A Tale Worth Telling - Chapter 1

Ghrrrrr.... Ghrrrrrr.....
My cell vibrated as i struggled with excel and it's messy formula's. This must be Naman irritating me by calling again and again. He was in Delhi and staying and having free booze at my place for few days. In frustration i pulled my phone out. But in God's green earth, it wasn't Naman. An unknown number was flashing in the screen.

"Hello" , i blabbered in frustration.
"Hello, yes, who is this?", A firm yet sweet voice of a girl hit me.
I took a moment to digest the sweetness on the other side and recall if i know this tone, but having no luck i replied: "ummm, who are you? You called me."
"No, i had a miscall from your number. That's why i am calling you."
" What , i did not call you or anyone. Please check it must be a wrong number."
"UFFFF" , sighed, making me feel like a moron. All the sweetness was fading from my mind.
"I will check in my call list, and will respond to you , if someone called you" i said knowing that i had no balance in my cell hence i was gonna win the argument. If it wasn't have been for that moment i might have felt romantic with that "UFFF" but That "UFFF" was making me angry. I decided to move further and teach her a lesson. I hunged up the phone.

My laptop gave me an alert "battery is running out" but i was high on energy at that moment. I quickly scrolled through my call log and "boom". Her number was not there. Now it was a show time. I texted her "hey, i did not call you.check your logs carefully" and left the room to grab some coffee.

With Coffee in one hand, i stepped out. Weather was beautiful, well let me rephrase it for Delhi, weather was incredibly beautiful that day for Delhi and it's summers. The wind was sighing and thrashing in the tree tops and the boughs moaned.This morning was cold and wet with a brisk wind sweeping the rain across the land. Thoughts of having some pegs in this weather crossed my mind. Lets call someone and have some drinks. I returned to fetch my cell from the room.

As i opened the lock, i saw 3 missed calls. All with the same number, that same number of that same arrogant girl. Until i decide what to day..once again phone started vibrating.

"Hello"
"Yes, you are saying that you did not call me. Why are you lying" again that sweet voice.. which was turning sour slowly came up.
" What the fuck. Are you out of your mind? Being a girl doesn't give you the right to shout on anybody. I can shout very well on you. Don't let me get started and shut-up." I said furiously.
" I have screenshots that you called me".
Now she is making me look like a liar too. Wasn't me being a moron enough for her? She just called for a war. I knew that i did not called her. So there are no chances of her having screenshots.

"Yeah yeah, send me screenshots right now".
"I am sending them. Is this your Whats App number as well?"
"Yeah, now send it" i hung up the call.

For some people, waiting might lead to something beautiful, something romantic, while for many others it is something that never seems to end. And as painful as it sounds, waiting has also got many of the happy ending for many people. But for me this waiting of every moment was making me moron, liar, and god knows what. I was just desperately waiting for her text.

2 minutes later, i received few pictures from an unknown number. I clicked download but what, airtel decides to play games with me. 3G wasn't working (well it was months before uncle ambani provided free 4G). Downloading was getting failed again and again. Seconds later, a text popped up.
"Dekh liye screenshots. Ab kuch ni bolna".

What's the matter with this dumb. First moron, then liar and now she is trying to call me a coward as well. "Dear god, why nice guys have to suffer this much?" I said this in my mouth. And notification of "photos downloaded" popped up.

I was more eager to open the screenshots than the employees waiting for bonus in month of march. That sourness of her "UFFF" was constantly floating in my ears. As soon as i opened the screenshots, i felt earth slipping under my feet. My number, yes my number was there in the screenshots. It seemed like those that storm wasn't actually an storm but clouds laughing at me. Moron, coward, liar words started booming in my ears. I was completely stumpified.

All my confidence was falling apart. The most horrifying thing to worry about was what to reply that horrifying lady with sweet voice(yes SWEET, sweet and firm, i kind of have a thing for such antiques). But wait.. wait.. Wait.. that is my number but not my number i currently have in this cell. It was my reliance number, which i gave to Naman this Morning.

A storm outside was nothing if compared with the storm rising inside. All of what i was thinking about her was wrong. We have heard often that first impression is the last impression. That was becoming true at the moment. She was a sweet yet firm girl, who knew how to respond and take her stand instead of being shut up. She was someone who would not hesitate to fight if someone violated her terroratory. She was someone who is not scared of sharing her number.she was a bold person in all her steps. She was not showoff. She was what she was with even an stranger. This was her first impression and those were true. All the second thoughts of her being an arrogant and god knows what and what just disappeared from my mind. I entered in the world of whats app once again. Opened her profile picture and got trapped again. There were two girls with almost same face-cut but with a bit of age difference. I was continuously gazing on the picture to figure out which one's the lady at other end. Trust me solving rubric's cube was much more easier than this task. I was fiddling with all the probabilities but the vibration of phone broke my chain of thoughts.

"Hello, yes, have u seen the screenshots?"
"Yeah yeeah, are you a friend of Naman?"
"No"
What... I am ruined again..
She spoke again.. "But i am his distant relative. Why , how do u know him?"
"Ha ha, are actually he is good friend of mine. He is staying with me here. He must have called you. I didn't know about it."
Now i was being a bit arrogant by not saying Sorry.
"Oh tabhi i thought ki itna jhuth kyu bologe. I am so sorry."
"Oh my god. Please please stop stop!" I told myself.Don't be so nice and make me fall in love right now.
The way she was behaving now after being so firm. How can someone be cold as ice and warm as a blanket at same time. How can some one be so firm and bossy but also understanding at the same time. How can she be someone, who i can hate and adore dame time.

Hiding all these thoughts, i replied " it's okay. We both misunderstood each other. I hope we are clear now."
" Yes we are, and just know that , i am really sorry for accusing you of something you didn't do. Anyways i must be wasting your time. Bye. "
"Bye."

Oh shit ! Yes i was busy. I almost forgot that. I again sat and started my laptop. But all my mind could work on was all the probabilities of spotting her in that pictures of two ladies."
The mystery was yet to be solved....

- Ashish Baboo