Apricity

Part 4

Avinash seethed, his disbelief palpable. "You're really just going to go with her plan?" he spat out. "Don't you have any survival instincts at all?!"

"I'm curious," said Ranveer, shrugging his shoulders. It was more than curiosity. He wanted to scratch an itch he hadn't even realized existed until then. And yet, it was reinforced by years of knowing her, years in which only one person had ever been able to make her act so out of character. Her mother.

The seismic shock of the loss had smashed her world into a million pieces, shattering any trace of the bubbly social butterfly she used to be. Now the only thing left in its place was a vengeful spider that wove webs of schemes and manipulation to attain her desired outcomes. What could be her motive for such an audacious proposition?

"Have you never heard of curiosity killing the cat?" Avinash's scrunched eyebrows made his disdain clear. "There are other ways to quench one's curiosity than to suffer a lifetime of unrequited love and unfulfilled desires, my friend."

Ranveer groaned, shaking his head. "Look, I am not claiming this is the smartest thing to do, Avinash. If anything, I know this is stupid. But I don't want to regret later. Besides, I can always break it off, isn't it?"

Avinash scoffed and a wry chuckle spilled from his lips. "Just because you can, doesn't mean you will. Look at you! You don't want to turn her down now. Imagine breaking it off after knowing her better. After pretending that you are in love with each other."

Ranveer's teeth gritted as his friend raised valid concerns about his relationship. Despite his furious desire to refute them, logic and reason had left him with no choice but to accept the truth. His stomach churned at the thought of living a loveless marriage in misery, his heart burning with an ever-growing resentment for the woman he once loved. His spine shuddered as the realization of what was to come took hold.

Though the fear of regret weighed heavily on his mind, it was not enough to keep him from making a decision which he may come to resent in the future. He wanted to believe that everything would work out as it should and that he could avoid disaster by making this choice, but the fear of being wrong and having to cross that bridge hung constantly over his head.

"Look, I am doing this, with or without your approval, Avinash. Do you want to make it easier or tougher for me?" asked Ranveer, delivering the ultimatum without a flinch.

Avinash stared at his friend for a few moments before letting out a vexed sigh. "Just... remember, Friday and Saturday nights are off for your personal therapist."

Ranveer's lips curled into an anticipatory smirk. He knew that no matter the day or hour, Avinash would answer his calls, however reluctantly at times. He felt immense gratitude for the warmth and security his friend provided in the midst of his icy destitution.

****

"Shouldn't we familiarize ourselves with each other if we want this deception to appear credible?"

Suhani scrutinized Ranveer through the descending veil of her eyelashes. She could feel his eyes watching her as she pretended to be fascinated by the square weave of dishes in front of her. The monotony of the white tablecloth and napkins, the empty glasses, the candelabra base made her swallow hard. Her skin prickled with sweat under the satin blouse, and she debated whether to pull it down from her head, but just then a waiter entered with a tray of desserts and placed a slice of chocolate cake in front of each person on the table.

"Well, there is nothing much to know about me."

Ranveer's right eyebrow shot higher than his left. "What if uncle asks me about your favorites and I stand clueless? He will know we are lying."