The Plan

The slamming of the front door followed by the clicking sound of the door knob ensued Pooja was now alone in the house. Pooja should have been crying but she was not. Pooja should have been shocked but she was not. Atleast, she should have been angry but she was not. She was sitting in the drawing room on their plush, brown leather sofa, her head tilted on the head rest of the sofa and eyes closed. She opened her eyes and took a long look at the photo frame that adorned the wall. It was a beautiful black and white pencil sketch of Raj and herself in their wedding attires and underneath was the trademark signature of Nithya. The feeling was sinking in and unknowingly, a smile braced her lips as she typed “Plan successful” and send it to one of the numbers on her speed dial list.

Raj drove his white Honda City rather speedily through the heavy morning traffic of Delhi ignoring the shouting’s and abuses of his fellow drivers and passer-by and at the same time avoiding the potholes which seemed to be emerging suddenly on the road as pimples would on a teenager’s face. He glanced at his watch as he drove through the parking lot of his office and saw he was late by half hour thanks to the cashier in the bank coming late.

After a quick search for his boss’s car in the basement parking and partly relieved on not finding it, he rushed towards the lift to his second floor office. The lift opened at the second floor and lobby was bereft of his seniors. Murmuring a quick prayer beneath his breath he quickly walked towards his cabin amidst a few “good morning” handshakes and head nods. Dialling the intercom, he confirmed his thoughts, “Good Morning, where is our boss?’’

“He has gone to the site directly and is doubtful of coming today.”

“Perfect, perfect day”, thought Raj as he revolved in his office chair. As he completed the circle, his eyes fell on the gold plated pen stand on his desk with a photo of Pooja and him standing hand in hand with the backdrop of Taj Mahal, the monument of love, embossed on it. Nithya had gifted it on their third anniversary.

“Sir, you have a visitor.” Informed the receptionist. As the visitor left, he scooped out his mobile from his pocket, and wrote “Plan successful” and pressed the send button.

One month back, on a winter afternoon, Pooja was devouring both the delicious cuisine and the flattery of her friends for picking such an exotic restaurant for her lunch treat when Akshay had walked not only through the doors of the restaurant but, once again, also of her heart. A mere hello and a formal introduction to all her friends and exchange of mobile number before parting had rekindled their college love affair again. Their affair had been the talk of the town and so had been their break up. It was not the break up but the way they broke up by Pooja walking right upto the stage after Akshay’s solo dance performance ended and slapping him hard in front of the whole college after she had found out he was two timing her.

Five years after, beginning with simple exchange of apologies for past actions, the relation had reached a point where even weekend separations and not being able to meet had begun to be unbearable for both. Akshay’s romantic and flirtatious nature was filling her life with youthfulness and energy, passion and love, which had become mundane and lifeless after marriage to the pragmatic and modest Raj.

Raj had always wanted a more homely and demure wife rather than a domineering and independent woman like Pooja. But when his father had apprised him of his marriage with his friend’s daughter Pooja, he had hardly any courage to decline. Though good natured, Pooja had been impulsive from the beginning of their marital life. Still, he was trying to cope up as much when Deepti had entered his life. She was just the opposite of Pooja and a perfect complement for him. He had met Deepti at a party and he would not have noticed her had Pooja not introduced her as her college friend. As they had got talking, Raj had wondered how such strikingly opposite personalities can be friends.

Initially, Raj had been wary to Deepti’s calls and messages. Afterall, she was Pooja’s friend. But her warmth and concern had made way in his heart slowly but steadily, even without his knowledge and it further added fuel to fire when many a times they were alone in each other’s company when Pooja had to opt out last minute of their lunch and dinner plans.

It was Akshay’s idea. Pooja had been reluctant for divorce. She had never thought of divorcing Raj and as much as she enjoyed being with Akshay, she never wanted to forgo the lavish lifestyle which Akshay could never afford. But Akshay was persistent. “I love you darling and don’t want you to be with him. Once you divorce him, we will get married.”

“I love you too but why are you so adamant for divorce? What difference will it make if we continue like this?” Pooja was frustrated.

“And there should be a valid reason for divorce. I cannot say I am having an affair and moreover if I demand for divorce, he may not give me alimony also.” Pooja had reasoned.

“If that’s the case, let Raj demand divorce. And then it can be mutual.”

“But why would he?”

“Leave that to me darling.” Akshay’s sly smile conveyed that he had a plan in mind. “You need to do only two things. First, tell me all about Raj. His likes, dislikes, choices, favorites, everything and secondly introduce him to Deepti.”

It was Deepti’s advice. Deepti had never mentioned before that she wanted to marry him and so when unexpectedly, she expressed her desire, Raj was taken aback. “But what if Pooja refused to give divorce?” Raj had wondered.

“She won’t.” Deepti had been confident.

She had everything planned when she met him that day. Deepti had pointed to particular news in the morning newspaper which she had bought along with her to their luncheon, wherein the wife of a famous Bollywood actor had filed divorce case and the reason being rumoured was the actor’s extra martial affair with an upcoming model. If only Pooja could be involved in an affair, the divorce can be mutual and Deepti had the perfect person for the job. Her wannabe actor friend, Akshay.

Akshay was exhilarated to see the signed divorce papers of Pooja and Raj. There was a special thrill on the success of this plan which matched none of the earlier ones. He had Pooja’s jewellery in one hand and her debit card in another hand. He smiled as he recalled Pooja’s pale face when he had demanded the money, “Deepti’s mouth had to be shut if their plan had to be successful. If she tells everything to Raj, then we will be in serious trouble”, he had said. In another half hour, Deepti would also be joining him with more cash from Raj and as they would flee out of Delhi in search of another target, Pooja and Raj would be waiting eternally for their long lost lovers.

Pooja was suddenly bought to the present by the doorbell. She glanced at the watch and realized she was lost in her thoughts for a long time. It must be him. She opened the door and he took her in his arms and whispered “our plan has been successful; the husband wife duo has been arrested.”

“May I come in?” Pooja and Raj turned back and saw Inspector and Raj’s closest friend, Prakash standing at the door.

“As soon as you messaged, we started following Akshay and once Raj messaged that Deepti has left with the money, we knew she would join Akshay and soon caught them with all the booty as they were trying to flee from Delhi. But Pooja, all the credit goes to you. Had you not informed that Akshay was your college friend and given more details about him, we would never have been able to trap him and Deepti.” Said Prakash as he put down the empty tea cup and reached for his favourite biscuit.

“And how do you forget the “chance meeting” of Akshay in the restaurant”. Poor guy could never have guessed that the “chance meeting” took more than ten chances in ten different restaurants”, chipped in Raj. “Although his appearance had changed, I recognised him the minute you I saw his photo in Nithya’s mobile. Nithya was not only Raj’s sister but my best friend too. How could I have let someone escape who had destroyed Nithya’s life and not only Nithya but many other lifes’? But at some point, I was scared. He was becoming so possessive that I wanted to put an end to all this very soon.”

“That reminds me, Prakash.” It was Raj, tearing the fake divorce papers, “If all that Akshay and Deepti wanted was money, why did they persuade for divorce?” Prakash was hesitant to reply. “Actually, Raj, Akshay or Deepti never persuaded for divorce in other cases. But here it was a case of personal vengeance for Akshay against Pooja. He wanted to avenge her for the humiliation he suffered in college. To quote his words “More than money, I wanted to shatter her, destroy her. I would never have ended the whole plan without her divorce from Raj”.

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