SIDHARTH
“Life is unpredictable.” I have heard this quote a million times since birth, but now I see it happening. My love, my girlfriend, is getting married to the boy with whom she cheated on me, and here I am having a meal at her wedding at her expense with my best friend, SHRAVAN TANEJA.
Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I am SIDHARTH SHUKLA, a marketing executive in my family’s company, Have Food. I am a family-oriented boy away from Gen-Z culture. My only problem is allergic contact dermatitis. I am sensitive to smell. I hate strong smells, which makes me hate perfumes the most.
Well, back to the situation.
“The gulab-jamun is too sweet. It can be balanced with elaichi powder…”
I am crying seeing my girlfriend… sorry, my ex-girlfriend, is taking seven rounds around the holy fire, and my best friend is criticizing the food. How lovely!
“Stop being the complaining Fufa Ji at every wedding.” I stormed his foot and apologized for his earlier comment to the waiter who had been examining us for a long time.
“Sidharth, I am doing this for you, my Jaan. I thought you would feel good if I criticized their arrangement.” That is why he is my best friend, always there for me in all my ups and downs. “Look, the bridal gown is looking dull. It should be bright red instead of dull maroon, no?” Did I forget to tell you that he is lying from the start? Everything is right and perfect here, but he is saying everything to make me feel light, which further makes me sad.
I want to cry, and why not? I truly loved her. She was the first girl on whom I had a crush. A teenage crush then confessed to her, and since then, we have been in a relationship until I saw her kissing another boy in a theatre.
“Sharry, what would have happened if I hadn’t seen her in the theatre that day?” Sharry, a nickname of Shravan, was given to him by my Dadi because she doesn’t like his lengthy name. How lovely!
I looked at the scene where the groom was filling her hairline with that red powder, and I couldn’t help but find dead silence. “Red powder.” Yes, because I don’t feel any connection with that thing. My mom says this powder is the most auspicious thing for a married woman. A woman felt complete after applying this with her husband’s name.
Some flashbacks come to my mind that I shooed away in a second, not wanting to think about the worst day of my life. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably because of uneasiness and saw Sharry avoiding eye contact with me. Now, what happened to him?
X—X—X
6 months ago
Shravan is out looking for decent land for his new hotel branch, and that is the time he sees Rashmi ( Sidharth’s girlfriend ) with a boy strolling in a mall. Something looks odd with their closeness. Being a best friend, he follows her and hears their lovey-dovey talks. “That bloody bitch is cheating on my brother. How dare she!” He looks at her with anger and eavesdrops on their conversation.
“Baby, let's go and watch this movie. I heard that it is a good…” He heard her saying and got to know that their show would start at 3, in two hours. He immediately booked two tickets as a true friend and ran to Sidharth’s workplace.
“Sidharth, let’s go.” He reached his office and dragged him in a hurry.
“Huh! Where?” Sidharth says while wearing his coat like an obedient friend.
“Movie”
“Movie?” Sidharth cringes his face and pulls his hand back, “Am I your girlfriend or a wife?”
“Where is it written that you could only watch the movie with your better half?”
Sidharth didn’t bulge from his place, and in an hour he found himself standing beside his friend in front of the theatre. “What happened to you today? Why are you forcing me to watch it with you?”
“Because I can’t watch this movie with anyone else,” Shravan said, annoyingly, while looking around to find Rashmi and her boyfriend.
Sidharth nods and whispers in his ear, “Is it a soft-p*rn or something?”
Sharry coughs with watery eyes and gulps in nervousness, “That will depend on HER.”
“Her?” Both friends walk inside an empty theatre, “Hey, the theatre is almost empty. Why would you bring me here for such a flop movie?” Sidharth looks around and finds a couple doing something unholy, “There is no one except that couple who is doing everything except watching the movie.”
“Let’s go and sit on our seats.” Shravan shivers, anticipating the result of his act, but he is too determined to show Rashmi’s true behavior to him.
“One second,” Sidharth looks at the couple with concentration, “I think, I know that girl.”
“I know her too.” Sharry mumbles, and the last thing he hears is his shout.
“RASHMI!”
X—X—X
I shook Shravan, who was looking at the couple who were taking everyone’s blessings after completing all the rituals. “Hey, where are you lost?” He seems a little lost or nervous, and that only happens when he hides something from me.
“I am thinking, what would have happened if we didn’t see her in that theatre?” He asks, looking in a particular direction, and thank god he showed Rashmi’s true face to me, or else, “Then, I would be screwed!”
“You are already screwed, bro…” What does he mean by that? Sometimes he says things that go above my head. “Huh?... Are you…” He cut me in mid.
“She is coming here with a clear motive of killing you.” Why does he always say puzzles in such situations? Can’t he use simple sentences? Before I could ask him anything, the most irritating voice came from my back, and DOOM!
