THE GIRL WITH THE MEMORIAL TATTOOS

Chapter 6 ANYTHING FOR OUTFIT

W 

hen he was walking down the lane toward his Folklore hostel, recapitulating the events happened with Andria, serenely. He got a call from Faizan! ‘Bhai! I am going to show you Manali’s special… be there in the room by evening’. 

‘What’s the special?’ 

‘Surprise man! Get the child in you get more curious. What I will show you will just change your life’. 

‘Man, you talk too much. Let’s see’. 

Surya wondered whether it was any tactic to take revenge on him. Anyhow it didn’t matter. Faizan never had brains to find out what exactly happened that night of concert. He would never know unless someone says. 

‘What if Andria said? Why would she meddle with us?’ 

‘Is that any birthday surprise what Faizan was talking about? Whose birthday is it today in our team?’ So many thoughts started rolling in his head. He thought ‘let’s wait and see.’ 

As he was passing, pondering about Faizan, soon he had seen a theatre like structure on his way. It’s not a theatre but by closely observing he realized it’s a circus. Posters on the walls were so intriguing. An old guy with his weird costume was standing among beautiful girls bedazzling with shiny costumes on either side. Some posters were showing him while he was doing some magic. Another poster was a clown riding a unicycle. His nose was holding a red bulb. It resembled to Faizan’s face the day he fell down on his nose. His nose bruised a lot and appeared like a clown. But he still suspected something devilish about him. It looked like a clown in the movie IT. Faizan had some dark self being hidden from people. ‘I will find that’, Surya jumped up with an exaggerated excitement to challenge him. 

He soon reached his hostel. It was noon by then. Surya went to his room and occupied the lower bed on the left side of the window. He saw there was a charging point with 2 plug sockets. Bharat put his phone on charging. He tried the socket beside it to charge his phone. 

Unfortunately it didn’t work. So he removed Bharat’s phone and put his camera for charging. Little he knew that Bharat was on his way to the room. He heard the creaking sound of the door. He saw Bharat entered into room. Bharat saw Surya rather with a studying face and observed that his phone was removed. Bharat with controlled anger demanded, ‘Why you removed it?’  

‘I need to charge my camera man!’ 

‘Why didn’t you try other socket?’ 

‘It’s not working dude’. 

Bharat impatiently tossed over the bed to take his phone with charger and put the charger into the socket and turned on the switch. Surya shocked as it started charging. He put a blank face not knowing how to explain that. He helplessly looked at Bharat and gave a grin. Bharat just tossed his head to the other side rather angrily, stood up and left the room, shut the room with a loud thud. 

Surya immediately followed Bharat to pacify him. ‘Come on ya! Just chill. Why was I so eager to charge my Camera?’ 

‘Why?’ 

‘So that I can take good snaps of you’. 

It made Bharat curious. ‘Acha!’ 

Kiran was passing that way then. She was curious about their conversation and stopped to eavesdrop on them. 

‘Yeah! I heard that you were not getting good matches. These pictures can help you woo girls’. Bharat became melodramatic. ‘You are a real friend. See Kiran, this is what true friendship is. Learn from him’. 

Kiran was taken aback with this sudden remark from Bharat. 

Surya continued, ‘Yeah! There is no mountain you didn’t climb, and no god you didn’t pray for a girl. At least, if you get a girl, you will get rid of this overwhelming burden of climbing mountains and we will get rid of overly sarcastic douchebag like you’. Surya laughed. 

Bharat took time to understand the meaning of his monologue, turned his face into anger. Suddenly Kiran burst into laughter saying, ‘Crazy! Yours Tom and Jerry fighting started again huh?’ In the meantime Surya escaped into his room and locked it.  

Bharat banged the door, ‘Open the door Man!’ Surya was chuckling on the other side of the door. 

After some time Sudheer knocked on the door. ‘Come on Man! Open the door’, Surya was listening to some songs in his mobile while enjoying the view from his window sill. Suddenly, he heard the banging of the door and opened the door. Sudheer angrily asked ‘Why it took so much time?’  

‘I was busy yaar!’ he replied half-mindedly. 

‘Yeah I can see how busy you are,’ replied Sudheer with a tone of sarcasm. Then he looked over Sudheer. His outfit was bedazzling. 

‘How much you bought this for?’ Sudheer blushed and started twisting like a girl and said ‘500’ with an awkward smile on his face. Surya was shocked. It was the same chocolate color leather jacket he had seen in the shop. Surya envied him. An elephant like Bharat seemed to be Lord Ganesha to him. He ran in search of Bharat. He didn’t find him anywhere in the rooms. Finally, when he peeked from balcony, he found him getting away from the hostel. He ran with jet speed and caught him. Bharat with a wary and studying look asked, ‘What happened Man! Why are you in such a hurry?’ 

