Welcome to Chapter III of my novella ‘Peeved’ releasing week by week! You don’t need to read the previous chapters to know what’s happening in this story.
Please use the navigation bar below to go to any chapter you wish.
Recap
The plan was simple: speak my mind, fix the world. In the last 24 hours, I’ve told off a slow pedestrian, two escalator hogs, and an old lady who tried to hold me hostage with her modem. Now I’m off to see a movie with my friends. What could possibly go wrong?
I had cooled down by the time I reached the cinema. Sprinting from the office must’ve flushed the rage out of my system. I made it with five minutes to spare, and now a weird euphoria had taken its place.
Priya and Rakesh, my old friends from uni, were waiting outside the entrance to the cinema. Priya wore her trademark fuzzy pink jumper, her jet-black hair tied in a neat ponytail. Rakesh rocked his tight University of Sydney hoodie. It always looked like it was stitched directly onto his biceps.
‘You look happy,’ Priya said.
‘Where the hell were you?’ Rakesh added.
‘Long story,’ I replied, ‘Some devil lady tried to keep me from both of you, my sweeties.’
Rakesh gasped sarcastically, ‘Tell us more!’
Even though everything we said was harmless, we switched to Hindi. It made public conversations feel private.
I ushered them in, and we hurried through the candy bar. I grabbed a large popcorn, Priya went for a strawberry choc top, and Rakesh clutched a bag of sweet chilli chips and Snickers Pods. The line for the register was a mess. One attendant and three teens holding it up with a sack of five-cent coins.
‘Come on, spill,’ Priya said.
‘It’s a long story.’
‘We’ve got time,’ Rakesh replied, gesturing to the line.
It was a perfect chance to unleash my newfound worldview, but strangely, I no longer cared about being late. I needed to tell them.
‘I’m sick of letting people get away with things,’ I said. ‘From now on, if someone’s out of line, I’m calling it out. No more bottling things up.’
‘Okay…’ said Rakesh.
I explained my work’s policy on how we needed to answer calls until the second we clock out and then the call with Teresa. When I finished, they both stared at me, eyebrows high.
‘Aren’t you worried she’s going to report you?’ Rakesh asked.
‘I don’t care anymore. Let her. I’m not going to lie down and let people step over me.’
Then, as if summoned by karma, a man with a long, curly mullet cut in line in front of us.
Priya and Rakesh shot me a look. This is your test.
‘I’ll show you both,’ I said in Hindi.
‘Excuse me, bro,’ I said in English.
The man spun around, ‘Wot?’
I nearly flinched. His mullet had serious movement. I regrouped and took the tactical route.
‘The back of the line’s just there, behind my friend.’
‘Oh, sorry, mate,’ he said, moving.
That was too easy… I couldn’t let it go.
‘Next time, look before you join the line, maybe?’
‘What did you say, mate?’
‘Drop it, Arj,’ Priya whispered in Hindi.
‘Use your eyes next time,’ I said to Mullet Man.
He leaned in, ‘What’s your problem, huh? I moved. So shut the fuck up or I’ll smash your stupid Paki face in, alright?’
‘I’m Indian, but ten points for trying.’
Rakesh stepped in, raising his palms, ‘Sorry about him, bro. He’s had a hard day.’
‘Yeah, well, if he arcs up again, he’s gonna wish he didn’t wake up this morning.’
‘Okay, okay. Sorry, bro. Have a good one. Enjoy the movie.’
I opened my mouth to say more, but Priya placed a finger on my lips. Rakesh waved us away. I clenched my fists so tight my nails dug into my palms.
The line had cleared. We paid and walked toward the cinema. Before we entered, Priya tapped my shoulder.
‘What the hell was that all about?’ she asked in Hindi.
‘He was a racist. He deserved it.’
‘You didn’t know that before you started the fight.’
‘His mullet told me everything.’
Priya and Rakesh exchanged a concerned look.
‘What’s that for?’ I asked.
‘Nothing,’ said Rakesh.
‘Fine. I don’t care. He won’t do that again. Next time he gets into a line, he’ll think of me.’
‘I don’t want anymore “Arjun Singh: Petty Police” tonight, okay?’ Priya said.
They walked into the cinema before I could reply.
The movie had already started, but I didn’t care anymore.
When we got to our seats, three girls were already sitting in them, giggling with their feet up. In my current state, I was afraid that if I opened my mouth fire would escape and incinerate them. I followed Priya and Rakesh’s decision to sit in the empty row behind them.
We watched the movie in silence. My right leg shook the entire time. I could barely hear the film over the girls’ giggling and popcorn chomping, but I was too distracted to care.
How could Priya and Rakesh not say anything? Why were they happy to let someone ruin their night? And they didn’t even care Mullet Man called me a Paki! Who did they think they were, walking away like that?
I felt like boiling water was coursing through my veins. I wanted to scream at the sky.
***
After the movie, we walked to our cars in silence.
‘Bro, you’ve gotta get out of tech support,” Rakesh said. ‘Come work at mine. You’ll crush it in insurance.’
‘I dunno. The pay’s the same. And besides, I’ve started on my project.’
‘What, telling off old ladies?’ Priya muttered.
‘Oh, shut up,’ I snapped. ‘You’re so afraid of confrontation, you can’t even stick up for yourself. You just smile and let people walk all over you.’
Priya’s voice went cold, ‘Excuse me?’
‘You’re all talk. You act like you’re so empowered, but when it actually matters, you disappear.’
‘Wow,’ she said. ‘Yelling at strangers doesn’t stop you from being that weak little kid who had his head flushed down the toilet in school.’
Rakesh stepped between us, hands raised. ‘Enough!’
I was stunned. The trauma of that memory came flooding back, but I managed to push it away.
I swallowed, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly, ‘If you’re both fine with people like that walking all over you, then maybe we don’t see the world the same way.’
‘Maybe we don’t,’ Priya said. ‘Because the world isn’t broken in the way you think.’
We stood in silence, under the flickering car park lights.
‘Whatever,’ I muttered, storming toward my car.
Priya and Rakesh didn’t say a word.
***
The next morning, I woke up groggy. I hadn’t slept. The fight with Priya replayed in my head all night. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling heavy and alone.
The images of getting a swirlie in school tried to play back, but I willed them away again.
Maybe this was part of the path. Maybe speaking out meant walking away from people who didn’t believe in it. Even friends.
If I was going to embark on this journey, I needed friends who supported me, not ones who held me down. Sometimes great actions require sacrifice.
I reached for my phone and typed in a quote I had half-remembered.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
— Edmund Burke
I stared at the screen for a long time. Then I opened my contacts.
First Priya. Then Rakesh.
I called them both. No pleasantries.
‘I don’t want to see either of you anymore,’ I said. ‘You don’t believe in what I’m doing. That quote I just sent you says it all. There’s no need to explain.’
They were both silent, probably paralysed by their own guilt
Good. That made it easier.
I hung up.
There was nothing left to say…
