The Other Side Read online

  ‘Yes Sam, there are many things. This is not the right place to talk about it. Care to come home for a coffee? We can sit and talk more privately,’ asked Monica.

  Sam thought for a while, as he had to go for his surprise dinner date. He was reluctant, but eventually gave up as saving Josh’s and Monica’s marriage was more important. Besides, he really needed to get to the bottom of this break-up. His life could also tear apart in a similar way. He could always go on the date tomorrow. The two made their way to Monica’s new apartment, where she was staying currently.

  ‘So tell me. If you are going to tell me about that Ashton Martinson website and talking to a stranger, then I know about it. Trust me, Josh had only opened the account out of curiosity,’ said Sam even before Monica had spoken.

  Monica decided to tell Sam everything. Even what Josh had not told Sam and Harvey.

  ‘It’s not only about opening the account in that website, Sam. Many other things are happening in our marriage. The scam only triggered my decision,’ said Monica.

  She got up in between to get the coffee along with some cookies. After sipping a few sips of freshly brewed coffee, Monica continued.

  ‘For a year after our marriage things were very good between us. Emotionally, mentally and physically as well. The physical part suffered gradually; the frequency of our intimate sessions reduced. He had started losing interest. At first, I thought it was due to stress, but even when we were on vacation, he hardly showed any interest. Eventually, he stopped. We were hardly two years into our marriage when he stopped the physical relationship entirely. At first, I showed patience, but then everything has its limit. I gave him six years of marriage without any physical intimacy. It was frustrating. I wanted kids, I wanted to plan my family like normal couples, but this way it was not possible. I tried talking to him and figure out what the problem was, but he would never cooperate. I thought he could be having an extramarital affair and might be in love with someone else and thus he was not keeping normal relations. But it was not like that. He loved me, and he always proved it by his other gestures. He didn’t want to leave me, he would share all his problems and office work with me. Our compatibility was good enough, and that kept us going for a few years. But then for how long?’ said Monica.

  Sam didn’t know how to react to this dilemma. The problem was not only limited to the website. There was silence for a while. Monica kept gazing out of the window, as if in deep thought and kept sipping her coffee. Then, she continued. The sharp afternoon sun rays passed through the glass and gleamed on Monica as she spoke.

  ‘This is only the first basic reason for our divorce. You want to know the second? You will be shocked to hear that one out,’ said Monica.

  She got up and went into her room in the middle of the conversation. Sam’s curiosity raised to another level. She came out of the room with the laptop in her hand. As soon as Sam saw the laptop, he recollected what Josh had said – about how Monica had found out.

  ‘Hey, I know about this laptop story – your source about Josh chatting with a girl,’ said Sam.

  ‘Oh yes, a girl! Go ahead and read their conversations and make sure you don’t miss your heartbeat,’ remarked Monica.

  Sam didn’t understand Monica’s sarcastic comment and went ahead to read the conversations Josh had made over the chat.

  Josh: Oh my God, the photo you sent previous night was so hot. I loved your nipple. Come on now, it’s been long that we are chatting, send me your other photos, please.

  Harry: Common baby, you can wait. Why so desperate? I will let you have my photo and me. You tell me when you are you meeting.

  Josh: Will not tell you unless you send the photo.

  Harry: Okay, okay

  (Harry posts two images, one after another.)

  Josh: Oh my God Harry, I love your chest, your neck, I cannot wait to see you. How about your place today evening?’

  Sam was wrecked after reading it, Josh was gay! He couldn’t believe it. Harry had sent were his naked photos, which Josh was admiring. The state of shock was prominent on his face. He was spellbound, he lost his voice and words to speak or react. Monica observed all this and just smiled. She knew he would show this reaction. It only proved that Josh didn’t tell him the other side of the story.

  ‘Am so sorry Monica, I didn’t know all this and before knowing the other side of the story I started giving you advice. This is just so intolerable. I cannot imagine Josh would ...’ words deserted Sam.

