This Love

CHAPTER 1

It has been a really long time since I last cooked. Correction, it has been a really long time since I last cooked for guests. And this time, I didn't know who the guest was, only that the person coming for dinner is going to marry my best friend. 

I had followed her around pretty much the whole time for the last two days after I landed home from Germany. "It's a surprise", she would grimace and that was it. It only made me beg her more. How can I live more than forty hours without knowing my best friend's "to be fiance". And how can she live with not telling me?

No details from her. Everything was so sudden, I couldn't stay in Frankfurt any longer.

I was ordered by Inaya to make my special mixed pasta for starters, medium rare steak for main course because "that's what he likes" and sorbet for dessert. All while not even trying to help me, she took all her freedom to lock herself in her room to doll herself up. A few minutes back she appeared with a red dress asking for the sixth time if she should wear that or the pink one she got from myntra. Red one, I told her for the sixth time. 

I haven't dressed myself up yet, not until I put the steak on the pan. I wipe my oily hands over the white of the apron I'm wearing, and go over to check if the sorbet is setting well. That's when I hear the door bell amidst the music playing from the speakers in the living room.

"The door is open. Please come in." I yell as I tie my hair up neatly. 

I wipe off the sweat from my face that had built up from towering over the stove for the past few hours. I walk towards the living room, hoping to see the man that caught Inaya's picky eyes. But the smile on my face waver as I see who stood before me in a plain white shirt and black tailored pants. "Aw Vee, you're going to love him" that's what Inaya said whenever I asked about this fiance of hers. But I did not know she meant it literally. A heaviness fills my chest. 

"Inaya is dressing up, she'll be here in a bit" was all I could muster without bothering to even greet the guest. 

I turn around and walk to the kitchen counter. I couldn't look him in the eye. I just couldn't. Even though he has no idea who I am or that I have had a crush on him since college, I couldn't make myself look at him. Rian Dass.  

How am I to face Inaya now? Do I tell her? Or leave my fucked up feelings to myself? College was four years ago. A college crush shouldn't really bring a reaction like this in me. I take a deep breath again and plaster my best smile on my face. I could live with this. Inaya is happy and that's all I want.

"Come have a seat here at the table" I motion for him to sit down at the unset table for six.

He walks over slowly without a tinge of gratitude, assessing me carefully. He sits down at one end of the rectangular table. I turn back to pick the black ceramic plates that I had kept ready at the counter after machine drying. I avoid looking at him at all costs. With the smile still intact, as I place the plates, knives, forks and wine glasses, I take myself back to the college days.

Rian Dass was my senior in college. Rian Dass was also famous. You could say he was the most popular guy. He played badminton. He was general captain. He was student of the year. He was everything that a girl wished for in a boy. Tall, handsome, charming, smart and a sportsperson. I won't lie but he was good at badminton. That's where my crush developed. He took his practice seriously, he didn't just play around. He won almost all games, except one which no one in college ever talks about. 

But.

He was arrogant. He did not care about anything except his sport. He was also a world class play boy. He had girls around him twenty four seven. I've seen him kissing multiple girls over time that I cringed at myself for having a crush on him. I did not know Inaya was into this kind of men.