The Arrangement

Chapter Twelve: What is Best for Us

Before you begin... 

Warning: this is a long-ass chapter.  

Okay. Continue.

-Aditi

*

"And I can take you shopping."

"Mm-hmm."

"And we'll go to dinner."

"Okay."

"We'll spend more time together."

"Farhan-"

"We'll be happy."

"Farhan."

Farhan turned in his seat to look at me, eyebrows raised, completely at ease. I nodded to Vivaan, sitting in the drivers seat. "My husband is sitting right next to you."

His face immediately became stunned. I felt bad for a second, but only for a second. Somebody had to remind him.

"Right." He turned back to the front, looking sheepishly at him. "Sorry. I got carried away."

Vivaan gave a good-natured smile. "Don't be. I'm as excited as you two are. I can finally tell Preeti how I feel about her. I just hope she doesn't mind the open-marriage thing."

I met his eyes in the rearview mirror. "You forgot the part where you hope she likes you back."

"What?" Vivaan tried to look back at me. The car swerved a little.

"Watch it!"

"What you mean by that?" he asked.

I folded my arms. "Typical guy thing. You always expect the girl to like you back."

"Preeti and I have been friends for years," Vivaan pointed out. As if that explained everything.

"And?"

"She's right," Farhan said. "I had a girl best friend in high school. She confessed to me that she loved me right before we graduated, but I never saw her as more than a friend."

Vivaan's eyes were wide now. "Well, now I'm second-guessing myself!"

"Wait." I leaned forward between the seats and looked at Farhan. "Who was this girl? Why haven't you ever told me about her?"

"I-well- we," Farhan sputtered. "It wasn't a big deal!"

"She was your best friend and she fell in love with you. That's pretty big. What happened then?"

"I told her I was sorry and that I didn't feel the same way about her."

"And then?"

"She cried for a week."

"Aw, man," Vivaan and I groaned in unison.

Farhan cringed. "We never spoke again after graduating."

"You got away easy, buddy," Vivaan said.

I glared at him. "Don't listen to him. How could you just throw away your friendship like that? You should've tried to speak to her again."

"Are you mad at me for not speaking to a girl who fell in love with me? Plus, she was Christian and her parents were religious. I doubt they'd want their daughter with me."

"Right, I forgot." I sighed and leaned back. "Your religion speaks for you."

"We're here."

The car came to a stop.