The Queen's Dilemma

Ch. 21: Déjà Vu

Nandini and Lily were all grins when Rani went to the food station. The teens had torn up that area too, leaving a trail of pizza boxes and grease filled napkins in their path of destruction.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," Lily said, dragging out the word. "Just you two looking happy."

"You're not going to tease me about this, are you?"

"Nah, just feeling happy for the both of you. Do you remember how you were when you first moved here?"

"Yes, but I also don't want to remember how much of a creep I was to him."

Nandini snorted, choking on the water she'd inhaled, before cracking up. "Oh, we're definitely not letting you forget that."

Before Rani could give them a good comeback, Charlie caught her arm. "Ms. Rani! There's someone here who says he knows you? Back from the city?"

Did Ram come again? Only he could crash a random person's party and get the host to introduce him to others.

The other two women twittered behind them, as Charlie steered Rani up to Holly's group. Matt stood next to two other people, while Holly blabbered next to him.

Matt's face showed no welcome; steely anger seemed to radiate towards Holly while his jaw clenched tightly. Despite the fun music and happy surroundings, he looked like he wanted to punch someone.

"This is him," Charlie whispered. She started twisting her hair over and over.

The world fell out from underneath Rani's feet. The pounding in her chest drowned any other words Charlie kept jabbering. Trembling erupted in her hands as she took in the man across from her.

Vishnu stood with Kriti at his side. He still looked the same: perfect nose, thin cheeks, and cunning hazel eyes. A mop of hair fluttered as he moved around.

Words failed Rani. How had he known to come to this town?

Did Ram betray her? He'd been sincere in promising her that he wouldn't tell anyone about where she was. Fear flooded her heart as words and sentences failed to take form in her brain.

"Wow!" Holly exclaimed. "Matt, you two really look similar. Do you have a long-lost brother?"

His jaw tightened even further, and a vein seemed to pop up on his forehead, but Matt kept silent. When Rani's eyes connected with his, he glanced away sharply and sighed, as if disappointed.

Her stomach dropped and rolled away.

Vishnu laughed, fake and whole, like he always did in social situations. "No, I'm pretty sure I don't have any other siblings other than my older sister, right Rani?"

Kriti didn't laugh with her husband; she, like Rani, seemed to have horror bleeding all over her face. She tugged on his arm. "Vishnu, I think we need to leave from here. Like right now."

Holly huffed, pouting like the manipulator she was. "Nonsense! I can bring some of my own friends to my daughter's party, can't I, Kriti? We've been friends since college."

Deliberately, it seemed, she paused before saying, "Wait, but how do you two know Rani? I thought she just randomly moved here from the city?"

Rani's throat dried up faster than rain in the desert; words wouldn't jump out of her throat no matter how much she kept trying to shovel them out. Slow thuds from her heart echoed throughout her entire body, drowning the words that Holly blabbered out.

"Oh, we're old family friends," Vishnu said. "Childhood friends, actually."

Rani breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. At least he hadn't said they'd been together.