Titaliya

Chapter 42

Veda headed to college, noticing the absence of Arnav's car in the parking lot. It was what she had wanted from the beginning, for him to be absent. But she didn't like it. She had at least hoped to ask about Anjali.

Classes were a welcome distraction from her personal life. She knew the college was safe. Everywhere outside, she kept looking over shoulder, fearing she would see Shyam's car or the man himself. Why had she even proposed trapping him? It wasn't her problem anymore.

She was rich now, connected, protected, but all those things mattered when the enemy played by the rules. Shyam didn't think rules applied to him. Veda tapped her foot as the last class before lunch came to an end and the bell rang.

She wanted to go home and fall into one of her bean bags with a plate of jalebi and a glass of milk. The cafeteria only had rasmalai, and she settled for the sweet with resignation. Asha stared at her as she had her third rasmalai.

"Veda? Are you okay?"

"Sweets make me feel better, Asha. Do you want me to order one for you?"

"You can order one for me," Rishabh said.

Veda looked up. Rishabh stood over her. He wasn't regular to college, and seeing him in the cafeteria on Monday was strange.

"Or not," he continued. "I wanted to invite you to my brother's engagement party tonight."

"What?"

"We got off on the wrong foot earlier. This is me saying sorry," he lied.

His father had erupted when he heard that Rishabh had picked a fight with Sharda Bharadwaj's granddaughter. The old woman wasn't just filthy rich, she had an impeccable reputation. His father hoped she would contribute to his mayoral election fund, and that she would support him publicly at least a little.

Rishabh knew his father dreamed too much, and there was no chance one invitation to an engagement party would make Sharda Bharadwaj a fan of his father's. But if he didn't invite Vedanshi, his father would cut off his credit cards and his car would be taken away.

"Please come," he said, trying to sound nice. It didn't come naturally to him.

"Alright," Veda said. She knew he wasn't inviting her to bury the hatchet. There was some other motive. But she was tired of being surrounded by enemies. Having at least one of them turn into a friend, or at least an acquaintance, was an exciting possibility.

"Thanks, You come too, Murthy. It's at the Orient Green Hotel. Seven o'clock."

She nodded and ordered another rasmalai. It was after her private classes, and she would only spend a few hours before going back home. She texted Sanjay and asked if he would come along. It would be safer if he was there with them.

Arnav's car was still absent when she went home from college. She showered and picked out a bottle green cocktail dress from her wardrobe. She paired it with nude Loubotoins and headed to Asha's house.

"Why do you think he invited us?" Asha asked.

Veda shrugged. She had gotten used to thinking of people in terms of black and white. Good and bad. But Rishabh wasn't evil. He was just spoiled and entitled, raised in a way that didn't teach him to have compassion for other people. He was just bad, in the trivial, normal people sense. And even bad people had good moments.

The Orient Green Hotel was enormous, and as she handed the car key to the valet, Veda looked around for people she might know. There were a few familiar faces from college, and she saw Sanjay browsing his phone in the foyer.