Chapter-6 : Friendship, Love and Betray

Steve while returning from flat to his medical Store meets Dr.Edward on the way. He stops his scooter. Dr.Edward who is an university teacher, a chemist and a teacher of Steve during his college days. He was his biology and teacher of organic chemistry teacher during his college days. Steve in the morning before he leaves to do his investigation at Shashank and Ryan's apartment of Rosie's case, he has called Dr Edward morning to talk about the effects of overdose sleeping tablet and depression control medicine in human being brain and their solutions to help Shashank.

Dr. Edward stops his car and call Steve who is passing by side in his scooter, "Steve?"

Steve, "Dr.Edward, you!"

Dr Edward, 'yeah, it's me, where have you been, you called me and your store was closed, you said you have something important to discuss with me."

Steve says, "no, doctor it's fine, I was just doing my assignment and just completed it asking to my other teacher, see you doctor I am getting late to open the store."

Steve does not talk so much with him just leaves for his way, Dr.Edward gets surprise seeing his different kind of behavior.

Steve goes to his Store. Meet Shashank in the secret store. He finds that he is sleeping. He looks tired, looking at his tired face he remembers those old days.

7 years ago, it was his struggling days, When Steve used to be a cab driver. During the morning time he used to go to college and during night he used to be a cab driver so that he could pay his college fees and his expenses to adjust in the city. He also had one mother to take care of with the same income source, however he was even saving some money so that one day he could join medical college make himself a doctor. But it was getting really difficult for him to reach at his dream.

On those days, Shashank had just started his career as creative Head in an advertising Agency, after getting graduated in commerce. Shashank and Steve used to be best friend at school. They passed their high school in the same year from same school and after that Shashank choose commerce in college while, Steve dream was to be a doctor so he tried many entrances exams almost 4 years but was unable to get success because of his poor family situation and no any supportive back ground. Later he decided to be a Cab driver because of the financial conditions. Nevertheless, he was still hopeful with his dream.

Shashank was raised in an orphanage and then later adopted by a rich foster family. Shashank and Steve use to be a best friend since school days.

Though, he was from rich foster family that he knew that they were not his real family and wanted to do something in his own feet. His foster parents were against his friendship with Steve because he was from poor background and he was closer to him than them. Shashank had more attachment with Steve than his foster parents, Though, he respected them as his guardian, he was broken and affected by his own mother's death and the incidence that happened in his childhood where he lost his younger brother and he used to think Steve as his lost brother, who died with his mother.

Shashank used to love him and his mother so much and even they used to treat Shashank as their family member. Now Shashank has slowly grown up and has able to make him stand on his own feet. he has started working as creative head Advertising Agency.

Steve, always used to drop Shashank to his office from his cab. One day while he is dropping to his office in the highway, they see a beautiful girl asking lift to their Taxi. When they get closer, they get to know that the girl is none other than a beautiful girl Sofie., who used to be their class mate in school days. She used to be a heartthrob of the class and crush of almost of all boys. Even Shashank used to like her so much and this thing was known by no one but only Steve.

Steve stops his cab near to her and opens the glass of the cab, Sofie asks them a lift, but Sofie recognizes Steve and Shashank and says, "excuse me can I get lift till there… hey , I know you people, you people used to be my class mate, do you recognize me?"

Steve excitedly says, "yes why not miss Sofie we know you, but how can you recognize us , you even do not used to turn back and see us those days."

Sofie, "first may I get lift, I cannot stand more in this sunlight."

After then Sofie gets inside the cab she says she knows them just they are having difficult time to remember their names. while staying inside the taxi driven by Steve, Sofie shares so many things of their school days, after school she says she had to leave this town because of her father's job but after long time she has returned here and says that now she wanted be a successful model and today she is going to give an interview and audition in an ad agency but she does not know that the person sitting beside her Mr. Shashank is the creative head of the same advertising Agency.

Sofie that time was a middle-class girl whose dream was always to be a successful model. Later on, when she stands in the big queue of Audition in one AD films, she looks nervous. Shashank, who used to like her since his school days and childhood watches her from his office. Many girls give auditions to get the role in the Ad film but Sofie get selected because Shashank wants to see her being successful and also, he thinks that could get chance to get close to her. After all she was always his dream girl.

