LOVE SOAKED

CHAPTER 9- Jab we met

TRISHA
The familiar buzz of my apartment filled with the comforting chatter of my friends was a balm to my wounded soul. Manya, curled up on the sofa with a tub of ice cream, shot me a sympathetic look. "So, spill it, Trisha. What happened with your supposed billionaire client?"

I took a deep breath, the hurt still raw in my throat. "He's engaged, Manya. Has a fiancee back home in America."

Suhana, perched on the bar stool with a generous glass of wine in hand, snorted. "Engaged? Seriously? That smooth-talking American playboy probably has a wife in every port!" Which made me errupt into a laughter but stopped by manyas words.

Manya nudged her elbow, a playful warning in her eyes. "Suhana, let's not jump to conclusions."

"Conclusions?" Suhana scoffed. "The man practically had 'don't get attached' tattooed on his forehead with all that flirting. Didn't you see it, Trisha?"

Shame burned in my cheeks. "I… I guess I didn't want to see it," I mumbled, swirling the untouched wine in my glass.

Suhana marched over, her fiery spirit a welcome distraction. "Well, see it now, girlfriend! You deserve better than some lying, two-timing…" she searched for the right word, "American jackass!"

Now all of us erupted in laughter, the tension easing a little. The image of Asher Brown, the charming guy, was quickly being replaced by Suhana's far less flattering description, something with the words, "bandar sa toh hai."

"But seriously, Trisha," Manya said, her voice gentle, "this is a lot to process. Take some time, grieve the fantasy… and then kick some serious butt, Bollywood style!"

A smile tugged at my lips. "Bollywood style, huh?"

Suhana's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Exactly! We're talking a makeover, a killer outfit, and maybe a night out where you meet someone who actually deserves your attention! And get you some action"

The thought of dating again so soon sent a shiver down my spine. "I don't know, Suhana. Maybe I need some time to… breathe… or whatever cheesy Hallmark card phrase applies here."

Suhana rolled her eyes. "Heal, breathe and get a life with some retail therapy and a hot new man, silly! Besides, what if Asher thinks you're taking these days off because you're all mopey and heartbroken over him? We need to send a message, loud and clear!"

A mischievous glint entered her eyes. "Speaking of messages," she continued, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Turn around."Unleash the inner Geet in you".A slow smile spread across my face.

"You wouldn't?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Suhana winked. "Oh, honey, im not, but you are going to.Let's get you good and drunk, and then you can call that sorry excuse of a fiance-having chutiya and tell him exactly what you think. Besides," she added with a devious grin, "He isn't going to understand jackshit of what you're saying."

The third bottle of wine did the trick. My inhibitions lay forgotten on the floor, replaced by a burning desire to unleash the full fury of abuses on Asher Brown. With Suhana cheering me on and Manya recording the whole thing (supposedly for "moral support"), I dialed his number, my fingers shaking with a potent mix of anger and the cheap wine.

The phone rang once, twice, and then… his voice. Smooth, infuriatingly calm, it sent a fresh wave of anger coursing through me.

"Hello?" he answered, oblivious to what was going to happen.

"Asher Brown, you son of a bitch..." I roared, the curse word hanging heavy in the air, "you think you can just play with a girl like some… some disposable toy?"

Silence stretched on the other end, broken only by the faint hum of what sounded like… traffic? Or Was he laughing at me?

"Don't you dare act innocent with me!" I continued, my voice thick with anger. "I know all about your little… fiancee back home! You two-timing....,behen ke laude" another curse word slipped out, laced with venom.

"Trisha, calm down," his voice, when it came, was surprisingly calm.  "I can explain…"

"Explain what?" I shrieked, interrupting him. "That you were just stringing me along for your own amusement? That I was nothing more than a… a little vacation fling?"

"No, Trisha, that's not…" he began, but I cut him off again.

"Don't lie to me anymore, Asher!" I yelled, my voice cracking with a mix of anger and unshed tears. "You may think you can get away with this, but you messed with the wrong woman! You hear me? The wrong fucking woman! Chutiya sala, samaj te kya ho apne apko? Billionaire ho, to kya saari ladkiyan tumhare pair chaategi?"( who do you think you are?just because you're a billionaire do you think every girl is going to worship and lick you're feet?)

He sighed, a sound that traveled down the phone line and somehow managed to further enrage me.  "Trisha, please, listen…"

But I was on a roll, a tipsy hurricane fueled by cheap wine and bruised pride.  A string of colorful insults, in hindi, poured out of me, each word a verbal dagger aimed straight at his deceitful heart.

I continued, now replicating what geet said," kutte, kamine, saale suwar ki aulad,keede Pade tujhe, jalke rakh hoja, ladkiyonki hai lagegi tumhe."

Finally, breathless and hiccupping, I ran out of steam. Silence descended once more, thick and heavy.  I waited, expecting some kind of response, an apology, a justification… anything.

"Storm," his voice finally came, softer this time, laced with a hint of… concern?  "Are you alright?"

The question, so simple yet so unexpected, threw me off balance.  The anger simmered down, replaced by a dull ache and a sudden wave of dizziness.

"I… I think I need to go," I mumbled, the fight suddenly draining out of me.

"No..., wait…" he began, but I didn't wait to hear the rest.  I slammed the phone shut, the dial tone a hollow echo of the emptiness I felt inside.

Collapsing back onto the couch, I buried my face in a pillow, the weight of the alcohol and the emotions hitting me all at once.  Maybe Suhana's plan hadn't been the best idea after all.  All I'd managed to do was make a complete fool of myself.