You’re Trending in my Dreams Read online

  ‘Who? That Yadav? He is just a small player in all of this. Someone else is the captain. Don’t get into all that. We just do it for the money. Not for clearing our exams. Sometimes if the authorities find out that the paper has been leaked they change the questions,’ the senior replied.

  Varun’s work was done. He had got the little piece of information that he needed about the lab assistant. Bidding him goodbye, Varun went straight to the lab assistant Yadav who was busy working in the chemistry lab. Varun approached Yadav, trying to hide his nervousness. It was not the first time he was interacting with him but this time the reason was different. He feared the consequences if Yadav did a sudden U-turn and told the professors about him. But he had to take the risk. His heart was beating very fast and he heartily wished things would come to an end soon. Yadav spotted him and asked him what he was doing there.

  ‘Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Rather, wanted some help. Senior dada is my friend,’ Varun stammered.

  ‘What help?’

  ‘The same help that senior dada takes from you.’

  ‘I don’t know anything. Please don’t disturb me,’ Yadav said, pretending he was clueless.

  ‘Please. I know it’s my first time but I am ready to pay you. You are the actual authority here in college. Others are nothing compared to you. Senior dada always appreciates you. I just want tomorrow’s mathematics paper. Please help me. I am not bad in academics. I have very good internal scores too. But I had an accident a few days ago and hence couldn’t concentrate on my studies. Please sir, help me. I will pay you as much as you want,’ Varun pleaded, trying to persuade the lab assistant.

  ‘You think I do this for money? I don’t understand your generation at all. You think you can buy anything if you have money? Go away,’ Yadav shouted.

  ‘No . . . but . . .’

  Yadav gave him a long lecture on humanity, ethics and how the new generation takes everything for granted, even university rules. But as Varun was about to leave, Yadav stopped him and said, ‘Beta, I don’t do this usually. But you seem to be an innocent guy. You should not do such things. Just for you . . . remember, just for you I am doing this, else I would never do such a thing. It’s against my ethics. But I feel for you and since you are like my kid I shall help you. Usually, I don’t charge a fee but you know the university peon charges me. So you need to give me twenty thousand rupees.’

  Varun smiled and agreed to his terms. He burst out laughing as soon as he left the lab. Yadav acting like a man of principles was the funniest thing he had ever witnessed. It was like a person who had a bhajan as his caller tune while answering his phone with a ‘bol bhenchod’. Varun returned to inform everyone that he had cracked the deal and that they had to go to the university that night to execute their master plan. The next few hours would decide the fate of the four friends.

  It was around 11 p.m. and as instructed by the lab assistant Yadav, all four of them waited near the Xerox shop in front of the university. They anxiously looked from side to side as they stood by the road. Yadav was expected any time now. The wait didn’t last long as within the next few minutes Yadav and another person got out of an autorickshaw. Both men shot Varun an annoyed look for bringing his friends along.

  ‘You were supposed to come alone,’ Yadav exclaimed.

  ‘You too,’ Varun said, looking at the unknown person accompanying him.

  ‘He is my partner.’

  ‘They are my friends,’ Varun said in a firm voice to hide his nervousness.

  Clueless as to who the other person was, Varun and the gang followed Yadav and him into a small lane that had stationery shops. The strange man ordered everyone to enter one of the shops and be seated. No one asked any questions; they were pretty scared anyway.

  ‘Aren’t we supposed to go inside the university?’ asked Varun finally.

  ‘Have patience. You can always leave if you don’t like it here,’ Yadav declared.

  With no other option, they stayed put in their seats for the next thirty minutes looking at each other’s faces. Suddenly, Yadav’s partner entered the Xerox shop along with another man who introduced himself as the owner of the shop. It was evident that even the owner of the shop was involved in the racket. Yadav’s partner gave the shopkeeper two thousand-rupee notes. He then gestured to them to follow him and they started walking towards the university gates. The security guard, whose job it was to look out for suspicious activities, saluted the owner of the shop and let everyone inside without any questions. As they walked towards the sciences building, Varun and the others started to sweat in fear. The passage was completely dark and even the slightest sound made them feel like someone was watching them and would expose the racket.

