A LITTLE SLIP_ PART4 confessions...confessions...

The ride back to the hotel was awkward. I kept quiet and so did Sanjay. Roshini and Gunjan kept teasing Sameera with some mystery guy. Apparently she had confessed something as well. Roshini had tried to taunt us to ask her what it was but none of us were in the mood. I felt bad for Sanjay. He kept staring blankly at the road ahead. I really wish he’d talk to Roshini once and put her out of her misery. I hope our talk had helped.
The only thing on my mind now was getting back. The day had been exhausting and I wanted to sleep. I straight away went to my room. As did Sanjay. Gunjan, Sameera and Roshini were having some session of their own.
       Now when your really tired and want to go to sleep you never straight away go to sleep. You do stupid things. Like switch on the tv. So the tv was on and I was just surfing through some nonsensical channels. I sat on my bed in my shorts (mankind‘s most amazing creation of course after the iphone). Sanjay had come to my room a while back.  He told me he decided to talk to Roshini. I was happy for him. She deserved it. And I just hoped she’d understand. It made me feel better. Like things would get better.

At around midnight, while I was still watching some dopey serial, there was a loud impatient knock on my door. I thought it would be Gunjan drunk out of his wits again. The man loved booze. He fantasized about drowning in beer. I went up to the door and opened it expecting a drunk Gunjan to fall on me. However a semi drunk Sameera fell on me. I was taken aback. I took her to the bed. She fell on it. And started giggling. I told her that she was in the wrong room and that I’d take her to her room and she started laughing again. I couldn’t understand. So I turned to get her some water. Before I knew it I felt her arms around me. I was baffled so I turned and Sameera was right under my nose. She had a weird look in her eyes. And she was looking hot. Well any girl whose right under your nose, pressed up against you transforms into a greek goddess. I didn’t understand what she was doing but I liked it.

She looked up and said, “ Veer, your so pretty!”

I was like WHAT? Apparently I too looked like a greek goddess to a semi drunk Sameera.

And she giggled a little and said, “ you know you look like a goof when you make that face. But I like your
goofy look. I have liked it since the first time you made me laugh at one of your corny jokes. I am tired of dropping hints. Its crazy. But I love you veer, I really do!”

Just like that she said it and left me speechless. Sameera, my friend Sameera, lecture giving hating my guts
Sameera, was telling me she loved me. I was in shock!

All I could manage was, “wh-wha- at? Are you serious or is this a joke?”

“Don’t make it more difficult than it already is. I have been into you since long. You and your nutty jokes and your cracks about your old man. Everything. I love it. I love the way you stick with Gunjan so that he‘s not alone in his foolishness. I love the way you always keep an eye on Roshini and Sanjay solving their fights and keeping them happy and I love the way you take care of me even though I am so horrible to you at times. I really really love you. I have never felt this way for a guy ever before in my life. And I just cant believe it that I’d fall for you. I love you. I do.”

I pushed her back. This was too much in too little time. Unwillingly my old man came back into my head. I know. A hot drunk girl is telling me she loves me and I am thinking of my old man. But his words just came to me. He’d always say this whenever he talked about mom. He’d say, “ you know what son? The day I realized your mom was far better than what I deserved I married her. Always remember whenever you find someone better than you, someone who loves you and cares for you in better ways than you can you should hold on to them and not let them go. Its almost like winning a lottery. You don’t tear the ticket you cash it in.”

I turned. I sat her down next to me and told her with as much sincerity as I could gather, the circulation to my brain had decreased after all but I managed. I told her, “ Sameera, your beautiful and amazing. But right now your drunk. I like you. I love you as a friend but I do like you. Let me take you back to your room and I promise we will talk about his tomorrow.”

Her eyes had drooped and she made that face that every girl uses whenever she wants something and doesn’t get it. She said in the sweetest voice ever, “at least tell me whether you’ll go out with me or not? Am I that bad kya?”

I smiled and took her soft face in my hands and told her, “ya I want to go out with you. I am lucky to have you. But your not in a state to talk right now!” She nodded and I dropped her off to her room.

