I, Sharmi, Diamond- Ep 25

25. Sharmi

I don't understand why I told Rajan my story. Was it the way he listened to me? When I spoke, he looked directly into my eyes. He remained silent until I finished speaking. Women do like men who listen attentively. Many just pretend to listen until they get what they want. As for Rajan, he had no ulterior motive with me. He wasn't particularly interested when I offered him money. I enjoyed talking to him.

After that meeting, wherever there was a private party, I somehow made sure he was included. We'd have at least one party a month. According to our rules, apart from the clients, no one was supposed to leave together. This was to avoid any connections if we got into trouble. All of us in the team used call taxis, and only from the main road. The exhaustion from dancing all night would make us fall asleep as soon as we got into the taxi. But recently, he and I started sharing the same taxi.

For the first two or three trips, we both slept during the ride. Last time, I couldn't sleep for some reason. I wanted to say something, so I asked, "How much have you saved?"

"Why are you asking? Do you need a loan?"

"No, not for that. I have a reason for earning money. You seemed enthusiastic when you had money and food. But don't tell me you still have the same enthusiasm. What keeps you going? Money, right? That's why I asked how much you've saved."

He thought for a moment. "I have about two or three lakhs in cash. I've invested about twenty lakhs in finance. I have about two lakhs in the bank. Plus, I bought a flat. There are EMI and other expenses for that."

"Wow, that's impressive. As far as I know, you're the only disciplined guy in this business who has saved money. Most of them waste all their money on alcohol, ganja, and cocaine, and end up sick."

"I do yoga. That's my addiction. That's my investment."

"Oh yeah, I heard. Amsavalli, who hosted the last party, told me you can talk while standing. How?"

"There's a yoga mudra for that. If you practice it, it will hold for more time," he said without smiling.

After that trip, I started traveling with him every time. I enjoyed being with him. I even felt a bit angry when I saw women at parties talking about his 'impact,' which surprised me. I started watching him quietly. And one day, I realized he was watching me too.

At the Park Hotel car park, while settling payments with everyone, Shyam, who looked like Anirudh's clone, kept insisting that two girls go with him. He was a torture at parties. Once he got drunk, he didn't know what he was doing. He'd get into perverse sexual activities. Even though you'd get paid more for cooperating, you'd struggle to sit properly for the next two or three days, so no one wanted to go with him.

"No one's coming, Shyam. Go and find on your own," I yelled. Unexpectedly, he punched me in the nose. The pain shot to the top of my head, and when I touched my nose, blood started gushing out. He ignored that and tried to hit me again, so I started hitting back, screaming. One of the girls tried to intervene and got hit too. Shyam's friends joined the fight, and everyone scattered. A crucial rule in our group was to leave immediately if there was any trouble. The rich guys who come here can easily escape; it's people like us who get caught. So, we don't get involved in disputes.

Shyam's friends ganged up on me and kicked me for some reason. Just as I started screaming in pain, Rajan stepped in. He pushed Shyam with one hand, and he fell eight feet away. His friends stopped hitting me and started attacking him. He handled them easily and fought them back. Shyam called the police. When they heard the police siren, everyone who had been fighting stopped, becoming the epitome of peace. "You leave from here. Hmm... leave. I'll take care of it," he told me. I left without saying anything. As the police officers got out of their jeep and headed towards the parking lot, I took an auto and went home. I was debating whether to call him. I assumed he would call, so I put ice on my nose and fell asleep waiting. I saw his message when I woke up at eight: "No problem. I'm back." My bruised nose was still painful, so I called him.

"How are you? Are you okay? How did the police let you go?" I kept asking questions anxiously. He laughed. "I'll tell you in person," he said.

I met him at a coffee shop in Forum Mall that afternoon. He said he had the commissioner's wife's influence. He acted out how everyone from the inspector to the constable changed their behavior after they got a call from her. I couldn't stop laughing, tears rolling down my eyes. It had been a long time since I laughed like that.

"Thank you so much. If you hadn't come that day, I don't know what would have happened to me," I said, holding his hand with tears in my eyes. When I raised my hand to wipe my tears, it touched my nose, and I winced.

"Your nose was already swollen. Now it's even more swollen," he laughed. I spent the whole day with him, finding any excuse to stay. We talked about various things, mostly holding hands while walking. When it was time to leave, I thanked him again. He hugged me and said, "If you want to thank me, I should thank the commissioner's wife 'firmly.'" I understood. I hugged him tightly and left without saying anything. His gaze followed me as I walked away.