chapter 11

Cup CakesAfter Dev and Kunal, Santosh was not a big deal for me. College was closed for another fortnight, but Pratham’s work had continued. I started going to college every day, and the grooves of my sociopathic mind were churning every second. Both Pratham and Ankit could see a transformation in me. There was a spark that was driving me insane. It was the spark of revenge. At times they commented on my mental condition, but I conveniently ignored them. I had a murder to plan. And just like last time, it had to be clean.Ankit, being an Engineering student, had access to the Chemistry lab. During our breaks, he often went there to work on his project. I accompanied him sometimes and inspected the contents and the facilities. Using his innocent friendship for my revenge felt wrong, but I was determined, and no amount of guilt was going to stop me now. After almost ten visits to the lab, my plan was all ready. Now all I needed was one vital ingredient – which I was planning to steal from the chemistry lab – and for that bastard Santosh to come back from his honeymoon.   Shiva confronted Mihir. She did it in his home, in front of his family, while I waited at the door. She slapped him and said all sorts of nasty things. The way he was explaining and crying, it seemed he genuinely liked Shiva, but she didn’t, not anymore. She hated him!In his desperation, he told her that Santosh’s marriage was fixed a few months ago. He wanted to sleep with me first but given I was a weird case, he hatched a plan and lured me under the pretenses of false marriage. And now Santosh was back from his honeymoon.  We all should celebrate weddings. So, I baked cupcakes to celebrate. However, I digressed a bit in the recipe. Instead of using water to mix the mixture, I used my special ingredient. I made only two cupcakes, one with this special ingredient and one without.Then I made my way to Khan Market, to give a surprise to my ‘almost husband’.Santosh was shocked to see me there. He gulped and stammered as I stood in front of him.“I am sorry I got cold feet before. Please forgive me. I missed you so much, let’s get married now,” I cajoled as I gave him my most dazzling smile.“Ishana, I…” he started, but I picked up the cupcake for him and beamed.“Don’t mind that. I baked it especially for you. Won’t you give it a try?” I chirped merrily. “We need to talk first,” he spoke, pushing the cupcake. “First try this, else it will dry,” I insisted. He gave up and raised it towards his mouth, but a shriek stopped him. “Santosh… I have the best news.” A girl in her mid-twenties came running and hugged him. He put down the cupcake and started talking to her. She was a bit on the heavy side, but she was very fair, had long hair and sharp features. I felt pity for her.I stepped aside and pretended to look around the shop like a regular shopper, though I didn’t notice a thing. My focus was on their conversation.“I am pregnant,” she was jumping on her heels. “Can you believe it? I know everybody would be so happy, but now they would know that it happened before our marriage,” and she was snickering naughtily.Santosh gave me a side-ways nervous glance. He didn’t know that I already knew. “How did you know I was craving sweets,” his wife picked up the cupcake that wasn’t poisoned and ate it. She was still chewing the first when she picked up the second one.Should I let her eat it? Maybe they both can share and be together forever… but what about the baby? That baby was a bastard, just like his father… it should die too…And I saw her raise the cupcake to her mouth. She sniffed it, smiled, and touched it to her lips… one bite, and it would be over… Just one bite…  Present Day in Ishana’s House“Okay… please pause…” Ravi’s abrupt announcement shocked Ishana. As usual, she was lost in her story and had forgotten she had an audience.“What happened?” she asked, alarmed.“Too much to process. Please wait,” he spoke, holding his head. He could see a sociopath monster in her eyes as she narrated this part. “What the hell is this…?” Ravi started, unable to believe. And Ishana gave him her mysterious smile.“You killed them too?” Ravi’s words were barely audible. “An unborn baby?”Ishana narrowed her eyes, the expressions on her face were unfathomable. He was not able to digest. This cannot be the girl he had dreamed of meeting. She cannot be the role-model he always looked up to.