Chapter 31 - Tuesday 9.30pm

Aarti was in shock! She couldn’t believe he’d walked out with Priti. She hated Priti. Growing up Aarti had always lived in Priti’s shadow. Aarti hadn’t wanted to go to boarding school in London and Mrs Chaudhury had been livid. Priti was four years older than Aarti, and everything she did, Mrs Chaudhury would try to make Aarti do. Priti did ballet, Aarti did ballet, Priti did gymnastics, Aarti did gymnastics. Thanks to her mother her life had been centred around keeping up with Priti Singh!

Aarti sat on the sofa beside Jas and Varun, who were chatting away amiably. She was trying to be as normal as possible and join in where she could. She felt like someone had punched her in the gut. Jas could feel the sorrow radiating out of Aarti and she desperately wanted to console her, but was acutely aware of the fact that Varun and Raj were extremely close and she didn’t want to say or do anything that would upset Aarti further. 

Varun smiled at Jas “So Jas, have you ever considered moving to London, I need a new dentist.” 

Jas laughed out load “You want me to move to London, just so I can take care of your teeth?”

“You would be my favourite dentist!” he winked.

“So I wouldn’t be your only dentist?” she asked, feigning outrage.

“I’m a one dentist kind of guy, I don’t know what you’re suggesting but I’m offended and I..”

Aarti drew in a deep breath and turned to Varun and interrupted him mid sentence “Varun your friend Raj is a moron!”

“Pardon?” Varun was completely taken aback. He realised Aarti was disappointed but wasn’t she the one who had snubbed Raj?

“How could he just walk out with Priti Singh, after my family invited him here. He’s rude!” she said assertively.

“To be fair Aarti, no one seemed to care if he was here or not. It’s not like you came to speak to him when he first arrived.” Varun tried to speak as gently as possible to detract from the harshness of his words.

“That’s not the point. We have invited him and his family for a nice dinner and he’s just walked out, with no regards as to how bad that looks. Clearly he wasn’t taught any manners.” Aarti was fuming, and for some reason it seemed like a good idea to take out her frustrations on Varun.

Varun had had enough. Aarti was behaving like a spoilt brat. He didn’t want to have this conversation in front of Jas, but if he had to, he would. he straightened his back, looked her in the eye, and spoke softly but sternly. “Aarti, forgive my honesty but if any one has shown a lack of manners it has been you. He arrived and you didn’t greet him. You saw him and walked out. When you decided to finally come and say hello, you insulted Priti. You spoke about Priti’s private life, and now you are bashing Raj behind his back. With all due respect, you haven’t been the best host.”

Aarti was lost for words. She hadn’t expected Varun to be so direct. He came across as very easy going, but underneath that jovial flirty exterior was a certain steeliness.

Jas had always been Aarti’s support network, but in this instance felt as though she agreed with Varun. But seeing Aarti recoil with hurt, she had no choice but to stand up for her best friend. “Varun you’re being harsh. Raj could have stayed, but he chose to leave. That wasn’t very gentlemanly.”

Varun stood up, he spotted Dr Gupta senior across the room “Ladies lets agree to disagree. If you’ll excuse me Dadaji is on his own, so I will go and sit with him.” He strode across the room without waiting for the girls to respond. Varun was seething, how dare Aarti suggest Raj was anything but a good guy. Jas was just as bad in his opinion, she should have set her friend straight rather than accept such poor behaviour.

Varun sat down next to Dadaji “You having fun?” he asked quietly.

Dadaji smiled at Varun “Not really. Raj left with the Singh girl without even telling us.” Dadaji stated matter of factly “I thought he liked Dr Chaudhury’s daughter?”

“He did until she snubbed him.” Varun whispered.

“He should have said good bye to his hosts, it would have been the correct thing to do.” Dadaji suggested. 

Varun nodded because he really didn’t know what to say, his evening was going from bad to worse. He wished he had left with Raj and Priti.

“At least his mum will be happy.” Dadaji chuckled to himself. 

