Forget Me Not, Stranger

by Novoneel Chakraborty

  Rivanah woke up late the next morning. She saw a few missed calls from both Ekansh and Danny. She called Danny while brushing her teeth and rushed through breakfast, still on the call, mostly listening to the latest news from his shoot. By the time she reached the hospital, it was around 10.30 a.m. The scene didn’t look good. Tista’s parents—especially her mother—were hysterical. Other relatives were trying to calm her down but in vain. She took a couple of steps towards them but nobody noticed her. She could see Ekansh’s parents standing with Tista’s relatives. With her heart beating harder, she went to the nurse who was writing something on a paper.

  ‘What happened, sister?’

  ‘The patient collapsed.’

  ‘Collapsed?’ Rivanah’s throat had gone dry by then.

  ‘Tista died early morning.’

  Rivanah thought her heart had stopped for a moment. Tista can’t die. Tista shouldn’t die. Tista hasn’t died. Tears started rolling down her cheeks. The nurse made a soft announcement that the body would be in the room for another half hour maximum.

  Rivanah slowly turned towards the cabin door. It was a couple of metres away from her but she had to summon all her energy to be able to come up to it.

  Standing by the door, she could see Ekansh sobbing beside Tista’s bed. No medical equipment was attached to her body any more. Her eyes were shut. Rivanah wouldn’t have guessed if she didn’t already know. She still hoped Tista would miraculously open her eyes—and she would get a chance to apologize to her. At that instant, Rivanah knew nothing would give her more joy than seeing Tista and Ekansh together and happy. Tista’s calm visage told her coming back to life was still possible while Ekansh’s ashen face confirmed the improbability of it. Ekansh lifted his head when she entered the room. She had once believed Ekansh loved her truly and had changed her perception of him over the years, believing he could not be loyal to anyone. But he had surprised her with his behaviour towards Tista. A person can be good as well as bad, black and also white. Our experience of the person is only a way to perceive him or her. And perceptions come with inherent limitations, Rivanah now knew.

  She placed a hand on Tista’s forehead, caressing it. Ekansh grasped Rivanah’s other hand. He tightened his grip; it hurt but she didn’t move. Ekansh looked up at her and said, ‘She knew.’

  Those weren’t just words but a pyre on which Ekansh’s life would station itself. The fire of guilt shall slowly lick his conscience all his life like it would lick hers. Till those words were spoken by him they had shared a past, but from now on, Ekansh and Rivanah would share the same fire of guilt in them. She wanted to talk to him but stopped herself when Ekansh’s mother stepped into the room. Rivanah quickly managed to free her hand from his grasp. Ekansh’s mother asked him to come out with her; he followed her out. Rivanah too left Tista’s room but didn’t see Ekansh or his parents.

  Back from the hospital, Rivanah was too dazed to think clearly. She picked up her phone several times to call Ekansh but didn’t know what they would talk about. At night, he messaged her saying he wanted to meet. Rivanah had just finished packing for her flight the next morning. She agreed and asked him to pick her up from her place. She convinced her parents that she was going to her friend’s place like the other day for some office work and the friend would pick her up and drop her back as well.

  ‘What is your friend’s name and phone number?’

  Rivanah gave them Ekansh’s number but told them the name was Pooja, someone they knew.

  Ekansh picked her up and they drove to the Kankurgachi footbridge. Neither uttered a word during the ride. Danny had called but Rivanah told him she was out with family and would call him back the moment she reached home. The two climbed the bridge and sat on the steps. The footbridge was a lonely place during the day. Even more so at night.

  ‘Why did you tell her?’ Ekansh asked.

  ‘What?’ Rivanah wasn’t expecting this question.

  ‘Why did you tell Tista what happened between us that evening?’ Ekansh asked sternly.

  I didn’t, Rivanah thought. Someone else did. But I can’t tell you who that someone is.

  ‘Was this your revenge?’

  ‘Revenge?’

  ‘Because I ditched you.’

  ‘You really think I’m capable of doing something so cheap, Ekansh? Like, really?’

  ‘I don’t know. How else did she come to know?’

