Leap of Faith

The Stinky Wine

The missing pieces of the puzzle suddenly fitting together in sync. The devil had orchestrated the whole act so smoothly that probably Aayan could not fathom it. That man was the ultimate manipulator.

"Really?" Riya mumbled, maybe thinking with the same line as me.

"Yes. Indeed. He had invited so many celebrities, Bollywood actors, businessmen, players. It was a grand party." She replied.

"So then my cousin must have pushed you to go out with Tarun, maybe saying that Aayan did not deserve you," Riya blurted her thoughts aloud.

"What? No. I mean he kind of used to tell me that the way Aayan was behaving with me was just unacceptable. But that was all." Alina replied almost instantaneously. I sensed her fear. 

"What made you really break up with him?" Riya asked her in very fluttering voice. "Please tell me this, so we could find a way to patch up two of you."

"I told you he was really weird. Always controlling, really possessive. It was too much to handle. Tarun, on the contrary, was a gentleman. He treated me like a princess, and given me my space, well at least initially. Then he was just like another guy, mean and selfish," she concluded quietly. Her back was towards us, her silhouette looked tense through the thin fabric sheets.

"Was my brother that possessive when you two started out?" Riya's stern voice stiffened her further. "Because I knew he was not like that when we were younger. Maybe at the time before your break up, he started acting strangely."

"No. I mean that time we were practically kids, right?" she trembled with her answer.

"Seriously?" Riya mocked. "If you really want him back, then you really have to help me, Alina. I am not here to judge you. The past is dead and gone."

Alina fiddled with her ponytail, looking sideways. She was not liking this at all. I awed at Riya' skills. She could do a serious career in filmmaking, the way she used Alina to her advantage was smooth.

"I.. I was... I was immature. I could not understand his erratic behavior before the time of our breakup. An... And he was not like that always." She stammered badly.

"Then what made him erratic all of a sudden?" Riya asked calmly, we held our breaths in unison.

"I... I can't remember. It was ages ago," she answered twisting her feet below the table.

"So be it. You are not ready to talk, then I am not going to sit here and waste my time anymore. Maybe you really didn't love him at all," Riya started to stand up, picking up her cell phone from the table top. 

"I loved him, I love him now!" Alina stood up banging her palms on the table.

God! The way she declared that she loved Aayan, made me nauseous. Why should she love him still? Maybe she was just pretending to be in love with him, now that he had me.

"Start talking, if you want him back. It is that simple," she ordered with a smirk on her face.

Alina breathed slowly sitting down. "Alright," she mumbled. "It was the night of Vikram's Party. The same party when Tarun and I met for the first time. I was little bored because Aayan was not going to come. Vikram said that he was busy somewhere else. That night I had been a little drunk, It was not the first time, though. But yes, in just one drink, I felt dizzy. Tarun was being really good to me, I was drawn towards him. I still remember, I took the drink from Vikram, and because I felt a sudden discomfort, I left to stand on the balcony. The fresh breeze was not helping. All of a sudden, Tarun made a move on me. He came from behind and started touching me. I did not stop him, I don't know why! Then he started kissing me, I was completely not in my control. Unfortunately, it didn't stop there. Aayan came exactly at that moment. He broke us apart and started kicking him violently. He didn't talk to me for next three days. I tried telling him, that it was not my fault, that I had a little drink. But he didn't understand me. I guess from that incident onwards he was different."