Ex Factor

by Varsha Dixit

  “Buzzkill!” Gina, carefully, took out other decoration items and kept them aside. Each had a mini story attached to it, which Kyra listened to half-heartedly. Next there was a stack of Gina’s clothes. “Oh, mom had them dry cleaned.”

  “Good for you!” Kyra said, continuing to stand behind Gina.

  “Oh!” On seeing the last item in the box, Gina sucked in her breath. Her hands paused over the item and then she pulled them back.

  Unseen by Gina, Kyra grinned. Jackpot!

  “That’s fancy! Take it out!”

  Gina bit her lower lip. A tempest of feelings took over her as she gazed at the beautiful salwar kameez that stared back at her from inside the box. Even though it wasn’t a camera or a picture frame, yet that piece of clothing held so many memories. Memories that hurt deeply because they were all of love. Gina wanted to say something, anything, to show that she was her usual self, but words failed her.

  “I have seen you in that, G-spot. In college, right? For some wedding or something?” Kyra probed.

  “Hmmm!” Clearing her throat, Gina took out the traditional outfit, held it briefly to her chest, and then grabbed as many things as she could off the floor, trying to be business as usual. “Let me just put these away!” She wanted to be alone with the outfit and the memories.

  Kyra trailed Gina. “That’s perfect for the wedding this weekend.”

  Gina stopped and squinted at Kyra over her shoulder. “What wedding?”

  Kyra pointed at the dining table. A mustard colored envelope sat on one side. “I left that for you earlier?”

  “You left it with a note or a pointer to look at it maybe?”

  Kyra shrugged. “Okay, maybe without a note. But it is yellow. How can you miss it?”

  If it was some other time, Gina would have teased Kyra but not right now. “Who’s wedding invitation is it?”

  “Deepali, from our college. Our junior, remember? Deepali Menon?”

  Gina felt her heart twitch. She nodded. How can I forget Deepali? The reason Ojas and I had our second meeting, which led us to clearing our misunderstandings.

  Several years back, when Ojas happened to be in Bengaluru where Gina had been a college student, he had saved Deepali one night from being molested or worse. Ojas had beaten up the goons, handed them to the police, and testified against them in court, ensuring they served time.

  Ojas had become quite a hero of the state at that time. His popularity was further magnified by the fact that he was a young dashing captain in the army. And all the hero sought was the heart of a beautiful young woman. The young woman, Gina, had not been able to resist him for long.

  “Knock, knock, anyone there?” Kyra’s words jolted Gina out of her thoughts.

  “I’m not going for the wedding,” Gina went inside her room.

  “What? Why?” Kyra hurried after. “It’s like a mini reunion. A lot of us are attending the wedding. Doy and Meher are attending too.”

  Gina opened her cupboard and started putting her clothes inside. “I’ll pass, thanks!” Gina’s expression was wooden like her voice. “You guys go for the wedding. We all will hang afterwards.”

  “No, no Gina, you have to come.”

  Gina paused and gave Kyra a puzzled look. “I have to come?”

  “Of course you have to. Did you not hear that a lot of our batch mates are going to be there?”

  Gina shrugged and resumed the task.

  “Still running from Ojas and your memories?”

  Gina stilled and then restarted putting her clothes, her actions rough. “I’m not running from anyone. I just don’t want to go.”

  “Why?” Kyra persisted. A lot of people were banking on Kyra’s convincing powers—The Bansals, The Purohits, and the rest of the Wallflowers. Gina had to agree.

  Gina shoved the clothes and turned around, her hands on her hips. “When I meet all our batch mates and they ask me what have I been up to, what will I tell them? About how I got pregnant in college and ran away? Battled severe depression and oh, I am now divorced?” She clasped her forehead and walked to the bed, sitting down slowly. Her expression was incredulous. “Oh my God, Ky! I became that girl?”

  Kyra quickly walked to Gina. “What girl, Gins?”

  “That girl in college who people always recall as the one who got knocked up, the one who ran away, dropping out of college. That girl!”

  Kyra squeezed Gina’s shoulder. “Shut up! You are not that girl.” Her voice was gruff. “You were married. No one knew about that and neither did they know about your pregnancy. You are not that girl!”

