by Shreya Faria
After collecting the wine bottle, he drove fast as he could to reach home. He parked his car outside the house so that Rachel could not come to know about his arrival. He walked into the house quietly and looked around for Rachel. He checked the living room, kitchen, reading room but he couldn’t find her. He moved towards his bedroom and was about to call out her name, but something made him stop.
Chapter 37
Sam heard Rachel talking to someone and assumed she was talking over the phone. He stopped himself from calling out her name, he wanted to know what she was talking about and to whom.
‘I knew he would come to that level someday ... (pause) ... I cannot tell Sam about us yet,’ said Rachel to someone over the phone. Sam’s ears got alert as he heard his name. He was curious to know what Rachel was saying about him behind his back. Sam went close to the slightly ajar door of her room so that he could hear her clearly.
‘Yes, I know darling; it is getting risky, I will tell him soon when the right day comes ... please,’ said Rachel over the phone. Sam remembered what Harvey had told him. About the wives having an account on the Ashton Martinson website and having extramarital affairs. His excitement dropped as he heard further conversation.
‘... I am sure Sam will understand. Things will be okay later. Now please take care of yourself, sweetheart,’ said Rachel and disconnected the call. As she turned towards the door of the bedroom, she saw the shadow and stopped for a while. She got scared at first and then thought it might be Sam. She checked from her room’s balcony if Sam’s car had arrived, but she couldn’t see his car. She called Sam immediately to inform about it and heard his phone’s ringtone outside her room. She disconnected and walked towards the door again. Sam, by now had entered the room and was standing there with a blank face. He didn’t know if he should ask her directly about the call or should wait for her to confess. Today he felt like a victim and forgot his own deeds.
Rachel was not expecting him home so early. She wondered if he had heard any of her conversations. But didn’t ask him directly. She too waited for him to ask or show any such gestures. Silence in the game of ‘who tells first’ is always damning. The pain of stress created by waiting for someone to tell is just like banging a hammer in the head.
‘Since when have you been standing here and how come you are early today? You know, I was so scared to see the shadow outside the door and called you to find it was you,’ said Rachel and acted very normal.
She went near her wardrobe to remove her night suit and saw Sam from a mirror beside her. She observed him well. Also, he had got a bag in his hand, which was from her favourite dessert shop. She understood he wanted to surprise her by coming home early, and now that excitement had faded. Sam was still lost and didn’t know how to react or even act normal.
‘Sam! What’s wrong with you? I asked you something, why are you so lost? And what’s that in your hand ... oh my favourite dessert ... how sweet of you to get it,’ said Rachel.
‘Oh, I was just walking in when you saw my shadow and called me, and Harvey has sent this dessert for you as he visited this place and was passing by my office,’ said Sam and sat on the bed. The disappointment from the conversation Rachel had over the phone made Sam lie about his feelings. He felt stupid about himself.
‘Oh okay, that’s very sweet of him then; so Sam, are you okay? You seem a little lost,’ asked Rachel.
‘Yes, I have got a terrible headache, and so I came home early,’ said Sam and relaxed on his bed for a while. Rachel talked to him properly after many days. Maybe guilt of hiding things from Sam made her do that.
‘In that case, you rest for a while, I will go and set up something nice for dinner,’ said Rachel and exited the room after taking her phone.
Tears rolled down Sam’s eyes as he thought Rachel would leave him and go off with the person whom she was talking with over the phone. A feeling of emptiness overpowered him. He didn’t know what to do. To let her go or to fight for her. Did things between them get so bad that she had to do all this? Did he take her for granted to that extent? Questions just came popping out and there where hardly any answers coming. What he realized was that he loved Rachel a lot and wouldn’t cope if she left him for someone else.
Rachel ordered her chef to fix Sam’s favourite foods along with some lemon coriander soup which would help him to lower the headache. She knew what food would bring him back in a good mood and cure his headache.
‘Hi, Harvey. How are you doing?’ asked Rachel as she called Harvey to thank him for the dessert.
‘Hey am good, you tell how are things going with you,’ asked Harvey.
‘Everything is good, I called you to thank you, Harvey, for the pastry that you have sent. How come you thought of me today?’ asked Rachel.
‘Pastry? What are you talking about?’ asked Harvey.
‘Have you not sent a chocolate mousse and a pastry from Copenhagen Pastry?’ asked Rachel in an astounding voice. She didn’t understand what was happening.
‘No, I have not visited that place for a long time. What happened Rachel? Is everything okay?’ asked Harvey. He would have lied and covered up for Sam if he had known.
‘Oh, well, everything is okay. Apart from the thing that Sam got me my favourite pastry and on asking, he said you got them to office. And he came home early and said he has a severe headache. He seemed weird. Did you have a word with him recently?’ asked Rachel.
‘Yes, I did. But it was work-related, and he seemed completely okay then,’ said Harvey.
‘Oh, what can be the matter with him then. Why did he lie about the pastry? Should I ask him directly, or can you ask him indirectly? Am sure he does tell everything to you,’ asked Rachel.
‘Well, I have no clue about it. Still, I will talk to him and let you know. You don’t take stress on it and thanks for calling me after such a long time,’ said Harvey.