  Varun looked towards Malvika who signalled that this was dangerous. But Varun was determined to save Garima. As they reached the BSc department, they came upon a peon who sat on a chair, smoking a cigarette.

  ‘Singh hai upar?’ the store owner asked.

  He nodded and the man went upstairs. The peon didn’t ask a single question but continued smoking, staring suspiciously at Varun and the girls. Yadav and his partner were very relaxed, as if they were out for an evening walk. This was probably a routine thing for them. However, Varun and the girls were literally shaking with fear. After finishing his cigarette, the peon went upstairs.

  ‘Just wait here,’ Yadav ordered Varun and he too went upstairs.

  His partner sat on the peon’s chair. Garima took Varun aside and whispered, ‘At any point, if you think that we are being trapped or feel uncomfortable, just back out. We will find another way. But I don’t want to put the rest of our lives at stake. Don’t think about me. Whenever you feel like backing out, just inform me. We will all support your decision and run away in time. It’s still our choice as we are the ones paying them. Just be alert and remember what I am saying.’

  Varun just nodded and didn’t utter a word. The next moment Yadav’s partner got a call on his cell phone. It was Yadav, giving him the green signal to send Varun up while his partner was to wait downstairs with the girls and monitor the surroundings and alert them of anything suspicious.

  ‘I am not leaving these girls alone here. I don’t even know you. How can I just leave them here with you?’ Varun seemed a little disturbed.

  ‘I am not going to rape them, you dumbass. Himmat nahin hain toh kaand kyu karte ho?’ he said, glaring angrily at Varun.

  Varun apologized as things would have gone haywire had he argued with him. Thus avoiding complications, he did as he was told to. He started walking towards the staircase to the first floor where Yadav and the owner of the shop were waiting for him. He turned back once to look at the girls who were equally nervous and tense. Malvika’s eyes pleaded with him to come back as this was starting to look like a deathtrap laid out for them. Garima had already voiced her concerns, Ahana looked shaky as well. Terror had subsumed their souls completely. Varun was scared of the sound of his own footsteps as he climbed the stairs.

  Am I a criminal? Suddenly I have started to doubt myself. But I can do anything for my friends. I have never received such unconditional love. Now I don’t want to lose them. I have heard that a mother forgives her son even if he is a criminal. I hope my mom forgives me. I know I am hurting her if she is watching from above, but Mom, you know why I’m doing this. I feel so confused but do I have a choice? I didn’t have one earlier too and hence here I am. I wonder who the captain is—the one senior dada mentioned. Is it the shop owner? Or Mr Singh? His thoughts haunted Varun as he finally reached the floor where everyone was waiting for him.

  ‘This is Mr Singh, the peon of the examination department. Pay him the entire amount,’ said Yadav.

  ‘First give me the question paper.’

  Mr Singh nodded and told everyone to follow him. They entered a locked office to which he had the keys. The sealed copies of next day’s question paper were kept in an envelope inside a drawer.

  Now I understand that it’s not re
ally easy to walk on the wrong path, thought Varun. Walking on the right path may be more difficult but at least you have your peace of mind. Here, every minute I feel like someone is watching me and will trap me. Why am I thinking so much now that it’s already half done? I think I should let things happen. Or should I stop this? But stop it now? What if the captain comes? Or is he already here? No . . . let it happen. I am not a criminal, just an innocent guy trapped in the game of life.

  Varun thought of backing out at the last minute. ‘Actually, sir . . . I don’t want to—’

  Before Varun could complete his sentence, Mr Singh interrupted him and said in a heavy tone, ‘I hope you know who we are.’

  It was not safe to stay there for long but they had to settle the issue. The girls were getting restless with every passing minute. Mr Singh opened the sealed envelope with the exam paper and gave it to Yadav.