‘Dude! Tell me where did you buy that outfit for so less?’ Bharat understood the situation. With a condescending tone using a bass voice, laying a hand over Surya’s shoulder as if a father was taking a b****y lecture to his son when he was caught red-handedly smoking cigarettes, told ‘You should have come with us instead of being all egoistic’ and reverted to his way.  

‘Sorry dude! Never knew you are such talented. Just tell me the shop name’.  

‘Shop name is not enough. You need to have the talent of bargaining. You never had that’, he laughed proudly. ‘Well you can teach me’. 

‘Okay! On one condition! You have to arrange a meeting with that Russian girl’ ‘What! Russian girl?’ Surya faked innocence. 

‘Come on Man! I saw Andria and you talking in the Bakery. You think no one observed? I was following you like Hutch dog till the beach. Bow!’ 

Surya was reminded of the dog with the old man which was barking all the way. It somehow sensed this disgusting creature eavesdropped on their conversation. 

Surya gave a huge sigh, ‘Just a meeting, right? Yeah I will arrange’, Bharat walked away proudly feeling his victory. 

Surya while retreating to his room spotted Sudheer passing by. He was showing his new outfit to whoever he ran into. Surya held Sudheer and whispered something into his ears and put a hundred rupee note in his pocket. 

Faizan was searching for some address beside the old bus stand of Manali. The road was crowded. He turned on the Google Maps. He was up to something. There he found an old building with ghastly appearance which was looked after by an old man at the entrance with disheveled and weird appearance. He was looking pervertedly on each girl passing by. Faizan went inside and brought something in his bag stealthily checking twice on either side if anyone was tracking him. Being confident that no one found him, he paced up and strode away. 

Sudheer was tiptoeing behind him and grabbed Faizan ‘What was that?’ 

Faizan shocked being caught and later he slowly moved close to him whispered, ‘It’s Mia Khalifa’s p**n CD’. Sudheer stared intently over the shop. His eyes dazzled thinking about something. He went close to the shop owner, grimly looking old man, and in the heights of excitement asked, ‘Do you have Mallu Aunty video?’, with a grin on his face unabashedly. The old man still looked for a moment which made Sudheer wonder if he was dead! Later he replied, ‘We don’t have the stalk, will let you know.’ ‘It’s neither ‘stalk’ nor ‘aak paak karepaak’ Sudheer jeered ‘it’s ‘stock’. ‘Why are so worried about correcting him?’ Faizan apologized him the old man asked sternly ‘Give me your number’. Sudheer scribbled down his number and joined Faizan. 

Sudheer then called Surya secretly, ‘Surya! Nothing to worry about. Faizan was just about to show p**n CD of Mia Khalifa. That’s what he meant about surprise’. 

Surya on the other side said, ‘Thank God! I was worried what it would be otherwise’ heaving a deep sigh of relief as if a bomb squad defused a bomb which was about to detonate. 

Later that evening Surya and Bharat were sitting in the wooden cabin waiting for Andria. Surya promised the meeting and Bharat promised the bargaining. They were all set up for the master plan. Surya had not known much about the events that would set into motion. Bharat was so nervous. Every now and then he was asking Surya whether Andria would come. Surya by now learnt the art of ignoring him looking at the yonder. Bharat started biting his nails with nervousness. Surya felt all this a little over of him. He was expecting all these embarrassing episodes end soon. ‘I feel nervous man! What to do’. 

‘Macha! Take this vodka and have two shots’. Surya placed Vodka on the table. 

‘You are real friend yaar. You know what I need’. Bharat was about to kiss making his face a pout. 

Surya just withheld Bharat from creating another embarrassing episode. 

‘Every time you say that, you realize that you were wrong’. 

‘Huh? What do you mean?’ 

‘Nothing yaar. Enjoy the drink’. 

Bharat had two shots quickly. 

Soon Andria came in. She waved at Surya who was enchanted by her beauty. She was glittering with black colored skirt and white color top exposing her waist. Surya felt something falling on his hand. Bharat was drooling, with his eyes wide open, with drops of saliva falling over Surya’s hand. ‘Disgusting! Now I understand why you didn’t get married even in your 30s. Shut your mouth Man!’ Surya warned in low tone. Andria joined them. ‘What’s up guys?’ 

Bharat took the initiative. ‘You… hundred years! Just now…... Surya talking ...about your beauty’, shouted Bharat breaking all syllables with series of pauses. Surya whispered into his ears. 

‘Dumbo! She is not deaf! Why are you shouting like that?’ 

‘Sorry Man! Got nervous and confused about what to say! OMG! It’s my first time to talk to a foreigner. It’s so exciting’. 