  Sam kept quiet for two minutes, but his expressions spoke thousands of words. He was still not able to digest the fact. He saw Monica gazing out of the window, there was no sadness or grief on her face. She seemed very cool to talk about the fact that Josh was gay and that they were taking a divorce. Sam found that little weird.

  ‘But Monica, if you knew about his affair with a gay man, then why didn’t you react at that time? Why did you decide to go in for divorce only after the scam?’ asked Sam.

  ‘Certain things take time Sam. To think, to decide. It’s a life-changing decision. You have no idea how fragile relationships are. And easy it is to lose somebody. It shifted the entire focus in my life,’ answered Monica.

  Her answer made sense. Sam could not have asked anything further. It was a strong-headed decision. Sam didn’t know what more to say. He consoled her and left for home.

  Chapter 16

  In choosing to go off on the coffee meeting with Monica, Sam could not make time for the surprise dinner date he had planned for his wife. He felt guilty, but cancelled all the reservations.

  He opened the ring case, took a glance, smiled and kept it inside his pocket with utmost satisfaction. He had managed to get one of the best pieces of jewellery in Los Angeles.

  While on the way, he remembered his conversation with Monica. He called Harvey to discuss what he had read and heard at Monica’s place. Even after listening to all her justifications for her decision to divorce, Sam found something missing. He was not able to digest how relaxed and comfortable Monica was with her divorce. She hardly looked heartbroken. Instead, he found Josh more worried about his separation with Monica, even after the website scandal.

  ‘Hey, how was your day Rach?’ Sam asked her as he entered home. He was expecting a blunt reply. But for a change, it was better.

  ‘All good, but tiring; food is on the dining table Sam, please help yourself,’ answered Rachel and headed for their bedroom. Sam had expected to have dinner together. But Rachel had eaten earlier. He realized his fault. He had come late. And for many days now, Sam had not been reaching home on time. He desperately wanted this silence between them to end. By the time Sam entered the bedroom, Rachel was fast asleep. Sam found it absurd. Even when very tired, Rachel would not sleep early; she would generally sleep after Sam was deep in sleep. She needed a little time on the television, a book or the phone before finally sleeping. Sam knew the problem was himself and thought of fixing it the next day by taking her out for dinner and presenting her the ring.

  The next day Sam woke up with new hope and a smile. As always, he went to the window to say hello to the shining sun and his plants. Rachel and Sam both were very fond of plants, and they had made a little garden in their balcony. Both of them would start their day after taking a soothing glimpse of its freshness. Sam looked out for Rachel to talk to her and ask about her dinner plan, but Rachel was nowhere around. So he began to prepare for his day, its cheer and hope marred by his wife’s early exit.

  ‘Sir, your orange juice is ready and Sir ...’ – but Sam did not let his valet complete what he had to say. Sam was occupied in reading a text message from Rachel.

  ‘Hey, I have left for work early as I have a morning meeting today. Your breakfast instructions are given, and Tim will help you with that. I might be late from work this evening, so don’t wait for me at dinner.’

  Sam was rather upset after reading the text. Another silent day for them. Yet again, his plans to take her out to dinner was postponed. Moreover, she w
as not even around that they could speak. The aura around his house had become a little dull for him. Sam had his breakfast and left for work. As he reached the parking area of his office, his phone rang. It was Monica.

  ‘Hey Sam, good morning, I hope, I am not bothering you in your work hours?’ asked Monica.

  ‘No, not at all, Monica. Good morning to you too, so all well?’ asked Sam.

  ‘Yes, it is only that I don’t want you to say anything about yesterday’s conversation to Josh. He would feel terrible about you knowing his reality. He would be annoyed with me more,’ said Monica in a pleading voice.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry about it, I do understand. I will not discuss any of these things with him. But you know what, I really liked your concern for him. You know, he is in a terrible state right now. He cannot digest that you guys are taking a divorce. He says he regrets about everything and he realizes he loves you a lot. I know it’s not appropriate, but cannot things work out for you guys? Isn’t there any way out?’ asked Sam.