  ‘You can get a Xerox copy of this from his shop.’ Mr Singh pointed towards the shop owner.

  ‘Quick. We have to go back as well.’

  The shop owner was about to leave when Varun insisted on taking a photograph of the question paper. He was not keen on going to the shop and prolonging the process. It added an unnecessary risk. He instead took photographs of the paper using his cell phone camera. After checking that the photographs were clear, he handed over the entire amount to Yadav and left the place in a hurry.

  The girls were relieved when they saw Varun coming down the stairs. He nodded, indicating that the work was done. Just as they were about to leave, Yadav’s partner stopped them to check with Yadav if they were allowed to go. Once he got the go-ahead, he accompanied them to the gate and told them to leave swiftly in case anyone saw them.

  The most valuable lessons in life cannot be taught; they must be experienced and learnt. Varun had experienced a nightmare and had escaped before being caught. They screamed in joy on the drive back to Navi Mumbai. Varun sent the photos of the question paper to everyone who had paid him half the money. The work was half done. All of them were waiting to see if the actual question paper tallied with the one that they had. Only then would they be paid the other half of the money. Varun prayed everything would go well. He knew sometimes the question paper was changed at the last moment. If that should happen, they would have to return the money taken from the students and it would bring them back to square one. Thus all hopes were on the questions that would appear in the paper rather than answering them correctly.

  ‘Never before in my life have I been so curious and impatient to see the question paper,’ Varun said as he got ready to leave for college the next day.

  Malvika and Garima were studying for their exams while Ahana was preparing for a project submission. But they could hardly concentrate.

  ‘Please inform us before you start your exam,’ Garima called out as Varun closed the door behind him and left.

  He wanted to reach college early to make sure that everything was under control. He met a few students to whom he had sent the paper last night and told them not to worry. Varun took his hall ticket and entered the examination centre. Those few minutes seemed like the longest of his life. He was just praying for things to go well.

  When I want to do some last-minute revision, the supervisor hounds me to put my bag outside and take the question paper. Today when I am sitting here for so long, the bastard does not even bother to look at me, he thought.

  The next moment he was called to collect the question paper. Without blinking, he checked all the questions at one go.

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Goodness! When he saw no one looking, he immediately sent a message to Malvika. He then made an excuse that he had forgotten his pen and went outside to leave his mobile in his bag as cell phones were not allowed inside the examination hall.

  He wrote just two words in the message—Mission accomplished!

  After that everything went as per plan. Once they got all the money, Garima handed it over to the blackmailer. She was just asked to leave the bag outside a nearby coffee shop and go back home without looking. She didn’t tell anyone who he was. It was a little absurd on her part but Varun had assumed it was Sid and wanted to teach him a lesson for sure. They were the kind of friends who wouldn’t be able to attend each other’s funeral if any one of them were to be murdered because they would be in prison for killing the murderer. Varun thought that Garima was keeping the identity of the blackmailer a secret from him to avoid a showdown. His priority was bringing a smile back on Garima’s face and he was successful in doing so. Garima felt relieved that day. Malvika and Ahana were happy now that Garima was smiling and things were back to normal.

  There is a small difference between hiding something and lying. Garima was not lying. She was just hiding information because she wanted to keep the bad memories to herself. She knew where to draw the line. Sometimes we have friends with whom our souls are very closely connected. We know that wherever we are in our lives, we will remain friends. Even if we do not see each other for years, we will be able to pick up from where we left off. Such was the bond they shared.

  Karma Is a Sweet Bitch

  We love certain people not because they give us what we need, but because they give us what we never felt we needed because we couldn’t imagine such a thing to exist. Ahana and Garima loved each other and enjoyed each other’s company for the same reason. Ahana would have done anything for Garima and Garima too would have crossed the line for her friend. They were out for an evening walk after a routine check-up at the hospital. Ahana was trying to pep Garima up, telling her to relax and erase the memory of the past few days from her life.

  ‘C’mon, smile. There are so many hot guys out here.’ Ahana winked at Garima.

