The Cheat

Alisha was getting married within two day. She was going to be with someone she loves forever. Unlike others who would have loved to be in her shoes, she wasn’t. She now felt she made a mistake in choosing Manjit. She always thought he was the one and now after what happened….she felt cheated. She felt guilty.

Everyone had advised her to be slow and she had paid no heed to them. Why? Because she was madly in love with him. At this moment, she had to make decision of life- can she be with him after knowing everything? She was in a confused state- whether to choose him or truth. She knew that one wrong decision could change her life as well as everyone close to her.

Her family was involved in wedding preparation. There was mixture of excitement and stress in the house. The ladies of the house were busy doing last moment shopping. While their men were involved in to see thing had gone smoothly. Children were in their own world-playing and running here and there.

Alisha didn’t hear her mum calling her. She was lost in her thoughts when someone’s nudge shook her. She saw mum behind her looking at her sternly.

“I have been calling you for so long. Can’t you hear? “ she said.

“ Sorry, mom. I was in my own world.” she said.

“ Ohhhh!! I can understand the bride nervousness syndrome. You don’t have to worry. You are going to be with someone you love. Why don’t you come with us?  We are going out to bring your wedding dress. You will be less stressed” her mom advised with a pinch of tease.

“ No mom, I am kinda feeling tired. You go. I think I need some rest.” she said.

“ I don’t know  why are you acting so weird for past one week. Sometimes I feel it’s my wedding and not yours” she criticized.

Alisha left without saying anything. She did feel it was someone else wedding. The whole wedding seemed a joke to her. How was she going to say the truth to her family was big question. Everyone would obviously blame her for being rushy and stupid. The whole last week episode played in her head.

It was same day last week. She had got an unknown email which said the sender was a girl named Ruby. She had got her (Alisha) mail through a common friend of hers. She was cheated by Manjit. He had promised to marry her. However he never married her and left her pregnant. When she had told him about their child, he blamed her for using him as bait for making someone else‘s child as his. She had asked Alisha to break her marriage. Alisha never believed the message and simply ignored it. Later in night, she was returning from girl’s night out with her friends. She was in parking lot when she noticed Manjit with some girl. He was kissing her passionately. Alisha was dumbstruck. She couldn’t understand what was going on. Her whole body became cold. She didn’t have courage to intervene him. She simply left the place. She now understood that ruby was right.

“Hi ali! How’s my lil sis? Obviously happy, right. After 48 hours, you will be Mrs.Manjit Singh. Wow! “ her elder sister amrita exclaimed.

Alisha gave her a nervous smile.

“What happened? Any problem? You look so sad and disinterested”

Amrita asked looking worried. She didn’t reply anything. She was silent and still.

“Alisha, did you guys fight? Tell me something. If something is wrong, I could help out” she said.

She couldn’t control her tears and spilt her emotions out.

“I…don’t want ..to marry…him. He is a cheater, di ….cheater” she said trying to get the words together.

She cried badly and only thing she wanted was someone to hold on to. Her sister didn’t understand what was going on with alisha’s life. For a second, she thought this was all a bad dream. However it was a reality and amrita had to believe it.

“ What are you saying? “ she asked .

Alisha narrated the whole incidents.

Amrita always thought love stories were perfect where two people meet for eternity. But this was different. Manjit was not the prince charming for Alisha. He was a dark person hidden in the charming avatar. She had to disclose the real him to the family before he could ruin alisha’s life.

“Alisha, all this happened and you didn’t bother to tell anyone about it. Are we nothing to you? ( nodding her head in shame) I will not let him ruin your life. I am going to dad now. I have to stop this wedding” she said sternly.

Alisha hugged her sister tight.

The real picture of Manjit was shown to the family. Everyone was in shock. They had thought Manjit was perfect family guy. However he turned out to be a pathetic womaniser.

“ Why Alisha? If amrita hadn’t told me, I would have ruined your life by marrying you to that cheat. I will call his dad and him tomorrow” her dad said.

Next day would have been last day at her home for Alisha if she was to marry Manjit. But it wasn’t the case. It was the time for confrontation with the cheater-Manjit. The house which was filled with excitement and fun had become all of a sudden silent. It was evening  when the door bell rang.

