Episode 5 : Overlap guy

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When I checked my phone I had a missed call from my friend Richa and a message announcing that she had happy news for me. The last time I had spoken to her was a year ago. She was in a tensed state and wanted to meet me. Here let me tell you that most people come to me with their problems because I am a good listener, hearing them out without judgement, and generally handing out good advices. And so I agreed to meet her at a coffee shop. There she recounted to me her strange tale of the ‘Overlap guy’.

‘What’s an Overlap guy?’ I asked, sipping my sugary cold coffee with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

‘I’ll tell you all about it.’ She said after putting down her black tea with a slice of lemon in it.

Richa is by most standards a beautiful girl, the kind that men would be passionately in love with, and desperate to marry. I always believe that everyone attracts a particular kind of people towards themselves. This is just my opinion and not a scientifically verifiable fact. I know of a girl who has a history of boyfriends who have been obsessive and abusive. She has always been through bad breakups. I know of another girl whose boyfriends always tell her that she is the sweetest girl they know of but they never commit to her. Richa on the other hand always got guys who wanted to love her, care for her and finally marry her. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t jealous of her. In spite of all this attention, for some reason she refused to settle down with any of them.

‘I was 5 when I fell in love for the first time. It’s all a blur now. Early love stories don’t count right?’ She said.

I didn’t say anything to that because she had me at 5. At 5, I was busy eating chalk and mud and trying to muster enough courage to speak to a boy, let alone fall in love.

‘I’ll start from when I was 9.’ She continued. ‘I was in the 5th Standard when a new boy joined my class. Justin was a brilliant student scoring cent percent mark in all his subjects. He spoke well and participated in debates and won many prizes for the school, going even up to the national level. He was good in sports too, especially cricket. It was because of him that I learnt the nuances of cricket and began to play it. I fell head over heels in love with him. In all my books I began signing my name along with Justin’s surname. I felt like I was destined to marry him. He liked me too. He took every moment between periods to sit next to me and talk to me or instead look at me from across the benches while he sat with his boys.

‘We went to the same guitar lessons every Sunday. After class we held hands and walked. We did not declare our love for each other in plain words but instead showed it in actions. Our innocent love continued in this manner for 3 years till both of us shifted schools. I missed him sorely, unable to think of anyone else in his place. There were other cute boys in school but nobody could replace Justin for me. There was one boy, Pranav, in particular, who was my senior and he was cute. My best friend was obsessed about Pranav and she left no stone unturned to tell it to him. He was easily the best looking boy in school and the best in sports. I shared with my friend about my love for Justin and she spoke to me of Pranav. She wrote him letters in blood that I delivered to him and various other gifts. I did my best to further her case with him and in the meantime I met Justin on Sundays for our guitar classes.

‘One day my friend came to me dry eyed but in deep inexpressible pain. “Pranav is in love with you,” she said to me. I couldn’t believe my ears. “But I don’t love him,” I said. “I know, but he has asked me for your number to talk to you. Shall I give it to him?” I shook my head. “Why are you doing this?” I asked her. She shrugged her shoulders. “You both are two people I love. Better you than someone else.”

‘I refused to give my number then. It was her largess that she did not allow this incident to taint our friendship. In two months she left the state to study in her native, still in love with Pranav and still friends with me.’

Richa took a sip of her black tea, while I detached the straw from my mouth.

‘Did you fall in love with Pranav?’

‘You make it sound like it’s a bad thing.’ She said.

‘I am not judging you.’ I said, though in my mind I was looking at her with narrowed eyes.

‘I made a new friend who compelled me to share my number with Pranav. I gave in. And we began to talk every afternoon after school. I still had Justin in my mind and I met him every Sunday as usual. But I had to admit that with time and more conversations I began to fall in love with Pranav.’

She gave me a guilty smile.

‘I was with the best looking guy in school. I was suddenly popular like I was never before. I loved the attention. But like all good things come to an end, this ended too. He was my senior and he left school soon after 10th. We were still in touch. Then I began to hear rumours of him with another girl. It broke my heart.