After then, Sofie does a shooting for her first advertisement project, which really becomes a big hit. She earns name and fame over the night with just one advertisement directed by Shashank himself. Then both of them do many projects together. With every project their relation become more and more deeper. Though it was glamorous field Sofie used to feel that Shashank was only the person who used to respect a girl unlike other producers, directors and actors. Because of the name and fame Sofie gets lots of opportunities from other brand as well, but the real respect, care and love she would get only from Shashank. She was also very much thankful to him and she never used to miss to mention his name in her every interview.

In this way, with the passage of time Shashank and Sofie gets closer. They start liking each other. They used to spend most of their time together during and after work. Slowly, their company became habitual to each other. They used to care each other. They seem to look like couple to each other but they never confess their love to each other. She used to feel safe, secure and comfortable to be with him.

One day, Steve's mother gets an accident on the road, she gets an injury on the head. She is taken to the hospital. After knowing about the accident, Steve goes in the hospital. Doctor says that immediate head surgery has to be done otherwise anything could happen and the amount should be deposited as soon as possible. Steve does not have enough money to do that surgery.

Shashank gets to know about the accident from some source, at that time Shashank was at his work with Sofie and everyone. Shashank runs to hospital immediately to meet Steve and his mother. Steve looks very serious but he does not say anything to him about her surgery and requirement of the money which he does not have. Though, he understands that his friend is in trouble just looking at his sad and drowned face. Shashank understands from the doctor that he needs around 10,000 dollars to that surgery, but even Shashank also does not have that money. Shashank thinks to get help from his foster parents to help Steve to save his mother

He goes and request to his foster parents to help with that big amount. From the beginning their foster parents were against his friendship with Steve, so how could they directly help to Shashank in that situation. His Foster father uses that situation as his chance to make Shashank away from Steve. He says that he is ready to help him but he has to marry a girl of their choice by showing one photo of a girl and also should leave this town leaving everything: his current job and his friend Steve. In that panic situation Shashank cannot decide properly so he agrees to whatever he says because at that time Shashank just thinks about Steve's mother who is fighting with her life and death.

With the agreement, the amount for the surgery is paid by Shashank's foster parents and her surgery is done successfully and she is out of danger. Steve and Shashank both became happy as her life is saved. Till then Shashank just remembers what his foster parents have asked him to pay for this. Now he realizes that he has already compromised his life, still he is happy but he does not make Steve realize anything about the scarifications that he is going to make for this. He just decides to leave everything quietly.

Next day when he returns back to his work in his advertising studio. he thinks to meet Sofie and tell everything but he finds that Sofie is crying in girl's washroom seeing her face in the mirror. Shashank hears everything from the outside. Sofie realizes that Shashank has come, so she tries to hide her tears. But when she comes out, she gives a fake smile and greeting. Because Shashank knows her very nicely, he understands something is wrong.

Later he knows that, the head of the office, the producer of the AD agency tried to Molest her in his absence and also tried to abuse her sexually. Later as she refused and slapped him, he took a revenge by cancelling her all modeling contracts and also abuse her with bad words in front of all crew members.

Knowing that, first Shashank hugs her and then he goes directly to the office of the producer. But before he could say something he takes a fork from his lunch plate and insert in his hand he shouts with pain, give him so many slaps by holding his shirt and tells him, "How dare you to touch her?" Doing and saying this much he thinks to return as he thinks the lesson is enough to him.

The producer with blood from his mouth and hand says, "you have to pay for this, I fire you from this job, you put hands on me just because of that bitch."

Listening the word bitch, he turns back kicks him on his chest and says, "she is not bitch, you rascal she is my future wife and more than that she is a lady she needs respect like your mother needs."

When Shashank comes out of the office, he sees that Sofie is listening everything outside the office. She gets emotional and hugs him tight. Then Shashank holds her hand and both of them leave from there. While leaving from there all the staffs look at them, because he just dared to kick their Boss and leaving the office.

Later, outside the building of the office police is waiting him to arrest. Then police arrest him in the charge of attempt to murder. He is kept in police custody in jail for two days. Using the power of money, the boss-the producer of the company uses his media channel to expose false fact about Shashank-Sofie and recent incidence.

