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"Damn it!" I cursed, struggling to untangle my bracelet without breaking it.
For the fifth time, the door to my room opened. I turned around to find my best friend standing there, holding a tray of food.
She walked towards me and placed the tray beside the dressing table before taking the bracelet from my hand.
Before I could speak or apologize for startling her, she cut me off by raising her hand and saying, "Tu muh maat khol, warna mujhe aur gussa aayega." [You should not open your mouth, otherwise I will get more angry.]
"Yaar, what did I do?" I replied, making a face.
"Exactly my question! What did you do?" she shouted, enraged.
"Tu kitni pyaari lagti hai gusse mai," I commented innocently. [You look so cute when you're angry]
"Armani, just shut up!" she ordered, and I placed a hand on my lips to signal that I'm quiet.
"For God's sake, don't you dare show me that face of yours," she said, untangling the last chain of the bracelet. "You're getting engaged in less than five hours to a man who's not even your choice-what exactly did you do to stop it?" She asked me to pass her my wrist.
When I didn't, she took it from my hand and, while making me wear the bracelet, said, "Ab bol bhi le kuch!" [ Now say something!"]
"You only asked me to shut up," I teased, hoping to calm her down.
"Fuck, I'm serious." "So am I."
"You seriously have no idea what it's going to mean." "So, care to give me the idea?" I asked. "My God, Armani, you will be forever stuck with a man you barely know!"
"For your kind information, I would like to remind you that he's also my childhood friend," I said, pointing out the positive aspect.
"A friend? Let me remind you that you used to run away to my house whenever you were asked to stay at his parents' house."
"We've gained lots of understanding between us; it's not like it was before," I said before adding, "Also, my parents are happy-it's all they are asking from me."
"But this is your marriage; your parents aren't going to stay with him, but you are, and you have full right to decide whom you're getting married to."
"Kyra, it's my decision," I said. "I know you enough to catch when you're lying-you're not lying to me; you're lying to yourself."
"But you know if I don't agree to get the engagement done, my dream will never get complete."
"You have to understand that achieving a dream doesn't come with losing yourself to someone."