‘I shared all this with my neighbour. Sameer was slightly squint-eyed but that was his best feature. He was in college, around four years my senior. I knew that he had a fondness for me. He was in fact possessive. I heard that he even beat up a guy because he was bad mouthing me. I felt safe with him and that was probably the reason why I spoke about Pranav with him.’

‘Was Pranav really with another girl?’ I asked.

‘I don’t think so.’ She said. ‘It was a rumour spread by girls who liked him and boys who liked me and wished to see us apart.’

‘Did that tear you both apart?’

‘No it didn’t but the distance did and also because I found comfort in Sameer’s presence. He was protective and dependable and so loving, I couldn’t help being drawn him.’

‘I am sure you couldn’t.’ I said and ordered another cold coffee.

‘Sameer was passionately in love with me, in fact he was obsessed. He had kept his obsession hidden till I reciprocated his love. Most girls are scared of such obsession but I loved it. I love being loved.

‘It was good for 2 years and then we shifted our home into another neighbourhood and I joined college. He was deeply upset at being separated from me and made it a point to see me every day. I on the other hand had to concentrate on my studies.

‘I was ragged in college by my senior, Bharat, and his friends. It was embarrassing. I complained about it to Sameer who was willing to pick up a fight with Bharat too regarding it. I had no intention of letting that happen. Instead I decided to keep my distance from Bharat. Since I didn’t like him, I assumed it would be easy. I was wrong. I saw him every day and moreover he would stop for a chat. He even offered to help me with notes and on one or two occasions saved me from sticky situations with some lecturers. By and by we became good friends.’

‘Sameer knew all this?’ I asked.

Richa looked sheepish. ‘Sameer is extremely possessive so I chose to omit few details, just to keep him at peace.’

‘And those details were…?’

‘I began spending time with Bharat after college hours. We began to get closer and became more than friends. And before I knew it, he dropped a bunch of red roses in my house on the night before my birthday and we confessed our love for each other. It was crazy and fun. I had never felt anything like that before.’

‘And Sameer?’ I asked, with genuine concern.

‘I felt bad too but I had no choice. I was worried about his obsession. Then I realised that every obsession fades out if it is not fed. I reduced meeting him claiming that I was busy with my studies. He might have understood though he didn’t show it to me. He got a job outside the city soon after and that was it.’

‘So now your story is with Bharat?’ I said feeling tired of the cold coffee. ‘I think I’ll order a pizza.’

She nodded. ‘Bharat and I are quite alike. I could identify with him. He flirts a lot though which irritates me, but I get a lot of attention too so we managed together fine.

‘One evening we went for a concert. There he introduced me to two of his friends. One of them, Samarth, was fun to talk to. He was tall and lanky and though not good looking in the traditional sense, had a very charming personality. We got along pretty well, sparring on various topics trying to one up each other. The queer thing was that when we shook hands before parting, there seemed like an electric spark that went through my finger tips into my body. It left me confused but wanting. I knew then that he would be important in my life.’

I rolled my mind’s eye at this and ordered a cheesy pizza.

‘Bharat had to leave to the US from his company. I didn’t want him to go. I knew the futility of a long distance relationship. I cried many tears but he left anyway. Samarth and I exchanged numbers and we began talking.

‘Conversations were easy with Samarth. Both of us spent long hours talking. He was boastful and dominating but deep inside a caring individual. That was all that mattered to me as I fell crazily in love with him. Bharat was entirely eclipsed. I was at the age when I could think of marriage and I could see Samarth as my husband. But things took a drastic turn when our families disapproved of our relationship. We had to part ways and I was heartbroken. There was nothing left to do except move on.’

I put my cold coffee down and patted Richa’s hand. ‘I am sorry about that. It must have hurt a great deal. Is that why you are upset now?’

‘No, that happened five years ago.’

‘Oh,’ I said picking up my coffee again.

‘During the time that I was with Samarth I attended a function at my workplace and there I met my colleague’s friend Rachit. He was a good looking and energetic guy. I did appreciate his looks and demeanour but my heart was with Samarth. Later after Samarth and I broke up I met Rachit again at a dance programme. It suddenly occurred to me that I was immensely attracted to Rachit. I fell in love all over again.’

