My Struggles with Trupti Ch. 05

I am convinced I am losing my mind. My life is an absolute mess. And the worst part is, I still can't get much sleep or at least not good sleep. I always feel tired and sleep-deprived.

Malay calls the next morning just as I am about to leave for work. I let it go to voicemail. A text message pops up as I am in the subway.

- We really need to talk. I am worried about you.

I wonder if he even remembers that we slept together. Or if he still thinks it was Trupti. I reply

- I am very busy with work today, Malay. Can we talk later tonight?

He calls again as I am near the office. I don't answer. Another text.

- I love you. I really love you. Please talk to me.

Wait, what? Love? Is he crazy? Has he gotten his numbers mixed up? All I did was pick him up from the dentist's office. And yes, we had sex. But what is all this love talk? He has had much more raucous sex with Trupti as I have seen. Surely one random boink can't mean that much. Or can it? Do I love him too, I ask myself. And I laugh at myself. Please, it's Malay Fucking Singhal. The smarmy guy banging your friend. Maybe he just wants a threesome or something. I ignore the message. He calls again. I let it go to voicemail again. He sends no more texts that morning. A few days later, he would show me the texts Trupti sent him to make him stop messaging me.

Trupti weighs heavily on my mind anyway. She saw me in bed with Malay. I angrily kicked her out. I saw her hob-nobbing with people in my office. I am convinced she has some elaborate revenge planned to bring me down. I start regretting ever meeting her, and the call I made asking for her help.

And yet I want to meet her and talk to her. I send her texts. I call her. She doesn't respond. I ask her to come over to my place. She doesn't. I even stop by her hovel of an apartment in the rundown building, but it looks like she hasn't been there in days.

I only see Trupti in my dreams. Very strange dreams.

I am going through a rough phase physically. All day at work I feel tired. I have trouble concentrating. Every evening I go home and get in bed by 9 PM. I wake up at 6. But my body does not feel like it got 9 hours rest. I wake up remembering snippets of my dreams featuring Trupti. In one dream, she is in a west village bar hanging out with NYU jocks. In another, she is at a hockey game, hanging out with some white guys in Rangers jerseys. In another, she is in Harlem at a jazz club, hanging out with old black guys. She is often smoking weed or cigarettes. And in some snippets, having sex with the guys, sometimes in their apartments or hotel rooms, and sometimes in empty alleys. And a couple of times in cars.

Finally a week later, I get a message from her.

- Meet me at the Greek bakery near your apartment when you are done with work.

It is one of those rare days I can leave from work at a reasonable hour. I am waiting at a corner table at the bakery at 6 PM, my nose in a book, when Trupti walks in.

"We don't have much time." she says, taking her coat off.

"Trupti...about Malay..." I start speaking.

"Fuck Malay!" she loudly says. A few tables look at us. "Well, you already fucked Malay. I should say, forget Malay. Forget him for now. We have something more important to deal with."

"Listen Trupti, I appreciate your friendship." I still soldier on with my rehearsed bit. "You are weird and you are promiscuous and you bully me into weird situations, but I know that you really care about me. In a strange way, I have been missing you the last few days. I want you back in my life."

"Hold on to that thought!" she says and points to the door.

There is an older white man who looks vaguely familiar, walking through the door of the bakery. He sees Trupti, smiles and starts walking towards us. I remember him as the guy she had been talking to at the office party when I left.

"Trupti...who is that?" I whisper as he came closer.

"You mean you seriously don't know?" she chuckles.

Before I can answer, he is at our table. Trupti gets up, hugs him, and gives him a kiss.

"Hi Vernon, thanks for coming." she says.

And suddenly, alarm bells of recognition go off in my mind. Vernon! How do you forget a name like that? He is Jan's husband! I had met him briefly maybe once since I started working. But I did not remember him much at all. And clearly, the feeling was mutual, because he doesn't even acknowledge my presence. He has eyes only for Trupti.

"You are looking especially radiant tonight." he says, rubbing her hand as he sits down.

"Thank you, Vernon." Trupti blushes.

A waiter comes over. Vernon orders a decaf. Trupti orders a hot chocolate with whipped cream. I am still working on my coffee, so the waiter doesn't even look at me.

"I cannot wait to get to know you better." Vernon says, putting his arms around Trupti's shoulders. And it makes me cringe.

