A slap that changed my life.
Beyond recognition, beyond expectation and beyond everything.
As I stood on my porch, I became intensly aware of my surroundings. The rustling of the dry leaves strewn on the playground ahead of me. The water flowing silently, making a gurgling sound in the newly constructed water duct. I must have stood there for an hour, just trying to take in what happened...
what happened...
It started off with another of the fests, and Mohan, Murali, Seema, Pw, Seema and the gang were in attendance. What had happened was actually weird. We had lost in the most pathetic way ever, and a team from some college in Mangalore had won. During the post victory celebration party, Murali was insistant on celebrating with the Mangalore team, where he had made some friends. Which obviously did not make sense to me.
It was already late and most of the girls wanted to go back, and some had already left. I was and still am a hardcore team player, and loosing wasnt a celebration factor for me. But Murali's insistance and emotional blackmail got me to the damn hotel. While most of the others left. Needless to say I had the feeling I was going to get the credit for the same as well.
And I did. All the way home Murali explained to me what a useless piece of baggage I was, and how he was doing the greater thing in tolerating me. Somehow I had enough of this crap, and I just shut up and allowed his incessant rambling to go on. He went on and on, and told me that I was never gonna hook up with Pw and that was the last straw for me.
Early next morning I made up my mind that Murali ceased to exist for me. I just dint want to be part of this "comraderie" anymore. And I told him point blank the next day. Strangely he took it well. Or so I thought.
He came back to my room in the afternoon on the pretext of picking up some books. He was leaving for the vacations, and I didnt mind much anyway.
When we reached home, he started off with an ironic and sadistic smile.
Murali- People like you are a virus to society.
Me- ha ha...(I thought he'd go into another of his societal concepts now)
Murali-look at yourself. laughing. Dont have the balls to do anything. Laugh go on.
Me- (I just stared on. All of a sudden I was getting very uncomfortable. Strange)
Muralis mind games went on and on. Hitting me with every phrase like poison tipped arrows.And then all of a sudden...
Murali- Dont worry, its not your fault. Its in your blood. U deserve worse.
And then came the slap. It was a taunt to me. A challenge to prove him wrong. And I dint rise to it. Even at that moment I could help but admire the way he played his cards. A master strategist.
I learnt my first lesson then and there itself. Never trust someone so completely and entirely that they have the power to hurt you without even doing anything. I had trusted Murali with everything. I had even left my tried and tested buddies, in a race to catch up with my future. Or what I thought was the future.
While my present was hurting and burning with rage as he left, my sub conscious told me this was just the beginning of a long war.
Murali had just won the first battle hands down.
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