Scandalous Disclosure

By Dipanjana Nath

Sheela is about to fly to Chicago to study further, when a sudden bolt of lightning in her personal life throws things into disarray. The love of her life, Sunil, breaks up with her, while a close friend and ally, Andrew, is deeply in love with her.

With the help of her dear friends Dina and Frederick, Sheela braves all odds and lands up in Chicago for her higher studies, while living with her sister and brother-in-law, Pritha and Praveen. Enter the stable and durable friend, Indranil Roy, and the whirlwind man of suaveness and sophistry, Tanuj Reddy.

Love takes root, and grows from strength to strength, and life changes all of a sudden: for the good or for the worse? Scandalous Disclosure is the story of an episode in Sheela’s life, and how she braves all kinds of odds as she pursues love across the ocean, only to find it in the unlikeliest of places.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Notion Press
• Release date: Aug 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9789352061402

Book preview

novel.

Prologue

Sitting in the hotel room, after a warm shower, Sheela mused over the incidents that had been happening in her life over the past few years. Memories of her past flashed in front of her eyes, and they were crystal clear. A few things made her laugh out loud, while most of the things made her eyes moist, helping her maintain the level of her aversion to Tanuj. Getting up slowly from her relaxed posture, she strode across the room to fetch her cell phone and the small portable speaker which she always carried wherever she went. She scrolled through her playlist of favourite songs in her smart phone. After navigating for a couple of minutes blankly, she finally hit play on her most favorite sad song, which she had heard at least a couple of hundred times. Keeping her small travel pillow at the nape of her neck, she stretched and lay down to give her utmost attention to the song. Try as she might, though, her thoughtful mind was interrupted with the sound of the doorbell. It was her friend, Dina.

Hi dear! Slept well? Dina pulled up a beige coloured velvet-fringed chair as she entered the room, and sat next to Sheela’s bed. She seemed relaxed in her usual carefree posture.

I am okay, Sheela said, smiling drowsily with her peach-painted lips. I think you left the door open. Getting up lazily from the extra silky bedsheet, Sheela walked up to the door and closed it with a gentle push. She got back to bed. Have you made up your mind? Dina asked. She found a picture of her dear friend Sheela and Sunil while frisking through the pillows left haphazardly on the bed. It was not that Dina was poking around intrusively – she was just helping Sheela arrange her bed, when she dug up, inadvertently, albeit, Sheela’s sensitive and secret past by finding the picture. Have you seen his wedding photos? Dina asked, scrutinizing the picture in her hand. Her mind dived into the past and ran through some old memories.

I have no contact with him, Sheela said, with a rude grimace. By the way, where did you get the picture from? Sheela sprang up and almost snatched the photo from Dina’s hand. She fumbled a couple of times before she managed to keep the photo back in its original place: between the pages of her passport.

Hmm... Why don’t you get rid of this? Dina asked, curiously waiting for her reply.

Yeah, I need to. Once upon a time, it used to be one of my favorite pictures. I am taking some time to flush it out of my mind, Sheela said with a serene smile. She went up to the coffee machine to get some coffee for the both of them. Decaf?

No, just regular or maybe latte, if you have one here, Dina replied lazily resting her legs on Sheela’s bed.

Sheela filtered a regular and a decaf into paper cups. She came back to bed and gave Dina hers. It’s so relaxing to be back after so many years! Sheela said, sipped her coffee and closed her eyes to relish the flavour.

Yeah, I missed you! Dina pouted, adding, When are you going to meet Anaya? Do you have all the things you need to prove your genuineness? Dina asked, curiously.

I think so. I have a couple of pictures, videos and emails which I brought with me. Hopefully that will do the job! Sheela said thoughtfully. She then got up and lifted her suitcase and yanked it open after placing it in the middle of the bed, she began shuffling through the dresses. She pulled out a pink dress that had a gauzy layer on it. Holding the delicate attire, she stood before the mirror. Though her eyes looked to see if the clothe looked nice on her, her mind was still focused on her meeting with Vishnu, set to happen the very next day. I am not very sure if I should wear this today! Remember? This dress was gifted by Sunil on my 25th birthday? Sheela said as she propped the dress on the headboard of her bed. She plopped down on bed carelessly with a sigh.

Sheela, please snap out of the past. Dina said adding a little stress on ‘please’. I know things got messed up repeatedly but please don’t torture yourself like this. I really need to find a way to uplift your mood. Please, dear, I beg you, cheer up at least today? Dina gave her hand a friendly squeeze and got up to toss the empty cups in the trash bin.

You are right. Let me go to the washroom. I will be back after a quick shower, Sheela said with a confident smile that eased Dina’s worry. She walked towards the washroom when Dina hollered, Fred and Andrew are here. He just told me. Do get ready a little sooner if possible!

Sheela turned back, astonished. Andrew? she asked.

