Vows of Misfortune

43.

The dress shopping had failed. I didn't like any of the dresses and I ended up settling for an old aqua-blue saree with netting instead.

I mean it was an Indian-American wedding so it wasn't like it was completely off-limits. What else was I supposed to do? I didn't have the appropriate dress. Besides, all I could think about was Romir.

We didn't talk or laugh or joke around as much as we used to. Knowing I had ruined something between us tore me inside. I hated it.

The day before the wedding, things seemed to be going so wrong. I packaged the wrong flower for a customer and they had a go at me.

"If you're not going to pay attention, don't fucking work," he spat, shaking his head and throwing the door open. That had ruined my entire mood. And then on top of that, Amber had sent me home early.

I sat in the car, hitting the steering wheel. My palms were sore and red but I had to get out my frustration somehow. I took heaving breaths, blowing the strands of hair away from my face. This whole situation sucked. I was the reason everything ended up in the way it had.

"You need to get your shit together," I told myself. I tried to start my car but the engine sputtered and fell like it was trying so hard to come to life. "No, no, no, please start." 

A knock on my window made me jump. I peered out. "Varun?" I asked aloud as if he could hear me. He gestured for me to lower my window. "What are you doing here?"

"I know you work here."

"No, I mean, why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk with you. You in a hurry?"

Yes, in a very big hurry. "I'm coming to the wedding," I said, exasperated. "You don't need to keep texting me or trying to talk to me."

"You were supposed to RSVP on the 10th."

"Well, I'm telling you now, aren't I?" Varun clenched his jaw as if he was trying so hard not to lash out at me. Maybe I was being difficult. "Can I go now?"

"How? It looks like your car won't even start."

God, how long had he been standing there?! Wait. Had he seen my mini freak-out? There was no smirk on his face or anything, so I could assume he hadn't.

I really hoped he hadn't.

I got out and tried to open up the hood. Not that I understood what was going on so I went to close it when an arm shot out to keep it held up from behind me.

"I can take a look for you," offered Varun.

"You know how to fix this?" He was useless when it came to repairs; anything that involved a leaking pipe, a faucet or a car breakdown—he never knew what to do.

"If you can suddenly like art, I can suddenly know how to fix cars." He stared at it for a good five minutes, reaching out to touch something and then thinking the better of it. "On second thought, maybe I can't."

"I'll just call Romir, then." 

"Romir?"

"Yeah, he's a mechanic." Varun rolled in his lips like he wanted to laugh. "Is there something you want to say?"

"I thought he was a businessman or something along those reputable lines. But a mechanic?"

"Clearly, he's a lot more useful than you are, right?" That shut him up even as Romir picked up the phone. "Hey," I said into the silent receiver. "My car broke down right outside where I work. Can you please come and fix it for me?"