Mr. Imperfectionist 2

2 - Life so far...

I returned from the run and hit the cold shower. I keep thinking about the nightmare throughout. Sabil's name is still giving me shivers. I try to distract my mind by singing a song, as I apply the blue shower gel to my loofah. I scrub my body thoroughly while I sing a Rihana song. Damn, I hate my voice. This diversion is not helping. I keep having flashbacks of the thick chain wrapped around my waist and my feet being dragged backward. I try to block out the images by thinking about Arman. During a shoot in Vegas two years ago, I got to know Arman. He had come up to me and offered his business card.

Arman had that charm, the kind that would hold people's attention, even if he was making no sense. He has brown eyes, wavy dark hair, and a lean 5'10" frame. When we started talking about our jobs, we felt an immediate connection. He was always an agent for models and actors. He asked me for a drink, and I couldn't refuse. His eyes are compelling. You can never deny him anything. We had drinks and spoke about all the projects that we have worked on so far. Since then, Arman has helped me land numerous contracts. He is now a part of my life. He's funny, and he loves to pull my leg. He had, in a sense, taken Anubhav's place.

My big brother was my backbone and loved to tease me until I started throwing punches at him. Marriage causes a person to change. I always missed Anubhav's childishness, but now Arman has filled that place. I never thought of Arman as my brother, nor had I thought of him romantically. He was my best friend, a friend like I've never had before, someone I can confide in completely. Arman is surely flirtatious, but he also knew in his heart that we are good friends. Over the past two years, Arman has had numerous hook-ups and breakups with women. Honestly, I've lost count.

Thinking about Arman helped. I was feeling better now. This is what Arman did-he made me forget about my worries and always brought a smile to my face. He's the kind of friend everyone deserves to have in their lives. I changed into pink shorts and a white T-shirt after taking a shower. I went to the kitchen to prepare some oatmeal and boil some eggs for myself. I had given up bread because I was following a strict diet.

An alert for a text message went off on my phone. I walked into the bedroom and took my phone from my bed. It was Arman. 'Hey there, gorgeous, I hope you don't forget about our meeting at 1:00. The Nasch team will be here at the same time.'

I clapped my hand on my forehead. I'd forgotten about the meeting. I replied to him, "Of course I do."

I dialled my mom's number as the oats were cooking. She complained the same thing about her hypertension and low blood sugar. Esha was fortunately making sure that Mom took her pills on time. Esha and I got along really well, but our hectic schedule prevented us from spending much time together. She was Anubhav's colleague and a year older than him. Esha's parents were already looking for a man, and Anubhav had no desire to live without her, so they made the hasty decision to get married.

But I don't oppose his choice. She was always kind to me and my mom. She is really beautiful too. When Anubhav first brought Esha home to introduce her, mom liked her right away. After their engagement, they invested together in an apartment that they moved into after getting married. It's usually the bride and her family that cry, but in this case, I was the one who cried my eyes out when Anubhav got married. Of course, it wasn't in front of everyone. I sobbed under my blanket at night. He was my best friend, my pillar, and my strength. And now he was moving very far from me. He lives in Mumbai, but it takes two hours to get to his house.

The day he moved out with his wife, I couldn't stand the searing pain in my chest. I felt faint the next day and cancelled my shoot without fear of being fired. Luckily, they couldn't take any action against me because I was the show stopper. I knew it had to happen at some point. If I got married, I'd have to leave the house. But it was difficult for me to accept reality because Anubhav and I were so close. Mom moved out a few months later. It was my choice, but it was more difficult for me than for her. She was moving in with another kid, and as for me, I was all alone. I started staying at Arman's apartment more often. He'd be busy in his room with his new girlfriend at times, but at least I had someone I could talk to.

After conversing with mom and finishing my breakfast, I started rummaging through my closet to find the perfect dress for the meeting. I found a long black sundress. That dress hadn't seen the light of day since I bought it. It looked perfect for the meeting. I put on that black dress, wore black danglers, dark red lipstick, foundation, and red nail polish, curled my hair from the bottom, put on my favourite Chanel perfume, wore my black pumps, and left the house about twelve o'clock. I strolled down to the parking lot and directly to my black Mercedes. I arrived at Arman's own company, the Dark Mirror Agency, in twenty minutes. He's creepy sometimes.

I walked through the entrance and greeted the smiling receptionist. I was one of those visitors who did not need to wait for approval to walk straight into Arman's cabin. The moment I opened Arman's cabin door, I gasped in shock.