The Stalker (Short Story)

He wasn’t really a bad guy, to be honest. I mean, I did consider him to be a friend at one point of time. Or at least an acquaintance. But how was I to know what he would actually turn out to be? And no, contrary to what he or his friends claim, it was not my fault.

For convenience’s sake, I shall refer to him as Rohit. I first met him at a party, where a mutual friend introduced us. Of course I didn’t really pay any attention to him at first, just a casual ‘Hello’, and some small-talk and all. I am a person who takes time to open up, and am a bit selective when it comes to making friends. But from a first impression wise, he seemed pretty normal. Probably around the same age as me, working as an Assistant Manager in some FMCG company. He claimed he was from a ‘top’ Bschool in India, was above average in looks, not that attractive, but was good at communicating. That day went without anything significant happening. He wanted to know my drinking habits, I somehow evaded the question.

I met him next at another friends Birthday party. We chatted for a while, and he was actually good at making conversation with others. He had this pleasant smile about him which made you feel that this guy could put you at ease. And he had a very nice sense of humor. I guess I was opening up a bit to him. Note, however, that I had no feelings of infatuation or whatsoever for him. At that moment, I just considered him to be another known face in the crowd.
He talked about stuff relating to Politics, Sports, and even the art of shopping, what types of guys girls like and all that. He claimed to understand the psychology of women very well. ‘Why are you still single then,’ asked someone from the crowd? ‘Because I haven’t yet met a girl who complements my personality type- ENFJ.’ ‘What’s ENFJ,’ I asked. And he went on to describe the Myer-Briggs personality test. I had to admit, I was a bit impressed by his knowledge. Or maybe just the way he talked about things.

Soon, we were having a common friend’s circle. Occasionally I saw him in some mall, or at some public venue. Slowly, and gradually, I started considering him as a friend. He was pretty nice to me till then, and I did enjoy speaking to him. Besides, he definitely seemed to be from a decent background, and had good manners(to my limited knowledge). He was well read, and decently fit physically.

Eventually I gave him my number, and accepted his friend request on facebook. There was nothing odd at first. He used to ping me on Whatsapp, now and then, and would like my pictures or statuses on facebook. There was nothing which I could label as suspicious, or weird or irritating. We used to meet in person around once a week or sometimes in a fortnight, in all occasions accompanied by at least one more mutual friend. He did not do anything which could give me a hint if he wanted to impress me or anything like that. He did ask me what my relationship status was and I told him the truth(I was single that time). There was no reason for me to say otherwise. I was beginning to trust him.

But before long, I found his behaviour to be getting a bit odd. He would get kind of irritated if I didn’t reply to his messages instantly, or didn’t pick up his phone calls. His frequency of messages had also increased significantly, and he would keep sending me pictures/jokes and other stuff. Soon enough, he started complimenting me on my looks, my fashion sense, and style of conversing with people. He told me that I was pretty intelligent compared to lot of other girls out there. I admit I did feel good inside on being complimented. Now I was not one of those drop-dead-gorgeous females who get 500 likes even if they upload a picture of their foot-nail or something. But somewhere, I started feeling that he was over-doing it. However, I didn’t tell him anything at that point of time. At hindsight maybe I should have.

One day he got angry, because I had not wished him goodnight the previous day. I found this slightly amusing, as I was not obligated to wish him. But it was just a matter of courtesy. And he kept dropping hints that we should meet more often, party more, and have fun types. I told him the truth-that I was running a bit short of money, and expenses were increasing. I just could not afford to eat or drink out every other day. Even once a week was getting unmanageable. He thought I was just making an excuse. He even offered to pay for my drinks and food, at times, to which I candidly refused.

Then one fine day, he bought me a bag. A rather fashionable, expensive one. I was shocked, to say the least. I told him, quite straightforwardly that I cannot accept it, and that he should not do such stupid acts. He felt quite taken aback, and perhaps felt hurt and annoyed at the same time. Nevertheless, he apologised later, and admitted that it was an immature gesture. I pardoned him and moved on. He used to message me, even while I was at work, and sometimes would call as well. I tried to patiently explain to him, that it was not possible to reply to every message or call of his during work. But it hardly made much of an impact. He also started commenting on each of my pictures, calling me stunningly beautiful, hot, amazing and all that.

