Crack The Job

17- Calling Trouble

Siddharth

Was I too excited? Was I too calm? I couldn't help running the lines more than a thousand times. At this point, I am afraid I am not functioning like a human.

Stop it you fool! Just stop, will you? My mind never left me alone for a damn second.

I rolled over my bed, grinning like an idiot when my phone buzzed next to me. Payal. I sat up quite immediately. "Hey, did you reach home?" I asked before she could speak.

"Oh... yeah. I did." Her voice quivered. She sounded like some trouble was looming over her. I could sense the trouble from miles away. As if the last few days were not enough, the God above planned to give us some more adventure. That's great news!

"Um... what about you? You reached home well?" She asked with a hesitant voice.

Now I am sure she was troubled. She wasn't the type to ask me about that, not when she dropped me off in front of my house. Of course, I got in safe and didn't get kidnapped, which is why I was using my phone now.

But I didn't say all of that. "Hmm... Yes, I got in. What is troubling you though?"

It must have been a shock to her but she shouldn't be that surprised that I found out. "How... would you know—"

"That you were in trouble?" I finished her incomplete sentence. I chuckled to calm down the atmosphere—more like to calm myself down. "Of course I understood. You are acting weird now. Tell me, what is it?"

I need to know. I need to know so bad. What the hell is it? My heart couldn't help but chant as I waited to hear.

I listened as she spoke how she was supposed to move in tomorrow but the owner is suddenly determined to sell it and pay off his debts and so, she has nowhere to go because her sister is leaving for Kolkata next week and the house lease will end.

"So, what will you do now?" I asked, dreading the worst.

"Siddharth, so, I was thinking..." Her voice faded away as if she paused to think. Anticipation rang in my ears and I couldn't bear her silence any longer. Do you know the feeling when the silence kills us? That very, common feeling. I felt that in my guts.

"Tell me."

"I should move into the market quarters. They already said earlier that they have apartments for their employees so I might move in there."

There it came. My fear of roping myself more around the market with my lies. But that wasn't the only problem. The problem was something else. I knew what she wanted. Perhaps to pretend to be a husband and live together.

"I don't think that... will be appropriate. I mean, how are we supposed to live together there? We can't do that." I felt the hair behind my neck stand up at the thought of us living as a couple. Though she didn't explicitly mention it, I assume it can't be a total loss.

"What? Why are we living together?" Her perplexed voice startled me. What?

Before I could convey my puzzled thoughts, she said, "You just have to accompany me to the building. Other than that you have to do nothing. I will do the rest. Okay?"

"Wait... I am so confused. What are you going to do exactly?"

"I will just say that you are going to make up something. Anyway, we can't stay together. But really, did you just think about that? Why would you—" I heard her sigh.

I could die right now. The embarrassment crept up to me and I wanted to bury myself. Why would I think like that? Suddenly, I felt as if I had to say something to sound cool to reduce my discomfort and I sat up just to say. "I will do anything if only it is for you."