First episode of fiction short story series – Immoral Acts.

“Hello Ronit, What’s up man? How is everything here?”

“Hi Pranay, great to listen from you. When have you returned? You NRI just had forgotten us.”

“No man, it was not that. Where is that rascal Kashyap? He is not picking up the phone. He got married and didn’t invite me. I am going to kill that scumbag! It has been too long to see you all. Let’s meet somewhere.”

“Pranay yaar, there is so much changed here after you left. I also have so much to tell you.”

“Okay then, same old place tomorrow at 9:00, Right?”

“Yes exactly. Catch you there. Bye.”

Ronit, Pranay and Kashyap were very close friends since school days. Ronit owns a small business, Pranay is an executive officer in a firm and he went abroad for a company assignment. He just has returned few days back. Kashyap has chosen academic field as a carrier. He is a professor in a very reputed college in the city.

Pranay and Ronit order dinner at their favorite hangout place.

“So, what is that you wanted to talk about?” asks Pranay.

“Kashyap.” says Ronit.

“What do you mean?” Pranay asks surprisingly.

“Kashyap has changed a lot. As you know, he always wanted to be rich and successful at the soonest. After you were gone, I also got engaged with my new business. We were unable to be in touch frequently…….”

The waiter serves them. Pranay waits for Ronit to conclude.

“…….. Meanwhile, Kashyap took this job in college and at the same time, started dating Pratha. She was the only daughter of the college Principal. Kashyap really had a good impression on his Principal thus he agreed for their marriage. ”

“Oh wow, that’s great! So, he married this girl Pratha, right?” Pranay

“Yes, in a small ceremony, both got married. I was there too. Everything started changing after that.”

“I don’t understand, what the issue is. It’s quite normal that after marriage a person gets little engaged with his married life. Let’s meet that rascal and have a party for his marriage. ” says Pranay

Pranay takes his cellp hone out and is about to call Kashyap. But, Ronit stops him.

Ronit : “No, we can’t.”

Pranay: “Why? It’s not a big deal. We can ask him. We are friends after all.”

Ronit: “Yes, we are but you must know that Pratha has died just six months back.”

Pranay looks shocked.

Pranay: “What? How? I mean….”

He couldn’t understand how to react. Ronit tells him that Pratha met with an accident and she struck the car with a tree. She died on the spot. The most shocking thing is that people who know them closely believe that it was a suicide. Kashyap provoked her to do so just to get the insurance claim. Pratha’s father also has blamed him.

Pranay: “Really? I don’t believe he could have done this just to get money.”

Ronit: “ I also didn’t believe. But, in these six months I have noticed Kashyap changing a lot. He is not a person we used to know……”

Ronit continuing with a sigh,

“…… he has got a new house, a new car and a new girl too! He is having a live-in relationship with one of his students, Kaaya. She is the daughter of one of the very rich Farmers in the village nearby. She was staying in the hostel previously but now at Kashyap’s, since last five months!”

Pranay couldn’t believe this.

The next week, as Pranay insisted, both decide to meet Kashyap. On Sunday, Kashyap and Kaaya arrive to this very posh hotel of their choice for lunch. The girl is quite young, very attractive and naïve. She keeps on giggling and their redundant closeness in public fetches an unnecessary attention. Kashyap seems really into her. He is spending abundant amount on her. There is not a trace of grief on Kashyap’s face about Pratha’s death. It seems that he absolutely has forgotten that there was any such person in his life.

After that Pranay met them for once or twice. He really felt uneasy when this girl Kaaya is around. She is entirely more than friendly, an attention seeker too. So, all in all it was not an easy job to deal with this girl. Pranay could not understand why she is with Kashyap, a widower and in fact very elderly to her.

One afternoon, when Pranay is dozing, an auto rickshaw stops at his gate. The doorbell rings. He opens the door. There is a girl with her face covered with a stole and she is weeping.
The girl removing the cover asks: “May I come in?”

Pranay: “Kaaya?? What happened?”

To be continued…

Found this electric short stories for you. :)