  ‘If you don’t know, how would I know?’ Rivanah raised her pitch a bit. It was frustration shielded as anger—frustration of not being able to tell Ekansh about the Stranger. She stood up, paced the bridge, came back calm and said, ‘Maybe she just understood it. A girl’s sense is very strong in these matters.’

  ‘She understood it the day she died? You think I’m going to believe that?’

  ‘What are you trying to say, Ekansh? Please be clear.’

  ‘I said what I wanted to say. I know what I did to you wasn’t good, but by telling Tista what happened between us that evening, you have scarred me for life.’

  ‘I haven’t scarred you for life, your own karma has.’

  ‘What bullshit!’ Ekansh stood up to face Rivanah.

  ‘Bullshit? If I had told her about this, why would I not confess to you? I was always there whenever you needed me. Back then, when we were in a relationship, and now, when we aren’t. But at both times you have shocked me with your behaviour.’ The irritation was evident in her face. They could have done this over phone too if all Ekansh had in mind was blaming her unnecessarily.

  ‘I know you were and are there for me, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to believe you on this. There is no way a third person could have known what happened between us that evening in the flat. I know I didn’t tell Tista anything. That leaves only one person who could have.’

  Rivanah shot an angry glance at him.

  ‘Do me a favour now. Please don’t get in touch again,’ Rivanah said and started stepping down the bridge’s staircase. Ekansh caught up with her calling her name, ‘Rivanah . . . listen, Rivanah.’

  ‘There is nothing to listen. Be it love or friendship, if you can’t trust the other person, there is no reason why you should be together,’ she said.

  ‘All right. Go. If you think that by putting the blame on a girl’s sixth sense you would be able to absolve yourself, then you are mistaken. Just imagine me telling your boyfriend about what happened between us. Only then you will understand my pain.’

  With that Ekansh had blown the lid off Rivanah’s anger.

  ‘It’s a free world, Ekansh Tripathi,’ she said, turning back. ‘Do as you please.’ She finally climbed down the footbridge stairs.

  ‘Thank you for the suggestion,’ Ekansh shouted behind her.

  Rivanah didn’t care to turn. She hailed a cab standing nearby and was on her way home. Her phone rang flashing Ishita’s name. Rivanah wiped the tears from her eyes and took the call. ‘Where were you, girl?’ she asked.

  ‘Sorry, I was at a remote place with my office team. Didn’t have network coverage there. I just received a missed call alert. Did you find a lead to Hiya Chowdhury?’

  ‘Now who on earth is Hiya Chowdhury? What are you talking about, Ishita?’ Rivanah said. There was total silence from Ishita’s side.

  7

  ‘Though I would have liked to go with you, Mini, I couldn’t manage to get leave,’ Mr Bannerjee said, kissing his daughter’s forehead. Rivanah’s parents were seeing her off at the airport.

  ‘Don’t worry, Baba. I can take care of myself. I’ll be all right,’ Rivanah said. Though her father’s anxiety was to be expected, especially after the attack, this time he seemed more uncomfortable than last time she flew to Mumbai. She hugged him hoping it would help. So much had happened after the Stranger’s attack that it didn’t seem as threatening to her now as it had then.

  ‘Take care, shona.’ Mrs Bannerjee kissed her daughter’s cheeks. And whispered in her ears, ‘I have packed a box of nalen gurer sandesh for Danny. Baba d
oesn’t know.’ Rivanah couldn’t help but kiss her mother back.

  ‘I’ll miss you both,’ she said.

  Right then one of the security personnel came up to Mr Bannerjee and asked him to move his car from the gate since he wasn’t allowed to park there.

  ‘You guys leave now. I’ll call you right after my security check,’ Rivanah said.

  She waved her parents goodbye and waited till they drove out of sight. Then she walked briskly with her luggage to the departure gate nearby; Ishita was waiting for her there.

  ‘Just tell me you were joking on the phone last night?’ said Ishita the moment Rivanah reached her. Ishita couldn’t make head or tail of what Rivanah was talking about when she had said she didn’t know who Hiya Chowdhury was, so she had decided to meet her in person this morning.

