A Bet On A Heart

EXCERPT

Deepak was sitting on the couch with a girl by his side, and three of his friends were seated opposite side on other couch. It was a luxurious room, and there was enough space for everyone, but that girl was sitting too close to Deepak, in a very possessive way. Sargam was so annoyed to see them together that she didn’t pay attention to the conversation Deepak was having with his friends. One of his friends was calling someone foolish and naïve.

“Seriously Deepak you are a magician. You not only convinced the girl to show you around but made her follow you like a lovesick puppy all around the city.” said a very handsome boy who was sitting exactly opposite of Deepak.

When Sargam looked closely, she realised that she knew him from somewhere. Then it came to her. He was the same smug boy who tried to force her into having coffee with her in the market the same day she met Deepak. Was he Deepak’s friend? She couldn’t believe it. He was so arrogant and impolite. She paid attention to their conversation again.

At that remark, Deepak’s smile vanished “She never said anything about love Atul. We are just friends.”

So that stupid boy had a name. Atul.

“Ohh! Come on Deepak you don’t have to behave like you don’t know the game. You knew from the beginning that no girl could stand your charm. And a girl like her?” That stupid boy spoke in an amused voice.

“What do you mean a girl like her?” Deepak asked in a threatening voice. “She is a very nice girl. Just a bit dreamy and innocent” with that statement Deepak closed his eyes, and he rested his head on the back of the sofa. Deepak’s voice had a hard edge, and Atul sensed it. Surely it was not a good topic to discuss at that moment or maybe ever.

Atul and Deepak were childhood friends, and Atul knew a more about him than Deepak intended to share. Atul could see very clearly that he was regretting the bet he just won. Maybe he was even regretting the decision to come to Darjeeling in the very first place. The question was, why?

“Ok ok, I don’t want to irritate you. We don’t have to talk about this anymore, you have won the car, and it’s yours now. I accept that you are invincible when it comes to the matter of girls. You are the king.”

“Are you done with that already? I told you I don’t want to talk about it. We are done and over with this. Tomorrow we will leave for Delhi, and that’s the end of this. About your car, I don’t want it anymore. We will not talk about this stupid bet ever again.” Deepak roared, and everyone around him flinched at this sudden outburst. Atul opened his mouth to protest, but Deepak silenced him by raising his hand and continued. “I am going to pack, and then I am going to bed.”

Deepak stood, and everything started spinning around him. Sargam was staring at him with blank eyes. She was as white as a ghost and as grey as ash. Her face was partially visible because of light form the room, yet everything about her looked dark.

Deepak knew that a dark he saw around her at that moment, had captured had descendant into their hearts, and it will haunt them for the rest of their lives. He moved towards her, and everyone noticed for the first time that Deepak’s expressions have changed from anger to alarm. They all looked out of the window and saw Sargam.

Deepak approached her slowly with caution. He was still debating on how to start and what to say when Sargam turned fully towards him. Deepak looked at her and knew that he was never going to forget that face. Her lips were pursed into a thin line, and her face was as cold as ice. Her eyes were not blank anymore but were blazing with hatred and rage. There were no tears, and she was breathing heavily. Anything he told her now won’t make any difference. A broken heart, Shattered dreams and crushed trust. He gave her all that. His outstretched hand was still in mid-air, and the worst was beginning.

“What are you doing here, Deepak?” Chitra came out in a very casual manner. “Ohh! I didn’t realise that we have a guest.” Chitra sounded way to sympathetic, not her usual nature.

“Hi, I am Chitra and you..? When Sargam looked at both of them with disgust and said nothing, Chitra spoke again, “I am Deepak’s fiancée, but I am sure Deepak never mentioned that to you.” Chitra waited with a victorious grin on her face while Sargam clenched her guts and tried not to puke.

“Deepak told us how good friends you have become in the past few days. You should come to our wedding. It’s in..”

“Chitra.” Deepak’s dangerously cold command stopped Chitra in a mid-sentence, but when he saw Sargam’s face, he knew it was already too late. She was looking sick, and she couldn’t open her eyes wider even if she tried. Her eyes looked like they will pop out from her face any second now.

Despite the situation they were in, he felt amused and unfortunately it showed in his eyes. Her trembling lips made him realise how it all must have looked to her. She though was laughing at her. There was more hatred in her eyes if that was even possible. She started walking.

Deepak called her again and again and ran after her leaving Chitra behind. When Sargam didn’t stop, he grabbed her arm and forced her to stop. She jerked her arm free with a striking force that almost throttled him. Sargam rubbed her arm where Deepak touched her in a way as if nothing can be more filthy in the world than his touch and she would prefer to cut her arm off rather than bearing his touch. This time when she walked again, he couldn’t find the courage to stop her.