  Gina held Kyra’s hand and looked up, her eyes glum. “But you and I know the truth—”

  “That you were working in Singapore for five years and now you have moved back to Mumbai to be close to your family and crazy friends.” Kyra finished.

  Gina wrinkled her nose, losing some of her anxiety. “You make it sound so simple.”

  “Because it is.” Sitting down, Kyra put an arm around Gina’s shoulders. “Bad times are over, G-spot. Don’t run from your past, however hard and tough it might have been. There is no point. You won’t get far. Look at me! My past is violent, full of corpses of my family members.”

  Gina squeezed Kyra’s knee. “Ky—”

  “It’s okay, Gina, I’m fine.” Kyra dropped her arm from Gina’s shoulder and moved back on the bed to look in Gina’s face. “I too ran from my past and ended up doing some real stupid shit. And one day it hit me. When I was avoiding my past, I was avoiding a big part of myself. No wonder I felt so hollow, so empty, so bummed out all the time.”

  “Then what did you do?”

  “I embraced the fuck out of my past.” Kyra’s face broke into a familiar wide grin. “I went in the direction it pushed me and look at me now. I’m whole.”

  “Still doing stupid shit though.” Gina teased, even though her eyes were serious. Kyra was never the kind of person to wallow in self-pity or talk about her past. A past where nearly half of her family had been butchered in front of her when she was fourteen. So, if Kyra was sharing a life lesson with someone, then that person should shut up and listen.

  Kyra bobbed her head, her thick short hair flopped around her face. “Oh, definitely G-spot! What’s life without some stupid?”

  “How eloquently put!” Gina said. “Is that why you became a crime reporter and an investigative journalist?”

  Kyra sighed. “The murders in my family were steeped in silence because of stiff upper lips and false family pride. All questions by police, by reporters, were either hushed, ignored, or misdirected. Thus, when I grew up, I chose to become someone who actively sought and got answers, dived to the bottom of mysteries. I held criminals responsible for what they did by revealing them to the world. So yeah, my past, however awful, has helped me shape my present.” Kyra paused, lowered her voice, and said. “You just might be looking at a Ramnath Goenka award winning journalist.”

  Gina gasped, covering her mouth. “Are you freaking serious, Ky? That is huge and amazing!”

  Kyra grinned and jumped off the bed. “I have heard some whispers. It seems my story about lead-laced water grabbed a lot of eyes.”

  “That was such an amazing work of investigative journalism. It was brilliant. You should totally get it. Do the others know?”

  Kyra wagged a finger at Gina. “No one knows and let’s keep it like that till it is official. Praamise?”

  “Fine!” Gina nodded.

  “And you are coming to the wedding and wear that suit. Enough with the running!”

  Gina bobbed her chin, a doubtful look still in her eyes. “What if Ojas is there?” Her voice was hushed.

  Kyra cocked her head to the side. “So?”

  Gina exhaled. “It’s just weird. You won’t understand.” Now that I know that I love him.

  “Bruh, Deepali is a very simple, family-oriented, middle-class girl. I doubt she would call Ojas for he is a reminder of the unfortunate incident that happened to her. She doesn’t wa
nt guests at her wedding talking about that. C’mon Gina. Deepali would never invite Ojas. Not in a billion years.”

  Gina tapped her chin.

  “C’mon G-spot, loosen up a bit. You can’t hide from things. The sooner you deal, the sooner you heal.”

  “Wow! Poetess?” Gina rolled her tongue against her cheek.

  “Among other things,” Kyra laughed, leaning on the desk in the room. “What shall we do for dinner?”

  “Wanna go for a play tonight? And then we can grab a bite somewhere close to the theatre?” Gina asked.

  “Let’s do that. When are we leaving?”

  “Give me fifteen minutes.”

  “Cool! I’ll be outside.” Kyra exited Gina’s room and walked to the sofa where her phone lay. Picking it up, she opened a chat group innocuously called ‘Work and stuff’ to not rouse Gina’s suspicion if she happened to see the group. The group had three members—Doyal, Meher, and Kyra. Wallflowers doing what they did best—meddling with best intentions at heart!