Aarti sat staring at Jas “Sorry! I shouldn’t have unloaded on Varun like that. I should have left you two to it.”

“Aarti what came over you tonight?” Jas asked animatedly “he wasn’t wrong, you were rude! From the moment they arrived you behaved like a child.”

Aarti sat back, exhausted and deflated. “I know…. I’m an idiot!”

Chapter 30 - Tuesday 9.15pm

“Well that was awkward.” Raj said as Priti and he exited the foyer of Aarti’s building “I wonder what got into her?”

“I think it’s fair to say she was jealous. Are you and Aarti a couple?” Priti asked gently, not making eye contact.

Raj didn’t know what to say, he and Aarti were definitely not a couple, but they had had a spark. He felt almost disloyal denying the statement, despite the fact that he wouldn’t be lying. “We aren’t a couple. But we have met a number of times.”

The car appeared from around the corner and Salim parked under the building’s canopy. Raj opened the car door for Priti and waited for her to climb inside before he closed the door and walked to the other side and sat beside her.

“So you’re dating?” Priti asked in a no-nonsense tone.

“No, we are not dating. We went out for coffee once, and had one chance encounter, and today has cemented the fact that her and I are not compatible.” Raj decided the best thing to do was be honest. He didn’t like being lied to and wasn’t going to lie to Priti. “So which Bollywood hero are you dating?” Raj was curious. 

Priti laughed “I’m not dating anyone. The gossip columnists need to sell advertising space and my father is well known.”

Raj raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

“I was working on a party for this fairly successful actor, they took a picture of me adjusting his tie.”

Raj smiled “And then…”

“They plastered it on every gossip magazine and celebrity internet site in the country! It was soo embarrassing!” Priti’s face was bright pink, she was clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing.

“You realise there is a way to squash all that?” Raj said sitting back in his seat and smirking.

“How’s that?” she asked curiously.

“We take a picture together holding hands and you put it up on your instagram. People will like and share, and by the end of the week, the story will flip from your romance with actor boy to ‘Who’s the hot new guy?’ By which time I’ll be back in London. Simple.” Raj thought his plan was flawless, she would put an end to the rumours and he would get to be her knight in shining armour.

“Um, thanks but no… Then I’ll be the cheating slut who has way too many boyfriends. I’d rather just leave the story the way it is and hope they spot him with another girl soon.” Priti relaxed in Raj’s company. She could tell he was kind and reliable. Had he not lived soo far away she may have considered getting to know him, but right now, her business came first. She just needed to make her mum think she was giving him a chance. “Listen Raj, can I be straight with you?”

“Of course.” He could tell that whatever she was about to say was unlikely to be good news.

“I’m really focusing on growing my business right now, and I’m not really looking for a husband. Maybe in a few years time. But even then I wouldn’t want some one who lived abroad.” She took a deep breath and continued “But my mum really wanted me to give you a chance, and if I don’t, she will recommend other wedding and party planners to my dads clients”

“And so you need me to reject you?” He asked deflated. He appreciated her honesty but really thought there was something about this girl that felt so familiar and right. She was the perfect combination of smart, beautiful and elegant. She would fit in with his friends and be the perfect dinner date at a work function. Her ambition and drive were also reasons to find her attractive.

“Um, that would be helpful.” She said softly as she played with her bracelet.

“You do realise my mum will kill me. She’s in love with you.” He joked to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry Priti, I’ll tell her you aren’t my type. I’ll get Salim to drop you home.”

“Raj, don’t be hurt. It’s not you, it’s your location. Is there any chance we can be friends?”

“Of course we can be friends, but right now it’s a little bit raw. Is it ok if we start our friendship tomorrow, and tonight I go home and lick my wounds?” Raj was shocking himself with his forthrightness but he couldn’t pretend. He was tired. He hadn’t expected to like one girl let alone two. And both had treated him badly this evening. All he wanted to do was go to the gym and work off his feelings.

“I will text you tomorrow to confirm our friend status!” Priti joked to lighten the mood. “If you could drop me home, that would be awesome.”