"I am really looking forward to it too, Vernon." Trupti says in a voice that was sickeningly falsetto, as if she were parodying Marilyn Monroe. She rubs his thigh.

"Trupti...I am going to the bathroom. Come with me please." I say in a stern voice. Vernon does not seem to hear me.

"Excuse me, Vernon. I will be right back after powdering my nose." she says and caresses his cheeks as she gets up.

The restrooms are downstairs, so I stew as the two of us walk down the stairs. Finally, in the seemingly empty ladies room, I explode at Trupti.

"What the fuck? What the fuck?????"

"Relax, braids!" she giggles and checks her hair in the mirror.

"Why are you here with my boss's husband?"

"Why do you think?" she calmly counters.

"I don't know what to think!"

I am way more agitated than she is. She is still calmly checking her hair and make-up.

"Trupti...what the fuck is going on?" I ask.

"Alright, you want answers? Here are some answers. At your stupid office party the other night, I hit it off with Vernon. Charming distinguished older gentleman. I then found out he was your boss's husband. Married and still so flirty. So I led him on. Thinking it would be hilarious if her highness Jan's own husband was stepping out on their marriage."

"Wait, so you are doing this for my benefit?"

"Honey...everything I do is for your benefit." she says and hugs me.

"Fuck you, Trupti. You are just doing this because you are upset I slept with Malay." I say.

Trupti smiles and shakes her head. A voice from one of the stalls pipes up,

"Everything okay out there?"

"Yes yes, it's all fine." Trupti and I answer in a chorus.

There's the sound of a flush as the two of us stare at each other. A woman walks out of the stall, looks at me, and asks,

"You okay, honey?"

"Yes, I am fine, thank you." I give her my most affable smile. She washes her hands, nods, and walks out.

"Will you stop making everything about Malay?" Trupti hisses at me as soon as the lady leaves. "There are more things in heaven and earth, you know? You think I find Vernon some irresistible stud? Once the charming older guy thing wears off, he is a fucking bore."

"Then why is he here?"

"Why do you think? For a fling!" Trupti shrugs. "Let's say you and I hook up with Vernon. And we take pictures and videos of the hook-up. And send them to Jan anonymously. Imagine how it would fuck her up. She has been making your life hell. Don't you want her to suffer?"

I stare at Trupti in disbelief.

"You are crazy!"

"Oh I am the crazy one?" she says and laughs.

"If you are doing it for me, I don't want you to do it." I say defiantly.

"Well, maybe I am doing it for myself too." she shrugs and checks herself out in the mirror again. "After all, I have never been with a man that old."

"Please Trupti...Jan isn't that bad." I try to reason with her.

"Really? She isn't a fucking racist who is constantly riding you and stealing your credit and probably wants to quote make America great again unquote?"

"Yes, but still, this isn't the way."

We look at each other in the mirror. Trupti gives me a demonic smile.

"Time to go back out. Vernon will be getting worried."

"What is your plan exactly, Trupti?" I ask.

"Well, he told me he had to go watch some Broadway show with Jan and the kids. And then he was going to make up some excuse about needing to go to his office for some call with Japan. And then come and boink me."

"Disgusting!" I say.

"Can I use your apartment? You know mine is a bit uncouth. I will let you watch."

"No you CANNOT use my apartment!" I make it clear. "And I do NOT want to watch!"

"Oh come on...what are your plans anyway?"

"I am going to Queens."

"For what?"

"Nothing." I say a little too quickly.

"Oh please...one of your Indian singles mixers?"

"So what?"

"You really are pathetic!"

"Hey, you are the one trying to seduce a man in his 50s!" I say.

Trupti smiles again.

"Okay, tell me one thing. Let's say someone fucks Jan's husband and sends her pictures of videos of it, it would ruin Jan's life, right?"

"I suppose!"

"And Jan has been a total bitch to you, a racist one at that, right?"

"Yes."

"So why do you have a problem if I do this?"

"It feels wrong." I say after a few seconds of introspection. "It's not how I was raised."

"Fuck your middle class morals!"

Trupti turns around and walks out of the restroom. I walk behind her.

As we get back to the table, Vernon is ready to leave.

"Sorry sweetheart," he says. "Time for the show with Jan. But I will see you at 11 after I lie to my wife."