Media says that Shashank and Sofie has unscrupulous relationship. And when the boss tried to stop that he attacked him in counter, coming out of his control. All these things are known by his foster parents too. Then his foster father and mother come to meet him in police station who is inside the lock up. He thinks that they have come to meet him and give his bail. But Shashank gets broke when he knows that they have come there to break their relationship with him because they think that the news is true and he has betrayed them by having relationship with another girl and going against them. in this way his foster parents leave him for forever.

Now there is no one to give him bail. But Steve his friend whose mother recently cured from her surgery come in the police station with Sofie and give him a bail.

Because his parents have left, he has no any place to go and no any place to live. he stays with Steve and his mother.

Sofie also thinks stop her career as a model because she has found so many hidden bitter truths inside the glamourous world from her recent incidence. She just thinks to stay with Shashank and will do some small job. Because of the wrong exposure in the Media, Shashank does not get job. Many companies reject his job applications because of his bad reputations made by his previous company through media. Still Sofie and Shashank are together even in their hard times. Steve was doing every possible help to them from his side whatever he could. After not having proper job and considering future final crisis Shashank thinks to be a cab driver because he has thought to get marry with Sofie and settle his small happy life with Sofie.

One day Shashank and Sofie decide to get marry. The happiest person at that time is Steve. But Shashank is worried that her parents may not accept him as an orphanage boy who is jobless and a man without direction for future might doubt on him that he would be not able to make their daughter happy and also was worried that her parents may not be happy with recent scandals happened because of him.

Sofie says that she has already cleared that her parents already knew about glamorous field and they took it as normal and ask him to go and talk about their marriage, and not to worry about anything.

But the problem was, Sofie was only one who used to send money to their parents when she was involved in job as a their current income source. As she has left the job there is no extra source of income to them as well. So, her parents think that she has brought a rich guy as their son in law, but after knowing his recent truth they reject them to get marry. Sofie then thinks to go against their family because she was truly in love with him.

After that they get marry without their parents in court. Steve and his mother are only the one who support them.

After that Shashank's married life begins with Sofie. He struggles a lot make his married life happy. One night he expresses that he is trying his best to make her happy but the money that he earns is not enough and says that he feels regret to marry her in wrong time. But Sofie says that she is happy with him with everything, has no any complains and also says that one day they will become rich soon.

One day while Shashank returns from his work one manager of new advertising company person comes to meet and makes an offer of modeling contract with good pay but Sofie rejects that offer as she does not want to return back in glamorous field. However, her dream of becoming a super model is not gone from her mind, just she suppresses her dream to save her marriage.

As Shashank comes, he does not enter in the room but just listen their conversation and hears that she is leaving her every happiness just for him. He understands her all feelings and sees that she is suppressing all her dreams, needs and wants just for him.

That night Shashank gets more motivation. He thinks to go in other country to earn more money, get rich and make her wife Sofie a Queen. He expresses his idea to Sofie in the morning but she goes against it. She says that she will be not able to stay away from him.

They even stop talking to each other for few days on this matter. However, later Shashank convinces her says that it's just matter of two years which would pass just like that and will do whatever she says.

With the help of one agent, he Goes to Japan for work where he gets nice pay and salary. He starts making good amount of money. Every month he sends money to Sofie to make their dream come true, their dream house, their dream car and everything. But Sofie rather than money needs his company, so she starts missing him. In the beginning, in initial days, Shashank gets lot more time to contact her but as time passes, he gets more busier with more money. He stops contacting her so much, sometimes once in a week and sometime once in a month. And sometimes not even a call for long time. she starts feeling that her husband is forgetting her and not understanding her loneliness. And slowly, he forgets about the promise that he made to her. He said he will be far just for two years but its already four years completed, and he even does not realize in the process of making money.

She starts missing him, but Shashank does not realize anything. To overcome loneliness slowly, she starts drinking and start wasting his money in unnecessary things. She desperately needs someone's company so that she can share her feelings.

