The Significant Other

1

"Are you sure you want to stay in all night working on a boring assignment?" Steph says as she leans on the study table which was on my part of the room.

Getting into Columbia university was like an ant dragging bits and pieces of cake on the ground. I still remember the moment I announced my acceptance to everybody. To my surprise I still had zero idea about how big of a change this was going to be for me. The campus mesmerised me the most. The dorm we got is fairly good because we actually maintain it like Wednesday Adams and her roommate. My side is always too dull and Steph on the other hand likes to experiment with different colours. In fact I don't have a lot of gadgets either on my side, it's all Steph, my saviour.

"Yes because it dues on Monday, which is tomorrow" I place my chin on her forearm and continue "even though I'm new to this country, I still know for a fact that nobody throws a party on a Sunday night"

"C'mon I've told you like a hundred times it was postponed because of the a sudden curfew government imposed. Besides its somebody's birthday party that was cancelled and is already on a postponed line. We can't just upset them"

"And who's that somebody?"

"I don't know but it is somebody" she makes the comas in the air "and it is going to be your first party Kalavathi"

"You know I don't like to be called that right? Specially in that accent of yours"

"Alright Kalavathi" She laughs exposing her pointy teeth "listen K, I'am your classmate and I have the exact same assignment that dues tomorrow. I promise we will be back in a couple of hours. Please? Jason is waiting outside the door just for you to get convinced by me"

"I really am K" Jason peeps inside bowing me with his cap.

I'd be lying if I said partying wasn't really my thing, because I have never been to one. I belong to one of the most typical brown families in India. Thing like partying were possible for me only after I was independent enough to pay my bills and afford a place of my own. I guess still, I would have to sneak in and out hiding from my parents because in brown households, partying is basically alcohol. It is for people who are unstable and depressed about their existence. For example my mom, the first that comes to her mind after hearing the word "party" is drugs. Then it's the cops and then the flood of humiliation my family might have to go through which would approach from my dad's part of the village. My dad's north Indian family is a little extra spicy and my aunts love troubling my grandma, which they do everyday by spreading around false rumours about me. Partying would just be the golden buzzer to give my grandma a heart attack. My mom's side is quite calm, probably because they're Mallu's. They're basically south Indian Malyalis brought up in Dubai. It's not like they do not like drama, but they rather are good at controlling it. Anyway despite the differences my parents fell in love and here we are. But they still have to go through these minor civil wars every now and then, for example when it was time for my naming ceremony, one of my uncle still has the scar of an Indian jar that came flying to his head. I don't know exactly how bad the battle was but they sure fucked up in the end. Kalavathi.

"You've got anything to wear?" Steph throws me a handful of her mini dresses "or these? Maybe a little blue would suit you"

"Steph, stop. These look as if they'd would go tight not only on me but on my new born as well" Steph isn't so short, but she sure is skinny. Her waist size is twenty six meanwhile I go by thirty two. No it's not like I'm overweight, that's just my body type. I have been called unregretfully fat in my house though, pretty normal back there. In a brown household, there is no such thing as eating disorders, there's only disobeying-phone-addicted children. "I think if I just wear my cropped hoodie and low waist jeans it would be fine. It's a frat house not a club, it's got no-"

"-no dress code I know but still why be boring when you can slay" She winks at me.

"Babe, K's right...the last time I checked we had a bunch of school kids hiding in their hoodies having free margaritas and nobody gave a shit until we realised they're fifteen" Jason is a member of the frat house, he knows about all the parties and who's throwing it. But Steph doesn't, I guess she just isn't interested in most of the information.

"Thankyou Jason" I stick my tongue out on Steph and put my hoodie on. Steph does a I-will-kill-you gesture to Jason.

"Hurry now" she sighs as we approach Jason's car.

"Two hours max okay?" I look at Steph reminding what she has promised me "I'm anyway not drinking I'll drive us back" She doesn't even care to reply me, she simply roles her eyes.