Her Helpmate

Prologue

The moment Saira stepped inside the theatre along with indistinct chatter of different ages and sex populated people she perceived the smell of popcorn. She inhaled that toasted smell, and saliva was amassed in her mouth. But then her brain found an excellent idea to pluck out her friend, third-wheeling between her and her new boyfriend.

"Armaan," she called him but he avoided her as if he was busy in search of their seat numbers. "Listen, Mann, I want popcorn!" he stopped suddenly and turned around. Anger was masked on his face, as he knew his friend is trying to set him out. She smiled sheepishly at him. Armaan ignored her and walk past her in search of the seat number. Though being supportive of every decision since childhood, he was upset with her current decision.

It was a date, to which only Saira and her one-month-old boyfriend, Naren had to go. But, Armaan invited himself to be the third wheel in them as he don't want to trust that scoundrel his sweetheart friend was dating. Armaan booked three seats and once he found their seats...immediately occupied a seat, leaving his right and left ones empty for Saira and Naren.

"Maan!" Saira demanded with a clenched jaw. "Shift!"

"Saira! sit down, I don't want to miss the beginning!" Saying he pulled her onto the right-hand seat, leaving the left seat empty for Naren.

She thought to sit by holding her boyfriend's hand and intermittently giving pecks as the movie's genre was romance. But as the movie's name appeared in front she came to know that her best friend cheated on her even with the movie, while the genre was a thriller. Half of the movie passed with Saira being completely furious, annoyed, and frustrated with Armaan. Though she was dating Naren for a month that was her first date with him and her best friend happened to ruin it by inviting himself and booking tickets to a different movie. She took a mental oath to kill him without any trace once they go back to her mansion.

"Naren, Saira wants to eat popcorn can you please get her!" Armaan requested with a sweet voice to him during the movie's interval. He in turn inclined in his position to meet Saira's eyes. Saira grasped the look he send her and soon pulled out her wallet from her red leather sling bag. Then took her credit card and handed him.

The moment he left she decided it was time to burst her frustration out and howled at him, "Maan! You idiot. You spoiled my date?"

"To hell with your date, Sweetheart! That man is not even zero point zero one percent eligible to stand in front of you." he tried to protest himself or could say trying to make her realize what mistake Saira was committing, "Saira you are a Mehra, you have a class don't date a man who doesn't know what a class means!"

"Woah!" she threw her hands in the air, "from when Maan started sounding like my stepmother!"

"I am not sounding like her. Saira, I agree you wanted to see someone belonging to an average family. But a man at least tries to spend money from his pocket on the first date. But Naren, even to buy popcorn he took your credit card. He is a pure gold digger." He acknowledged her.

"Shut up Maan. Don't judge without knowing anything. He forgot his wallet!" she stated.

"When he is dating a well-heeled do you think he will even give a thought of buying a wallet!"

"Stop speaking so low about him!" her raising voice disturbed the surrounding people as everyone began to glare at them. Her eyes caught at different couples sitting exactly in front of her who was busy giving pecks. Watching them she exhaled sharply, tossing her sling bag on her chair she stormed out of the theatre, making her way to the female washroom. She saw Naren walk past her without noticing her presence. It surprised her, maybe he is angry with Mann, she thought, and followed him, to apologize for Armaan's behavior. While following him, she even tried to call out but the other chattering of the people dominated it.