They kiss in a sloppy creepy way. I look away. They don't look at me.

Vernon leaves. Shortly after that, I leave.

---

I am in a community hall in Jackson Heights, Queens for an Indian singles mixer. A few weeks ago, it would have been the highlight of my weekend. But today, weighed down with all these Trupti related problems, it seems like a chore.

It's a speed-dating type thing again. I am sitting at a table, circling through an endless procession of dorks asking about my cooking skills and willingness to be a maid. I am enjoying scandalizing them one by one. I am telling a Tamilian engineer how having kids is pointless when a man comes and interrupts us.

"Hey, I hoped I would find you here." It's Malay of course. He sounds impatient. "Excuse me buddy, do you mind if I talk to her for a couple of minutes?"

"Yeah sure." the dude gets up and leaves in a hurry.

"Hi, Malay. How is your tooth?" I politely ask.

"Fine, fine. Listen, why are you being so crazy? Why haven't you returned my texts or calls?"

"I am being crazy?" Somehow this guy brings out the worst in me. "I am being crazy???"

"Okay...okay...sorry, I don't mean crazy like in an insulting way." he says. "I mean...I don't know how to anymore, okay?"

"Okay, Malay, it's okay." I say.

"Listen." he reaches over and grabs my right hand in both of his hands. "I really really love you, okay?"

"Really?" I scoff. "You love me...you LOVE me?"

"Yes, you idiot, I love you...I LOVE you!" he says frustrated. "Why are you avoiding me like this? My sister is about to visit from California. I think you should meet her. And then maybe we can think about meeting my parents."

"Malay, we slept together once and you think you love me? You want me to meet your family?" I laugh. The guy is cute, but please!

"Once?" he throws his head back in surprise. "We have slept together so many times!"

"Are you high?" I laugh at him. "We slept together that day when you had the dental surgery and I took you home. That was the only time."

His shoulders slump a little. He still holds on to my hand and smiles indulgently.

"Ok, so that is the only time I slept with you...as in YOU you. And that was amazing. I know you think I was hopped up on painkillers and maybe I was a little. But I still remember it in detail. I loved it. That is what I am trying to tell you. That was so nice, so pure, so...normal. I love your kooky kinky side, but that time was my favorite. It felt wholesome and healthy and nice."

"So that is what I am to you? A wholesome healthy girl to take to your family?"

"Don't be difficult. You are so much more. I love you. All of you."

"I know how guys like you think. I am the wholesome normal woman to show mom and dad and bring up the kids and take to the soccer practice. While you will still go out and bang Trupti and women like her."

He smiled again. It seemed condescending. And that annoyed me.

"Hey, I love you. And I love Trupti too. I won't deny that all those nights with Trupti have been wild and super erotic. I am not saying we get rid of Trupti. Not at all. I am just saying I also want...you...the actual real dorky you. I fundamentally am in love with you. Trupti is nice to have on the side, but you are the one I love. Do you get that?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I am angry. "You are sitting here and telling me, shamelessly to my face, that you want me as well as Trupti? And still you want me to meet your family? How stupid do you think I am?"

Malay let go of my hand and arched his eyebrows.

"Are you trying to mess with me? Is this some elaborate set-up for a joke like those other times?"

"What?"

"Listen honey...I love you. I love how weird and kinky you are. You are definitely the best sex I have ever had. And you are smart as anything. And have a better career than mine. And you're funny. But you need to dial down on this other stuff. It was fun for a while. But it's like you're getting lost in the character. It's exhausting."

"What character?"

"Trupti Darshan...the character you came up with that night when I called you first? Remember that?"

"What character? Are you insane, Malay?" I ask, aghast. "Trupti is just a character to you? She is a real person. She might be a bit crazy but she is still my friend."

His eyes go big and his mouth opens wide.

"What????"

I look into his eyes and see real worry, even panic. And suddenly, everything I see starts spinning. My heart starts racing.

"Wait...what do you mean Trupti is a real person? You actually know someone named Trupti Darshan?" he is saying.

I stand up with a jolt. The chair falls behind me. What is he saying? What is he implying? Is he trying to gaslight me? Is this a prank?

"Why are you staring at me like that? Where are you going?" he asks in a panicky voice.

I take a few steps back and bump into another couple. Everyone around us is staring. A couple of burly security guys from the event staff come forward.