  ‘No, I wasn’t. Who is Hiya Chowdhury? And why would I joke about someone whose name I’m hearing for the first time?’ Rivanah was as genuine as she was on phone the previous night. Ishita showed her phone to Rivanah. There was a WhatsApp message Ishita had sent to Rivanah a couple of days before. It read:

  I’m off for few days. Let me know if you come to know anything about Hiya.

  Why isn’t this message there in my phone when Ishita’s WhatsApp shows a blue tick? Rivanah was clueless.

  ‘I haven’t read this message of yours,’ Rivanah said aloud.

  ‘Well, someone did.’

  Was it the Stranger? Rivanah wondered. Ishita took a few minutes to relay all that Rivanah had told her regarding the Stranger and Hiya after she reached Kolkata. She also recounted how they had followed Argho to Hiya’s house, met her parents and realized Rivanah’s life could be in danger since they both believed the Stranger might have killed Hiya.

  I remember the Stranger, Rivanah wondered, I also remember Argho but why don’t I remember Hiya Chowdhury and the visit to her house then? Ishita can’t be lying about this girl named Hiya. Why would she?

  ‘Now don’t tell me you have forgotten it all?’ Ishita looked a little unnerved.

  Rivanah nodded. ‘I really don’t remember any of this.’

  ‘Oh my God. Does the Stranger practise some black magic shit?’

  Rivanah swallowed a lump remembering the fire in her room. Your end is coming soon. Was the Stranger really going to kill her? But why? What harm had she done to him? On the contrary, she had always done whatever he had asked of her—except, she hadn’t confessed to Danny yet. The Stranger had already avenged that by telling Tista about it. What more did he want?

  ‘I think you should go now,’ Ishita said, looking at the board. It was time for security check.

  ‘Yeah, I suppose I should.’

  ‘But I’m really worried for you, dear. Just take care and let me know if I can help. If something out of the ordinary happens, do inform Uncle and Aunty,’ Ishita instructed, hugging her friend. Once she broke the hug, Rivanah pulled her luggage and went inside. She went straight to the security check and realized she hadn’t collected her boarding pass. She could sense a tension brewing within her and it made her head reel. She sat down for a moment holding her head. Nothing was making sense. If Ishita was to be believed, she already knew a lot about Hiya, so then why could she not remember anything? Just then her phone rang. It was her father.

  ‘We just reached home. Are you done with your security check, Mini?’

  ‘Yes, Baba. All done,’ she somehow managed to speak.

  ‘Good. Call me once you board,’ he said and hung up.

  Rivanah knew she couldn’t sit there for long. She went to collect her boarding pass. Right after the security check, she saw Danny’s missed call on her phone. Only she knew how much she craved to be in his strong arms that moment, safe and sound. She immediately called him back.

  ‘Hey baby.’ He answered on the first ring.

  ‘I love you, Danny.’

  ‘Whoa, I’m having a morning wood and your voice isn’t helping much.’

  Rivanah managed a smile. ‘Just hold it. I’ll be there in three hours.’

  ‘I’m not a fucking Viagra that I will hold-on for that long without you here. So give me enough reason to prolong my hard on,’ Danny said naughtily.

  He didn’t know she wasn’t quite in the mood.

  ‘Actually Danny . . .’

  ‘Airports have washrooms, right?’

  He is really in the mood now, Rivanah thought, and decided it would be better to tell him about what was troubling her when they met.

  ‘Hold on, cowboy,’ she said and cut the line. Rivanah located the ladies’ washroom, went straight inside the toilet and shut the door. She quickly raised her top to expose her royal-blue bra and clicked a pouting selfie showcasing her soft cleavage. She sent the picture to Danny.

  That’s such a lifesaver. Thanks, baby. Have a safe flight back. Your cowboy is waiting. In fact, both your cowboys are waiting. He WhatsApped back with a wink emoticon.

  She replied with three kiss emoticons. And then sat on the toilet sink trying to think clearly. Why the hell can’t I remember Hiya Chowdhury? Who deleted Ishita’s message from my phone? Nothing made sense; she gave up. Rivanah slept through the entire flight.