  ‘Sam, it’s not easy now. It’s like asking to rejoin a broken glass tumbler and make it whole. I have moved on. He should have thought of it earlier,’ answered Monica.

  ‘Monica, I hope you are not taking a hasty decision. I suggest you think it over,’ said Sam.

  ‘Sam, can you meet today at a café or something? I cannot talk about this matter over the phone; is it okay by you?’ asked Monica.

  ‘Okay fine, anything it takes for you guys to get together. I will be there. I will message you the timings in some time, see you then,’ said Sam.

  Sam reached the café at 6 p.m. sharp. He wanted to give it a try if his friend’s marriage could be saved. It would be great if things worked out positively between them, say like their first year of marriage. He knew, at times you needed other people to mend broken relationships, as half of the breakups were due to misunderstandings between overblown egos. With hope, he waited for Monica.

  ‘Hi Sam,’ waved Monica as she walked inside the café.

  To Sam’s shock, she was there with a man, who looked a little older than Josh. The way they walked inside it looked as if they were into some relationship. Sam didn’t know what was coming.

  ‘Sam, meet Jacob. He is a doctor by profession, and we love each other. We are planning to get married soon,’ said Monica.

  Sam was astonished, he was not expecting any of these. He didn’t know how to react. He was cold with his reactions. Monica understood his state of shock. She knew now he wouldn’t ask her to make up with Josh anymore.

  ‘Sam, I know what you are thinking. I met Jacob via the same website, which Josh too had signed up for – the Ashton Martinson website. When I came to know about Josh’s account for the first time, I was devastated. After days, I opened the website to check. I made an account and started chatting with Jacob. It felt like we knew each other for years. We share a unique compatibility, and I feel happy when I am with him. I was never this happy in a marriage with Josh, I hope you understand Sam. And please, it a request, don’t tell Josh anything about our meetings. He would not be able to face you. I want to tell him everything later when the time permits. It’s not the right time to tell him about this. I still care about him. He is a good person. It’s just that it didn’t work between us,’ said Monica.

  It had been a disappointing day for Sam since morning. Day by day he could see the influence the Ashton website had been having on folks. Like Monica and Josh, there were millions others who would be suffering. He left the café and proceeded to office. He wanted to finish pending work. As it is, Rachel was not going to come home early, and he didn’t want to be alone in the house.

  Sam got stuck in the evening traffic, and kept observing the busy streets of Los Angeles. Just then, at a traffic signal, he saw a glimpse of Rachel across the street. He wanted to make sure and checked properly. He was in shock after what he saw. A perfect end to a shocking day. He saw Rachel entering the office of a famous divorce lawyer in town. He was traumatized. Was Rachel planning to hand him a divorce? Did she know about the scam? If no, then why would she consider a divorce?

  Thoughts flooded his mind. He wanted to know what was happening. He called Rachel.

  ‘Hey sweetheart, where are you?’ asked Sam over the phone.

  ‘Hey dear, I am busy with work. You know, I had mentioned to you that I would be late for home, so can I call you in some time?’ answered Rachel in a busy tone.

  ‘Okay, no problem.’ Sam had no option but to disconnect the phone.

  Sam had no interest left in going to the office for his unfinished work. He left for home with several thoughts weighing his mind. He wanted to go home, have some drinks and wait for Rachel. He needed it badly. He had decided he would talk to Rachel anyhow that night and discuss everything that had happened in the past few days.

  Chapter 17

  When Rachel reached home, it was very late. Sam had finished the whole bottle of scotch by that time, waiting for her. Now he was in no good sense to talk to Rachel about anything. She simply took him to the bedroom and made him sleep. She was exhausted.

  The next morning Sam got up with a severe headache. Possibly he had been sobbing and worrying too much along with gulping the drinks. On seeing Rachel all dressed up and about to leave for work, he stopped her.

  ‘Wait, wait Rach, I want to talk to you. Why are you in so much of a hurry? You know we have not had time to talk about us, can you not wait for me to have breakfast together?’ asked Sam.