"Is he bothering you, ma'am?" they ask as they grab Malay.

"I am not bothering her! She is my girlfriend!!" he says trying to shake them off.

"Sir, this is a singles mixer. You might like her but that does not mean she is your girlfriend." one of the guards says.

"I know what this is, goddammit! We are here as a joke!" Malay says and tries to fight them off. I am still stepping away from the whole scene and towards the door. He sees me walk away and shouts, "Honey! Sweetie! Darling! Please wait! You're scaring me!"

I run outside while there is panic behind me. I see Malay fighting the security guys. I keep running. I stand outside the hall feeling seriously confused and sleep-deprived. What the hell was Malay trying to say? I can't wrap my head around it. My head hurts. I need to get home and fast. I open up my Uber app and call a cab. I note the last three digits and the car model. And I wait. Two minutes away, it says.

I am waiting. And I see the black Camry. It pulls over. I open the door.

"Hi...Fariq?" I ask.

"Yes...Trupti?" he responds.

And suddenly Trupti appears next to me, cheek by jowl.

"Yes." she smiles. Pushed me into the car and gets in behind me.

"Trupti! How the fuck did you know I would be here?" I ask as the car starts moving.

"You told me about your Queens singles mixer, remember? So I came to make sure you're okay." she says calmly. "I thought the talented Mr. Singhal might make a scene."

The car starts speeding towards Manhattan. The driver keeps looking in the rearview mirror. I assume he is checking out Trupti.

"He did make a scene. He was being very weird."

"He is weird. But so are you."

"He told me he loves me and wants me to meet his sister and then his parents."

"Well, that is not weird. Even those nights with me, it was obvious that you were the one he was truly into."

"Really?" this is news to me. "And it doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it bother me? He is your type anyway. He was a nice novelty for me at first, but since then I have moved on to other exciting prospects. Like NYU students and hockey jocks and jazz singers."

"Wait...what?"

"Forget that. What did he say about me?"

"He said he loves me but also wants you around. That creep. Who does he think he is?"

"Hehehe." Trupti laughed. "What's wrong with that, sweetie? So you're the homely proper wife and I am the wild minx on the side some nights."

"You are as crazy as he is." I said. "That is just messed up."

"Sigh! Anyway, can we table this Malay discussion for later? We have more important things to handle right now. Like Vernon. He will be coming over to your place in a little bit."

"What the fuck? I told you, you CANNOT use my apartment!"

"But it's ideal. We can set up a couple of cameras." she brushed off my objections. "Anyway, what I wanted to ask you was...how far do I go with him? Kissing, maybe sucking his dick...would that be enough? Or actual sex? I think seeing me riding her husband cowgirl style would really set off Jan."

"Trupti, I need to be firm with you on this." I said. "I do not want you hooking up with my boss's husband in my house. In fact I suggest you drop the plan altogether."

"Oh fuck not this again." she threw her head back.

"Ummm...ma'am." the driver chimed up.

"Yes?" we answered in chorus.

"No offense, but I am getting a little freaked out here. I first thought you were talking on bluetooth. But I see nothing in your ear."

"Relax will you, Fariq?" Trupti said. "Just mind your own business."

"This is my business, ma'am. I am this close to calling 911."

"You want to call 911 because a couple of friends are arguing?" I spoke up.

"I don't see no bluetooth, ma'am."

"Why do you need to see a bluetooth?" I ask.

"What if I show you my tits? Will that make you shut up?" Trupti said reaching for her top.

"See, now that is weird. That is fucking weird. I am pulling over as soon as we are out of the tunnel." the driver says.

Suddenly my head starts throbbing and my vision starts swimming, just like back at that event with Malay. I close my eyes tightly and open them. Trupti is gone. I am the only one in the back seat. I close my eyes again, open them again. She is back. Sitting right next to me. With a rock in her hand! Where did she get the rock?

"I am sorry, but I need to knock you out. For both our sakes." she says. And I feel her hit me with the rock on the back of my head. Hard. I start passing out.

Just before I pass out, I hear her say,

"Okay Fariq, calm down. I was just messing with you. It's a social experiment. We are trying to..."

And I pass out.

I don't know how long I was out. When I wake up, I can barely move. I am bound tightly to a chair in my apartment.

And I am naked!