Alisha opened the door and it was Manjit. She didn’t meet his eyes and was about to leave without inviting him. He stopped her and grabbed her hand.

“Why aren’t you picking my calls? I have called you so many times. And now you are ignoring me. Why are you doing this to me? “ he asked desperately.

She ignored him. “Answer me, dammit.” he said , now holding her hand tighter.

She could feel the pain but she resisted.

“Hello, uncle. Please come in”, she said as she saw his dad coming. She then snatched her hand from his grip.

As everyone settled themselves, Manjit’s dad asked, “viraj ji, what happened?  You called us for some serious issue. Is everything ok?”

“ You should be asking your son for the answer.” Alisha’s dad said with folded arms.

“What are you saying? My son! I don’t understand what you are saying.” Manjit’s dad said without clue.

“Your son , uncle, had an affair with girl and made her pregnant. Not only that, your son had many affairs and my sister last saw him smooching a girl” her sister said.

“What! Huh! This is all rubbish. Actually that girl had tried to kiss me” Manjit said with astonished look on his face.

“Oh really, Manjit.  What about ruby? You would say even she’s wrong” viraj said.

“Yes uncle, that girl was back of me. She was desperate and was trying to use me as  bait to give name to her child” he defended himself.

Alisha’s eyes were moist after hearing all this. She couldn’t control her emotion and didn’t realize when she had come close to Manjit. She slapped him hard and sound was so loud that it made everyone jump from their place. She grabbed his collar and said,

“Stop lying more! Don’t make me hate you to an extent that I may kill you. I loved you so much and you cheated me. If ruby is desperate then what am I, Manjit? I am a fool. That’ right I am a fool to love you” she said.

“No Alisha, ruby is lying. Don’t you trust me?” he said.

“ No, I don’t. If you can break hearts of so many girls , then why not me?  What am I saying? You have already broken my heart by kissing that girl” she said.

“I didn’t do it, Alisha” he pleaded.

“How can you lie so easily? Anyway, I wanted to meet you next day after that night to clarify and guess what who I met?  The same girl who you were with and you know what she said when I asked her about you? She said she was your girlfriend for almost 3 years. I didn’t know how to react. I just left. Later I met ruby. Do you know, it was like going back the memory lane. How you spent time with her and the way you made her feel special …everything was so similar the way you did to me. I feel so guilty and used. I can’t trust you anymore….leave the matter of marrying you. I am breaking off with you” she said.

“Manjit, I never expected this from you. You shamed me. I can’t show my face to anyone. Alisha , I ask for forgiveness on behalf of him. I think I went wrong somewhere in raising him up due to which he has become liar and distrustful person.” Manjit’s dad said and left insulted.

Manjit wanted to reconcile and said, “ I am ready to change. I will not cheat on you again. I promise I will keep you happy. I love you so much and can’t live without you. Please forgive me.”

Alisha gave light sarcastic smile and said, “ Would you trust a person again who cheated on you so many times? No, right. What would you do if I had done the same thing? Probably you wouldn’t even see my face. I can’t take you back in my life again. One more thing, if you have ever loved me, you wouldn’t have done two timing with me and that girl. And yes, please do me a favour, tell your current girlfriend the truth.”

Manjit stood still and he knew he had lost her. He couldn’t bring her back even if he tried speaking to her. He left the house feeling more guilty and ashamed.

Alisha stood alone in balcony looking at the moon. She felt as if her life was finished and her dreams were all shattered. Her dad came and put his hand on her shoulder.

“I am sorry , dad. I should have waited for some time. You always told me to take some time to judge a person. But I hurried and made biggest blunder in my whole life. I shamed you, daddy” she said without meeting his eyes.

“Don’t say that. I feel good that I didn’t give your hand to some sco**drel like Manjit. Mistakes! You are human being. Everyone does mistakes in their life. But we must learn from it and never repeat it. You must understand one thing, child. we will be there with you always. What are families for? They are here to support you. So whenever you have a problem, feel free to talk to us” he advised her and then gave her a huge hug.

“By the way, you should thank your sister, too” he teased her.

Alisha smiled and this time she was relaxed as she knew her family would be there to support her during the hard times and good times.

__END__