Surya looked at him as if he was a Zoo animal which lost from wild and joined the pack later without any surviving skills. ‘How you still survive being so naive Man?’ Surya pitied. Bharat ignored him. ‘You know! Surya is a chick magnet! Every time he walks, chicks follow him’. 

Bharat looked at Surya expecting praise. Surya put a blank face wondering what he would say. 

‘Huh? Really? Tell me more’, Andria asked curiously. 

‘Recently he went to Goa! Did bang bang on a chick. You know what! Anything happened in Goa stays in Goa! Ssshh!’ He ended the sentence with a whistling sound. 

‘Yeah I heard about Goa!’ Andria chuckled. ‘It’s famous for its spas and beaches’. 

‘Yeah, in a spa he got tuk tuk massage with a foreign girl which got him b***r’. Surya got bewildered with his last statement. He realized all this was a bad idea. He felt like he got stripped publicly just for an ‘outfit’. Managing his mixed emotions of anger and embarrassment, he faked a smile at Andria. 

‘Tuk tuk massage?’ laughed Andria looking at Surya for which he flabbergasted. 

‘Yes. Famous in Bangkok. It hardens everyone’s c**k!’ chuckled Bharat being proud at his rhythm and timing. 

Surya whispered, ‘Stop embarrassing yourself man. Tomorrow when you were reminded of all this, you will die of shame. You will regret this’. 

Bharat ignored Surya and continued his monologue. 

‘Surya spent 20,000 rupees only and banged a girl with whom he spent 4 nights with no strings attached’. ‘Enough! Do I have to remember how you f****d a transgender unknowingly in your room and spent sleepless nights for following few weeks out of fear of her coming!’ Surya hit the table hard and about to get up. Bharat became silent. 

‘Come on Surya! Take it easy! Just for fun’. Andria soothed him by holding his hand. Surya melted like ice cream and sat looking at Andria. She was bursting into laughter every time while Bharat made a funny comment. Surya bothered no more. He got mesmerized with the beautiful smile of her. He kept gazing at her while Bharat was releasing his precious monologue. Surya felt timeless. The girl took out Charas and handed it to Surya ‘You always wanted to try right? Try this’. Surya hesitatingly took it. She lit it for him. Her face was glowing in that light. Her eyes looked so beautiful with a pink tinge on her cheeks. Surya took a deep puff and he felt the high. Everything seemed to be set in slow motion. On a slide glance, he looked at Bharat who was moving hands his up and down slowly with his jaws widely. Surya burst into laughter as he couldn’t help it. It’s Bharat’s time to get puzzled. 

The girl teased, ‘You guys have no control over your feet, how can you slip off a girl’s feet’, winking at Surya. 

Surya sobered up and looked steadily into her eyes holding her hands. 

‘Do you want me to show how?’ 

‘Yeah! Show me’, she provoked him. 

Bharat fell on the table with a terrific thud. 

Surya looked swiftly at Bharat and back on the girl saying ‘okay’. Nothing seems to disturb them. They were deeply staring at each other slowly moving inch by inch toward each other by grabbing their right hands tighter every second. He put his left hand on her waist and held tightly. 

She showed no resistance. In fact she moaned a little that encouraged Surya. He slowly moved her away from the table and held her closely clamping his hands behind her waist. Surya landed his lips on hers. They started kissing. He tasted her body smell with his hands feeling her curves. She kept moaning and put her hands on his back. Later gently she pushed him away. 

‘Looking eager to break civic laws?’ 

‘Huh? I didn’t understand’. 

‘Follow me’. She signaled him waving her index finger. 

He followed her being spellbound. 

She took him toward a room in a hostel. She went inside first and waved him to come inside. 

He lifted her weight and passionately kissed her. Later they were on the floor. Surya exclaimed! ‘OMG! I don’t have condoms’. 

‘Don’t worry. I have in my purse’. 

‘You keep condoms with you! Did you expect all this?’ Surya asked curiously. 

‘When do I trust you boys? I see my safety’, the girl chuckled, rolling her eyes toward her purse. Surya tore one and made out with her. Grasping for breathing while making out, Surya told, ‘I love you!’ 

‘Again! Do you talk this pillow talk to every girl?’ 

‘No... Only... the beautiful girls… who I sex... with me... on bed’ 

Slowly, both of them moved rhythmically when Surya came inside her and fell aside on bed. Both were laughing at each other. Surya remarked ‘It is the best day in Manali’.  

‘Maybe it’s your best day of your life’. She eyed on him teasingly. 

‘Huh? Yeah! f*****g a Russian! What could be better? I hope I can add this to my resume’, Surya winked at the girl. 

‘Enough! Enough! So tired. Sleep well’. 

There was a moment of silence. 

He checked her. She fell asleep. She looked so beautiful when she was asleep. He gently moved her hair aside and kissed her cheeks. He spooned her and slept all night being stuck to her.