Drugged Love (On Hold)

21, Part 1

Elena pushed the unhinged door to reveal an empty room. Elena had made him run, without uttering a word and Ishan had understood halfway that they were headed to Elena's house. She had taken a slightly different route and they had ended up at the backside of the house in a narrow unpaved lane. Ishan could recognize the building which rose high with its arched roof and long window panes.

Elena pushed the steel door on a back wall that bordered the main building. Surprisingly, it was unhinged. They entered to find themselves in a narrow concrete yard. Two rusty doors stared back at them from the building, and Elena entered the one which was unlocked.

"Hurry up. We don't have much time, "she whispered. If it would have not been for the situation they were in, Ishan thought he would have taken themselves to be two mischievous teenagers sneaking into a house to smoke a cigarette or try a can of beer. But, this was strangely different.

The room they entered was full of empty racks lined up, like the racks in a library, only empty and made of steel. The room had no windows yet it was dustless, and starkly clean like it was visited everyday. The sound of their footsteps echoed as they walked in, and Elena shut the rusty steel door with a thud pushing it with her shoulders so that she could apply the knob. Ishan kept guessing why Elena chose this dingy place and did not decide to talk outside in the open.

"So," she said facing Ishan and untying her hair. "What is in the bag?"

"It's just some drugs Reuben wanted. He told me to take it from some guy at school, " Ishan said trying to sound convincing, sticking with the excuse he had thought on the way.

"You agreed to smuggle drugs for Reuben?"

"I don't think smuggle is the right word here. Besides, I didn't know today was going to the day they would check everyone's bag."

"Can I see?" she said extending her hand towards Ishan.

Sweat beads started to form on his forehead and he felt his throat drying up. There was no way Elena knew about drugs, even if it was one gram or one kilogram she wouldn't suspect. She was just curious, he told himself.

He extended the bag and Elena unzipped it. Ishan felt uncertain as to why had he agreed to come here. She took the heavy package out, holding it in her hand and clenching her teeth hard as she glared at it and then at Ishan.

"This?" she said raising it with her slender hands. "This much? For Reuben?"she frowned.

"So?"Ishan knew that he had made a mistake by letting her see it.

"Ishan, "she shouted. "Do you take me as a fool?" her voice echoed in the room, reflected by curtain-less walls and steel racks.

Ishan sighed.

Elena leaned in closer to him and held his wrist lightly, and said in a low composed tone, staring deeply into Ishan's eyes, "You can trust me Ishan. You really can."

Ishan stood still as he peeked into Elena's eyes and wondered whether he should open up about everything. He felt warm in her presence, as he felt her comforting gaze studying him. All along, he was weighed down and he needed a recluse, someone he could confide in. More so, Elena was related to it all along.

He gathered up courage and finally said, "I work for your dad Elena"

Ishan saw a mix of confusion and shock on Elena's face. She stood open mouthed with her eyes widened as she just looked at Ishan and let go of his hand.

"My dad? You mean, in his drug business ?" her voice barely making it to Ishan.

Ishan nodded and Elena's hand shot up to her forehead as her other hand held on to the side of the rack for support. Ishan had never seen Elena look so agonized as she did in that moment.

Ishan continued trying to fill up the empty space between them, making futile attempts to run over the void created by her silence.

"I had to deliver this to your father after school." he paused, "At his mansion." Every passing second made Ishan anxious.

"What? How? How did this happen?" her gaze was just fixed on the floor now and her voice was declined.

"You remember, how I told you that I am not rich. I needed money. I met Zakir, he is Reuben's cousin. "he paused to study her face, "He offered me to do this."

"You needed money?" Elena cried out poking Ishan's chest with his finger, "Ohh, now I get it," she beamed again as she held Ishan's wrist again, "This watch? " She pointed at his shoes now. "These shoes? When you told me about not being rich and shit I wondered how you got this stuff". She held her head now between her hands, "You needed money? For this, Ishan?"

"I can explain, Elena. Hear me out." Ishan protested.

As Elena stood silently, Ishan narrated everything from the beginning. How Zakir offered him to work for him. How he met Karan, who was super rich, how he wanted to gift something to her but didn't have the money. So he decided to do it once.

"It was a one time thing. Then I got pulled in deeper. I just couldn't resist the easy money. When I tried to leave, it got difficult. Zakir told me it's dangerous. "he ended with a helpless tone. It suggested acceptance. He wondered if he should just accept his situation and try to live with it.

"You are a fool Ishan. You are an immature. Stupid . You hear me" Elena said after hearing his words. "All this trouble for a gift? How can you be so senseless, "she sighed. For a moment Ishan thought Elena had understood him and forgiven him. "You did it once but you should have had the sense to stop then."

She paced around the hall. "God, how will we get out of this? That man is crazy"

Ishan felt a surge of relief rush through his bones. Elena was on her side. What could be better than that? He felt ten times lighter now that he had shared some of the weight that he had been carrying. He was filled with a new hope. He could afford a little hope.

"I'll figure something out. I promise."Ishan muttered.

Elena's smile returned to her face, as Ishan added "Hey, I told you my story. It's your turn now."