LA RUMBA POOL PARTY

Chapter 11. Plan For New Year

30th December

Monday Evening

Nalgonda

Hemanth, a tall and lanky dark coloured curly haired guy with a restless expression due to unforeseen circumstance of a ridiculous break up, phone called Surya.

Surya woke up in his uncle’s room in Nalgonda took the phone call.

"I can’t forget Sadhana. Shall we plan something for the new year?" Hemanth asked out of curiosity.

Surya came to the town to attend an obituary ceremony of his grandfather. Being bored with his mundane routine, he got so excited with Hemanth's idea and immediately gave a big ‘Yes’.

Hemanth, a friend Surya made in a Salsa institute, which he went every Saturday through the suggestion of his friend. First time when he met him, the first impression he had was highly ignorant with unpolished language skills. Hemanth talked for around half an hour casually scratching every trivial things happened in his life from his family to the girls he dated through the tinder. Only later Surya realised the man was an IIT graduate who followed his passion for teaching and joined as a physics lecture as a partner with his colleagues in an institute to teach Intermediate students. Since then they had been good friends and hang out every Saturday to Over-The-Moon restaurant. Their favourite is Apple Cider beer and Chicken fried rice which was so delicious in that restaurant.

The particular reason Surya headed to Salsa was to attend the Salsa social nights organised by Krish. There were so many beautiful girls. But Hemanth was never interested in flings. In his near 30s he could only think about a life partner who could give some support to him. Though practically he was virgin, still he never thought about s*x without love, an enlightenment generally knocks men vexed with s*x, gifted naturally to Hemanth.

One day as usually Surya went to Over-The-Moon restaurant to attend the Salsa event. A young beautiful suntanned skinny girl, Sadhana, with dark eyes, attractive facial features, high cheekbones, dark narrow eyebrows, narrower nose, fuller and symmetric lips, came before Surya. Krish introduced her otherwise he would have never talked with her either out of shyness or ego to start conversation with a girl. Surya was generally reserved person who doesn't speak unless the situation demanded. Fake talk and fake smile was never his league. Somehow Krish ignited the conversation which casually went for sometime uninterrupted, that's when Hemanth approached. Sadhana, being a Mumbai girl working for sss, while Hemanth, studied his IIT in Mumbai, their common background made them good friends and involved in a very deep conversation almost forgetting about Surya’s presence. He tried to converse sometimes but it never ignited her while Hemanth’s conversation blazed like a forest fire barbequing Surya’s delicate heart. Later when Sadhana went to bar counter for a drink, Surya tried to start a conversation by vaguely asking if one of the salsa dancers was her friend which she denied her acknowledgement. Surya tried to promote his book by discussing about her reading and his writing habits, which eventually bored her and she felt awkward. Slowly she sat beside Hemanth. Since then there was not much an interaction between Surya and Sadhana. Respect lost, lost forever.

It all happened 4 months back. Hemanth and Sadhana had good friendship until recently when he picked up from her late night shootings; she asked him casually if he had any feelings upon her. He babbled blatantly that he never had any feelings upon her and she looked like a child. Somehow Sadhana took it seriously and began ignoring him. She used to check if he was online or not which was evident to Hemanth as her last seen was just a minute next to him. Despite his desperate efforts to talk with her, she always ignored his messages. He blocked in all social media and later unblocked her due to his weak heart. She blocked only in i********: which Hemanth took as a positive sign of expression of her anger at least as if the lyric of famous Telugu songs goes ‘feel my love at least as anger’. After a few months gap when both got over each other, he misdialled her instead of someone else which resulted in immediate block in all social media. That moment he got clarity; that was all one side love and she never loved him. In fact he wanted to say strong to the clarity and didn’t want to feel weak with unfathomable and unguaranteed feelings and expectations.

“Sadhana? Forget her. Where we can plan for the New Year?"

"Vikarabad. Ananthagiri hills?" Hemanth said tossing a ball in a reclined position on his chair.

"How did you get permission there?" Surya looked shocked. He heard in news that a murder happened in those premises.

"I know a guy who had so many connections" Hemanth told convincingly. "And I have 2 tents. 6 + 4 capacity. You can ask your friends if anyone's interested. We shall bring a vodka and some beers and chill all night"

Surya looked dazed as he recently ended his rehab programme to join again as Surgeon. He was frightened if he would get addicted again.

Surya nervously looked at his phone. He wanted to call Fathima but hesitated due to recent issues of murder cases. No security for woman. Moreover, Raghu Ram, who tried to eliminate the Ebola virus from their bodies wasn’t successful completely. Still there were minor traces of virus within them. He can’t get physical to her and risk their lives.

After a few hours his phone rang, and Surya peeked at the phone. It was from Hemanth

"We may have to change the plan. Police found a dead body there. Now it’s fully restricted. I know a place" and he shared a link in what's app. "These are the New year events links in Book my show. Choose one and let me know" Hemanth grinned baring his teeth.

Surya cut the call and opened the link to have a brief view of the events posted, but nothing seemed interesting.

Hemanth messaged "Country club in Begumpet?” Surya agreed.

The next moment Hemanth shared the link of the event. Surya checked it. It sounded reasonable with a ticket cost of 700 for entry, 2700 for gold entry, 3,700 higher for platinum and so on. In entry ticket only entry would be allowed but with the successive gold and platinum tickets, extra benefits would be provided like unlimited drinks with unlimited starters, and reserved seats to sit and enjoy the spectacular magic show, the highlight of the event. It would cost more for the VIP seats nearer to the show.

Surya felt it's a great place to celebrate New Year. He immediately agreed for the event and asked to book the ‘entry’ tickets while he would g-pay later. He opted for entry tickets so that he wouldn’t get liquor supply and could control his drinking problem. Unfortunately, Hemanth didn’t know his alcoholic issues as Surya was too embarrassed to share.

"Are you coming alone?" Hemanth messaged him. Surya was in a dilemma. He immediately messaged all the girls in his contact expecting someone to show upon the party and get a discount upon purchasing couple tickets. But all the endeavours seemed to be a fail as most of them didn't see the message while the ones who saw the message were busy. He called a few girls, but none lifted his calls.

He found a vodka bottle which his uncle hid from him in other room and gulped a few shots, opened his laptop on a table opposite to him, and put a status in the f*******: and dozed off to sleep over his laptop. Every time when he drinks, s**t happens!!!