One day while she is having drink in a bar, she meets Ryan. Ryan who is also upset with his wife because of her suppressing behavior. He was frustrated and to get out of it he used to go to the same bar. One day Ryan while having his own time alone and drinking in the bar, his eyes go on Sofie, he recognizes her in a second. He finds Sofie is alone and thinks to go and talk with her. Ryan is actually her high school friend so Sofie recognizes her so quickly that he is the guy who once used to follow her and also purposed her for a date long time back when she was in high school.

Because after long time they meet, Sofie forgets everything and those things do not make any sense now. They reunite, they share their problems to each other. They start using spending more time together in the same Bar. Meeting every day and having drink and spending time together becomes their daily routine, then later they become habit to each other and also meeting outside other than the bar Ryan encourages her to get back to her modeling career and live her life back. He says that he has modeling agency and also reveals that once his manger came to her home to offer the job but she rejected. Sofie feels that he has not stopped following her but she doesn't feel bad, instead she feels special about it. Ryan then helps her to live her dream and she also re-starts her career as a model. And in Japan, Shashank doesn't have any idea what is going on her wife's life and even does not bother himself and her to know about it. Just stay busy in making money and his work.

Sofie and Ryan get more closer and one day get intimated. They start having affair secretly hiding with world.

Steve who is the best friend of Shashank, notices her behavior like drinking habit and late coming. He even sometime finds her getting drunk, sleeping in the road of her apartment and Steve rescues her drop her till the room. Not only one time but so many times. However, he does not know about her extra affair with Ryan.

Steve also used to stay in contact with Shashank sometime. Shashank used to help Steve because after Sofie, Steve and his mother were only the family that he had and whom he can trust blindly. he funded him in his medical study of pharmacy science thinking he could live his dream and could have good life. Steve being responsible friend and brother one day feels that to complain everything to Shashank about Sofie's changed behavior and ask him to return as soon as possible before it gets late.

Knowing the fall down of Sofie through Steve he is compelled to return back. But he does not find everything similar. He finds that Sofie is not as same as she was when he left her.

Sofie does not seem to be that happy and excited to see him after long time. They have started living in nice apartment but he finds most of her sent money has been wasted by her in gambling and drinking. However, he does not mind. After he came from Japan his expectation was to spent time with her and correct all of his mistakes to save their marriages. but it's already late. Sofie is already in love with Ryan secretly. Sofie spent her time whole day outside in her modeling Assignments and she use remain busy so that she could make time with her new love interest.

One day, Shashank realizes she might be upset with him because he did not contact her properly. So, he thinks to make nice dinner for her, though he knows she comes late that at 10 pm. That night he waits her thinking to have dinner together but she comes too late at 1 A.M. getting drunk.

Next morning, Sofie realizes little bad because she finds that Shashank did not sleep whole night sitting in the dining table in the same position with the dinner prepared for her in front of him. She feels little bad about it and tries to speak about it, but the stressed Shashank slaps her and throws all the dinner on the floor. Then Sofie cries and gets aggressive, explain her all pain how he left her alone and now she has changed. She blames him everything slowly Shashank also realizes his mistakes. He apologizes to her for his mistakes. Sofie forgets everything because she feels that Shashank was stuck with his work commitment, he was not meant to it. He begs to forgive her and asks him to give him a chance.

For a moment she forgets everything, because the soft-hearted Sofie find a truth behind his tears and understand he was not really meant to do it. Sofie then hugs him. they got back to their old days. They get intimated.

Ryan calls her in her cell phone. He calls so many times but she does not receive the call. Later, she thinks to meet Ryan and wants to clear everything. Same day she goes to meet Ryan, she tells her everything that they have to return back to their own life and the thing that they are doing with their wife and husband is not right. She tries to make him realizes that the relations they are having has no any future.

Ryan does not agree her. suddenly getting away from her after being close to her is not seems to be possible for him. It's not going to be easier for them specially to Ryan. He tells her that his husband is lying her and just loves money but not to her and right now he is trying to trap her in the name of love will repeat the same thing again to hurt her.

Ryan compares himself with her husband Shashank and says that he is ready to leave everything for her. he is ready to leave money, rich wife and good life but Shashank, her husband even could not make a minute time to talk with her when she used to feel lonely and alone.