What a day I had. On my way back I found Gujan passed out on the stairway so I brought him back to my room. He lay snoring on the bed and I went to the window overlooking the lawn. I saw a tiny Roshini resting her head on Sanjay’s shoulder. I just knew things would be all right tomorrow. I had saved a friend, saved a friendship, and I might have earned a hot girlfriend. And all this happened in one bloody day. Was I feeling lucky, like the luckiest man alive.

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The room was filled with shocked faces. Right in the centre was a tape that could alter their lives forever. Two policemen stood by the side observing the helplessness they were expecting from the group. The chief sat on the other side of the glass wall of the room. He had seen crimes in his days. This one didn’t baffle him at all. He knew they would nail the killer. Only they didn’t know which one to nail. Each of them had a motive. The murder weapon a broken bottle of beer had been used to stab the victim and could be lying in any of the junkyards in Lonavala. Though they had some evidence the case rested entirely on the confession of the criminal. The cold blooded murderer. The last day’s tape had been the major leap  in the case.
This group might have looked foolish but they weren’t a sloppy lot. They had wisely reported the entire incident  as an ‘accident’. Had the body remained misplaced the police would have dismissed the case. But it was that anonymous call. Maybe someone with a conscience from the group or a silent witness who had seen the crime. That phone call made them investigate. The threat of the media getting involved added their pressure. But they were close. Just one confession. And game.

On the other side of the wall one mind was running violently. That one mind had protected a dark dark secret. They were all ashamed. Ashamed of the things that they had done in those last couple of moments. A man was dead and one of them was responsible. They had not only protected a criminal but let some one die. But silence was all that could save them. He had seen it all. They all had. It was his idea to dispose the murder weapon into a pile of broken glass bottles. He decided to make this look like an accident because the discovery of the body seemed highly unlikely. And without a first hand witness account the police would not be able to prove anything. He narrated the incident over and over to his bunch of friends and made them memorize their roles. He had to protect himself. He had to protect his friends. He blamed himself for the death. How could he have let it happen. It was all his fault. And no friend of his was going to suffer for those mistakes.
But that tape had ruined everything. Some local had discovered the body. How could luck leave him at the end. He still thought there was a chance to get away. He just prayed that his friends hold up in the pressure. He knew he had too.

“Kids, I get it. Mistakes happen. And something  must have gone wrong up there. But you cant live with so much guilt. You are too young. And you need to come clean. You cant just sit and be a part of this heinous crime. There must be a voice inside you telling you to own up. Come on. Tell us the truth.” said Prabhaker in a soft voice.
“KIDS HAH! THEY ARE NO KIDS. They are cold blooded murderers. Look at them. Ruthless, heartless and evil. They sit here knowing everything and still they wont own up. They took a life. The life of someone  so important. They pretend to be nice. They all do. But inside each one of them there is a cool calculated cold blooded murderer. Who not only committed a sin but had the audacity to sit  here and plea innocence. They DISGUST ME!” said Apte.
He couldn’t take it. He had to say something. He had witnessed everything silently. But his insides were burning. He knew he had to come clean. He’d never forgive himself if he didn’t.
Gunjan broke down suddenly. And wailed, “It was an accident. We never meant for any of this to happen.”
Sanjay got up and glared at Gunjan. He shouted, “NO… NO… YOU FOOL SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!”
“NO I cant shut up any longer. How can you sit there? How? I am no cold blooded murderer. I cant let this happen. I cant… I just cant…” said Gunjan
“You have ruined everything Gunjan! I have to say it. I did it. Its me. I murdered him! I stabbed him with the glass bottle.” said Sanjay.
“What! No. no. Gunjan why did you have to ruin everything. No Sanjay no don’t say this. Don’t do this.” pleaded Roshini.
Prabhaker grabbed Sanjay by his collar and hand cuffed him. Sanjay shivered under the giant policeman and tears rolled down his eyes. Roshini grabbed him and wouldn’t let go. They had to pull her away. And he was taken away from the room.

The man on the other side of the glass felt uneasy. There was something wrong still. He wasn’t satisfied. Something didn’t add up!

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From the writer:-

hi people..thanks for readin it till now...the end is yet to come...i'l post it and part5 will be the climax..hope you enjoy it..pls comment