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Never Put the Speaker Phone On

Oh Zara Zara, touch me, touch me, touch me

Oh Zara Zara, kiss me, kiss me, kiss me

Oh Zara Zara, hold me, hold me, hold me

Oh Zara Zara, oooohhhhh, ooooohhhh

Jai laughed out loud as he watched his friend Aditya get slapped the second time for the night. It was Friday night, and they were at the club as usual. As a glaring Aditya came towards him, he couldn't help but laugh more.

Aditya – Yes, continue laughing at me. You're already hooked up with Miss Bani. Girls can be so hard-to-get these days.

Jai – For you! (bursting into laughter again)

Aditya – Come on, yaar, stop it.

Jai – Seriously, you tell the first girl her ass is huge and you got slapped. And you go back and do the same thing. Did you expect a different reaction? You don't tell girls that their asses are big.

Aditya – Seriously, I thought they liked-

Aditya was interrupted by the buzz of Jai's phone. As Jai took the phone out of his jeans pocket, they both looked at the name flashing on the screen, already knowing who it was – Playboy.

Playboy, well actually, Ranveer Bali, was Jai Walia and Aditya Singh's other best friend. Jai pressed the speakerphone button.

Jai and Aditya (greeting Ranveer as they always do) – What's up, Ran-Ran?

Ranveer (drawling) – I'm out with my girl.

Aditya – As always!

Jai – So, is it Anjali?

Female voice – No, it's Rhea.

Jai (not really thinking) – Oh right, Anjali was last month-

Rhea – Excuse me!

Jai (realizing that Ranveer is on speakerphone and sheepish at almost ratting his friend out) – Anjali was Laxman's girlfriend. He broke up with her last week. I have so many friends. I sometimes mix their girlfriends up. By the way, my name is Jai, and I am Ranveer's good friend.

Aditya – Yeah, and I'm Aditya, the other friend.

Jai – Do you want to meet Laxman? I want to make sure that you don't think Ranveer's a playboy. Let me call him. He's sitting away from us. The poor guy is distraught after his breakup. I don't think he even knows his name right now.

Jai (shouting to a guy who never met nor saw Jai before) – Hey Laxman!

Guy (looking at Jai as if he's weird) – Who the hell is Laxman?

Jai (addressing Rhea) – See what I told you Rhea? Doesn't even know his name.

Jai (turning back to the guy and waving some rupees in the air) – Laxman, forget Anjali and come here and talk to Ranveer's girl, Rhea. Come on.

The guy got up and walked to Jai, seeing the money in the air.

Jai – Say hi to Rhea, Laxman.

Guy – Hi Rhea!

Rhea – Hi Laxman! Get over Anjali and move on. Be happy!

Guy – Okay.

Jai – Good, now go and find a girl. (pushing the guy away and shoving the money back into his pocket)

The guy glared back, Aditya growled and bunched his muscles, and that sent him packing back to where he was.

Ranveer – Rhea, why don't you go over there and get some drinks? I just have to talk to these two for a few minutes.

Rhea – Okay!

Ranveer turned off the speakerphone as Rhea walked away.

Ranveer (yelling) – You duffers! What the hell was that all about?

Jai (yelling back) – You idiot! How was I to know you're on the speakerphone? Who told you to put on speakerphone? Why the hell did you call us in the middle of your date anyway?

Ranveer – Actually, Rhea is driving me nuts. She's too smart for me. I don't understand half of our conversation, and it doesn't look as if I'm getting anywhere tonight with her.

Aditya – Serves you right! Now you have to keep your damn testosterone in check.

Ranveer – Why are you talking? Jai already texted me and told me you got slapped for hitting on a girl.

Aditya – Jai!

Jai – Oh yeah, he got slapped again.

Jai and Ranveer burst into laughter.

Jai (regaining his composure) – Ranveer, you should stop with all these girls. I am getting old. I will be 24 next week. How do you expect me to keep up with all these girls names'? I'll be lucky if I don't forget my girlfriend's name. Heard that? Singular! One! Not plural!

Ranveer – Oh, give me a break.

Aditya – Give you a break? He's right. We are getting old. We cannot keep up with your girls' names.

Ranveer – Hey, shut up! You have no girlfriend. You have enough space in your brain to remember the names so just stop talking.

Jai and Ranveer laughed again.

Aditya – You two watch, one day, I'll have the hottest girl in my arms.

Jai and Ranveer laughed harder.

Aditya – Stop it!