Few of my close friends and I were planning for watching a movie. I told Rohit that I was going for a movie, and that I would not be replying to his messages for some time. He immediately said that he wanted to come as well. I was suddenly in a dilemma. I didn’t want to say No to his face, but our plan was already made. But he refused to listen, and imagine my horror when I came to know that he came to my place(a rented apartment I was sharing with 2 other girls), on his bike and offered to pick me up. Honestly, I should have made him go back. I really don’t know what made me accept his offer. Maybe at that time, I was still considering him to be a friend. And he was somehow very persistent that he sit beside me for the movie.

Later, I heard from some mutual friends that Rohit was boasting about the fact that we were both very close, and we would go out together often on his bike and all. I still dismissed this fact as a rumor, though somehow I suspected it might have been true. I did go with him on his bike a few more times, but I never officially dated him. I felt that he was getting too possessive about me. ‘Whats the need to go out with that guy? He’s a total drunk asshole, and he will try to take advantage of you in a party,’ Rohit tried to warn me. ‘Why do you have to speak to him on the phone for so long? Its just a waste.’ It was almost as if, indirectly he was trying to influence me to do what he wanted me to do.

I was gradually getting tired and irritated of Rohit’s behaviour. It was almost as if he was dictating my life’s terms to me. I wouldn’t even expect that of my boyfriend, and Rohit was surely no close friend of mine. I thought it was about time I talked to him about this. To my surprise, he was more than ready to talk. He invited me over to a local pub cum restaurant. When I reached there, he was already drinking(and he appeared to be slightly high already). I told him that perhaps this was not the best time to have a serious discussion. But he motioned me to sit and continue. However I felt that this conversation was going nowhere and Rohit just wasn’t paying any attention to it. Rather, he started flirting again. Openly! Maybe it was the alcohol in him speaking, or otherwise, I would not know. He told me how beautiful he was, what a great figure I had, and all that. I was feeling humiliated and embarrassed. I told him to stop. But he carried on. ‘You know what, beautiful. Maybe we could continue this conversation at my place. There’s nobody else at home. We could have some fun too. Are you a virgin?’

That was the last straw. I just stormed out of the place in anger, not even bothering to look back. This guy had lost it. I just went back home and slept. Imagine the shock I got when I woke up, to look at my phone and see 27 missed calls, and over 50 messages. The guy was a maniac, not just a loser. Throughout the day, he kept calling and messaging, but I did not reply. Eventually I switched off my phone, and went to stay over at another friends place(Afraid that he would come at my house). I was finding it extremely hard to believe that this was the same guy who I had assumed was my friend. How could he stoop to such a level? I blocked all of his accounts.

Soon I started getting threatening messages. ‘How dare you not reply to me, bitch. How dare you block me, you slut?’ Though they were from different ids, I had a feeling who they might have belonged to. And at other times, I would get direct messages from him-‘Hi. Please forgive me. I was totally drunk that day. Give me another chance, please.’ And all that stuff.

Finally, after almost a month or so, I had the courage to actually meet him. He was apologetic, and swore that he was extremely sorry. He begged for my forgiveness. And, he started professing his love for me. Told me that he couldn’t live without me and all that crap. I felt I had had enough of it. I just slapped him hard, across the cheek, and started moving away. Yes, in front of everyone, in the middle of the day. I was half expecting him to run after me. But he was just too dazed to move, and stood frozen in shock. I ran away from that place as quickly as could.

After that day, I never heard from Rohit again. Last I heard, he had taken a transfer to another city. Good for him. Do I still bear a grudge against him? No. Have I forgiven him? No. Will I think twice before making a new male friend from now on? Hell yeah.

Just because I am single does not mean I am dying to sleep with every second man who comes along and speaks to me. A No means a No. Learning to deal with rejection and your Ego will help you go a long way. You can never force someone to be in love with you.

And then they say- ‘Indian girls have an attitude problem.’

What If....

