# 30 - Vichitra and Chanchal - IX

Vichitra called up Deep.

‘Hey man how are you doing?’ Vichitra tried to sound as if he was his very good friend.

‘I am fine’ Deep was a little confused; he had never heard this voice before.

‘So what are you doing nowadays?’ Vichitra continued the conversation casually.

‘I am doing engineering. What about you?’ Deep was trying to figure out the voice but anyways he kept up the conversation.

‘Oh that’s cool… as for me nothing much, I am in Hindu college studying statistics,’

‘By the way it seems like you still don’t know who am I? Do you?’ asked Vichitra.

‘Hmm…’ Deep was still lost.

‘I am Amit. We were in the same class in school’

Amit was such a common name that Vichitra was sure there had to be at least one Amit in Deep’s class. His gamble paid off also.

‘Oh I remember now. Cool, you called up. It’s been so long man.’ Deep was glad to hear from Amit.

‘Yeah this is the first time we are talking after school’ said Vichitra.

‘So what’s up in your life?’ asked Deep.

‘Nothing much, nowadays it’s just studies’ casually replied Vichitra.

‘So, any girlfriends?’ asked Deep.

This question stung Vichitra like anything. He was doing all this to get one who this idiot had dated a few days back; how did he even dare to ask such a question?

Vichitra wanted to end the conversation now.

‘So tell me do you still take drugs?’

Deep was bewildered.

He did take drugs but it was such a well-kept secret that only he and his closest friend knew about it. And certainly Amit wasn’t that friend. They had been taking drugs for almost three years now and even their closest friends didn’t know about it.

Deep got suspicious. If Amit really knew about his drug-taking habits, he was in real trouble.

‘Why are you asking this?’ asked Deep. Vichitra could sense anxiety in Deep’s voice.

‘It’s just that I am hosting a party and I needed some stuff. Is that possible?’ Vichitra asked this so casually as if taking drugs was commonplace in his parties.

‘Hmm… how much do you need and when is this party?’ stuttered Deep.

‘But first tell me how do you know that I deal in drugs?’ Deep was terribly curious.

‘I always knew it’ Vichitra was enjoying this. His invented conversation was bordering on reality.

Deep had it enough. He wondered if this guy was the same Amit which he thought he was.

‘By the way are you Amit Sharma?’ asked Deep.

‘I am Amit Balwaan.’

Deep felt immensely relieved at hearing this.

‘I think you dialed the wrong number.’ He added.

Vichitra changed the last digit of Deep’s number and then confirmed it with him – the number of course turned out to be wrong.

‘Yeah… Sorry for the trouble. Anyways it was nice speaking with you’ Vichitra sounded really apologetic.

‘Never mind. Just to tell you I don’t deal in drugs’ concluded Deep.

Vichitra smiled. He knew he had unwittingly uncovered a darker side of Deep. He had a good tale to tell now.

After the call, Vichitra thought he could have also made up all this conversation. He didn’t really have to talk to him. But then he had never lied to Chanchal and so he had to call him up.


© 2008 Ankur Shanker
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