  ‘I am fine now.’

  ‘Did you confirm that the guy deleted the videos and photographs?’ Ahana questioned with concern.

  ‘Yes. I did. I even formatted his phone,’ Garima lied.

  ‘Do you mind talking about it now?’ Ahana questioned.

  ‘I think I am comfortable enough with all of you now. I assure you that after our exams, I will tell you the entire story. Trust me,’ Garima answered.

  ‘I will be waiting to hear it. Also, it won’t affect our relationship even a bit. I love you, bitch.’ Ahana hugged her.

  ‘Can I ask you something?’ Garima paused and added, ‘Do you think Sid was the right guy for you?’

  Ahana had not expected such a question from Garima. She said it was just a passing affair and she never took it seriously.

  ‘I liked his company and thought of just giving it a shot. It didn’t work out and I moved on. I am not the kind of a person who thinks that if you love someone you should let them go and if your love is true they will come back. I believe if they keep coming back, it’s not love, it’s for fulfilling of their own selfish needs.’ She laughed.

  Ahana’s relationship with her dad had shaped her attitude all these years and made her mentally strong but at the same time it made her slightly cold-hearted and as a result she never took her romantic relationships seriously.

  ‘You know what, every day I wish my dad would call me and inquire about my studies and how life is progressing but he doesn’t. Sometimes I feel jealous of Malvika whose dad calls her every day to check her whereabouts. There is no one who cares about me. I feel alone sometimes but I have accepted things as they are. I just want to prove myself to the world, to show them that I am not a loser and one day I will make my own name in the fashion industry.’

  ‘It’s the opposite for me. I never wanted to be with my family as somewhere I felt dejected in their company. Now after meeting you all and living here with you, I don’t want to go back to them at all. I wish this phase of life would last forever. After a few years when we look back and think about our college days, we will laugh at all this madness. Each crazy memory will bring a big smile to our faces. All of you, your company has changed my outlook towards life. I am still a confused soul but much better than before. And yes, I will tell you my comple
te story after these exams,’ Garima promised.

  A lot of people end up unhappy because they make permanent decisions based on temporary emotions. However, Ahana was not one of them. She lived for the moment and searched for happiness in it. Garima too had decided to open up to her friends and tell them of the haunting memories that had changed her as a person as she grew up. They were so lost in conversation that they didn’t realize it was getting late. Sometimes all you need to feel better is to spend a few minutes alone with a very close friend.

  One should not worry when a girl cares too much about you; one should worry when she stops caring. Varun had no worries on that front as he had Malvika by his side who cared about him a lot. They were sitting alone in their room thinking about how life had tricked them by dealing unexpected cards on the table. They looked into each other’s eyes and Varun kissed her forehead, giving her a warm hug.

  ‘It feels as if a violent storm has just passed. I hope there are no more troubles in our lives,’ Malvika whispered.

  Varun kissed her earlobe and muttered, ‘If you are with me, we will overcome all the troubles with ease. I just hope Garima finds the strength to move on. I still wonder about her past though.’

  ‘I do too but she has never revealed anything to me either. She was deeply hurt. Maybe someone betrayed her love. This entire incident has traumatized her. We need to make her believe that her life is beautiful.’

  Varun wanted to meet Sid just once so he could blow his head off. In all the chaos of the past weeks, he had hardly found any time to spend with Malvika. He held her close and kissed her tender lips.

  ‘We are going to get married someday,’ Malvika said, blushing.

  ‘Of course. That will be the second best day of my life,’ Varun said, running his fingers through her hair.

  ‘What was the first?’ Malvika asked in curiosity.

  ‘The first will be when I meet your parents. Usually a girl’s father always taunts her choice of a mate, as for the first time she has found someone else to live with. But I won’t let that happen. I want him to treat me like a son. I have never experienced fatherly love in my life. Mothers are emotional. I know your mom is too and will love me for sure. But I will make your dad love me more than you do. That will be the best day of my life.’