  Kyra texted quickly – Hen is sold to the idea. Convince the cock now!

  In less than a minute Doyal responded.

  Doyal – Ewww! You could not say rooster?

  Meher joined in.

  Meher – I like cock!

  Kyra – Virtual high five, Doc!

  Doyal – Idiots. The box came?

  Kyra – Yes and so did the blingy suit.

  Meher – Make sure that is what Gina wears.

  Kyra – Now you want me to dress her too?

  Meher simply copied and reposted what she had typed earlier.

  Make sure that is what Gina wears.

  Kyra – Fatty, I will kill you.

  Doyal – Don’t call her that, Ky.

  Meher – Thanks Doy.

  Kyra – Meher knows I don’t mean it, so butt out Doy. I love you Mahi.

  Meher – Hehe! I know that biatch.

  Doy – You two are so weird. I’ll let Bansal Aunty know that the clothes have arrived.

  Kyra – Okay, I can hear the Hen moving, she’s coming out of the room. Over and out!

  Meher – What are you, a secret agent?

  Kyra – Ugh yeah! I’m working in secret and actually, we all are.

  Meher – No, we are Wallflowers, loving and helping each other out.

  Kyra – Gross! Doy, you aren’t going to say anything?

  Doyal – What is there to say? Mahi is right, we are the Wallflowers and this is what we do.

  Meher – Doyal I love you.

  Doy – love you back. Over and out, like Ky said.

  Kyra – Hey I love you guys too! Gina’s out, gotta go!

  Chapter 32

  Later that night

  Farmhouse, Pune

  The sound of his cell phone roused Ojas from his perusal of a new RFP the Defense Department had released. He looked at his cell.

  Meher is calling me? Is Gina okay?

  Ojas answered the phone in a second. “Hi Meher!”

  “Hi Ojas! How are you?” Meher said, her tone cheery.

  Ojas patted his chest. Gina is fine! “Good, thanks! How is it going with you Doc?”

  “The usual!?”

  “So, what can I do for you, Meher?” Ojas asked.

  “Do you remember Deepali, one of our friends you helped?”

  This is why Meher is calling. Ojas grimaced and then exhaled. “I got her wedding card.”

  “Great! You are coming, right?”

  Ojas rubbed his forehead. “No, I don’t think I should be there. Plus, I have a prior engagement.”

  “Gina will be there.”

  “Umm…” Ojas cleared his throat. “And she has all the reasons to be there.” He wasn’t sure where this conversation was heading.

  “Fine, I’ll just tell you, but this stays between us. She is moving to the US.” Meher said.

  “That’s great. US is nice. Which state will they be in?” Ojas asked, sitting back in his chair.

  “They?” Meher sounded confused.

  “Deepali and her husband. Which state in US are they moving to?”

  “Gina. Gina is moving to US.”

  Ojas’s head jerked. “What? When?” He fumbled. “Why?”

  “I don’t have all the details. Gina’s laptop was open and Kyra saw a job application Gina was working on. The job is in the US. With her computer background, Gina will probably get it.”

  Ojas moved his lips but no words came to his mind or his mouth.

  “Ojas?”

  “Why is she leaving? She just got here.” Ojas somehow managed to croak.

  “We don’t know! Maybe you can talk to her, ask her?” Meher tried to sound a right amount of uncertain.

  Ojas grabbed a pen off his desk. His fingers tightened hard around the silver cylinder. “You want me to stop Gina?”

  “Gina hasn’t been the same since she came back from Pune, post her father’s accident. Did something happen between her and…and you?”

  We made out like teenagers. I kissed the heck out of Gina and would do it again in a heartbeat. Ojas’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he stared in fierce concentration at the wall ahead.

  “Ojas?”

  “How has she changed?”

  “She is distant, kind of distracted. And we all are pretty sure Gina is sad.”

  “Sad? Why is she sad? Did something happen?” Ojas leaned forward, bending the metallic pen.

  “I don’t know!” Meher’s tone was defensive. “That’s what I’m asking you. Did something happen between you two that would make her want to get away, move somewhere far?”

  Shit! “I’ll come to the wedding. Can you find me a place where I can talk to her alone?” Ojas blurted.

