It was a cold winter night. There was a knock at the door, and without even bothering to enquire through the peephole, I opened the door. My good friend Tina was at the door; she was looking worse as if she had cried for hours. She was in her early thirties, always looking radiant in her flawless brown skin. Her 5 feet 4 inches height and slender figure were what I had always envied. She had always been immersed in the world of creating her canvases.

“He doesn’t love me. I told you before there was something wrong, but you always negated. See! This time I have proof.”

Tina showed me a picture of Siddhart with a woman who was around 30.

“Did you ask him about this?”

“What’s the use? He will make some excuse.” Tina sobbed.

“Why don’t you hire a detective?”

“Yes! I thought about it, but it would be better if someone close does the work for me.” There was an instant change of expression on her face.

“What do you mean?” I was afraid lest she should consider me.

“I think you will be the perfect person to do so.”

“No! Not this time. Please, this one is tacky. You ask someone else or take professional help.” I almost yelled.

“Professionals will make a mess of the situation. You know both of us, and so only you are the one.”

Now there was no choice left. I didn’t know where to start. I mean, I knew both of them. Tina would always find reasons to think that she had been cheated. What was her problem? Tina was an introvert, and Siddhart was so extroverted that it was hard for Tina to accept his ways of living. It had been five years, and both were not ready to change. I was always the punching bag in between.

I called Siddhart.

“She asked me to follow you. Now, what’s the plan?”

“Sweetheart! I will let you know soon. Just keep her busy.”

“It better be soon, I warn you. I can’t handle her for long.”

“Don’t worry, dear!” And the line went off.

How could I keep my calm? I called her.

“Don’t worry, Tina, I have enquired one of his business partners I know personally; he will let me know about the woman as soon as he gets some hint.”

“Thank you! You are my savior. I trust you.”

The following 2-3 days were so stressful. Whenever Tina called, I would cross my fingers lest she should talk about my plan of action.

When the day arrived, 23rd January, I was so mad at Siddhart; his so soon became ages for me. How could he do this to me? He would soon find out who I was; I would tell Tina everything.

It was 10 am, to be precise, when Siddhart called, “Sweetheart! Everything has been set. Take Tina to our old farmhouse.”

I was so happy. Finally, my dream would come true.

I called Tina, “The woman is one of the business associates of Siddhart. They have been spotted together a few times in informal meetings. The news is that they have planned a meeting at your old farmhouse. We will confront them there, but please be normal and dress appropriately.”

Tina arrived in less than an hour. She looked far more than appropriate. So elegant, dressed in the favorite color of Siddhart. “We are wearing the same color,” she exclaimed.

Who was looking more beautiful, I doubted. But there was no time to think, and we hurried. When we reached the farmhouse, it was decorated beautifully as if there was a party inside.

She looked at me surprised, “What’s the matter?” I tried my best to look blank.

“Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!” I shouted along with Siddharth.

“I have been dating Sanyam since last month, and we felt an instant connection. Before I could tell you anything, you saw that picture on Siddharth’s phone and created a story of yours. This was all Siddharth’s plan.”

Tina stood there, unable to move with her eyes wide open. “Who was that girl in the picture?” She could barely speak.

“She is Sanyam’s sister. The picture got clicked when we all were posing for a group photograph.”

Now Tina cried, and at the same time, she was so angry. Siddharth and I stood silently, and she was going on and on. In between, when our eyes met, we felt like victims rather than culprits. When she was empty, Siddharth offered her a glass of water. She looked at me for a minute, and then she hugged me, “I can’t say how much I have waited for this day in your life. Every day I prayed for you. I am so happy for you.”

She started crying again, and this time even I could not help myself from shedding tears. Sanyam offered us tissues.

“Cherish this moment of togetherness and friendship. Besides, you two have to look best in engagement photographs,” he chuckled.

About the author and writing coach:

Sneha Goel is a British Council–certified IELTS trainer and Scholastic India–mentored short story writer. She is a published author, poet and diarist. Her reviews, blogs, poems, stories and thoughts are appreciated by writers of international repute. Apart from writing, she is passionate about teaching English to children. She teaches English grammar, literature, creative writing, academic writing, story writing, poetry writing and Spoken English to students from class 1 up to grown-ups. To know more about her writing training and English language teaching services click here.