I'll Be Around

Chapter 3 : Chaos

*Knock Knock*

*Knock Knock*

The door opened and Edwin emerged from inside.

“Yes?”

He had a shawl wrapped around himself. His face was badly bruised and he seemed sick. He must have woken up from sleep due to the knocking probably. He looked at us and his expressions changed. He immediately slammed the door in our face.

“What have you done?” Harsha, unaware of the incident at Joseph’s party, looked at me in suspicion. Edwin was really angry at me. And he had full right to be angry. But he was my only hope at the moment to get to Farhad. I had to get him to talk to me. There was a magic eye on the door. Assuming that Edwin was still looking through it, I got close to the door and started talking loudly.

“Edwin! I’m really sorry for that day. I know you’re angry at me but you have to listen to me. Farhad is gone. I have no idea where. He’s missing after that night. No one has any idea where he is. I’m really worried about him and I know that you are as well. So, please for Farhad’s sake, open the door and at least listen to me.”

I heard the sound of door slowly being unlocked from inside. I stepped away. Edwin opened the door and said,”What did you do to him?” Edwin seemed enraged but he didn’t let it show on his face or maybe it didn’t show because of the bruises.

“O Edwin! I have done nothing. Had I done something, I wouldn’t come to you for help. I’ll tell you everything.”

“Tell.”

“Here? Will you at least let me in?”

Edwin thought for a second to himself. His anger had dissipated somewhat by then. He went inside and signalled us to come in. I looked at Harsha and followed in. Harsha was still clueless as to why Edwin was being so dramatic. Edwin was Farhad’s closest friend from college and a co-worker who came to Tokyo with Farhad. He was the only one who could get me to Farhad.

While all of this was going, I was kind of overwhelmed by how things were going. I mean there was the one day when I was probably meeting him for the very last time. I remember I got Farhad a cycle from a friend and we set in for Salua. Salua was the most underrated place in Kharagpur for food. But Salua had one of the best dumplings and noodle soup in that whole area. It was nearly ten kilometres from the campus but the journey was a breeze. I put on some Hyukoh on my speakers and we were singing along. The road was almost straight and with forests on both sides. We stopped midway for water.

“How much more do we have to go?” Farhad asked swigging water from his bottle.

“Four more to go, I guess.”

“Alright. Let’s go then. I’m starving.”

We started again but after peddling for about hundred metres, Farhad stopped.

“What happened?” I asked.

“It’s punctured. The tyre.”

There was nothing surprising or saddening about it. It was a daily ordeal for us, KGPians. But he surely looked traumatized.

“It happens. Always. These KGP cycles are cursed in some way.” I said. Farhad got up and smiled at me.

“Why don’t you hop on to my cycle? Just park it here on the side of the road. I’ll ask the dada on the tea shop to take care of it.” I suggested.