Last Sunday, I was on my laptop arranging my college files when a message popped up. It's unlikely to recieve a text from my bestfriend on messenger. We're used to communicate via other convenient apps. I opened the text that read, "Why are you ignoring me?" Considering the fact that we talked nearly one hour only that morning, it doesn't require rocket science to deduce that she was just pulling my leg. I replied the bogus text with another bogus text "Who are you?" to which the answer came "your lover"! Needless to say, Miso and I could turn any serious discussion into utter nonsense in no time. I burst out laughing and sent her two funny emoticons. The next message however made me frown(a little) - "If you can't appreciate my concern, atleast don't make fun of my emotions." I knew she was still messing around but I was always two steps ahead so I simply typed - "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings :(" and sent.
The thread went on and on untill I realised something was fishy about the style of texting. We hardly used abbreviations even when we're in haste but those messages were full of shortcuts and weird acronyms. The next five minutes made me grow more suspicious and doubtful if she was doing it intentionally to test me. The blow came when she asked me for a selfie. At that moment I knew it wasn't her. I grabbed my phone and dialled her number at once. She couldn't wrap her head around everything that was happening and confirmed that she wasn't even using messenger for last two weeks. We both speculated it to be her creepy ex boyfriend San.
"Niki, let's do something before he tempers with my account" Miso requested. So we came up with a plan. I went back to messenger and replied with a rhetorical question - "Were not you supposed to send me the pictures we clicked at your place yesterday?" I was really anticipating for something like - "oh! I got them deleted" and San would have been busted then and there. But to my surprise, I received - "When did you come to my place yesterday? You were here only last month." Damn! San was smart. Was he still in touch with Miso during the last six months after they had broken up? I was alarmed learning that he knew when I visited her last. I sent him a smirked face & recieved one same.
"By the way", I texted to fuel San "remember the cute guy staring at us in the book fair last Wednesday?" The reply came - Yes. It striked me that perhaps San was as well stalking us. "Well, what about him?", he questioned. Without a pause I replied - "I got his number, do you want it?" Back in my mind, I was thinking perhaps San was taken aback imagining losing Miso forever. He was in fact too jealous of her male friends and colleagues. This time it took the stalker whole two minutes to type a simple yes. I intentionally sent him my elder brother's number expecting a call anytime provided such a creep San was! I was almost sure that he would try to prevent Miso from getting involved with another guy. So I tutored my brother to fake his identity and take that call. As expected, after fifteen minutes or so, his phone beeped. He put the call on loudspeaker for me to listen everything. "Hello" a hoarse dominating voice from the other side of the line greeted. My brother inquired who he was. The stranger without any delay put forth his proposal "Can you please let your sister Niki speak please?" I went numb. I knew it wasn't San. The voice wasn't familiar. I abruptly questioned "Who are you?" The reply baffled me - "The cute guy from the book fair."
Who is the hacker..?
So it was your best friend only then? 🙄