Foresight

Chapter XXX

"Yo." Neeraj howls to Rajesh, as he makes his way to their usual meeting point, the tea joint. Rajesh is already lighting his cigarette, hands Neeraj one as comes.

"Any idea why he called now?" Neeraj asks as he lights up his cigarette.

"I don't know. But he said its emergency. And he did sound a bit off" Rajesh replies, blowing away.

"Off? Wasn't today his date with Jenny after 3 months. Why would he sound off. If I were him, I would have taken her somewhere" Neeraj mutters the last part.

"Well he did say emergency. That's why I didn't even change." Rajesh says as he points towards himself, clad in only a tee and boxers.

"Yeah well give the chance, you will come to our office also in boxers" Neeraj mocks Rajesh's tendency to dress a little over comfortably.

"Well that's the perk of having your own business- 'Thud'. Before Rajesh could finish his sentence, they hear a loud thud. Turning their head towards that direction, they find a very familiar blue car has hit a lamppost.

"Holy crap. That looks like Tarun's car. Let's go" Neeraj shouts as he throws his cigarette and races towards the car, surrounding which now there is a small crowd. Rajesh follows suit.

As they near the crowd, they hear people muttering in their low, not doing anything to help, lest it becomes a police case and they get involved. Rajesh and Neeraj make their way through the crowd, only to find Tarun looking into the steering wheel, like as is he has lost everything.

"Don't worry, he is our friend. We will take care of him. Please give us space. Please disperse" Neeraj shouts to the people surrounding the scene. Meanwhile and Rajesh heads to the car and leads Tarun out, holding him. As he helps him out, he finds Tarun drunk.

"He is drunk. We better take him to our office. I will drive" Rajesh mutters to Neeraj, who helps Rajesh to put Tarun in the back seat. They get in and Rajesh drives them out of the scene. As Rajesh drives, he finds couple more bottle and cigarette packs in the passenger seat, and an empty bottle makes its way to his feet as he stops at a signal.

"He is damn drunk man" Rajesh tells Neeraj as he holds the empty bottle up.

"Well he does look quite hammered up. Luckily he didn't kill anybody else or himself." Neeraj says as he steadies Tarun.

"Guys i am not hammered." Tarun speaks up, suddenly sitting up quite steady.

"Tarun you ok dude?" Rajesh asks with concern.

"She left me dude" Tarun drops the bomb.

"What? Jenny left you? When did this happen?" Neeraj bombards question over question.

"Let's talk in the office over drinks" Tarun suggest, staring out the window with a blank face.

20 minutes later, they have settled down in the office, drinks poured into their glasses. Just as Rajesh is about to pour water on them Tarun keeps his hand over his drink, covering it.

"Neat? Have you gone mad?" Neeraj howls at Tarun. Rajesh gives him a glance, gesturing him not to stop Tarun at the start itself. The three down their drink in a single gulp and Rajesh lights up his cigarette, signaling Tarun to open up.

"She married her manager on her project trip. She cheated on me man"

"That's mean on her part. Even after you worshipping her, she left you" Neeraj howls.

"Tell me what happened" Rajesh says with a poker face.

"I went to meet her. She was there with some guy. i thought he might be a friend whom she brought to introduce. I went to sit next to her, she rebuked and told me to sit opposite to her. I found it odd. She said she got something important to talk to me and she bent down. That guy put his hand on his shoulder. I got livid over that and was about to jump on that guy. That's when she dropped the bomb that he is her husband and he has every right to do that" Tarun sighs.

"Man, she two timed you. You got any evidence to be sure? I mean she could be playing you too" Neeraj adds on.

"Naah man. They are hitched for sure. I asked her friend Tanvi too. She said they got close in just a week after they went to Delhi. Apparently all three had a party after a meeting and Jenny and that manager hooked up. Tanvi got to know about it the next day when she found Jenny coming out of his room the next day morning. She asked about her about it and Jenny didn't even deny anything. Tanvi asked her why she was doing it, to which she replied that it was none of her business. Tanvi then stopped hanging out with her. The reason she couldn't inform me was because she didn't have any means to contact me. Also her manager, that guy with whom Jenny cheated on me, threatened Tanvi to keep her mouth shut. So she was bound to keep her silence." Tarun confesses as he makes another drink and gulps it down. The raw alcohol gives a deep burning sensation, as it makes its way down his throat, causing Tarun to grimace.

"What did she say was the reason for her to cheat?" Neeraj asks, gulping down his drink.

"That i could not offer her security and shit. To hell with that b***h man. Better she left me now itself" Tarun replies as he makes his another drink, preparing to down it in another gulp.

"Easy man. I suggest you take a couple days off. We also will take a couple days off" Rajesh suggests as he gulps down his drink.

Tarun grabs his drink and goes near the window, looking far off, he sighs "Man but I loved her truly. I am devastated bro. I should have listened to my mom couple months before itself. She found about Jenny, I told her everything. She told me to be careful, not to lose focus from our company over her."

"Hey hey. You never lost focus from our company dude. You always put our interests first man" Rajesh comforts him.

Sob "Thanks man" sob Tarun replies in between his sobs.

"Tell you what. Today is Thursday. Lets get back to work on Monday. I will talk to Ashok" Neeraj chimes in.

"Naah man. Let's get back to work tomorrow evening. I can do it man" Tarun protests.

"No way dude. Monday. I also need some time off. I am going with my uncle and aunt for the weekend. Its rural place. So I can't come into contact to" Neeraj fights back

"Yeah man. Let's take some time off. We will get back on Monday" Rajesh, puts his foot down.

"Thanks guys" Tarun replies and gulps his drink down, only to pass out the very next moment, while Rajesh and Neeraj just watch him fall down, as true friends.

"Holy cow. He passed out. Well more for us" Neeraj exclaims, as he and Rajesh head back...to finish the remaining alcohol.