Rashmi: bhaiya! Listen na. Do you think of me as a cheap girl?
Me : No ! Why you say so? Did anyone told you I think of you like that?
R: nahi bhaiya ……… kept silent for 10 sec and said….
Whole college thinks of me like that.
Me:pagal. It’s common in college life. Just dust it off and also in 3 months you have final yr exams. And you will go from here Permanently , then why are you thinking all this?
R: nahi bhaiya. I can’t concentrate on studies and really need a friend now. And I can’t think of anyone else other than you Who can understand me
Me : ok . Don’t worry much. Will see you tomorrow. Now chalo be a good girl and sleep and don’t cry now. Or else I will not talk to you if I saw your red eyes tomorrow.
R: ok I won’t but please don’t say that . See you tomorrow gn.
Me : gn
Later I slept and didn’t bother much about and switched off my phone as a habit I do before sleep.
In the morning on the way to go to college I removed my phone from charging and switched it on and saw notification of 3 miss calls and 5 messages in WhatsApp from Rashmi .
I read them and got to know that, Arun last night came to her flat at 1 am smashed a bottle on gate and peed on her door mat. And she was scared and asked me to come to her room as she is scared to go out of her room.
I went to college and signed my attendance and excused that I am going for breakfast and went to her flat.
I didn’t saw any smashed bottles and all but all the while stairs were smelling of alcohol.
I rang her bell and Rashmi opened immediately and hugged me tightly and started crying loudly. And said “bhai I was too scared, thanks for coming”. Her neighbor aunty came to out from Rashmi’a flat. And greeted me.
Aunty: hello! Beta. Now as you came. I am not worried. Take a good care of her
Me : ( puzzled) ok aunty thanks for the help I’ll take from here .
And she left for her house and Rashmi invited me in her home.
And offered me coffee and we sat in living room and were talking.
R: Bhaiya sorry for troubling you a lot. Last night Arun came to my flat drunk and was forcing himself on me. This aunty came from her flat to rescue me and threw Arun out of house and locked the door. Since then she was with me whole time.
Me: ok but what you told her about me and also what’s what’s going on? And why you didn’t do police complaint?
Rashmi: bhaiya it’s complicated
Me: ok but tell me something
Rashmi: bhai I trust you and also know you don’t judge people like all do. I’ll share everything with you.. first I’ll tell you this , to that aunty I told you are my cousin brother who stays in Hubli .
Rashmi : this all started from 2013 fresher party bhai. After that party all of my batch mates started me and Arun. In time we got used to it. But bhai in 1st yr Goa trip he proposed me in front of everyone and out of liking and others motivations I accepted to be in relationship with him.
This continued and we were happy as a school sweetheart couples. But everything changed from 1st yr exams onwards. I passed and went ahead of him and he stayed back. So I tried to help him in KT and taught him subjects. For this I used to spend lots of time with him 2months before exams. We used to study in library and also I used to visit his room in rented apartments for boys. But even after doing all that he failed in 1 subject and rest all he passed. So again he was back by 1 yr and was sitting alongwith juniors. On his 3rd attempt I also had 2nd yr exams so to help him and to be abl3 to study properly for my exams too, I took this 1BHK apartment on rent and we kinda used to stay together. He didn’t moved in completely but was here most of the time, this caused suspicion and rumors to spread about us in college that we are in live in relationship. Which was disturbing was both of us. Yet I didn’t let it affect our study and we continued to stay here. But on the fortnight before exams he was scared like hell. Even though he was prepared well. And was nervous and was breaking down. To calm him down I took him in my embrace and we had an intimate night.
Me: Rashmi. Would you stop. Hey I am not at all Interested in knowing your personal life and relationship. God will you stop here. I didn’t asked you to tell me this much detailed information. I just want to know what happened last night and why Arun behaved irrationally?. That’s all.
Rashmi: angrily….. bhai. Will you please listen to me. I don’t want you to think of me as Cheap girl.
Me: but yar.
R: please listen to me and then talk at the end.
Me: ok fine. Talk.
R: so bhai.