The Perfect Photo

Chapter 8

"We haven't gotten all day you know", said Neha sounding impatient.

"Yes, I am getting to it. I was not supposed to tell you this", he hesitated. "But since you've mentioned that you've received a message from my phone, I think I've got to confess. I haven't touched my phone in the past three days."

"Did you happen to lose your phone?", I asked.

"No. I didn't lose my phone. I just don't have it right now. A few seniors are currently ragging me", he paused. "I was tasked to stay without my phone for three days. I have not seen my phone since the day of the cultural. They had promised me that they would not go through my personal stuff. But they have not kept up their promise."

"Ragged? So you don't have your phone you say?", I repeated trying to process this new information.

"Yes. I had to surrender it to them. And I had to do one other thing. To go over and talk to you and somehow convince you to have a cup of coffee with me."

I had thought the cultural went fantastic since the highlight of the day was him approaching me. Now finding out that it was all orchestrated was only fueling my temper. "Whose idea was it to have you approach me?", I asked. I had to know who was behind playing these games.

"I do not know their names. I thought it was a harmless prank. I had no idea that it would get you both infuriated like this."

"You could have refused to do all this. You did not have to listen to those

people."

"I did not want to be the rebel who refused to cooperate. I wanted to have good relations with my seniors."

"Those are probably not the people with whom you want to build a good relationship. So how do you plan to get your phone back?"

"I was supposed to meet them at the auditorium today after my classes got over. They had promised to return my phone back. I am so sorry that I had to go through with it. I feel bad for everything that has happened. I will go and get my phone back now", he said. He sounded sincere, but I needed to know if it was all true.

"I am going with you," I said.

"What? Why do you wanna do that?", asked Neha surprised.

"No you don't have to", said Pritam.

But I had to find out who did this. Pack a couple of punches if I could. But I did not tell them that.

"They said they wouldn't look through your personal stuff. Did they keep their promise? How do you know they would give back your phone? I am coming with you to make sure."

Pritam hesitated and seemed like he did not want me accompanying him.

"Do you want to come with me or should I go alone and get back your phone?", I said starting to take strides towards the door. He quickly got up and followed me. Poor Neha did not have a choice. She had to go with the both of us.

It took us about 10 minutes to reach the auditorium. It was equidistant from both the main campus and the junior campus. Though the place was a little far, one might always find a crowd around this location. The main reason being that the air conditioning is kept running all the time and many pop up here to beat the heat.

As the three of us entered the building, we could notice three guys facing the main stage chatting with each other. The noise from Neha's heels hitting the concrete floor brought their attention, and they turned around.

I could identify all the three. Satish, Ram and Antony, the guys who rarely showed up to class. But when it came to ragging, Oh yeah they were there. Though I could identify them, I hardly knew them in person.

As I neared them, I noticed I was standing all alone. Neha and Pritam had stopped half way, and I had not noticed that. I wondered if they got my back, in case I get into a brawl.

"What do you want?", Antony asked seeing me approach them with some serious intent.

"I have come to get someone's phone.", I said. I was feeling so confident, but I was not sure from where it was coming from.

"We'll give it to the person concerned. Who are you? His mommy?", they started to laugh.

I stood there unflinching. I could feel the adrenaline pouring into my blood stream. I tried to control my hands which were starting to shake a little.

"I did not just come for the phone. I also came to ask why you had to involve me in your ragging game?", I questioned.

"Who involved you? I asked him to talk to the pretty girl at the hospitality desk, and this moron sought you instead of your friend. By the way, I forgot his name. What's your name Moron? Gotham?", asked Antony as the three laughed together.

"This is not a nice way to speak to anyone. ", I said controlling my anger to the best of my ability. These guys didn't know what respecting others meant.

"Oh yeah. What are you going to do, mommy? Spank us?"

I wanted to teach them a lesson. I took a step forward. "Did you wonder why those two stood back there instead of standing behind beside me? Neha is getting this conversation recorded. If you'd refuse to give back his phone, we will be taking that directly to the Dean, and you can deal with him directly". Even with all the adrenaline rush, I was in a position to cook up stories.

"Oh no you won't", said Antony, with mild consternation on his face.

"Oh yes, I would. I wouldn't think twice to get you suspended. So, do I get the phone back?", I asked.

"It is not worth all this. Just give back the phone", said Ram snatching the phone from Antony and holding it in front of me. "You take the phone and leave and say nothing about this. One more offense and I will be terminated, not suspended.", he said facing his friends.

I grabbed the phone. "Sorry for it to be this way. You still owe an apology to Neha and me for getting us involved."

They did not say anything. "I take your silence to be a symbol of apology then", I said and started walking out.

Both Neha and Pritam were standing there dumbstruck. Thankfully the guys did not question how they were recording and what they were recording with. Else I would have been in some trouble, judging from the way these two were standing.

"Come along folks. We got what we came for", I said walking past them.

I took a look at the phone that I was holding. It was an old phone model, one of the earlier Nokia smartphones which had come years back. I found it to be unlocked.

"Who keeps their phone unlocked?", I turned and asked Pritam as we exited the auditorium building. The sun was setting, and it was about to get dark.

"I never felt the need to have one", he said.

"Start having one from now," I said dialing my number. My phone rang. I took out my phone and showed him my screen. "Is this your number? Making sure your SIM is not tampered with."

He nodded. I gave his phone back.

"I didn't think that they would stop ragging you today. They would have made you do stuff for a month longer."

"Thanks for coming along with me. I'll probably leave now. I'll see you around.", he said.

I smiled. Pritam left the place, and we started walking back to the hostel.

"I saw what you did there," said Neha with a cheeky grin.

"The boldest thing you have ever seen me do, right?"

"No, not that. I noticed how you got his number on your phone without having to ask him."

"All the things I did inside the auditorium, and this was all that caught your attention?"

"Yeah. You had no intentions to check if his SIM was alright. Even those guys with their criminal brains would not have thought of doing something to his SIM."

"Shut up!!", I said getting her to stop. I felt good after a terrible weekend.