Pari ---- Part V

Pari reached at my place in the evening.

“Mia! Did you hear about Deepak’s film?”

“Yes Pari!”

“I am so sorry!”

“It’s okay Pari.”

Her phone started ringing.

“Excuse me Mia.” She said and moved out of the room to answer the call.

“Who was it?” I asked her upon returning.

“Ummm… It was my mother.” She appeared confused.

“Oh! Is everything all right?”

“Yes Mia! I need to go. Bye.” She said and left.

“She behaved weird today. Something is seriously wrong. She usually answers all her calls in my presence. Why did she move out to answer? I need to find out about this.” I thought.

“Ankit” I called him up. “I need to meet you now!”

“Okay Mia.”

“Where can we meet? Can you come over to my apartment?”

“Okay Mia. I shall be there within an hour.”

I anxiously waited for Ankit to turn up at my place. I wanted to sort things out before it was too late.

The door bell rang. My maid received him to my room.

“Hey Ankit. Come on in!” I smiled.

“Hi Mia! How are you doing?”

“I am good. And you?”

“I am fine Mia. What is disturbing you these days? What was it that you wanted to tell me so bad?”

“Ankit, Pari’s behavior has changed. She acts strange these days.”

Ankit’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Pari? Are you sure Mia? She is your best friend.”

“I know Ankit that I sound crazy. But I want you to do this for me. This is just going to be a confirmation. I want to be sure that Pari is no harm to me.”

“Okay Mia. I shall see that.”

“Do you want something? Tea? Coffee?”

“I want you. Mia, please consider my proposal. I love you.”

“Don’t start it Ankit. You are not my type! I am sorry!”

“Okay Mia! I need to go. I shall take your leave now.”

The following next week was the most depressing one. I had lost one more movie to Pooja. She was giving me a tough competition. Any decision I made, she knew it before the world. She wore the same dress that I had decided to wear at the award ceremony. I desperately wanted to put an end to this but could not figure out how. I waited for Ankit’s call.

He called me that week.

“Mia! You were right! Its Pari!”

No words escaped from my mouth. My wildest nightmare had come true. I could not believe that my best friend did this to me.

“Mia, Are you there? Are you listening to me?”

“Ye… Ye… Yes...” I stammered.

“Pari meets her every day after she leaves for home. I also saw her on the sets of Pooja’s movie a few times. Check her phone Mia. We would know many more things.”

“Okay. I shall do that. Ankit?”

“Yes.”

“Thanks.”

“Anything for you!”

I purposely went to Pari’s home next day. Her mother opened the door.

“Mia! How are you my child?”

“I am fine Aunty. How are you doing?”

“I am good. Take a seat. Pari is taking bath.”

“Okay Aunty. Thanks.”

I picked up Pari’s phone and checked it. There were many messages from Pooja. I read a few. It was Pari who informed Pooja about every single thing I did. She even told her about the amount I charged. She vomited every detail of my life out to her. I could not wait there any longer. I was feeling suffocated.

“Aunty, send Pari at my place. I remembered that I have some work to do.” I said and moved out of the house.

“I read her messages. You were right.” I messaged Ankit.

I reached home and waited for Pari to arrive.

“What is the matter Mia? Aai told me that you were home!”

“Yes Pari. I just want a reason why you did this to me?”

“Did what Mia? What did I do?”

“You know very well what I am talking.”

“What?”

“Did you do it for money Pari? Did you? Come on! Answer me!”

“Fine! No Mia! I did not do it for money. I did it because I envied you. I hated to see you succeed.”

“What?” my voice dropped.

All this while, I thought that she wanted more money. But the truth that was revealed was completely different.

“Yes Mia! I have always hated you. I always hated you when your parents pampered you and mine didn’t. I hated you when you gifted me those dresses and sandals. You were proud that you were rich and I was poor. You remember? We, both, participated in plays at school. I loved acting. You continued and I could not because of financial problems. I hated you then. I could not stand when you told me that you had received a lead role in movie. I hated you when you were allowed to chase your dreams and I was compelled to work for that rotten company. Your success killed me Mia. It killed me from inside and that’s the reason why I did this! I wanted you to be sad. I wanted you to feel the pain when you are not able to pursue the thing that you like. I wanted you to suffer Mia. Helping Pooja was the best possible revenge I could take!”

“Just get out of my house! Get lost Pari! I do not want to see your face anymore!” I shouted.

I was crying. Pari had deceived me. My best friend had broken my trust. I could not believe my ears when Pari told me that she hates me. I loved her a lot. I considered her to be my sister and she turned out to be a traitor.

“This glamour world is very much unreal. I have enemies who praise me and friends who stab me at my back.” I thought.

Pari was one such friend in my life. She was nothing like her name. She was not an angel. She was a devil. I will always remember her as ‘The Devil named Pari’.

The End

Links to previous parts:

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV