2| Broken Hearts

"I wish I had my own business!" Jess exclaimed. Since the start of the academic session, Jess had been bursting with enthusiasm to launch his personal business venture. He used to exchange different proposals with his friend Vicky. He dreamed of establishing a computer institute in the nearby town and shared his vision with him. And Vicky also expressed his willingness.

Jess revealed that he had a flat near his residence, ideal for housing the institute, and proposed that they start a computer training center together, with their classmate Sara. Sara, of the same age, often spent time with the two friends, and while Vicky saw her as just a friend, Jess harbored emotional feelings for her.

After careful planning, they decided on a range of short computer courses, including hardware techniques, and created an admission form and leaflet outlining the details, duration, and f*e structure. Leveraging their computer science background and expertise in programming languages and operating systems, they named their institution "Gateway to 2000".

It was not a big start. The setup consisted of a large hall, an office, and a small room, equipped with necessary furniture and ten Persona Desktop computers. They distributed leaflets, put up a billboard, and launched their initiative, installing ten Personal Computers at the site.

At first, they received an overwhelming response, enrolling twenty students within the first month. They leveraged their college network for marketing, attracting additional students. As time passed, they grew more enthusiastic about their venture, exploring new opportunities.

Vicky balanced his part-time job and other responsibilities while being kind and altruistic towards Sara. Vicky's affectionate nature drew Sara closer to him, and she began to prefer his company over Jess's. Initially, Sara was interested in Jess, but her feelings shifted towards

Vicky as they spent more time together. Vicky noticed that Sara and Jess would often stay at the institute beyond operating hours, engrossed in conversation. He realized that they had developed a romantic connection and chose not to intervene, respecting their bond.

Over time, their relationship strengthened, and Vicky had no doubts about the sincerity of their passion for each other. He maintained his own unique place in their lives, appreciating their love for each other.

One day, Jess asked Vicky, "If I abandon Sara, will you take her in?" Vicky was taken aback by the question, his mind racing with confusion and disbelief. He remained silent, unsure how to respond to such a strange inquiry. Sara attempted to assure her loyalty to Jess, but he refused to listen, his mind seemingly made up. "You'll maintain your relationship with Sara no matter what happens in our lives," Jess continued, his tone firm and resolute.

Vicky was shocked by Jess's inquiry, unable to comprehend why his friend would even suggest such a thing. Sara, however, sensed that Jess's family issues and attitude were driving his behavior. She knew that Jess's family had always been a sensitive topic for him, and his recent behavior suggested that something was amiss.

As the days passed, Jess's behavior became increasingly aggressive and erratic. He would pose absurd questions to Vicky and Sara, his anger and frustration evident in his tone. "Do you think I'm useless?" he would ask, or "Do you think I'm incapable of taking care of Sara?" His behavior was both shocking and disturbing, leaving Vicky and Sara appalled and unsure how to react.

The situation culminated in a shocking incident where Jess threatened to shoot himself in front of Sara. Sara's frantic call left Vicky stunned, and he rushed to the institution, his heart racing with fear. When he arrived, he found Jess holding a pistol, his emotions out of control. Vicky tried to intervene, determined to defuse the situation and prevent any harm from coming to his friends

Vicky approached Jess and said, "Shoot me first, and you'll be relieved of the misery fueled by your imagination. This is all because of me." "Leave me alone, please," Jess requested.

Vicky tried to take the blame and let Jess vent his frustrations. "Calm down, Jess, calm down." Vicky approached and let Jess speak something. Despite Jess's continued threats to shoot himself, Vicky coaxed him into handing over the pistol, and within a split second, he grabbed it and unloaded it at once. Vicky immediately left the room, relieved that the situation had been defused.

Realising that he couldn't keep Sara safe, Vicky decided to speak with her parents about either taking care of her or arranging their marriage as soon as possible.

However, his plan was met with disappointment when Sara's mother asked Vicky to take responsibility for her daughter's well-being, saying, "She's under your supervision now.

You can't leave us alone. Decide what you can do for her. You're the only one who can handle this vulnerable situation." Vicky consoled Sara's mother.

Vicky's plan had backfired, and he felt helpless. "What should I do now? How can resolve the situation and quit himself?" Vicky thought. He wanted to distance himself from the situation, but it seemed inescapable.

Fortunately, Vicky had to leave for an outstation assignment, providing a temporary reprieve. Although he didn't intervene during his absence, it allowed Sara and her parents to decide reasonably and independently. They had some meeting and reached some good conclusions.

'O thank God!' Upon his return, Vicky was thrilled to hear that both couple of parents had agreed to the proposal, and Sara and Jess were happily engaged, settling their affairs mutually. Vicky was quite relieved to have a safe exit from their lives for a few years to come, grateful that the situation had been resolved without involvement of his.

Jess attempted to apologize to Vicky in the most sincere way possible, but Vicky didn't allow him to discuss the matter more. Vicky tried to escape himself quietly but some business matters remained unsettled, time passed, and both Vicky and Jess suffered losses in their respective shares.

Vicky bore a greater loss since there were only two partners instead of three, as initially planned. Despite this, Vicky felt content, thinking that the situation had finally ended on a positive note. However, whenever he reflected on the incident, he couldn't help but shudder and quickly push the thoughts aside. "What a great mess!"