  “Absolutely, I can! You will talk to Gina, right?” Meher wanted assurance.

  “I will. I’m booking my tickets right away.” Ojas barked in the phone and was about to hang up but then he paused and said. “Thank you, Meher, for sharing this with me. You have no idea how important this was for me to know. Last time…never mind. Thanks!”

  “No problem. And thank you once again for taking Doyal and me out for dinner the other day.” Meher said and ended the call.

  Ojas was too distracted by the news Meher had just dropped on him to remind Meher that it was she and Doyal who had showed up unannounced at his residence and kind of bullied him in taking them for dinner. Ojas had offered excuses but had simply given up later. Hoping to hear some tidbits about Gina had been the only silver lining.

  However, Ojas was in for tremendous disappointment. Meher and Doyal had talked about everything else but Gina.

  Ojas had come back from the dinner frustrated. It was like everyone who was close to Gina had taken an oath to not talk of her in front of Ojas. He had spent two evenings and a day with Gina’s family and the normalcy of that time had blown his head away.

  Ojas and Gina’s parents had got along like they had been friends for a while. Gina’s father had hit golf balls and not Ojas. At one point, Ojas had even imagined that Gina and his family were telling him, in a devious manner, that they would be perfectly acceptable of Ojas and Gina being together.

  Ojas gutted that thought as soon as it rose in his mind. Gina and her happiness meant the world to him and there was no way he would eclipse it by inserting himself in it.

  After ending the call with Meher, Ojas jerked to his feet and grabbed the stick. He walked to the glass door of his office and gazed at the garden. From where he stood, he could see the place where he and Gina had kissed.

  How could I lose control like that? I’m such an asshole!

  She was vulnerable after her father’s accident and I took advantage of her. Ojas shook his head.

  Gina had a moment of weakness that I mistook for desire. And now I have probably screwed with Gina’s sense of wellbeing again, so she is running away. I’m a plague; I just ruin everything for her.

  Jaw clenched and eyes determined, Ojas turned around and walked back to his desk.

  Not this
time! This time if anyone has to move anywhere, it has to be me.

  ***

  After ending the call with Ojas, Meher opened the WhatsApp group titled ‘Work and Stuff,’ her fingers furiously scrambling as she typed.

  Meher – Oh my godddd, it is on. The cock was easily convinced.

  Kyra was the first to reply.

  Kyra – Yassss! So, he’s coming?

  Meher – Coming, and wants me to arrange a meeting between him and Ginny. ALONE!

  Kyra – Brilliant! Good job woman.

  Doyal too came online.

  Doyal – All this is good but what exactly do you think is going to happen when they meet?

  For a few minutes Meher and Kyra stayed silent.

  Doyal – So the geniuses haven’t thought that far?

  Kyra – Don’t be a killjoy, biatch.

  Meher – Doy be positive! Something happened in Pune between them, but neither is telling. I just know.

  Kyra – Sherlock fucking Holmes in the house.

  Meher – Mock me, I don’t care. But I’m telling ya, they are on the brink of something.

  Doyal – You know what, even if we get some egg on our face trying to help those two, it’s okay.

  Kyra – Aww you are so sweet Doy. Puru and Doy sitting on a tree.

  Meher – K-I-S-S-I-N-G

  Doyal – Burn that tree! And seriously SHUT UP, I dislike the man. Okay, so what next?

  Meher – now we galvanize the troops, it’s important to have backup.

  Kyra – Deal

  Doyal – So catch up tomorrow for updates?

  Meher – You are out of the country Doy. Don’t worry, Ky and I will take care of things here. Just make sure you’re back for Deepali’s wedding.

  Doy – Thank you homies!

  Kyra – Mahi we’ll talk late tonight?

  Meher – Sure Ky! And Wallflowers, we are just doing this hoping for the best. If things go south, we have to be there for Gina.

  Doyal – And Ojas?

  Kyra – Why is he our problem?

  Doyal – I spent time with him. He is a good man Ky, just someone who lost his way.

  Meher – Agreed. I’ll put in an extra word of caution to his brother.

  Kyra – All right then. Onwards and upwards, Wallflowers.