‘Oh yes, it’s been a long time since we last met or spoke, so when Sam told me that you have sent the dessert for me, I thought of calling you that very moment. So let’s catch up for dinner tomorrow, what say? I will not inform Sam, let us give him a surprise, and till then, you also talk to him if anything is bothering him or something?’ said Rachel.
‘Oh, yes; dinner sounds good. I will surely talk to him about it before I visit your place. And I will try to come a little early so that he gets a surprise when he comes and we get some time to talk about him,’ said Harvey.
After talking to Harvey, Rachel was quite sure that Sam would have come early to surprise her and on overhearing her conversation put out the little lie about the dessert. Rachel felt a little disappointed with the way the events turned out. She knew Sam had been trying to talk to her since a long time and she had been rude to him all the while. But that was needed is what she thought.
Harvey called Sam immediately after his call with Rachel, but his phone was switched off. Sam, at this moment, was really disturbed and didn’t feel like talking to anyone. Harvey just left a message on Sam’s phone to call him immediately. Rachel served Sam’s favourite dinner and tried talking to him. He pretended to be normal and gave minimal answers to anything that Rachel asked. She understood it was no point talking to him now.
Chapter 38
The next morning Sam switched on his phone after a long, restful sleep. He got ready for work early and on the way to office called Harvey.
‘Yes, Harvey. Tell me, what is the emergency about? Did you find anything?’ asked Sam in a dull voice.
‘No, asshole! You didn’t care to inform me after lying to Rachel that I got some desserts for her. I was shocked when she thanked me for it, and I had to tell her the truth. Tell me what’s cooking between you both? You were supposed to tell her everything, right?’ asked Harvey.
‘Oh that. Yes, I was. But I heard Rachel’s conversation with maybe her boyfriend or someone and so aborted the plan to tell her anything,’ said Sam in a very sarcastic tone.
‘What! What crap are you talking? What did yo
u hear?’ asked Harvey. Sam told him the conversation that he had heard. He was in mere shock after listening to Sam. If anything he said were true, then Rachel would not have taken the pain to invite him for dinner or to know why Sam was lying. She asked because she cared, this is what he thought. Seeing Sam like that he didn’t know if he should tell him about the surprise that Rachel was planning for the evening. Eventually he did not tell Sam anything since he seemed moody.
Sam was just upset with life more than being upset or annoyed with Rachel. He remembered the good times with Rachel in the past. As to the present, he wasn’t sure whether to feel sorry for himself or Rachel. He felt depressed and after work ended up at a pub blaring out some rock music early and ordered drinks.
Meanwhile, Harvey had completed the formality with the LAPD for Sam’s number to be tracked. So now the LAPD along with Harvey were going to supervise all his activities, phone calls and messages; thus within no time, Harvey came to know what Sam was doing at the pub nearby his office.
* * *
‘Hi, some flowers for the lovely lady, along with her favourite pastries from Copenhagen,’ said Harvey with a big smile as Rachel opened the door. Even though Harvey knew of Sam’s location, he decided to honour Rachel’s invite instead of checking out his friend at the pub and join his maudlin thoughts.
‘Come in Harvey, it’s so good to catch you alone after a long time,’ said Rachel as she winked at Harvey. ‘So, how are you doing Harvey? How is work?’ asked Rachel as they moved forward towards the sofa at their living room. She had arranged everything so that the atmosphere of the house was lively and so that they could have a pleasant conversation. There was food and drink, all set, to enliven the evening.
‘Am doing good, work is tedious these days. So you tell me, how’s your fashion market going? You still look the same. Fit and fab,’ said Harvey.
‘The fashion market is never out of business, and so work is hectic, and fit and fab because I have to keep running here and there!’ said Rachel.
‘Yes, that’s true. So, Rachel, I had a word with Sam today morning. And he was sounding upset,’ said Harvey.
‘Yes, I knew something is wrong, and he was hiding something. But what and why?’ asked Rachel. Now, Harvey wanted to assess the genuineness of Rachel’s interest in Sam’s state of affairs, that would tell him if she was still interested in Sam.
‘Sam mentioned about some phone conversation which you were having while he came in yesterday. He wanted to surprise you as it had been a long time you two had spent quality time together and so he came early. And after hearing that conversation, he felt upset, and it spoiled his mood completely. Rachel ... he thinks you are having an affair or something. He had also seen some messages previously on your cell, some money transfers related to some account in India. But he didn’t take that seriously as he did of your phone call yesterday,’ said Harvey. There was an awkward silence for a while before Rachel reacted to this news.
‘Hmm ... that’s so bad of him. What does he think of himself? He can do anything he wants and wishes, and I should be normal with it? And if I do anything not even closer to what he does, he behaves this way? He hasn’t felt it necessary to clear the cold air between us even once,’ Rachel complained furiously. Harvey, at some point, knew that she was right in this matter. What he could not understand was what Rachel wanted now, another relationship or amendments with Sam? He just didn’t know how to ask about it directly. Rachel had already lost her cool over this matter. He still tried asking her indirectly about her intentions.
