Half Girlfriend

‘She said she didn’t care. She said the landlord could keep the
deposit.’
He unlocked the apartment. We went in. Her furniture and TV were
all there. I went to the kitchen, Everything seemed to be in its place,
from the condiments to the appliances.The utensils and the gas stove
were still there. I went to her bedroom. I only found her clothes’
cupboard empty.
‘She’s left most of her goods here,’ Hemant said.‘She said I could
sell them.’
‘She did?’
‘Really, she did,' Hemant said, worried I might stake a claim.
‘Madam said I could sell these goods to cover any costs of breaking
the lease or finding the landlord a new tenant.’
‘What else did she say?’ I said.
‘Sir, l can keep these things?’
‘Hemant, tell me exactly what she said. Did she say where she was
going?’
‘No, sir. Sir, even the TV I can keep?’
‘Hemant,’ I said, grabbing hold of him by the shoulder.‘What else
did she say?’
‘She said she wouldn’t be coming back as she has quit her job.’
'Did she say where was she going?' I said, shaking his shoulder.
‘No, sir,' Hemant said, looking scared, ‘Sir, you want some of these
things? Really, I am not that type of person, She did say I could keep
them.’
I ignored him and went to the balcony. I looked down at the street.
I took out the letter from my pocket and read it again.
'I love you,’ it said at the end. I had read that line over a hundred
times on my way to Patna.
‘Not fair, Riya,’ I said out loud,‘not fair.'
‘Sir?’ Hemant came out to the balcony.
'If you hear anything from her, her company, her friends or
anyone, let me know,’ I said.