily smiling.  I moved to next one and the next and the next.

     I think I know that girl I said to myself.  It was one in the right.  I again checked Vikas' pictures.  It's her! my heart jumped to my mouth.  She was the same girl, I saw the other day.  The only difference was that she was smiling in the picture.  Her name was Shruti Thakur. I barged into her profile, which showed that she was a student in Gulbarga University, Karnataka. But my heart sunk low when I saw her relationship status.  It showed committed.  My last meeting with Vikas hit my mind; he said he was single.

         Are they both in relationship?

         If he was her boyfriend then why did he say he was single,then?

         If he wasn't her boyfriend then why did they posed for such a cosy picture?

         Why did she come here?

     All these questions entangled my mind.  I thought of calling Varun to clarify it all; but not wanting to disturb his sleep, I allowed these questions to invade my thoughts while I sat on my bed waiting for sun to shine.