The Wedding Tamasha | PUBLISHED

Chapter 4

Back home from the hospital, Shweta helped Max settle down on the bed in her room. She grabbed some ice and gently pressed it on his nose. Luckily, the doctor had said that he hadn't broken any bones and just needed to get some rest. But Shweta could see that he was in pain.

'Was it Alex?' she asked, propping an extra pillow behind him to support his head.

'We had a fight over his money. He thinks I stole it,' Max mumbled.

She raised her voice, unable to contain her anger. 'I don't understand why you left this place!' She pushed her hair out of her eyes. 'I've been watching you get hurt and you still keep going back. This is called abuse, Max. When will you ever come to your senses? How many times have I told you not to—'

'Shweta, please, stop clucking like a hen—Ow!' His hands moved up to grab his jaw and he grimaced with pain.

She stopped shouting immediately and hung her head in shame. He'd done the opposite for her, she reflected, talking to her kindly and making her feel at home when she'd first arrived, confused and anxious after running away from Raj's home. In the brief time that they'd lived together, they'd grown so thick. Telling herself that she now had to be softer when he was hurting inside, she got up to make some ginger tea.

Setting Max's tea by the bed, she took her cup and stood by the window, throwing open its glass panes. The cold breeze blew against her face. Lights twinkled in the distance. She took a long slow sip of her tea, enjoying its sweet and spicy flavour that rid her of her stress.

Feeling better, she let out a deep breath and returned to Max, ready to apologize for getting mad at him.

'I'm not going back,' Max said, suddenly.

She glanced towards the desk and noticed his bag underneath it, but that didn't mean much. 'I hope you mean it, Max. I really hope this time it will be for good.'

'I mean it! I gave him a black eye,' he said, lifting his hand and showing his bruised knuckles.

He looked like such a sweet puppy when he said that. 'I'm sorry,' she said, and leaned in to plant a kiss on his cheek. 'I missed you.'

'Ow!' Max's hand went up to his cheek.

'Sorry!' Shweta smiled. 'That bad?'

He nodded sheepishly.

She put her arm around his shoulders. 'Drink up and let's watch a movie tonight. You pick. I can't wait to celebrate, now that you're back.'

Max emptied his cup and gave it back to her looking more cheerful already. Once again, Shweta was reminded of how cute he looked despite the swollen nose and how she loved everything about him, including his love of colour and his discerning eye for style which was apparent from his pink striped shirt and trendy tan pants. But most of all, she was glad he was back. She placed the empty cups back on the kitchenette counter and went back to join him.

Now that Max had gathered himself and was going to spend a peaceful night with her, Shweta realized she'd really been looking forward to a movie and some company tonight. She headed to the second hand TV on the wall beside the front door and switched it on. Then taking the two movie CDs Max and she had picked up together at the sale last weekend, she showed them to him, giving him the choice. She held the CD for Queen in her right hand and the one for Lunch Box in the left, waving her hands excitedly.

He pointed to her right hand and picked Queen.

As Max settled under the sheets, Shweta told him all about her mother's call that morning and that Simbu had planned to get married in December. 'I'm not ready to tell them about Raj. Mum would be devastated and Dad would send me right back to him.'

'So, your brother's getting married and you don't want to tell them about Raj. Then what are you going to do?'

Shweta wished she knew. She'd hoped to hold off telling them for as long as she could but now with the wedding, they were bound to find out. 'I don't know, Max. I'm really at my wit's end.' She wiped her clammy hands on her jeans before she inserted the disc into the player and settled back beside him, sharing the fluffy, warm duvet with him.

'You could make up a story about Raj, no? Say he's busy or something?' Max said.

'But for how long? They're going to find out sooner or later when they call him for the wedding.'

'Then make sure they don't call him directly.'

The thought, though unlikely, gave her some hope. 'I don't know if it'll work.'

She picked up the remote, clicked on Play and leaned against the headrest. Max had taken both pillows for propping up his back.

In the middle of the scene in which the lead actress, Kangana's friends decorated her hands with the mehendi, Max turned to Shweta. 'You know?'

'What?'

'You look almost like her.' Max slapped her hand playfully.

She angled toward him. 'Who, Kangana? No way!' She pinched his arm. 'Not at all!'

'Yes, you do,' Max said, looking at her in all seriousness. 'You both have the same hair.'

'Ha-ha.' Shweta snickered and ruffled Max's hair.

Max pulled her hand out of his hair. 'Stop it! You're pretty. Like her.' He jerked his thumb at the TV, stressing on the pretty as if to bring his point home.

Shweta stared at him, curious. 'Ok, come, out with it! What's this really about? I can't tell when you're being so nice. Spit it out.'

Max levelled with her gaze. 'I meant it! You are pretty. But there's something else...'

'Yes?'

'I want to go to India with you.' His words came out soft yet deliberate.

'Are you serious?'

'I've always wanted to go on a Himalayan trek. It's been a dream. This is the perfect chance.'

'You can't be serious?'

Max gave her a pleading look. 'And I'd like to watch a real wedding, not just these faux Bollywood weddings in movies.'

Shweta shook her head, unable to believe that now, on top of everything else, she'd have to explain Max to her family.

'I can't, Max. It's a terrible idea. I'm in trouble as it is, and then to have you with me...my father would blow the roof.'

Max took her hands in his. 'Look, I'll leave if they don't like me, or...we'll make up another story about me, ya?'

This was getting more complicated by the minute.

But Max was already rubbing his hands together. 'Yay! I can't believe this is happening. Thank you, Shweta. I love you for accepting me. I'm so happy I'm going. Now all I need is a passport.'

Passport!

How in the world could she have forgotten? 'Oh. My. God.' She dislodged the clip from her hair and buried her head in her hands, rocking to and fro. 'Oh my God!'

Max touched her shoulder. 'What happened?'

She raised her head, fear sweeping through her, her feet feeling numb. 'I don't have my passport.'

Max shot her a surprised look. 'What do you mean? What happened to your passport?'

'I left it at Raj's house. I forgot to take it with me.' She pulled her hair. 'Oh God, what am I going to do?' All she'd wanted when she'd asked Julie for employment was to leave to India when she'd earned her flight money. And she hadn't once remembered her passport!

Shweta felt the ginger tea rise back up her throat. She felt like she was going to puke.