Just then the pizza arrived and I was glad for the diversion. I grabbed a slice quickly.

‘Are you with Rachit now?’ I asked between munches.

‘Unfortunately no,’ she said. ‘Rachit and I had a whirlwind romance. It was fun every weekend; travelling, eating, exploring… The two years spent with him was the highlight of my life. He made me feel like a teenager all over again.’

‘If he made you happy, why aren’t you still with him?’

She shrugged. ‘I wasn’t ready for marriage. He went ahead and got married.’

‘Is that why you are upset?’ I asked with hesitation.

‘No,’ she said. ‘While I had Rachit in my life, my friend broke up with her boyfriend. I wanted her to have someone too. She had a colleague she was interested in. I decided to bring them together. Things were getting along well; they even went out on a movie date. In spite of all that they didn’t share any love or commitment. She wanted me to meet Aditya. I had seen his photos and heard his stories from her, but nothing prepared me for what I would experience on seeing him. I fell in love with him at first sight. Something inside me told me that this was the guy I wanted to be with all my life.

‘I had always scoffed at the idea of love at first sight and here I was having that same experience. It was unnerving. I was scared and confused. What would I tell my friend? What would I do?

‘What was surprising was that he went through the same experience that I did. It was love at first sight for both of us. My friend cut off with me soon after she got to know of our mutual feelings. And here I was with Aditya in a crazy, passionate and torrid relationship.’

‘Torrid?’

‘Yes. We fought and we made up repeatedly. We were in a “can’t live with, can’t live without” situation. It has taken its toll on me. I can’t do it anymore. I want to be with him but I can’t think of it. It’s driving me crazy.’

‘Is that why you are upset?’ I asked.

‘No. I am upset because there is no overlap guy any more. I have always met my future boyfriend when I was still in a relationship. It was a pleasant overlap, helping me move on smoothly. It has been 3 years of this on and off relationship with Aditya and there is no guy for me to move on to. I don’t know what to do. I need your help, your advice, anything…’

I opened my mouth to speak but she continued. ‘To whomever I tell my story to they tell me that I have no ‘overlap guy’ because it is Aditya for me. I don’t want to hear that at all.’

I shut my mouth because that was exactly what I wanted to say.

‘You need to help me out.’ She pleaded.

I was thoughtful. ‘Tell me,’ I began. ‘Is this the first time that you haven’t got along well with a lover?’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘The only time.’

‘But why? Why do you both fight?’

She took a deep breath. ‘All the guys I told you about? My ex lovers? I am still in touch with all of them. They are my friends now. Aditya doesn’t like me being in touch with my exes. He in fact doesn’t like me flirting with any guy.’

‘That’s a valid point.’ I said.

‘No. They are all my friends now and nothing more than that.’

I was thoughtful again. Her problem was deep rooted and the only solution was a surgical intervention. And I knew just the way to go about it.

‘Do you still love Aditya?’

‘I think so. I don’t know.’

‘Hmm,’ I said. ‘Leave him. He serves no purpose in your life now. Stay single for a month and then join Tinder.’

She looked flabbergasted. I savoured the effect my words had on her. Don’t mistake me. I am not an advocate for Tinder. My advices depend on the nature of the problem. I generally get a favourable response later from the people when they have benefitted from my advices. That is why we come to the present with Richa telling me that she has good news to share.

‘So are you getting married?’ I asked, my voice sounding triumphant.

‘Married? No,’ she laughed. ‘I called to thank you for helping me out. Tinder is amazing. I’ve met so many guys and had fun. I feel like a teenager again. Life is good.’

I bit my lip. This is not what I expected to hear at all.

‘I’ve been going out every weekend and having fun. I can’t thank you enough.’

‘But you’re 30 now. Don’t you want to settle down?’

‘I just told you that I feel like a 16 year old all over again. I’ll think about marriage when I turn 21.’ She said with a laugh.

I was resentful by the time I kept the phone. I felt fat and ugly and unhappy. I took out my phone again. My life can be like Richa’s too. I checked on the dating app and clicked Install.