Ranveer – Drats! You're lucky Miss Smarty Pants is calling me or you wouldn't hear the end of my teasing.

Ranveer cut the call and Jai put away the phone.

Jai – So, it's Rhea now. Remember that!

Aditya – Yeah!

Just then, Jai felt two female arms encircling him. He turned around and looked at his girlfriend since two years.

Jai – Hi Rhea!

Bani pulled her hands away from Jai's neck so fast that Jai didn't even know. He looked at Bani to find her glaring at him with her hands on her hips. Aditya watched on with glee.

Bani – Who is Rhea?

Jai – Bani, listen, I made a mistake. I was just talking to Ranveer, and he's with this girl named Rhea so it just slipped out of my mouth.

Bani – If you expect me to believe that, I must say that your expectations are rather high.

Bani whipped around and briskly walked away. Jai sprang from his chair and walked after her, muttering a "Damn Ranveer and Rhea."

The Reality

"I killed your mother Bani…she got crushed under my car…it was raining…and I couldn't see properly…and she just…" Jai whispered hoarsely, despaired by having to admit the guilt that had been eating him.

Bani grabbed him by his shirt, her eyes stormy with anger, "What did you just say Mr Walia? You murdered my mom…you killed her and made me an orphan!" She screamed against the howling wind. A storm was brewing up in the dark sky, just as wild as the storm that had just been unleashed by her husband confessing the truth of how her mom had died.

Jai covered his face with his hands, "I didn't murder her Bani…she ran across the road…one minute the road was empty and then she just came from no where." He shouted anguished at being called a murderer…all that he had imagined coming true when the truth would come to light.

Bani slapped him hard, shaking with rage, her fists curled, eyes blazing, "Don't tell me lies…all you have done for the last few weeks is tell lies. First the mechanic, then the cheque Roshni had…then Rocky…and Park Road…now I know why hated whenever anyone talked about Park Road, why you had fear in your eyes…why you broke out in sweat! I hate you…I hate you for everything! For taking away my parents…for my lost childhood and most for not being truthful…you should have told me the truth…I would have taken my sister and walked away…I hate that I have been sheltered by the murderer…I was forced to marry my mother's killer."

Jai could not take the accusations…her hateful words…the truth of his relationship with her. He dropped down on his knees…and sobbed in his hands. "Do…what…you want…with me…Bani…but don't hate me. I am sorry…I am sorry…but I am in love with you…I fell in love with you…and didn't want to lose you..."

Bani took steps back, away from the broken down man…the man she too had fallen in love…but she could no longer love him…how could she love him when he had taken her mother away…when he had lied to her…no she did not want to love her mother's killer.

Her step faltered as she stepped on a jutting piece of broken concrete, her high heel rocked and she fell. Her head came down hard on the broken concrete floor. A scream escaped her as she blacked out.

The sharp scream brought him out of his miserable state. His hands fell off his face as he stared at his wife lying on the floor. "Bani!" he screamed, before getting up clumsily and staggering like a drunkard towards her. "Bani!" he picked her up and cradled her. "Please don't die…I won't be able to live if you die…I cannot live knowing I killed you too…please…Bani…don't…die." Tears streamed down his face as he buried his face in her hair. He did not know how long he sat there…how long he held her. Someone pulled him away from her…someone took her away from his arms…someone left him alone without her.

When he woke up, he could not remember how he got to where he was. He stared at his wife lying on the hospital bed, looking pale, her eyes shut tight. Slowly he moved his hand and took her delicate, small hand in his huge palm. It looked so childlike in his plump hand. Tears clouded his eyes as fingers closed gently around him and the reason why she was lying on the bed came back to him. "I am so sorry…Bani…I am a terrible man…not worthy of you…you are right…all I know is to hurt people…and that too good people Bani."

Somewhere deep in her mind she could hear a voice…someone was talking to her…yes…it was him…it was her Mr Walia. She could see him kneeling in front of her and crying…why was he crying? What did she do to hurt him? She saw herself drop down in front of him, reaching out and touching his face. "Please don't cry Mr Walia…I didn't mean what I said. How could I call you murderer…you cannot kill anyone Mr Walia." He kept on crying and she could not stand to see him cry, so she reached out and gathered him in her arms and kissed his wet cheeks, eyes and lips all the while whispering to him not to cry.

Her eyes flew open and she stared at the bent head of Jai Walia, his tears falling on her hand. She snatched her hand away as she remembered everything…everything that had happened before she fell. The man who was crying…her husband was also her mother's killer…she could not love him…no "never" she cried out.