Party And Prejudice

14. The High

I hated working with Sanam and Ameesha. They only wanted to discuss guys. They seemed to talk about nothing else.

Sure, back in Mumbai, me, Riya and Zoya did have plenty of discussions about guys and stuff but we also talked about why the lion is the king of the forest and whether or not rebirth is real.

Unfortunately, I was stuck with Sanam and Ameesha for the day's work and their non-stop gup about boys was driving me crazy.

So when I heard a kid screaming, I found it a welcome distraction. I turned around to find Neena crying. Laksh was holding her doll, Jalebi Devi in his hand out of her reach.

"Dude, are you serious?", I asked "You're actually fighting with such a small kid?"

"This one won't listen to me", Laksh said "That's why I've taken her doll".

"Lakshan don't be an animal yaar. Just give back the doll".

"No", Laksh said "This kid needs to be taught a lesson. She has no discipline".

Hmmm. Have we heard these lines somewhere before?

Neena bawled even louder. Laksh stormed out of the room with Jalebi Devi under his arm. All my notions that Laksh would be a caring father had evaporated.

I went upto Neena and put my hands on her shoulders, "Don't worry baby, I will get your Jalebi Devi, back for you".

"Promise?", Neena asked holding out her pinky finger.

"Promise", I said shaking her pinky finger with mine.

•••

I still didn't know what Rahul and Zoya had spoken in the restaurant but they seemed to maintain a cool distance from each other after that. Rahul and his band had moved to one of the deluxe cottages inside the resort which had like a hot tub and everything (I tried not to be too jealous - they were VIP guests after all). Josh, meanwhile had been enlightened to all the truths of the matter by Riya.

If Josh was upset, he didn't show it. He and Zoya continued to hang out together, chilling more often in fact. I wished Zoya would just drop the dabbling and take a proper stand.

It was back in Riya's room when Maya, Riya and I were watching one of our favourite series with her that the pressure finally got to Zoya and she broke down.

Riya and I who had been expecting this for sometime immediately sprang into action. We bustled around the room, getting tissues, making coffee, turning on the music and fetching the eyeliner for Zoya to apply after her crying session was over.

Maya who wasn't used to this scenario, didn't know what to do and just sat where she was.

Why do some guys have to make girls cry so much, I thought angrily as I handed a tissue to a sobbing Zoya. Why can't all of them be like Reyansh?

After half an hour of coaxing and pampering, the four of us went down to the icecream parlour inside the resort. I had to admit, though Maya was fun, it was a little weird having her around. We were so used to being three.

"Look at you Zo", I said as we walked along the aisle looking at the display of all the boxes of icecream, "You need to take a stand. Ask yourself if you want to give Rahul another chance. Not that I'm an expert love guru or anything", I added quickly.

"Actually you are", Zoya said with a wry smile "You're the only one among us to have lasted in a relationship for almost two years and you and Reyansh are only going stronger with each day...if you look at it that way, you are indeed the pro. So feel free to lecture us".

"Don't cast the evil eye on her now", said Riya pulling out a two hundred rupee note from her wallet. She whirled it around me thrice before depositing it into the Animals Fund box placed on the counter. Zoya looked pained.

"We could've bought four butterscotch ice creams with that", she said.

"You forget about butterscotch. I'll get you scotch", Riya giggled.

I looked at Riya like she was mad. Which is how I look at Riya most of the time, but well...

We walked out of the icecream parlour without getting anything. The door boy gave us a dirty look.

Once outside, Riya brought out a bottle, "Johnny Walker Black Label", she squealed displaying the bottle infront us. It didn't have the expected effect.

"Oh my God, Riya where did you get this?", I said.

"Being friends with the resort owner's son has it's benefits", Riya declared proudly as she poured out the whiskey for all of us.

We looked at each other's faces for a few seconds before drowning our glasses. Honestly, I felt like spitting it out but didn't. I let it pass down.

Maybe because it was the first time all of us were getting high or maybe that's how it feels, no matter whichever time it is...but twenty minutes later, all four of us were blabbering our heads off.

"See...", Maya said with a giggle "I don't understand why all guys think girls shouldn't drink as much as them. It's fucking sexism".

"Nonsense Maya", I said. I felt light. I felt like I was flying and blabbered on, "Not all guys do that. Reyansh has never told me not to drink. Heck, he has never told me not to do anything. He has never asked me why I hang out with other guys, why I wear shorts or why I don't work out. But you know what makes him the best? His choice. He chose me when he could've chosen any hippie chick. He chose me even though he has cute girls lined up for him. That's why he is the best", I finished proudly.

"Okay enough, Sati Savitri madam..no need to be too proud", Riya said. It was the second time she was calling me Sati Savitri. She had done it once before in school, back in August. Yeah, toppers have good memories. Even when they're drunk.

"You think your Reyansh is some God descended from heaven", Riya continued smugly, "How do you know he isn't cradling with that Sulochana right now?"

"Riya has a point", Zoya said. She had the maximum slur to her speech out of all of us, "I have never trusted Rahul either. I'm sure he has fucked that Sia at some point".

"Who is that Sia now?", Riya mumbled.

"Rahul's bandmate", I supplied.

"Oh", Riya's eyes went wide.

Zoya nodded solemnly, "I still feel like an idiot for trusting him. He has two hundred thousand girls following him on Instagram. Why would he be interested in me?"

"Don't cry baby", Riya said pressing Zoya's cheeks together with one hand, "Nobody will cry anymore. Tonight is for the free and independent women of India! I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the great leaders of our country" Riya said and pumped one fist into the air "Jai Hind!"

"Jai Hind", we all echoed.