UNIVERSITY ARC
Is this the hotel where Adish and Kusuma were planning to go? Kusuma was visibly shocked to see me here.
she sneered.
|"Hey, Manoj! What are you doing here with her? Don't tell me you're on a date!"
What? Is she serious?"|
I tried to keep my voice steady.
|"Kusuma, mind your words. I'll do whatever I like; it's none of your business."|
Her expression changed instantly, jealousy clear in her eyes. Her words were laced with bitterness and an undercurrent of something deeper.
|"What? Manoj! You cheap fellow, how dare you talk to me like that? Oh, I get it now. Geetha is with you now. Does she give you more comfort than I did?"|
Geetha's patience snapped. She couldn't hold back her anger any longer. Without a word, she slapped Kusuma, her face flushed with rage.
|"Kusuma! How cheap can you get? Don't you have any shame for betraying Manoj? Now you've even lost your dignity. You disgust me."|
I stood there, stunned, as Kusuma stared back at Geetha in shock. Geetha wasn't done.
|"How could you think of betraying Manoj? After all he did for you, even when he was struggling financially, you repay him like this? You're the one who's cheap, not Manoj. And for your information, we're just friends, nothing like your twisted imagination."|
Aadish looked bewildered, unable to comprehend the situation. But Kusuma's eyes were locked on him, her desperation evident. Sensing an opportunity to impress her, Aadish decided to intervene.
|"Hey! Why are you two causing trouble here? You're finished now. Look, the manager is coming over."|
The manager, informed by a concerned waiter, approached us, and Aadish wasted no time complaining.
|"Manager! We're not satisfied with your services at all. Why are you allowing these... slumdogs into such a luxurious hotel? Doesn't this tarnish the hotel's reputation?"|
The manager, maintaining his composure, responded politely.
|"Sir, may I know the inconvenience you've faced? I can't assist you without understanding the issue."|
Aadish pointed towards us.
|"See, this cheap fellow and his girlfriend came here and started causing a scene. We know them from before, so I'm sure they're following us."|
The manager nodded thoughtfully before turning to me and asking.
|"Sir, may I see your booking receipt? Please don't misunderstand me; I just need to verify."|
Before I could respond, Kusuma interrupted.
|"Hey, manager! Are you out of your mind? Just look at him! How could he possibly book a table in a place like this?"|
Ignoring her, the manager politely glanced at my phone where I showed him the online receipt.
|"Oh, I see. You've booked table number seven."|
Kusuma and Aadish were visibly stunned. Kusuma stood up, tension evident in her posture.
Kusuma asserted.
|"Manager, you must be mistaken. We booked table number seven."|
The manager asked for their receipt to confirm. After a careful review, he turned back to me with a respectful nod.
|"Sir, we sincerely apologize for your inconvenience. You and your guest may take your seats."|
Then, the manager turned to Kusuma, his tone firm yet courteous.
|"Madam, I apologize, but this table was reserved by them."|
Kusuma's face twisted in disbelief. The reality that I, too, could make reservations at such a high-end restaurant was something she couldn't accept.
she shouted.
|"Manager! How could the same table be booked twice? Are you blind? We're the ones who reserved this table!"|
The manager remained calm, explaining the situation.
|"Madam, the waiter who initially seated you is new here. This is a V.I.P section, and the table number seven you reserved is in the general section. The waiter mistakenly showed you to this table, and we can move your items to the correct table."|
Kusuma and Aadish were both taken aback. Kusuma, desperate to maintain her pride, refused to back down.
"Manager, after all this, you expect me to believe that this... this poor fellow can book a V.I.P table? If he can dine here, we can also easily stay. So, I'm not moving. We'll stay right here."
The manager smiled, then turned to Aadish, the name on the receipt, and the person responsible for paying the bill.
|"Sir, if you wish to stay in the V.I.P section, additional charges will apply. Is that acceptable to you?"|
Aadish's face grew tense. Kusuma looked at him with hopeful eyes, determined not to lose face. With no other option, he hesitated before asking.
|"Manager, how much will I have to pay if we stay here?"|
The manager smiled again.
|"Sir, based on your order, your bill will be three times higher than in the general section. If you choose to move, some services, like our special wine, will not be available, and we'll need to adjust your food order accordingly. Please confirm how you'd like to proceed."|
Kusuma gasped, the imagined bill amount shocking her. Aadish, already stretching his budget to the limit, realized he couldn't afford to stay. Trying to hide his discomfort, he made his decision.
|"Manager, please move our items to the general section. The V.I.P bill is higher than I expected."|
Kusuma stared at him in disbelief.
|"Aadish! Are you serious? After everything, this poor Manoj can sit in the V.I.P section, and we're moving?"|
Aadish's voice dropped, filled with barely controlled anger.
|"Close your mouth and come quietly. I can't pay if we stay here. It's your choice."|
With no other options, Kusuma reluctantly agreed, a look of guilt and anger etched on her face as she followed the waiter out of the V.I.P section.