  By the time she reached her flat in Lokhandwala, Andheri West, she had prepared herself to meet Danny with as much eagerness as he had voiced on phone few hours back. She noticed the door was already slightly ajar. With a frown she pushed the door open and was taken aback. The entire room was stuffed with heart-shaped balloons. There were so many that she couldn’t even step inside. She caught hold of a balloon and read what was written right across the centre: Will you marry me?

  She checked two more balloons, and they all had the same thing written on them. A smile touched her face. This was completely unexpected.

  She called out to Danny. ‘Baby, you there? How do I come in?’

  ‘If your answer is yes,’ Danny said from somewhere inside the flat, ‘take the lighter kept under the doormat and burst the balloons to come in.’

  She picked up the lighter, and burst the first balloon. Then she burst another one, and another one. She managed to squeeze into the flat and close the main door behind her.

  ‘Keep coming,’ Danny said.

  With a smile, Rivanah punctured another one with the lighter. Slowly it turned into a game she was starting to enjoy. The more balloons she burst, the deeper she went into her own flat. Finally she saw Danny right in the middle of the room, where he had positioned himself amidst the balloons.

  ‘How did you do that?’ she said, checking him out. He was in his boxer shorts. Only his boxer shorts.

  ‘Do you think I’m in the mood to talk?’ Danny said and lifted her. He took her to the bedroom where he had sprinkled rose petals all over the bed.

  ‘I must say I’m impressed,’ she said as Danny placed her on the bed.

  ‘Now time to impress me,’ he said and tugged down his boxers. He was kneeling on the bed while Rivanah was lying on her back looking at him. Her eyes slowly went down to his raging hard-on. She moistened her dry lips with the tip of her tongue. After the weeks-long dry spell, a sexual monsoon loomed large as Rivanah pushed him on the bed with her feet. She then sat on top of him, putting both her legs on either side. In a flash, she removed her tee. As she bent down to kiss him, he unhooked her bra. It came off as she sat straight again. She was getting aroused slowly. She started rubbing her pelvis on his hard-on, turning it even harder. He unbuttoned her jeans, unzipped it and, with her help, tugged it down along with her panties. He was surprised how wet she was. As he held his penis, she lifted her back only to sit on it gently, allowing it to quite deftly go inside her. With her hands on his chest, Rivanah shut her eyes tight and started slowly moving her pelvis. As the initial pain of insertion slowly turned into pleasure, her mind kept switching between pleasure and reality. Though she didn’t like how things had ended with Ekansh, she now felt it was for the best. With Ekansh in her life, she had to constantly juggle between whether to tell Danny the truth or
not, but now when she was sure of not seeing Ekansh’s face ever again, she could well bury the sexual slip in her subconscious labelling it as ‘a nothing’.

  Danny flipped her without warning, and from her being on top, it changed into the missionary position. Danny took her legs on his shoulders, rubbing his face on her calf, while Rivanah still had her eyes shut, clutching the bed sheet tight with both hands. His intense and strong thrusts felt like he was making her disappear. With every passing moment, she felt as light as a feather. All her defences seemed conquered, all her filters seemed compromised. If Danny had probed at that moment she would have confessed what had happened between Ekansh and her in the flat. Feeling his breath on her face, she opened her eyes. Danny had leaned forward and was now close to her. His lips pursed hers, and in no time, he took her tongue in his mouth. She understood that confession was the easy part. What was difficult was the explanation. Why were she and Ekansh intimate in the flat even though they had broken up long before that? Until that moment, she had sworn to herself she hated Ekansh up to the hilt. How could she dress the complex thoughts that propelled her to first indulge in the act with all her heart and then keep it a secret from Danny with words? How does one explain the plausibility of such a thing? Rivanah wondered, as she felt Danny squeezing her boobs with both his hands and sucking on her nipples alternately. He had increased his pace by now and she had wrapped her legs tightly around him to escalate her pleasure. Soon the thrusts became even harder, the moans louder, and they both climaxed as Danny came inside her. Both were panting as he looked at her and said, ‘Sorry, I came inside you.’