'Everyone is going crazy and confusing me too', Riya thought.
It was insane just that morning as Dhruv told her he was the reason she lost her job, career, and life. Now, Sam was telling her the same thing, instead that Rohan did it.
Whom to believe? Has everyone gone mad because of Riya's unemployment? Now, that employment didn't seem that big a deal to Riya compared to losing the fucker Dhruv.
"Sam, wait a minute! I don't understand. Let's restart slowly, okay? Tell me exactly what happened and then we'll talk about it in detail.", Riya said slowly with the utmost patience she could conjure. She was trying so hard to control her temper. If it was some other situation, she'd have blasted both Dhruv and Sam, but currently she was very tired to even move a muscle.
"Okay... Okay", Sam said sobbing.
"And... First things first! Go wash your face and come back. Only then I'll listen to you. I don't want a crybaby right now! I want you to help me", Riya commanded.
Sam instantly went to the common washroom and washed her eyes thoroughly. She looked at her depressed self in the mirror with puffy and dark spotted eyes, running nose and really messed up hair. But, it was worth it. She had obviously never been like that, but knowing her best friend is suffering due to her lack of control, took a toll on her. As a result, she couldn't sleep or eat or do anything properly.
'I'll go out and tell every single thing to Riya. I'm going to be there for her!', Sam assured herself and went out courageously.
Riya was sitting on the couch, applying eye drops. It saddened Sam to see it, because Riya had been advised to use that drops only if she was suffering from insomnia. But, Sam decided to be strong and not stress Riya further. If she explained everything to Riya, probably she would find the solution to all her problems and might even get her job back.
She sat near Riya facing her, and started her side of the story, "Okay! I'll tell you everything. Here we go! So.....um...do you remember the day you met Rohan?", she paused and awaited Riya's reply.
Riya nodded yes.
Sam continued, "Okay. So, he texted me that day telling he wanted to meet. Then, after couple of days we went out for coffee. I was so nervous that day. I didn't expect him to show up just like that. So... after small talk and exchanging pleasantries, he apologized to me for breaking up and asked me to consider giving him a second chance. I knew I was going to fall for that even before meeting him. Because that breakup was very difficult and it took a lot of time for me to move on. Honestly, I wasn't even completely moved on. I used to still think of him sometimes", she paused to catch her breath.
"And then, when he asked me for a chance, I fell for it. I couldn't say no. Things escalated. We both wanted to spend more time with each other, but I was too scared to accept my feelings. So, he suggested to drop me at my place and I agreed. We both travelled in silence but I was constantly feeling not to let go of him. When we reached my home, I did the mistake."
"I invited him in for a drink as if we just didn't do it in a cafe. And once he was there, we shared a drink, within a matter of minutes, we both were completely drunk and ended up having sex.... But that wasn't the problem, after sex, we were chatting and catching up with each other about everything that happened, and that was when I mistakenly blabbed about you, Riya.... I told him how you were suffering with haphephobia and how good it was that you met Dhruv... I was feeling happy for you, but ended up sharing something so private to you with someone else..... I'm really sorry", she said wiping the tears formed in her eyes.
Riya had her analytical face on. Sam's story didn't make sense in many ways. But the main disturbing factor was because of Rohan.
She never met the man before that day and he was an investor at Riya's Choice which meant Riya getting fired was a bad news for him. Currently, the stock price of Riya's Choice had plummeted below ground levels and Dhruv just told her that he was acquiring her company, which meant this wasn't a win situation for Rohan in any angle.
The only person who could benefit from this scandal was Dhruv and that made more sense.
"Why do you think it's Rohan?", Riya asked genuinely to Sam. Because, that was where all the answers lied.
"I don't know! I think it was him. I mean, just the day it got leaked, he got back with me, right? And that night he asked me about you. He told me that you acted weird giving him a handshake, and I blabbed that you had a phobia of touching people, but you're still strong, blah, blah. Then he asked me like if such a phobia existed and I told him everything. I thought he was just curious. I didn't know his ulterior motives at that time. After the incident, I had been calling him multiple times but he didn't pick up.... And last time he left me high and dry giving some shitty reasons about his family. Then later he had been going for blind dates, but never came back to me which meant he did not love me truly, right? What if he had to get revenge on you for something you did to him in the past?", Sam told so confidently.
Riya's head throbbed. She felt how dumb her friend could be at times. It might or might not be Rohan. She didn't speak with the poor guy and yet imagined a whole novel in her own head and was making up stuff.
Ugh!
"Sam, you didn't clear this up with Rohan?", she asked calmly.
"No!", Sam replied with puppy eyes.
"Then how can you be sure? It doesn't make sense for Rohan to have done it. In fact, now he would be in much more trouble than both of us combined. The investors are planning to sell Riya's Choice because the stock prices have gone for a toss and not improving", Riya sighed.
Riya understood that it was time to tell Sam the real truth.
"Plus, it was Dhruv. And he confessed to me!", Riya said and ticked her tongue like it didn't matter anymore.
"What!", Sam asked flabbergasted.