The manager politely asked us to sit, and after delivering our order, he left. Geetha, still furious with Kusuma, fumed silently beside me.
After dinner, Geetha returned home, and I headed back to my room. Shortly after she arrived home, her phone rang. It was Kusuma. Seeing the caller ID, Geetha's irritation flared, and she ignored the call. But when Kusuma called again, Geetha, losing patience, answered angrily.
|"Kusuma! Are you out of your mind? Can't you see I'm not in the mood to talk to you? Don't call me again."|
Kusuma's voice on the other end was tense but pleading.
|"Geetha, please, I'm sorry for how I behaved earlier. Please don't hang up. I just have a small doubt."|
Geetha was exasperated.
|"Oh, now you remember your place. Do you even realize who you're talking to? If I were the old Geetha, I would have ended you right there for insulting us. But I didn't, and that's the only reason you can still talk to me."
Kusuma's voice wavered as she pleaded.
|"Geetha, please don't talk like that. I just need some clarity on something."|
|"Hmph. I'm not interested in talking to you, so make it quick."|
Kusuma sounded a bit relieved as she quickly asked.
|"Geetha, by any chance, are you and Manoj in a relationship?"|
|"What? Are you an idiot? Don't test my patience. We're just friends, that's all."|
|"Oh! Then you were the one who booked the V.I.P table, right?"|
|"Why should I tell you anything? Don't forget who you're talking to."|
Kusuma had a plan. She laughed softly.
|"Oh, I know, Geetha. I know Manoj couldn't have pulled that off."|
|"Hey! What do you mean? Don't you dare talk about him like that."|
|"So you're saying Manoj reserved that table for you? Don't make me laugh."|
Kusuma knew Geetha's temper well. She was banking on Geetha losing her cool and revealing the truth. And as she predicted, Geetha slipped.
|"Yes, you're right. Manoj is the one who booked it for me. Satisfied?"|
Realizing too late what she had said, Geetha's anger flared again.
Kusuma pressed.
|"What? Geetha, how could he? Tell me the truth."|
Geetha, determined not to let me be disrespected, decided to throw Kusuma off with a lie.
|"Why would I tell you anything? Go to hell."|
But Kusuma wasn't giving up.
|"Come on, Geetha. Don't be like that. If you keep this up, I'll spread rumours that you're in love with Manoj and that you took him on a date to a luxurious hotel."|
Geetha was seething now.
|"You're worse than Rahul. How cheap can you be?"|
Kusuma laughed wickedly.
|"Think carefully before you answer, Geetha. If you don't tell me, don't blame me later."|
Normally, Geetha wouldn't fall for such cheap tricks, but she didn't want to cause me any trouble. Thinking quickly, she concocted a story.
|"Fine. After failing his interview, Manoj decided to took an IQ test for a prize, and he won one million."|
One million was a hard number to believe, but Kusuma, being money-minded, didn't care about the details. She was focused solely on the amount.
|"What? One million! Geetha, are you serious?"|
Geetha relaxed, realizing Kusuma had swallowed the lie.
|"Yes, but don't think of taking advantage of that. If you touch Manoj again, I won't go easy on you."|
Kusuma, satisfied, hung up.
The next morning, as I walked to the canteen, Kusuma suddenly blocked my path.
|"Manoj! Why are you ignoring me?"|
her voice dripping with false concern. Seeing her face soured my mood instantly.
I asked irritably.
|"What do you want?"|
She quickly picked up on my frustration and tried to turn it around.
|"Manoj, I can't hold back anymore. I can't lose you. My love for you is too strong to break."|
I was confused.
|"What are you talking about? I'm not interested in your lies, so leave me alone."|
She forced tears into her eyes and started crying.
|"Manoj, you've misunderstood me. I broke up with you because I had no choice. I did it for a good reason."|
Her words made no sense, but something about her tone gave me hope.
|"What are you saying, Kusuma? I don't understand."|
She hugged me tightly, resting her head on my chest, her tears soaking through my shirt.
|"When you failed that first interview, I thought I was the one distracting you from your studies. I broke up with you so you could focus, but I can't hold back anymore. I can't live without you. Please forgive me, Manoj. Please."|
My heart wavered. Her voice was trembling, filled with emotion.
|"Kusuma, are you telling the truth? Or is this just an act? Tell me, Kusuma."|
Seeing that I was softening, she continued with even more sentimentality, clutching my hands tightly.
|"How could I ever leave you? My love for you is real. You're my heart, Manoj. I can't live without you."|
Her tears flowed even harder, and I felt myself melting under her words. Gently, I wiped her tears away and smoothed her hair.
|"Kusuma, I thought you were money-minded. But now I see... I need to tell you something, a big secret I've been hiding from all."|
Kusuma's eyes sparkled with anticipation. I leaned in closer.
|"Kusuma, not here. I want to take you to a special place, the most romantic place, to tell you my secret."|
I booked a taxi, and we started our journey.