Sofie remind all her bad days when she spent many nights in loneliness. Then, she realizes his mistake and deeds. She thinks whatever he did in the morning is just a trap and again he will hurt her because she has seen that Shashank is still getting busier with some business friends and money lenders. She feels that Shashank is still back of money even after his return from Japan.

Next day onwards, Sofie behaves Shashank nicely but she keeps a wall of doubt somewhere on her heart. They eat dinner together. She wears beautiful clothes, delicious dinner but Shashank who has started to invest his money in share market get busier and does not care what she wears and for whom she wears. He praises only when she asks how does she look on her outfit. He often talks about share market and his business things on which Sofie has zero interest, while her expectation from him is his time, attention, love and care.

But whenever Sofie used to be with Ryan, he often used to compliment her even in her small things like her sense of dressing, hairstyle and even that eye shadows through which Ryan used to travel the journey of heaven inside her eyes. All the attention, time, love and care that she expects from her husband get from Ryan.

Shashank has started investing in share market. Because he has no any idea about it, he contacts a person named Mr. Joseph who has made lots of money from share market. Joseph is renowned broker in the town and has also helped many of the youngster to make lot of money in share market through different strategies and his knowledges.

He brings a business proposal to Shashank to make more money from share market. One day Mr. Joseph convinces him sharing an idea of opening a broker company and invest all of his savings in share market and also asks him to collect money from some potential investors like him to make larger sum of money on return.

Because Shashank lost his many savings as Sofie has wasted her money in gambling, alcohol and parties, he thinks to recover all loss from that share market business opportunity. Shashank puts a full trust with new broker friend, he blindly puts all of his saving in it in the greed of making more money.

For additional investors, Shashank thinks to approach his friends from Japan with whom he worked together and made money like him. He even collects some money from Steve who is doing pharmacy business. Joseph told him that approaching openly to other people might be risky so why not to approach the people like him. Shashank approaches four of his friends met in Japan and who were his colleague and returned together. Because of his honest behavior and nature in Japan, all the four friends from Japan trust him as he trusts Mr. Joseph.

But the Mr. Joseph has a huge link that using his powers and links, he establishes fake broker office in Shashank's name. he collects the money in the name of investment and then runs away. After knowing they are being cheated and all of their money has been drowned by Shashank, all of his four friends ask him to return back the money. His friends start calling him and start pressurizing him. One of the friends even commits the suicide then a time comes where Shashank won't have any way except hiding himself until Mr. Joseph get caught.

In this situation, Steve helps him. He helps him to get underground. For three days he hides himself in somewhere in Himalayas in some yoga Asrama without any contact with anyone, where he meets a 70-year-old person, whose name is also Shashank Jones. Shashank Jones once, used to be Steve's regular customer when he used to be a Cab driver. Because their name is similar Shashank and real Shashank Jones becomes good friend, He shares him everything the Real Shashank Jones believes him and sees the truth in his eyes. Looking at his kind heart nature he thinks to help him, then he gives him keys to hide himself in the same rumor haunted house until his case gets solved and ask him to stay in his name and take all the facilities using IDs, bank cards and everything. He does so because he finds a truth and pain behind his eyes.

After three days, with the help of Steve, Shashank meets Sofie in one silent place near one lake. Shashank tries to explain her everything but she does not say anything and hands him a paper. When he looks to the paper, he finds that it is an abortion report.

She says, "it's over Shashank, I have aborted our child, who was growing inside my womb and even did not care, in these three days I have realized you don't care of anyone, when you ran away you even didn't think about me what could have happen to me, those people could kill me too, you just think of yourself only. you were like this and you are like this, it's over, Shashank."

Then she again hands another paper and this time it is divorce paper. She says that she is in love with someone and going to get marry with him.

And at last, she says, "and now I don't have any reason to stay with you, you have become heartless and more importantly you don't have money, you have come to road, when you had money, you did not take care of money, and now you even don't have a penny, you will be not even taking care of yourself, how would you take care of me?"

After listening her bitter words, Shashank become wordless. Sofie says sorry and leave from there. Tears come from his eyes which flows out from his broken heart. Steve holds him and takes him to the hunted apartment of Shashank Jones to hide until the case is closed.