Raj asked Salim to make his way to Priti’s home. Once they arrived, Raj, ever the gentlemen, got out of the car and went over to her side to open the door for her. He walked her to the door.

“Well Priti, I guess this is goodbye.” He nodded awkwardly.

“No Raj, we are friends, we will be seeing one another in Mumbai and London.” Priti leaned forward and gave Raj a kiss on the cheek, just as a camera flashed in the distance.

“Oh no, not again!”

Chapter 29 - Tuesday 9pm

“What the hell! Who does he think he is?” Aarti whispered to Jas.

Jas looked towards the door where she saw Varun, Priti and Raj speaking. “What’s the matter?” She asked Aarti, confused.

“How dare he speak to her.”

“I’m lost, dear, can you please explain what you’re talking about.” Jas said sweetly. Jas wondered why she had bothered getting dressed and coming to this. After texting Varun for half the night, she was exhausted and desperately wanted to get out of these clothes and into bed.

“He’s speaking to Priti. I hate Priti. She thinks she’s better than everyone just because she studied abroad. Also isn’t she dating some Bollywood actor?”

“Well he has to speak to someone, you haven’t bothered speaking to him all night. And ‘what has he got to offer you…’ remember!” Jas grabbed a drink from a passing waiter. She desperately needed sugar if she was going to survive the evening. Aunty always had a chocolate fountain, Jas started scanning the room to see where she’d placed it this time.

“I’m going over to say ‘Hi’!” Aarti said determinedly. 

“Thats a wonderful idea, I think it’s the right thing to do.” Jas said encouraged by Aarti’s change of heart.

The girls began walking toward the boys. Aarti grabbed a drink from a passing waiter, downed it in one and put the empty glass back on the tray. 

Raj turned his head away from Priti and noticed Aarti for the second time that evening, and couldn’t help thinking how beautiful she was. But her behaviour had definitely taken away some of the initial spark.

Aarti walked to the group, purposefully, stopped in front of Raj and asked “Hi, how is everyone?” 

“Hi, nice to see you again. We are well, and you?” Raj said awkwardly.

“Hi Aarti, how are you? How is school going?” Priti asked sweetly. 

Aarti couldn’t help but feel that this was one of Priti’s usual condescending statements. She was the queen of the humble brag. Obviously trying to point out that Aarti was still at med school while she was woman of the world, working and living the high life.

“Medical school is going well, thanks. What about you? I heard you were dating Mr Bollywood himself…”

Raj couldn’t believe the exchange. Who walked over to a person and immediately asks such a controversial question especially in front of two virtual strangers.

“Don’t believe everything you read in the society pages Aarti. You know better that that.” Priti said calmly, but her eyes flashed with anger.

Varun sensed the tension in the air and decided to change the subject. “And how are you, Jas?”

“I’m very well thanks.” Jas responded distractedly, she couldn’t believe Aarti’s behaviour. She had never seen her like this before. It was almost as though she was possessed by her mother!

“Did you have a good night’s sleep?” Varun asked cheekily.

“Well actually I didn’t. I was rudely woken up and then couldn’t get back to sleep.” 

“Oh really, I couldn’t sleep either, you see my reality is better than my dreams at the moment!” Varun flirted outrageously to deflect from the obvious tension Aarti’s statement had caused.

“You’re sooo cheesy!” Jas giggled. While everyone else looked like they were about to gag.

“So, how do you two know one another?” Aarti asked cattily, staring daggers at Raj.

“Our mothers are school friends.” Priti interjected just as Raj opened his mouth to speak. “Actually, we are just on our way out. but lovely seeing you again Aarti.”

Jas turned to Varun, disappointed “Oh you’re leaving?”

“No, he isn’t, just Priti and Me.” Raj said quickly. “Take care Aarti” Raj turned to Jas and Varun “Nice to see you again Jas, I’ll see you at home Varun. Shall we, Priti?”

Priti smiled at Aarti, grabbed her shawl and walked away, Raj nodded and left.