  ‘About us? Like seriously, you even think of it? That’s news to me. I always saw you busy with work and ignoring me. Remember our so-called last date, which you cancelled because you had to fly to Vegas. And did you even mention anything you do or work? You were in your own world, and I don’t want to disturb you,’ said Rachel.

  ‘What silly things have you been thinking about, Rach? You are mad at me since that time, and you do not bother to share a word about it? And ... leave it, you let me know when you are free, I want you to take you out for dinner,’ Sam tried cutting off the argument.

  ‘I don’t know Sam; I will let you know. I am a little busy as I have to fly to New York for work day after tomorrow, now I need to leave for work. And don’t think I am rude to you or something. Am just trying to be you. This is how work is taken seriously, I have learned this art from you.’ Rachel winked and left.

  This was not the right time to bring up the scam. Sam postponed his plan of telling her, when she had a calmer mind.

  There was something about Sam that irked Rachel and due to which their relationship had suffered. Rachel had stopped trusting Sam. It was about an employee at Sam’s office, a few years back. She was in her early twenties and looked resplendent. Sam shared an excellent rapport with her, and Rachel didn’t have a problem over that. But it was when he started getting text messages late at night and good morning messages every morning, Rachel saw red. She checked those messages and also came to know the nature of their chats. It was hardly work-related. Once or twice, Rachel asked Sam about those chats, and he just made it sound casual. Rachel found it unnatural. Sam sensed it and started deleting his messages. Now, this act was a complete spoiler. Rachel began to suspect him even more. It confirmed her belief that Sam was hiding something between him and his sexy employee. Rachel began to feel possessive and insecure about it and got into a habit to check Sam’s phone. It was their age to feel that way. They had hardly crossed twenty-five. Sam didn’t like Rachel getting stressed over these things. He loved Rachel but wanted her to be a little casual about it. It was when Rachel saw the itemized bill details of Sam’s number that she actually called him out. Sam and his employee chatted almost every minute possible during work hours as well, and the duration of calls between them were also unnaturally long. It was definitely more than a casual thing. Rachel had confronted Sam about it and they had a huge fight over it. The argument got severe, and it took a few months to get sorted. Eventually, Sam had to stop talking to that specific employee, and he had to
remove her from his office.

  After this incident, Sam was cautious with his actions, and Rachel too was more alert about things. She tried, though, to be less possessive about Sam and gave him his space in the marriage. Things were going good between them when one day, technology decided to screw Sam again.

  Once Rachel was fidgeting with her phone and surfing the internet, and she came across a new setting on her Apple phone. It was ‘frequent locations’, one of the options on location services which people were unaware of. Even if one switched off the setting of the location service, the frequent location would be on and would show all the data of where one had travelled in the last few days. Now, this was interesting. Rachel always kept her location services off so that no one could track her, but even after that, every minute detail of where all she had travelled showed up in ‘frequent locations’. She was zapped, and she decided to use the trick with Sam. First, being excited, she wanted to talk to him about it, but then she had decided to do something else.

  ‘Sam, I want to show you something, can you give me your phone for a minute?’ Rachel asked.

  Sam was busy watching television, so had quickly given her his phone. They both were lazing around in the bedroom post-dinner when Rachel had asked for the phone. She had unlocked his phone and went to the settings of ‘frequent locations’. To her surprise, Sam had visited several different places in in a three-day span, apart from his office.

  ‘So, how was your day in office, Sam, where all did you go?’ Rachel asked in a very casual tone.

  ‘Nowhere Rach, I was busy in the office today. So straight to home after office. You tell me what you did all day,’ Sam said.

  Rachel was zapped with his answer. It was getting serious. The frequent locations of Sam’s phone clearly showed that he had visited certain places which were far away from his office, out of which one was a shopping mall. It showed the time as well, what time he had reached and for how long he stayed. Sam had been lying, clearly. Rachel’s blood had started boiling. She wondered why Sam had to lie. Her peace of mind and life had again got disturbed. The feeling of insecurity came back into their relationship. She had thought of not telling Sam about the frequent location thing for a few days, but waited.