Chapter 1

Sitting at her desk in the office, Sheela wondered cogitating how she should face the cringing reality of separation from her friends and colleagues. In the twinkling of an eye, the fun filled, colorful days at her current workplace drew to an end and it was time to say goodbye to all her friends and colleagues. Sheela was an engineering graduate from a so-called good college in Chennai. She was happy working in a small technical-support-based company, in Alwarpet, Chennai. Though her life had been ruffle-free and gratified with all due happiness, her ultimate desire was to settle abroad. Her older sister, Pritha, was already in Chicago. Sheela’s parents were also keen on sending her to Chicago, as they felt that would give them some peace of mind. A young girl, staying alone in the heart of a busy Indian city, was not a wrong reason for them to be worried. Her father worked as a lecturer in one of the Arts Colleges in suburban Chennai, and her mother was a homemaker after sacrificing her career to bring up her two daughters. Sheela lived alone in a small rented apartment that was close to her office from the time she joined the company. Although she was content with life, going to the USA to pursue further studies would be the perfect addition to her happiness, and give her a shot at a better future. She did not mind leaving her colleagues behind, but the thing that bothered Sheela most was the dreadful emotional parting from her best friend, Dina, and boyfriend Sunil. She had ranked higher education above Sunil, but as the time for her departure drew closer, her immense love for Sunil started ruling her mind.

Does that make sense? Yeah, there isn’t such a thing as free lunch in the world! We all need to pay something to gain something, or maybe lose something to get something. She thought, sighing. Her eyes grew moist, making the typed letters on her computer screen appear blurry. Taking a deep breath, she tried to eschew her tears. Someone tapped her shoulder. She controlled her emotions and whirled around. It was Dina, her best friend. She too worked in the same office. Dina was Sheela’s only childhood friend, with whom she had built a powerful bond. Sheela could discuss almost everything with Dina - save for the silly romantic things that happened between her and Sunil. Sheela and Sunil had been seeing each other for the last two years, since the time she began working at the office. Sheela was truly sincere to their relationship and her pristine deliberations made her take their affair to a different level. All she wanted was a label of marriage and she thought convincing Sunil was a cinch work for her as Sunil had hardly objected on any of her demands. Sunil worked in a Stock Market Agency in Mumbai. Given that Sheela was still working in Chennai, the distance between the two places was only in geography. Sunil had a successful carrier and his affluent father had a house in the heart of Chennai. Shuttling between both places never was an issue, and the two love birds got to meet often. Sheela and Sunil looked like an ideal couple whenever they were seen together. Their friends admired them as a pair. Sunil was rich and handsome with a charming and intellectual demeanour. He complemented Sheela’s beauty. Her long black hair, fair complexion and attractive, dark and dreamy eyes with a girl-next-door attitude made her the dream girlfriend for every guy in her office. Her medium height and not-lean–but-perfect figure sparkled with life, attracted everyone whenever she walked into the office.

Patting her shoulder, Dina said, Don’t worry, Sheela! Everything will be alright. You are going to live your dream and I wish you a better life, with a good partner. Sorry to say this, but Sunil is not really a good match for you. Dina appeared worried for Sheela. Sheela narrowed her eyes with a mild disgust. Why are you always after him? I think you are jealous of me, because I have such a handsome man as a life partner! Sheela said, looking at the computer screen again. She knew Dina never liked Sunil.

Yeah, you should know if I was jealous! I have a better person in my life, Sheela. He is not as rich as Sunil, but he is pretty sensible and he keeps me very happy, Dina said proudly, engrossed in her boyfriend’s thought.

Right! He keeps you on your toes. Fred is such a bag of lazy bones! Sheela said, raising her eyebrows. She continued sarcastically, He is a nice person. That’s why all he has in his house is a huge adjustable round bed, fitted for all postures! Sheela burst into a fit of giggles, keeping her eyes still at the desktop screen. She kept pulling Dina’s leg, knowing that Dina would not mind her tease because Fred was Sheela’s first best friend, even before he got close to Dina and due to her seniority in friendship, it was granted that Sheela had all the rights to poke him.

Ignoring her, Dina continued, Spare the poor chap and think about your problem. How are you going to manage a long distance relationship? Is it really going to work? From all that I know about you, for you it is always true that out of sight is out of mind! Dina asked Sheela, screening through Sheela’s emails over Sheela’s shoulder. Dina did it every time, until Sheela dismissed her.

Stop reading my emails! It’s not a good thing to do! Sheela smacked her laptop monitor shut, her face drawn into an angry pout. It should work out if he wants it to work out. Let me talk to Sunil in the evening and find out if he really is serious about our relationship. Keeping my fingers crossed! An unknown fear gripped Sheela as she said that and gave her goose bumps. Gathering the courage to ask Sunil suddenly seemed so difficult to her. It felt like an overhead to all her last minute preparations. Holding off on her thoughts, Sheela got up to walk with Dina to the cafeteria for their usual evening coffee.

Around 6:00 PM, they called it a day and packed up. A quick goodbye ensued among all her colleagues. Dina accompanied Sheela, curious about the talk she and Sunil would have. At 6:30 PM, they left the office and decided to meet Sunil near the T Nagar shopping area. Apart from meeting Sunil, they also had some last minute shopping to be done.

Give him a call. He came all the way from Mumbai just for you and now you are showing off! He might be bored sitting at home all day, Dina said to Sheela as she lazily searched for her glasses in her huge