Destined by Chance

Chapter 1

"You are a rotten piece of shit, hope you know that," Neil stated sarcastically.

"Look who is talking," replied the man on the other end of the phone with ease.

"Robbie," Neil growled dangerously, "feel lucky you aren't before me...you called asking for a favor, don't push your luck," he said warning his best friend.

How the hell he was still best friends with Robbie, Neil had no clue. They had met in Boston, fourteen years ago at the university. And strangely a friendship had struck between them. Strangely because they were poles apart in physicality, thoughts, manners, lifestyle, in short everything. Where he had always had focus, Robbie had had none. Where he had been born with a natural intellect, Robbie had acquired his, from being street smart. 

Over the years, Neil had learnt several tricks to various trades from his friend and surprisingly they had come in handy. Sadly, Robbie had learnt nothing from him. There had been times when Robbie had pulled him out of situations especially during their freshman year in college. And the rest of the time the onus had fallen squarely on Neil's shoulders.

 He had always been organized, extremely competitive and definitely more successful. And Rob...well, Rob was Rob, laidback, disorganized, lazy and more careless than anybody Neil knew. But disinterest topped that list. That was where his friend's most of the problems lay. Anything that interested Robbie soon became disinteresting whether it was professionally or personally. That was also the biggest bone of contention between the two. No matter how many times Neil had tried over the years to get his friend to change his habit, he had only met with failure. 

Rob's inconsistency in his professional life often irked Neil. Switching from one job to another, one company to another. He had even switched professions. But what he had done with his personal life now had made Neil hit the roof. 

Preet, the girl Rob had been engaged to for the past two years and had been about to marry till about thirty six hours ago, had had a great influence over him. Rob had seemed to become more responsible. Grow into a better person. Neil had seen hope for the man. And like an idiot he had walked out on the best thing that had happened to him...a day before his wedding. Neil was so mad at him it wasn't even funny. And then the fool had the audacity to call him up and ask for a favor. He wished Rob had stood before him, so he could have punched the man at least that would have released some of his angst.

"Dude, I know you are mad at me," Robbie said slowly and Neil rolled his eyes, "but you won't understand till you experience what I was going through," he said in his heavily accented drawl.

"Don't give me bull," Neil said agitatedly as he stood up from his chair, "you are bloody lucky you aren't here," he barked as he went to stand at the big window of his office cabin looking out at the waning rays of the LA sun against the panes of the building bang opposite to where he stood, "Preet was the best thing that had happened to you and like a fool you threw her away. You are so going to regret your decision Rob," he said angrily, "God alone knows what she saw in you in the first place," he told Robbie in no uncertain terms.

He had never been one to mince his words. And he wasn't starting now. To hell with Robbie being his best friend. How could he do that to Preet? Neil knew her. Well. They had bumped into her at a club one night and she and Robbie had seemed to strike it out immediately. Neil had been amused and amazed at the speed at which they had gotten into a relationship.

She was a nice girl. Sweet and fiery both. Depending on the situation. She had been the one to make sure Robbie worked towards having a better life. Her concern and her worry over the man had been genuine and Neil had been happy for once to see his longtime friend doing something worthwhile with his life. They had been so much in love. In the last two years Neil hadn't heard Rob even take another girl's name or complain. He had seemed content.