'I think I love her,' I told PP.

'You think or you actually do?' she asked.

'I do. Am sure of it. I have thought about it a lot for the past two months. In fact, this is the only thing I have ever given so much thought to. '

'Hmmmm,' came the reply. 'Tab kis baat ka wait kar raha hai. Jaake bata de usko.'

'I..cant.'

'Huh. Why?'

'Cause...she may not understand. I mean we are very good friends, and she may not like it.'

'What are you saying man, cant get you.'

'We have been friends for a while, and I am scared that if I propose to her, she might get pissed off at me, and then start ignoring me or something. In worst case she might break all contacts with me.'

'If she is really your friend, why would she do something like that? '

'Cause girls are like that na. They prefer to ignore, as they know it causes the guy lot of pain.'

'Rubbish, dont make sexist comments like that. All girls are not like that. '

'I dunno yaar. I do like her a lot, but i guess I do not have the guts to tell her that I actually love her. I dont want to risk it at the cost of this friendship.'

'You have to decide man. Whether to take a risk or not. But if you keep waiting and hesitating, she will surely find someone else. '

'Noo, I cant let that happen. I cant even tolerate the thought of her being with another guy. Its just preposterous.'

'Then go ahead and say it. You must not repent later that you lost the chance. Besides she might like you as well. You never know'

' I dunno, man I really dunno. Am like totally confused. And the worst part is that I cannot really concentrate on anything else. Studies, work, nothing. '

'Whats so hard in expressing your feelings anyways?'

'I dunno. I normally never talk about any of this stuff. Love, romance, it never made sense to me. But i know that I like her because she is a genuine person. Honest and righteous. Someone who sticks to her principles and morals, and someone who can stand for whats right.'

'Then what are you waiting for. She is the perfect girl for you. Go ahead and confess your feelings for her.'

'But, but..what if she likes someone else?'

'Listen, in that case there is nothing you can do about it. Remember that her decision will be hers. You cant change it or influence it in any way. She will do whats right for her, and you must accept it. But in any case, she will at least know the truth. Dont hide it from her. She deserves to know.'

'I guess you are right, PP. Thanks a lot, as usual. I know I can always depend on you for anything.'

'Stop acting like a loser and go for it. And stop pestering me all the while too. Learn to believe in yourself. Bye and best of luck.'

Short Story: The Conversation Part 2

Nikita decided to go forward with the discussion.

‘So what do you do? Work somewhere?’

‘Yeah, I am a Financial Analyst,’ came the terse reply.

‘Erm, what does a Finance whatever do??’

‘A financial analyst or investment analyst is a person who performs financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core part of the job. Basically we study details about companies and arrive at an estimate of their financial values.’

‘Uh, whatever that all sounds like Greek to me. Do you have any hobby as such?’

‘Loads of them. But if I have to choose one, it will be reading.’

‘Reading? As in books?’

‘Yes. But apart from that I also like reading people.’

‘What the… How can you read people? You mean like reading minds? Are you a psychopath?’

‘I think you mean telepath, and not psychopath. Anyways I do not possess any supernatural powers. I just like analyzing people and their behavior.’

‘Such as? Analyze me and tell me what you find.’

‘I have done so already. You are sad, angry, frustrated by the fact that you were dumped and also flabbergasted at my apparent lack of interest in you.’

Nikita stood still akin a statue. She was clearly impressed by Rajesh astuteness.

‘Why do you speak so bluntly and abruptly? It sounds rude. Why can’t you add more emotions to your sentences and be a bit more amiable?’

‘Sorry if I sound that way, but this is the way I am. No pretense. I guess I will go outside for some air.’

Saying this Rajesh got up. It was at that moment that Nikita noticed that he was wearing a gold necklace. Apparently it had missed her attention previously.

‘Why are you wearing such a girly necklace anyways?’ inquired Nikita in a greasy tone.

‘Oh just like that. Wanted to try out something different.’

‘Why don’t you try out the new men’s fairness cream that has hit the market?’ Nikita smiled impishly.

‘It wont suit my skin,’ for the first time Rajesh smiled and left the compartment.

