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Thirty Five

Sidharth

"There was a change of plans." As she brings the refilled champagne glass to her lips, I feel the tension in me start to build, and my back goes straight. "Your parents are going to walk the red carpet with you."

I grind my teeth and almost hiss, "Who changed the plans?"

She shrugs her shoulders, turning to look at my mother. "Rita mam, let's go freshen up our lipstick. It's almost time to go." My mother looks at me with worry in her eyes, and then turns to follow Ila.

"Beta," my father says from the couch where he went to sit down the minute we finished the toast, "I know you don't want to hear this, but . . ."

I shake my head and turn to look out the window, grabbing my phone and texting her.

Me: Where are you?

Did she change the plans, did the studio, or did Ila? I'm not going to say anything until I get confirmation, but if it was Ila, things needed to change and now.

I wait for her to answer, wait for her to see the message, but nothing. "The car is here," Ila says as she comes back into the room, followed by my mother. My father gets up and puts out his arm, and my mother takes her place at his side.

"Let's go," I say, walking in front of them with my phone staying silent in my pocket. Getting off the elevator, I keep my head down. Ila walks beside me, and my parents stay behind me. This night is not starting like I planned or wanted. The black limo is waiting for us, the driver opening the door when he sees me.

"I'll get in first since I have to get out last," I say, getting into the car. Ila follows me, then my mother, and finally, my father gets in last. I sit at the end of the bench in front of them, getting my phone out when it finally buzzes, and I see it's from Shehnaaz.

shehnaaz: I'm where I'm supposed to be on the red carpet, getting ready to interview people.

What the fuck is she talking about? She isn't supposed to be anywhere but by my side. It was discussed and agreed on that she would take Paris.

Me: Why aren't you here?

My anger is past the point of no return. It was past the point of no return when Ila was rude to her and she didn't back down. I see the little gray bubble with three dots, and I know she's typing. I wait for her response, and when I get it, the little sanity I had left snaps.

Shehnaaz: Someone from your camp made a request you walk the carpet with your parents. Gotta go.

My eyes fly up, and I'm not surprised to see that my father has been watching me this whole time instead of looking out of the window at the sights. "You changed the plans?" I ask softly and quietly. Ila stops talking and turns to me.

"What are you talking about?" she asks, looking at me, but I see her swallow.

"I'm talking about Shehnaaz, Ila," I start low, my eyes never leaving her. "I'm talking about her walking the red carpet with me, and my camp making a request that it's changed. A request you know I never put in."

"I think there might have been a miscommunication then," she says. "Maybe they misunderstood me when I said your parents were walking with you." We stare at each other, me knowing she is lying and her knowing I know.

"Look at all those people," my mother says to change the atmosphere in the whole car. "There must be thousands of people."

The car comes to a stop at the bottom of the steps we have to walk up to the red carpet. It's the same steps that are in the final scene of the movie. The car comes to a stop, and the driver gets out and opens the door. My father gets out first, his hand coming into the car to help my mother out.