“I won’t forgive you for this, Sidharth. You laughed today, but soon I will make you cry. I will make you kneel in front of me, I will make you beg. Remember this.”
Uff! Rashmi! Not today, my darling.
I turn to face her, trust me, sometimes I feel what I saw in this face to ever love her. My heart always flutters when I see her, but now, I feel creepy seeing her.
“Tch!... You have to forgive me because I am not your husband, darling. Now, you have a husband and a family to look after.” My heart feels at peace seeing the rage in her eyes. I loved seeing those little tears in the eyes that I loved sometime back.
I stand in front of her like a stone with the same rage as she tries to threaten me, no one, I mean, NO ONE CAN THREATEN THE SIDHARTH SHUKLA.
“For your kind information, darling, SIDHARTH SHUKLA NEVER KNEELS IN FRONT OF ANYONE AND NEVER BEGS.” This is the fucking truth. I never kneeled in front of anyone and will never kneel in the future as well.
“Don’t fly so high, Shukla. Everyone has their weaknesses, and I am sure you have yours as well.”
Sidharth Shukla’s weakness, nah! No one can be my weakness. “Don’t waste your precious time, my darling. Your husband is waiting for you, so just go.” I showed her the way, and I love the furious Rashmi. How lovely! “But, before going, will you please enlighten me as to why you are so furious with me? I am the one who arranged your wedding with your lovely boyfriend. Sorry, husband.”
Well, I am the one who told her orthodox family about her boyfriend, with whom she cheated on me, and convinced her family to accept their marriage. I even showed them their little intimate photos, which made them say yes to the wedding. How supportive of a boyfriend am I, no? She should be thankful to me, but see, she is showing tantrums to me. Ungrateful lady!
She finally went with her husband, who claims to love her, and here I am standing in peace. It would be a lie if I said I didn’t feel bad. I do. Maybe I have some feelings for her till now, but she deserves this. She betrayed me, and no one betrays the SIDHARTH SHUKLA.
Rashmi's chapter is closed, and now I can finally move on.
I am driving my favorite BMW while Shravan is eating my head with his baseless talks. At times, I wonder why I am still friends with him. He talks with no stop, and I love short talks and silence.
The silence breaks when my cell phone rings before I can see who it is; my bastard friend picks up the call as the cell is connected to my car.
“Hello, Gulu…”
Huh! Not again, Dadi… She always calls me GULU. I mean, why? How will my associates and media react when they learn about my name?
Gulu, this name doesn’t even suit my personality. I mean, imagine the man who is as ruthless as a mafia boss, and arrogant as fuck, and society calls him GULU. But who convinced my Dadi not to call me that?
“Hello, Gulu, tu sun raha hai…?”
“Haa, Dadi, bolo…”
“Woh, Shehnaaz abhi tak ghar nahi aayi hai. Usne tujhe kuch bataya tha ki woh kab tak aayegi?”
Shehnaaz!!!
Shehnaaz, well, I forgot to tell you about her. SHE IS MY WIFE. We got married last month on the 29th in a close wedding that included only our family. She is the only girl whom I hate the most. And, why not? She is loved by everyone in the home.
I meant it! Everyone loves her so much that they even forget about me. Even the cooks prepare the food that she loves. The security team always welcomes her with a smile, but with me, they act like I am a snake who had bitten them.
In short, I hate her mere presence, but I can’t do anything except stay away from her. For god’s sake, she also doesn’t force or show any hint that she wants OUR MARRIAGE TO WORK, that is cool.
No expectations
No lies
No betrayals
No love
No worries
“Dadi, she must be busy. She will come back soon.”
“Tu chup kar, Gulu. Ja or use leke aa.”
“Ji ma’am.” Like, she is worried about her, not for me. I am also not at home till now, but she is tense about her only. I hate her so much!
“Why would I go to fetch her? Is she a little girl?” I rant at Shravan as soon as Dadi cuts the call. “I am not her driver or bodyguard then, why me?”
“You are her husband, Sidharth.” He smacked my arm for my behavior towards her, as always. “You should take responsibility for her safety. Did you see the time?”
I look at my watch and damn, it’s 9 p.m. Worry spread across me, but I tried not to show it to him. Where is she? I look out of the window as it is raining heavily. I hope she is fine.
I must not be worried for her, right?
She is just a liability for me.
Keeping my worries aside, I dialed her number. To be frank, I have her number, not like the movie heroes who don’t share numbers with their unwanted brides.
She picked up the call on the sixth ring, not like her.
“Hello…”
Damn, her voice! I also forgot to tell you that she has an amazing voice. I always feel chills whenever I hear her soothing voice, which is very rare because we rarely talk.
“Kaha par ho?” I come directly to the point as per my personality.
“Umm….” She hums, making me impatient.
To be continued…