He returned after a few minutes.

‘I apologize for earlier. I guess you must be feeling bad after the break-up and all,’ Rajesh began.

‘Bad? I feel horrible. I can’t tell you how I feel right now. But thanks for asking,’ replied Nikita.

‘No problem. But I am sure you will get over it,’ smiled Rajesh. ‘By the way, I will be getting off at the next stop. Change of plan.’

‘That was sudden. Have to meet someone somewhere?’

‘Sort of. I guess you should let go of the past. It will only hurt you more if you continue thinking about him.’

‘I don’t know if I can. I loved him a lot, you know? There was hardly a moment I spent away from him. We used to exchange dozens of smses each day, would take over the phone hours on end, chat on Gtalk whole day long…’

‘Yeah, the usual stuff. All couples say the same thing,’ blurted Rajesh in a sarcastic tone.

‘Excuse me; you don’t know anything about us. It’s very important to stay connected for a relationship to prosper.’

‘Yes, but why on the phone or the internet. Is it not better to go for a walk or for a dinner party say once every week? Time management is crucial. You should not mollycoddle your partner beyond the critical point.’

‘Rubbish. You need to profess your love continuously in order to attract your partner’s attention. Else he may think you are ignoring him.’

‘Isn’t that what most girls resort to? Ignoring their boyfriends when they are morose?’

‘That’s enough. You are acting like a male chauvinist. I will not have any more of your nonsense. You do not have any idea on sustaining a relationship.’

‘Nice words, from someone who could not even sustain her own.’

Nikita felt as if a lightning bolt had hit her. She had no comment to refute Rajesh’s statement. But at the same time she did not want to admit it. Tears sprang up in her eyes once more.

‘I guess I will be leaving now. My destination has almost arrived,’ saying this Rajesh got up from his seat and started moving towards the door.

‘You can never understand the pain of being left alone. You never had a partner, you can never know what I went through,’ Nikita sobbed.

Rajesh turned towards her and spoke.

‘On the contrary, yes, I did have a girlfriend. We were very close. Would probably have been married by now if things had gone right.’

‘Things had gone right? What do you mean? Did she dump you as well? You deserved it.’

‘Not really. She’s dead. Was killed by a mobster last month. Apparently that guy had a fascination for this gold necklace which I had given her.’

Saying this Rajesh left the compartment.

Short Story: The Conversation-Part 1

Okay, time for another short story. This time, I will refrain from using any sort of sarcasm or subtle humor. The story will be basic, and uncomplicated. So here I begin, hope you will like it.


The compartment S-42 had just one person in it. Not surprising, since it was a first class compartment and the train had just left the station. Nikita was in a disheveled state. Her hair had become loose and untidy, and the tears had spoiled most of her make-up. Struggling to compose herself, she wiped her face with her silk handkerchief and finally took her seat. Sitting directly opposite to her, a man of around her age was busy reading a paperback. Apparently he hadn’t even bothered to give her a second look. Now this was a bit of an unforeseen situation for Nikita. She was not used to being ignored. Rather most men would have found her extremely attractive and comely. Few could have resisted complimenting her pulchritude. However this young man had ostensibly decided that a book was a much better companion than a beautiful lady.

Nikita tied her loose hair with a clip and decided that she had had enough. ‘Excuse me,’ she remarked. ‘Are you going to Delhi as well?’

‘Yes’. The man did not even look at her.

‘Quite the laconic fellow isn’t he?’ thought Nikita. Nevertheless, she decided to be courteous.

‘Hello, my name is Nikita and I am a professional dancer. I guess we will be sharing this compartment tonight, so we might know each other better. So can you tell me something about yourself?’ She forced a smile.

‘I am Rajesh, and what is your problem?’

Nikita was flabbergasted. ‘Uh, what problem? What do you mean?’

‘Isn’t it obvious? You have been crying. What happened? A fight with your boyfriend?’

Nikita paused for a moment. Whoever this guy was, he was no fool. At least he was a good observer all right.

‘Yes, he dumped me for another boisterous girl. She was my room-mate. And she stabbed me in the back,’ she said in a low tone.

