The Arrangement

Chapter Eight: The Unexpected Guest

"We met at the fair," I said, wrapping my hands around my coffee cup. "Farhan was there with his friends, and I was there mine. We wanted to go on the Ferris wheel but we didn't have even numbers. Farhan was waiting in line behind me and offered to sit with me." I couldn't help but blush at the memory. "He was very shy and quiet. I was getting bored sitting with him and I was ready for the ride to be over. By then, I saying all kinds of nonsense things just to entertain myself. Surprisingly, Farhan found me very funny. Before it was time to get off the ride, he nervously told me that I was pretty and that he had been hoping to get a seat with me." I sighed. "I thought he was cute in a dorky way, so I gave him my number. I didn't... I never thought I would fall for him so badly."

I paused, then lifted my eyes. Vivaan remained silent, sitting across the table from me. We were back at the mall once more and had taken a break at the coffee shop after a whole morning of job hunting. Of course, Darshan wasn't happy that I wanted to work, but both Jayanti and Vivaan somehow managed to convince him to let me do it.

Two days had passed since Vivaan and I had first slept together. It had been a good night, but I'd woken up the next morning with a hollow pit in my stomach. I soon learned that I was good at smiling and pretending I was okay, and I never said anything about that night.

This was the third story I'd told Vivaan about Farhan. He kept asking for more. I couldn't understand why, but once I started talking about Farhan, I couldn't stop. 

"And the next time you guys saw each other?" Vivaan asked. 

"He wanted to take me to a science convention." I rolled my eyes. "I had never been so bored in my life, but seeing how excited he got about that stuff made it worth it. We-."

"Have you spoken to him since then?" he asked abruptly. 

I looked away. "No."

"So he doesn't know that the girl he fell in love with left the country and married someone else?"

Hearing the bitter tone in his voice, I glowered at him. "Yeah. Because telling him something like that is so easy."

"Do you plan on letting him know?"

"No," I said firmly. "He'll never hear from me again, and he'll move on."

Vivaan shook his head. "Do you want him to move on?"

I pursed my lips, then got to my feet. "We should go. They'll be waiting for us."

I left him at the table and went to the bathroom where I changed out of my jeans and crop top into a plain, red sari. I already had my sindoor and mangalsutra on, so I didn't have to worry about those. I smoothed down my layered hair and put it back in a neat bun. It was slowly growing out, and I had been planning on trimming it before I came to India. Now, though, I planned to let it grow out. I wiped off some of the excess eyeliner I had and checked myself in the mirror. The person staring back was a stranger, and I felt fear crippled my heart, making it beat irregularly. 

I swallowed and pushed it all down, checked that none of my tattoos were showing, then left the bathroom with a smile plastered to my face. Vivaan was waiting for me when I came back out. He had made some changes too. The sleeve of his shirt was folded down, hiding his tatoos, his hair was gelled down neatly and he had removed his piercings, which I had found out he had several of. 

We got in his car and went back home, where the guests were already waiting for us. Vivaan and I stepped inside, all manners and smiles. They were a family of four- two young kids and a mother and father. The father was Darshan's cousin,  and looked just as big and imtimidating as him. In fact, the last couple of relatives we had met were only related to Darshan in some way, and they were mostly the men, some with blotched skin, some with canes, some smelling of cigarettes. What they all had in common were the serious faces that let you know they didn't mess around and were just as strict as Darshan. They all praised how much of a cultured and obedient girl I was, and how I would take good care of the house and Vivaan.

I hated them all.

This seemed to have become a regular routine for us. Our mornings were spent job hunting, the only time we had away from the family, then the rest of our days were spent meeting the hundreds of friends and family they had. I was tired of smiling, making tea, bending to serve them, sweating in my sari, listening to how cultered and obedient I was.

Soon, two weeks had passed. Jayanti told me that she'd talked to my parents, that they were still in Mumbai. She'd ask if I had spoken to them. I'd lie and say yes, pretending I didn't have dozens of missed calls from them. I didn't know why they were still here. Maybe they didn't want to leave without talking to me. But this was my new life now. And it didn't inculde them. 

One morning, I prepared for our usual routine of job hunting. To be honest, Vivaan and I weren't eager to start working yet. It meant we would loose the small gap of time we had to be free. It was probably why nobody was hiring us. But I knew sooner or later, we'd need to start saving up. The thought of having our own space is what kept me going. 

Vivaan came into the room as I packed my jeans and top to change into once we reach the mall. 

"I won't be able to come with you today," he said. 

"What?" I stopped packing and turned to him. "Why not?"

Vivaan looked troubled. "I have an errand to run."

"Well... I'll come with you then."

"No. It'll take me a while." He stepped up to me and put both hands on my shoulder. "Try to do better today. I saw a beauty shop hiring next to that cell phone place. They might take you in. We can move out faster once we both start saving up."

I nodded. "Okay. I'll go there. When will I see you?"

Vivaan smiled. "I'll be here when you're back."

I nodded again and reached up on my toes to kiss him goodbye. Vivaan seemed startled by it. I hadn't done it before, it was more of a test to see how normal it felt. I froze and waited for his reaction. Vivaan blinked a few times, then smiled again, though it looked forced. He stepped away from me. 

"I'll see you later," he said, then left the room.

I took a car to the mall and got changed. I searched for the beauty shop Vivaan had mentioned. There, I filled out an application. The manager there was nice, and seemed to like me. Feeling hopeful, I left and went down to the coffee shop, more out of habit. But I realized I still had a lot of time. So, I did some shopping. I saw some pants and tops that I liked, but I didn't buy them. Instead, I steered myself towards the Indian clothes shops and bought some more kameez. Jayanti didn't mention any guests coming over today, and I was hoping that meant I had met all the relatives they had. Today, I could wear a kameez instead of a never-ending sari. 

I got a cup of coffee and took it home with me. I was sad to go back home. Being alone had given me the breathing room I hadn't realized I needed. Maybe I could try doing it more often. 

I let myself into the house, my shopping bags dangling from one arm and my coffee cup in the other hand. In the living room, I first saw Jayanti and Darshan siting on the sofa, then Vivaan, sitting across from them. His face was grim. There was another figure next to him-.

No.

The coffee cup slipped from my hands and dropped to the floor. The drink spilled across the carpet. All eyes swiveled to me. 

Including Farhan's.