“How could you?” Tears welled up in his eyes.“Santosh…” Ishana started, but Ravi continued harassed. “Yes, he was a bastard. Worse than Kunal, if I might add. But an unborn baby?”“Let’s go and have that lunch downstairs, it is not polite,” she got up abruptly. Her sudden announcement caught him off guard. Quietly he followed her.Megha served the duo on the second floor. However, Ishana noticed that Ravi was barely eating. He had the most disastrous look on his face. And not sure why, but his expressions triggered something in Ishana, and she started guffawing. She laughed so loudly that all other occupants of the second floor came out to witness the rare sight.“Oh, so sorry,” she spoke after laughing her heart’s fill. Now nine girls surrounded her, and all were staring at her with bemused expressions. Ravi was thunderstruck.She casually waved and dismissed everyone. Then once alone, she finally spoke, “They have a daughter together,” Ishana informed carelessly. “Bastard named her Ishanvi… apparently, after the two women he ever claimed to love. His wife’s name is Raghavi. So Ishana plus Raghavi makes Ishanvi.”Ravi stared at her bewildered. “He called me a few years later to apologize. Apparently, he did fall in love with me and couldn’t get over so easily. Anyways, who cares. I never loved him…”“So, what happened that day? His wife was about to eat it… whatever it was in the cupcake,” Ravi interrogated without touching his food.“Yes, but I stopped her by yelling at them. I then slapped Santosh, revealed the truth to his wife, and left.” Ishana shrugged and continued eating.Ravi suddenly felt as if a massive boulder had been lifted off him, and he relaxed.“I know I am a monster Ravi, but I am not that far gone,” Ishana spoke in a flat tone. Though he could see a sadness etch in her eyes.“I don’t think you are a monster; I think you are a girl who has had a fair share of misery and sorrow.” Ravi wanted to hold her hand and console her, maybe even dare hug her, but he didn’t. He just sat and dug into his own plate. The food was simple but deliciously prepared. They ate in the quiet, and then Megha cleared the table.Once back in the apartment, Ravi inquired curiously, “So, what was in the cupcake? And what did you do with it?” They now were relishing a glass full of her favorite Vodka, Belvedere.“Ethylene glycol?” Ishana responded, putting down her glass. “It is basically the coolant in your car. It is a deadly but slow-acting poison. You must have read about it in Chemistry?” she inquired, and Ravi shrugged.“Well, it is colorless, odorless, and sweet-tasting. If you ingest it good quantity, your organs will fail, and you’ll die within 72 hours.” A shiver ran down Ravi’s spine.“What did you do with it?” he questioned, trying to sound calm.“I burnt it. I couldn’t have left it in a dustbin. What if some beggar or poor animal ate it? I couldn’t have drained it as I didn’t want to contaminate the water, what is some animal was poisoned. So, I burnt it.” Her reply relaxed him. She wasn’t as heartless as she claimed to be.“You know it is lethal and is highly combustible. I had to buy a steel bucket and leave it on the balcony to burn out. With the amount I had poured in the cupcake, it burnt for more than a day. Oh, how I would have loved for it to be Santosh, to burn and rot from within,” she sighed, and he again saw an image of a sociopath in her eyes.“But his bastard child saved him,” she spat.Ravi didn’t say anything. He was glad that at least another murder was not added to the list of Ishana’s crimes.“Another betrayal…!” Ravi spoke after a long pause.“Eh yeah… it did hurt because another man objectified me, but honestly, this one didn’t break me at all. Instead, I was relieved. I knew marrying Santosh – fake or real – would have been the biggest mistake of my life. And finally, I was free.”“What about your revenge then?” he wondered. “Maybe a few years later his furnishing shop may have burnt down to ground rendering him bankrupt, maybe!” she simpered, and Ravi gawked. “At least they are alive!” she exclaimed, but Ravi didn’t respond to her comment. Based on her standards of revenge, this was the best she could have done. He let it be…