‘Isn’t it usually the other way around? Girls dump their partners all the time.’

‘Excuse me. You don’t know anything about me. You have no right to make any comment about my personal matter.’

‘If you say so,’ replied Rajesh and went back to his book.

Nikita could hardly believe her eyes. This guy wasn’t even interested in her personal life. And to think she knew a bunch of perverts who were dying for her personal details.


To be Continued.

Short Story:Ratiocination at the Interview, Part 2

Ah, finally a question which he was waiting for. ‘For acquiring business skills and making a mark in the corporate world. For setting up his own company or organization. For helping the fellow citizens of his country with his special entrepreneurial skills. For learning about the country’s economics, investments made, mutual funds, stocks, shares, debentures, asset building, liabilities, demand-supply,etc etc,’ He repeated in his mind.

Aloud he said, ‘Cash. Cold Hard Money. An MBA is an instant shortcut to fame and earning quick bucks. And I wanna be really, really rich.’

‘What is the meaning of this, Mr. Engineer? You want to do an MBA simply to get rich and famous?’

‘Are you deaf, Mr. Interviewer? I said that perspicuously, did I not?’

‘But won’t your engineering skills be wasted in that case?’

‘What engineering skills? I don’t have any. I never wanted to do engineering in the first place. Its way too boring. Thank God those 4 horrible years of my life are over.’

‘Then why did you do engineering? You could have done something else?’

‘Simple again. I did it simply because every good student does it. Because of the degree, which has a very high demand in the industry.’

‘But if engineers don’t do engineering jobs, who will?’

‘Who cares? And quite frankly, nobody bothers. All that matters is the degree, and of course money.’

‘Anyways, let us ask you a few questions related to your academics. Electrical, in fact.’

‘Go on ahead, I have memorized as many definitions as I could.’

‘Why don’t we use a special relay in a motor car?’

‘What? Why are you asking me conceptual questions? Just ask me the definitions. Nobody has the time to bother about Why’s and Why not’s. We just study to pass in the exams and get that stupid degree.’

‘Okay, then tell me what sort of resistor should we use in refrigerators?’

‘How am I supposed to know? Go and check it yourself.’

‘Oh well. Tell me, what is the practical use of Differentiation and Integration?’

‘What? Are you out of your mind? How can those be of any practical use? Just give me a problem, and I will show you how they are done.’

‘I give up. That’s enough. It’s clear that you have only relied on rote learning, Mr. Engineer. You have absolutely no concepts.’

‘How dare you say that? Don’t you know that most engineers do they same? Simply memorize things a few days before the exam, and pass? Do you honestly believe that over 5 lakh people are interested in Fourier Transforms and Induction Motors, and Fluid Dynamics, and Operating Systems? No sir, they do it simply out of compulsion. So that they can pass, get a degree, and get some useless job which they will never like.’

‘You have been quite ingenuous to say the least, Mr. Engineer.’

‘Yes, Mr. Interviewer. I am here only because MBA is the latest fashion trend. People believe it’s cool to do an MBA, because it gives you load of money and makes you famous. Who bothers to know about Business or Economics or Finance or whatever? That junk gives me a headache. Plus, currently every engineer believes that doing an MBA is his basic right. After all, with more than 90% engineers in most Bschools, MBA has unofficially become an extension of engineering, has it not?’

‘You are right, Mr. Engineer. 95% of our students are engineers, and most of them are like you.’

‘The problem is that most students are confused. They have no idea in which direction to propel themselves. This is because they lack ambitions and the courage to follow their passion. So they just go along with the flow, doing what others are doing. Instead of doing something they will inadvertently hate, if they had just pursued their passion with dedication, they would be earning much more than by being nugatory engineers.’

‘For example, in our country, chemical engineers take up I.T. jobs, then shift to management and finally start working in a foreign bank. Now tell me, wasn’t that engineering degree simply a waste of resource?’

‘I was impressed by your frankness. We will surely look into this matter. You may leave.’

Finally, our hero leaves. He is not quite sure as to how he performed. Will he make it or will it not? Let us end this story here, and hope for the best.