‘Rachel, let me try to help you. Tell me what exactly do you want now? Any solution to problems starts first with the step of optimism. If you want Sam, your Sam, back in your life, the way he was earlier when you guys fell in love with each other, then just let me know because then I know my next move is trying to get you guys together,’ Harvey offered.
‘Yes, I know ... you are right ... though I never thought I would require this sort of help from anyone to save our relationship. Currently, I just don’t know what seems right and what seems wrong. I am just annoyed right now, and it’s better that I don’t make any decisions now in this state of anger; as it is we have taken a lot of foolish steps earlier,’ said Rachel.
‘Yea, that’s wise enough. Take your own time,’ said Harvey. Frankly, he was not expecting Rachel to give such an answer. He thought Rachel would be interested in mending things at one go or she would instead give an optimistic response. As it is, Harvey was burdened by the unsolved Ashton Martinson scam and it was getting messier by the day. He couldn’t decide who was the sufferer and who was right. He just couldn’t blame or judge anyone on this. As for Sam and Rachel, he only wished the best for them both. He did not want to show bias towards Sam.
There were episodes of awkward silences, and someone had to break the ice now and then. This time it was Rachel as a member of her household staff brought in some victuals. Harvey’s mood completely changed. They both savoured the food along with some small talk about how funny and dramatic life can be. They discussed work and talked about old Sam. Just then Rachel remarked, ‘See, it’s already time for him to come home, but still, he has not shown up. This is how things are changed.’
‘Oh, no. I am sure Sam must be stuck with work, he was talking about a lot of stress in his work a few days earlier,’ said Harvey. He tried to cover up for Sam. He knew where he was but did not tell Rachel. Harvey didn’t want to upset Rachel over her setting up a surprise for Sam. Just a while ago Harvey had texted Sam that he was waiting at his house. Harvey checked his phone to see where he was, and just then the doorbell rang. It was Sam, all drunk and lost to even understand what was happening around him. He greeted Harvey in a complete drunken manner as he entered home and avoided Rachel. After greeting Harvey, he directly landed on the sofa and passed out. Harvey looked at Rachel, she was utterly annoyed but walked towards Sam to make him lie down comfortably on the sofa. Harvey observed how Rachel’s mood changed as she walked away towards their reading room.
Chapter 39
‘I am okay Harvey, I am used to living with a mood spoiler, it happens every time ... every time!’ said Rachel as Harvey came in looking for her to see that she was okay.
‘I understand, I can see that Sam has become one boring person,’ said Harvey. Rachel liked the fact that Sam’s friend was not taking his side and tried to understand her problem. She started feeling comfortable talking to him. Rachel just kept looking outside a window and sipping wine from her glass, whereas Harvey roamed inside the reading room, checking out the collection of books and other exciting stuff they had with a glass of whiskey he was holding in the other hand. He was strolling around, and he came across the new version of Rachel’s Apple laptop. Out of curiosity, he just turned on the screen, and something suddenly popped out, which drew his mind recollecting something somewhere else. It was a TB support group page. The one he had seen his fellow passenger using at the airport. He was going to tell this to Kavya as well. And now he remembered; even Rachel was affected with TB a couple of years back.
‘So Rachel, how is your health now?’ asked Harvey as he shut down her laptop screen. Rachel heard him in surprise as to why he was asking about it all of a sudden, and then she realized that she had kept her laptop on and realized that Harvey was fidgeting with things and must have checked the open page of the TB support group on the laptop.
‘Oh yes, that; I am doing good now,’ said Rachel. She didn’t say much as she did not want to show any interest in the conversation. That moment had given her so much pain. But Harvey was keen on poking into this, he wanted to know how much grudge Rachel still had over this and against Sam. He wanted to know what she wanted out of Sam and why she had found it necessary to join the TB support group.
‘It must have been painful emotionally, mentally and physically, right?’ asked Harvey. Rachel saw his intense look and interest in the topic. She kept sipping her wine and was lost in thought before she answered anything.
> * * *
To go back a few years in time.
Rachel used to be very happy to have Sam in her life and being married to him. Her happiness always reflected in her actions and smile, and people often used to feel jealous about it and often question about her relationship with Sam.
How could you be so happy with Sam, you don’t have any complaints about him, no insecurities? How does he manage to keep you happy all the time? Is he so deeply in love with you? These were some of the questions certain friends would ask her, though she never understood why they had such a problem with her happy life. Was she really too lucky in comparison to others? This disturbed the fairytale imagination she had of her life.
Once when she was so engrossed living in her fairytale life, she got a call from her friend who worked in Sam’s office. Rachel had only told Sam to appoint her friend when she was job hunting, and when Sam had a lot of vacancies.
‘Hi Rach, how are you doing?’ asked her friend.
‘Hi Samantha, am doing good, you tell me how’s your work going? All okay with you?’ said Rachel.
‘Yea Rach, all good. Actually, I wanted to meet you ... long time no ... so can you meet over a coffee today post office hours?’ asked her friend.
‘Yes sure ... but is everything okay with you, Samantha?’ asked Rachel.
‘Yes everything is okay, Rach ... so we meet at 6 p.m. near your office?’ asked her friend.