Vows of Misfortune

17.

Pravin poked his head out from behind the girl standing in the doorway. Seeing me, he waved his hand in the air.

"Arshia, hey!"

Everyone turned to look at me, including Romir. He didn't look too pleased to see them, and to be honest, neither was I. At least I had changed into a nice top.

"This is the wife?" The woman asked. I hadn't seen her at the mechanics' place so was she a friend? She beamed at me; her eyes were large, the lower lid highlighted with white liner. It gave her an aura of an innocent little girl. That, and the fact that she was like four-foot-eleven or something. Standing in front of her made me feel like a giant.

"That's me," I said, extending my hand.

"I'm Saanvi." We shook hands. "I heard that Romir was married but I didn't believe it. I wanted to see you for myself."

Pravin nudged her out of the way to speak to me. "How are you feeling now? That was one hell of a catfight." Catfight? He caught my confusion because he cringed. "Didn't Romir tell you?"

I looked at Romir who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but in his own house. "No. He didn't."

"You were so drunk you started a fight with some lady that was trying to walk to her seat."

I vaguely remembered a girl with auburn-dyed hair and dark-painted lips. "And neither of us was hurt?"

"Romir took you out before anything could happen."

I eyed Romir whose expression didn't change in the slightest. He just didn't want to embarrass himself, he'd said. I internally scoffed. Saanvi cleared her throat. "Hello? Aren't you going to invite us inside?"

"No," he deadpanned.

"Oh come on!"

"At least join us for a movie or dinner or something?" said Pravin.

"We're busy," both Romir and I said in unison.

Pravin snorted and Saanvi 'aw'ed. "Look at you two being a cutesy couple already!" she gushed. "Maybe I should get an arranged marriage."

"That would only work if the guy was blind," retorted Pravin.

"Shut up!"

I watched them both, trying not to smile.

"We're in the middle of something," said Romir. "Come visit another day." He seemed like he wasn't in the mood to entertain guests, thank God. I didn't want to be pretending, either. Not today. If what Pravin said was true, then my body needed rest.

"Oh, did we interrupt something?" I blanched at what she was assuming but before I could intervene, she was already continuing. "This is great, Romir. You're finally moving o—"

At the sharp look that darkened Romir's face, she closed her mouth and shared a glance with Pravin. They looked so uncomfortable all of a sudden that a tight coil in my chest told me that sending them away wasn't right.

They looked like kicked puppies.

"On second thoughts," I said, "you guys should come inside."

Pravin glanced at Romir beside me. I didn't bother gauging his reaction. "Are you sure?"

"Of course. We can always continue with what we were doing after you leave."

"I have work," stated Romir. His head was tipped back, brows furrowed. His gaze was challenging me to say something further.

So, I did.

"That's okay. You can always do it afterward." Besides, wasn't he a mechanic? What 'work' did he even have?