Short Story: Ratiocination at the Interview, Part 1.

Okay, this is my first real attempt at writing a short story. Hope you like it.

Ratiocination at the Interview:

Characters in the story:

*-A ‘so called’ Engineer- The Main protagonist. An average engineer, whose name will be kept a secret for copyright protection.

*-The Interviewer- Again, his name will not be made visible to the reader for the same reasons as above.

*-The Second Interviewer- A so called friend of the first interviewer, who is rather too determined to take his friend’s position.

*-A Beggar- Who is actually a Soothsayer in disguise.

The story begins on a fine Monday morning. Our protagonist, Mr. Engineer gets up sharp at 6 O’clock. This is supposed to be the most important day of his life: His MBA interview. Already fed up with his short stay in an IT company, he is really anxious to join a reputed Bschool. He has prepared for this main event for the past few months. Now he is ready to deliver. He gets ready, puts on his best suit(with a matching tie), has a light breakfast and keeps all his files(with his most precious possessions- His certificates and marksheets) in order. Finally, he takes off, in his Hero Honda Motorcycle.

On the way, he stops in front of the traffic signal(which is obviously red). His interview is scheduled to start from 10am, but he is to report at the venue by 9. Suddenly, a hand grabs his back. He turns around to see a beggar dressed in rags.

‘Alms, my dear sir, please give this poor man some alms’, pleads the destitute.

‘Scram! Get away from me, you filthy idiot. You spoiled my brand new suit,’ screams our not-so-suave engineer.

‘Please sir, I haven’t eaten for three days. I have 15 kids and 2 more are on their way(twins, he is not polygamous). Please sir, have mercy.’

‘Will you get lost or should I kick you aside? Do you know how learned I am? And look at you, the only thing you have achieved is to know how to increase our population.’

‘Okay sir, I am going. No need to release your anger on a poor man. But before I go, I will give you a curse, a prediction. Today you will speak only the truth, and nothing but the truth.’ Saying this, the beggar sped off leaving her hero speechless.

‘What did that mad guy mean by that? Who cares, I must reach my destination on time.’

The Engineer does not make it on time. He is exactly 2 minutes and 27 seconds late, but such delay does not make much of a difference. He gets himself registered and proceeds upstairs for the Group Discussion(GD) round, along with 9 other aspirants. However since this story is called, ‘Ratiocination at the Interview’ and not ‘Rationcination at the GD’, we will skip this part and go straight to the interview.

Time: 2 pm.

‘Mr. Engineer, please come in,’ says a voice from inside the interview room.

Our hero steps forward, extends his hand and stumbles. Instead of handshaking the interviewer, he manages to shake his moustache.

‘I’m sorry sir, I slipped. I apologize.’

‘That’s okay, Mr. Engineer. Please have a seat.’

The engineer sits down and gives his files to the interviewer.

‘Okay, Mr. Electrical Engineer, tell us a bit about yourself,’ remarks the first interviewer after glancing through our hero’s file.

‘Sir, I am an electrical engineer but I have been working in a software company for the past one year.’

‘Hmm… Go on.’

‘I have no interest in software. Or I.T. for that matter. Its all crap, just typing bunches of redundant code, while sitting on a chair all day long, in process spoiling our eyesight as well.’

Something was wrong. This wasn’t what he intended to say, it just came out automatically.

‘If that is the case, why did you join an I.T. company in the first place?’

‘Simple, sir. For the same reason as the remaining 65% of the engineers who take up an IT job. They take an IT job because it is quite easy to get into one. The company doesn’t even test you on I.T., so almost any guy without any IT knowledge can get through. But getting a Core company job or even a PSU job is really difficult. Moreover, who wants to run around working like a slave when we can sit in a chair, and enjoy the comforts of an Air Conditioner?’

Now our hero started to panic a little. This was definitely NOT what he had wanted to say. He was actually blurting out the entire truth, instead of speaking the lies he had carefully constructed over the past few months.

‘I think you are contradicting yourself a bit, over there, Mr. Engineer. Anyways, tell us then, why do you want to do an MBA,’ the second interviewer asks.


*To be Concluded