The Arrangement

Chapter Seven: The Compromises We Make

By afternoon, I couldn't take it anymore.

I spent the last couple of hours sticking by Jayanti's side, nodding and smiling along with the other aunties. They sipped tea, snacked on samosa and gulab jamun, and gossiped about everyone.

Did you see Gaurav's daughter-in-law? She was wearing a skirt that barely covered her thighs.

I heard Ishaan's son started going drugs.

Yesterday I found out my neighbors seventeen-year-old daughter is pregnant. How shameful!

A fly could land in one of their teas and they'd spend the next hour talking about the audacity of the bug.

I asked my New Mom if she needed help with lunch. Turns out all that food had been cooked so that it would last all day, and no more cooking would need to be done. I took a breath of relief and excused myself. Several of the woman immediately turned their attention to me when I stood up and demanded to know where I was going. I hastily lied that I was going to get ready to go out with Vivaan. At that, they began to croon.

"Oh, she wants to look good for her new husband!"

"Excited for your first date, huh?"

I forced a smile and went upstairs as fast as I could. In the peace and quiet of our room,  I sighed deeply and sat on the bed. I found my phone on the bedside drawer and held onto it. I was tempted to call my mother, to call Farhan, to check my social media, but  I knew they were all bad decisions.

Instead, I laid down across the bed, hoping to sink into a nap and wake up with a clear mind. No sooner then I had done that, I heard the door open downstairs. The voices of the aunties rose as they became more excited. My heartbeat picked up and I sat up. A familiar voice replied to their greetings. I waited, my palms now sweating, but no one came up. Minutes passed, and I started to wonder what was taking him so long. Finally, I heard footsteps come up the stairs. There was a tentative knock at the door.

"Come in," I said, my voice quiet.

Vivaan stepped inside, and his appearance surprised me. His hair was just as messy as mine usually got, sticking out stylishly in a few places. I noticed a few light brown streaks running through his hair, complimenting his golden skin tone. He was dressed in a black shirt, its sleeves folded up to his elbow, revealing a tatoo that covered one him arms. And he also had... an eyebrow piercing?

I was at a loss for words as I stared at him. He shut the door behind himself and looked at me as if he wanted to say something, but I quickly cleared my throat and fumbled to speak.

"This is your room too," I said. "You don't have to knock."

Vivaan offered me a polite smile in repsonse.

Like a stranger, I couldn't help but think.

"How was your day?" he asked, still standing near the door, as if he wished to escape.

I tried not to feel offended and shifted. "It was... different." I met his eyes meaningfully. "And yours?"

"A lot of work," he sighed. Finally, he came closer, taking out his wallet and phone to put on the beside drawer. 

"Where did you go?"

His head turned my way, but he didn't look at me. "I went to get my stuff."

"From where?"

"From my other place."

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask. I stood up. "Did you do it for me? I could've come with you." Heck, anything to get away from this place.