DEPTH

Chapter 3

Vel couldn't understand what Vikram was trying to say.

He could call him or he could call on him. Instead he decided to take things head on and talk to her. She didn't answer the phone, so  he decided to meet her personally.

By the time he had showered and changed it was 5:15. He didn't want to be caught in the peak hour rush and chose to walk instead. On his way to her home was a mini sports complex, walking through it would save him time as it cut short the distance between his and her home. And this was where he met her during her morning walks when he and vikram would occasionally meet for a game of tennis.

It wasn't love at first sight but developed over a period of 2 years. He didn't know when he fell in love with her but when he realised, he was deeply in love with her.

There were many things he didn't know about her. One can't know a person hundred percent. She seemed to be hoarding some secrets. But then didn't everyone have them. A person can't be a open book. He or she does have a right to privacy.

There was some commotion near the badminton court, but he continued on his way.

**********
"Is Valli home? " Mr. Sambhasivam enquired into the phone. Without waiting for the reply he carried on "she isn't here. They say she didn't come for practice".
Mrs. Shanti didn't know what to do but she held on to hope that daughter is fine and called Devi and Shiva.
Devi went to the library and book stores that Valli was known to frequent. Shiva on the hand called her friends but she was nowhere to be found. In fact none of them knew about this guy. Most discerning of all things was that all of them seemed to insist that nothing was out of ordinary.

Valli was known to put a tough exterior despite being plagued by problems but a problem of this magnitude can't be so well hidden.

Then what about that guy insisting that she must love him?

Was she hallucinatory?

Was she delusional?

But all these didn't answer the main question.

Where was Valli?

***********
Vel stopped at a florist's and picked up a dozen red roses. He reached her house around six.

She wasn't home, so he waited in the lobby of her apartment building. It was there were he overheard a couple of men talk about her in way that didn't sit well with him. Before he could react a car pulled in front and out came Neeta and two  guys. She was sandwiched between them and their body language was blatantly vulgar.

Was this her?

Was this his Neeta?

They didn't see him and took the lift to her apartment. Vel was shocked yet composing himself he decided to talk to her first before jumping into conclusions. He entered the other lift. An elderly woman too came in, he held the door open for her.
Taken by his simple act of courtesy, she switched on to her talkative mode.
"You know that woman, there is a new guy every now and then. The Apartment's society is trying to get her to leave but can't because she owns her flat.  You know...."

Owns the flat?

He had helped her pay the rent a couple of times when her goings were down. 

Forget the money.

There was a lie involved.  And how was he going to start his marital life with lies looming in the background?  What marriage? He had to rethink his decision now.

Was Vikram right?

Vel was shocked by the minute.
He reached the floor and went out on a robotic mode. The door wasn't ajar but you could hear them talking if one was intent.
One of guys was calling her to some club.
She replied "No! Vel will return tomorrow. I need to ready everything for that."

"So what? We've been there many times before even if he was in town"

"Oh!" she said before she grabbed something to drink from the fridge "I am expecting that he will propose soon. I have given enough hints." she opened the bottle with a pop sound. The bottle seemed to contain something fizzy and alcoholic.

"Are you serious about him" the other guy enquired.

There's was a slight pause and a sip later Neeta replied "Naah! Variety is spice of life. I have played Vel nicely he won't know anything."

"For a minute there I thought you were intent on Settling down and we guys  can't do stuffs."

Neeta just laughed at this before continuing "with the police sniffing us around, they won't take long to reach us. Vikram, his best friend, is is the one in charge of this case."
She continued after a few seconds
" If things go as I planned then I can escape from police easily.."

"What is Vel's rule in all this?"

"Money, cover, escape route. Do you think Vikram will willingly sabotage Vel's marital life?"

"Wow! You seemed to have planned everything!"

"I have invested a lot in this now its time to reap the rewards don't you guys think?" with that the three of them moved inside with a lot of moans and groans.

Vel was shell-shocked.

His mind couldn't take anymore.

He felt betrayed, lost. He was back stabbed by the one he thought had his back. He was hurting very badly. He didn't know how to handle all this. He Didn't know what to do.

He felt like lashing out. Pour out his agony but just didn't know how. He was devastated.

He left the place. He knew not where he was going.  He went where his legs took him. His mind blanked of in shock.