The Bachelor

#3. The Friend

17th February, 10:00pm, Anand Residence, Delhi.

I looked at the papers before me and smiled to myself. I found myself facing a piece of my past that I thought I'd left behind many years ago.

Manik Malhotra-one of the few friends that I had in my teenage years! When I first set foot in Warrior High nearly ten years ago, his was the only name I could hear all around! One year my senior, he was the most popular boy in school, and needless to say that all girls in the school were crushing on him.

I went about the school, minding my own business, but naturally, the new girl in the school had to be bullied! I still remember that disaster of a day when a few idiotic guys asked me to kiss someone in the school, as a ploy to rag me! When I refused, they took me to a secluded area and started harassing me!

It was at that moment when Manik showed up! If he hadn't threatened the guys to leave me alone, I don't know what would have happened! I remembered the worried look on his face as he asked me if I was alright. Until then, I thought he was so engrossed with himself that he was oblivious to all the rubbish his classmates pulled! But, he had taken me by surprise by helping me out!

Since then, both of us had become pretty good friends. I smiled further as I recalled what he used to call me-V-as in short for Vibha! We'd talk intermittently and exchange notes about how our lives were going. I was the only friend he had apart from his band mates-the Fab Five. Not that we publicized our friendship a great deal. Hardly anyone at my school knew that we even talked!

We were pretty close in school but I eventually lost touch with him when he went back to Mumbai to study in the prestigious art's college, S.P.A.C.E academy.

I had read about him in the papers and we were each other's Facebook friends, but the truth was I didn't really know him anymore...

And here I was, reading a contract offering me a spot in the reality show that he was going to be the cynosure of! What was worse- was that I was seriously thinking of accepting the offer!

Why, you may ask? Well-to keep things short, my family was in deep shit! My Dad had incurred a major loss in his business and we were on the verge of being bankrupt. I had always enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle, due to my family's wealth, but we were in serious trouble.

The only way out was if we were successful, in convincing a reliable investor to provide our company with funds. And what would be better than having Malhotra Industries tie up with our company?

This was why the offer was tempting me a great deal! If I got married to Manik, I could definitely convince him to invest in my company!

The payment for each episode honestly didn't matter to me! If I had to fulfil my goal, I'd have to win the show! I felt slightly shameful for even thinking of such a motivation for participating in the show, but my options were seriously limited! I'd do nearly anything to save my Dad's company! After all, it was his entire life's work which was at stake!

I took a deep breath and finally picked up a pen from the desk and signed the contract.

It was the least I could do for Dad after all the love and affection he'd showered on me since childhood!

Well, it wasn't all bad! I'd be lying if I said, that I didn't have a teeny-weeny crush on him when we were friends in school! I know how clichéd it sounds, but I couldn't help it! He was just so handsome...and as I got to know him, I realized that he had a pure heart too! I obviously never acted on my childish feelings!

Besides, although several girls were obsessed with him when we were in school, there was only one girl he had eyes for...

Anyways, I guessed that that was all in the past now, since he had decided to take part in the show.

He was rumoured to be quite the ladies-man now, but to me he would always be M- the same Manik who had helped me out in my time of need!

Maybe it was our destiny to meet again, and maybe just maybe- I'd actually get to have my happily ever after...

"Manik, I hope you're excited to meet your old friend V again..." I said, to myself, as I closed the file and went to bed with renewed hope about my future.