Crack The Job

21- Of Truth and Confessions

Siddharth

I couldn't understand why my life was turning out to become a movie script. Every time I wanted to go back to being a normal man, I was caught up in unexpected situations. 

"Siddharth… sir. Am I right? I didn't know you both were friends." He was blankly staring at Anvish who seemed like he was in total detective mode. I wondered if any lie would work out in this situation. I tried thinking like Payal. What would she do? 

"Siddharth sir? What are you saying, brother? His name is Abhiraj. The guy next to him is Siddharth." Our event host announced. And my palm slammed over my face unconsciously. "Brother, you must be drunk without drinking." He was clutching his stomach while laughing at our faces. 

Regardless of how many ways I tried to work out my brain, I could only visualize him, taking a microphone and announcing our lies on a 4k screen. We were caught and there was no way out.

"You know… we were just batchmates…and—" Abhiraj was sobered up by then. I stopped him. 

I had to tell him the truth and get him on our side at least. That's the only way. If that doesn't work out, our plan ends here. 

"I want to say something," I said, taking a deep breath. 

"Okay, Give me excuses if you can," he said, as he left the dining room to go to his balcony area, gesturing to me to follow him. 

At least, he didn't make me say it in front of everyone. Abhiraj tried to stop me but I pushed his hand away. "I should tell him. I should tell someone," I whispered and walked away.

★★★

Payal 

Shruti did the best thing she could do. 

"Oh my girl, you literally delivered the best news ever!" I plopped down on my bed, cheering up at the news of the cancellation of our college reunion. 

"Are you that happy?" 

"Of course. I didn't want to join them. I am sure they would bring up marriage and tell me, 'Get a husband already like me', " I said, imitating the tone of the 'popular' girl of our college. I would rather prefer to call her 'dramatic kid'.

"I just couldn't stop laughing at her during all those years. How can a grown adult talk like that? Is she kidding me?" 

"Nandini has always been like that for the longest time we knew her." She was laughing at the other end. We were like some gossip friends and we absolutely loved it. She paused to say, "Hey, I heard about your two-husband incident. Abhiraj told me. Just fill me in already," Shruti cried out but the voice didn't come as natural. 

"Ah, It was a mess…" I proceeded on with the story and continued, "I survived that because of both of the guys. I almost gagged." 

"Wow, you always manage yourself in trouble, huh?" She laughed off but her voice was a little lower than earlier.

I felt I knew what she was thinking so I proceeded to clarify it. "Shruti, you don't feel uncomfortable that he is pretending to be my husband, right? I mean it's nothing at all." 

"Ah.. No… I really didn't. What do you take me for?" She laughed awkwardly.

I couldn't help but imagine her getting in a defensive mode, blocking all of my words. I could see that even if she didn't show, she might be upset with him and I will be the sole reason for that. I couldn't let that happen. 

"After the act, he was calling you his wife and did you know that he wants to marry you and rent an apartment in my recent building? He just loves you too much. Don't be upset with him, okay?"