ABRUPT©2021

1. when in Mumbai

Three years ago...

SHARU

'The person you're trying to call is currently busy, please try again later'
'तुम्ही ज्या व्यक्तीला कॉल करायचा प्रयत्न करत आहात तो सध्या व्यस्त आहे, कृपया—'

Why isn't he picking up his mobile phone even after so many missed calls by me? It's him who wants to meet me after all! Nevermind, I have to meet him anyway.

'Auto! Infinity mall?' (in India we have auto-rickshaws)

'Yes ma'am, sit'

*Phone buzzes*

Veer

-Meet me in Starbucks.

After entering the mall and Starbucks, I found Veer sitting at a table which was in the corner and he saw me.

'Hi!'

'Don't "Hi" me Veer! What's up with you? You called me suddenly to meet you here.'

'Oh, well, I wanted to tell you something since a long time, but I just, I just never had the chance to tell you this' he said.

'Can you please be quick? I've my final exam today and instead of getting to the examination centre early, I've taken the time to meet you.'

'Are you saying that you don't like meeting me? After these eight months that we've spent together!'

'I didn't say anything like that, where are you going with it?'

'You've always been so busy! Studying, helping your mother in chores, and doing whatnot! It's as if only I care about this relationship! You just think and do what you like and don't care about others involved in it!'

'Where did you hit your head? Because you're bullshitting! Didn't I tell you when you came to me, asking to be your girlfriend, that I'm a busy person, I've got a lot of things to do, my studies are my primacy and hence I'm not looking for a relationship? Didn't I say this? You still begged me, you used to follow me like a lost puppy all the time and it was so annoying! No one wants anyone following them constantly! I warned you but you ignored it and did what you wanted. VEER YOU'VE BECOME SO CLINGY! I told you I couldn't give you the attention you wanted and you said it was fine! Finally, after a lot of thinking I decided to give you a chance and for god's sake! How could you even say the things that you just said to me?'

'No, you're just so SELFISH! You're so pathetic, a mess! A mad woman OBSESSED with getting a great percentage! I wish I would've gone for some other girl that time instead of you! At least she would've given me importance and not kept me hanging! I wanted to meet you to warn you about us, to make me your first priority!'

This man! How dare he say those things to me when he had the knowledge about what was going on! Don't cry Sharu don't cry, don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you tear up.

'STOP RIGHT THERE! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT! Women have so many things to look out for in their life! They've got to look out for their families along with managing other personal stuff. Women live in a male dominating society, so we've to think before we leap and no matter what we do, you all call us a mad woman. You and your trashy brain! And you call me PATHETIC? And a MESS? You're not okay with the fact that I'm trying to balance everything, you hate my GUTS! You're such a bloody misogynist! I wish I would've known that before! Oh, even I wish you would've gone for someone else back then so that I would've been free and not suffocating with you like I am now! And you know what? I too wanted to meet you for clearing things out and to remind you of my priorities. I'm so done with your shit! I DUMP YOUR SORRY ASS, VEER! ROT IN HELL!'