Sara's Trilemma

Friend Intervention

** Dedicated to Sweetlover48 for her unconditional support towards my stories!**

The next few days I was adequately busy with Anamika. She gave him authority to follow up with the teams. She even gave me a day off to prepare a piece about evolving street fashion trends. I welcomed the distraction and went about hunting in the fashion streets of Mumbai. The next day, when I presented her the article, she refused it saying that it was too plain. That night, I sat late and rewritten the piece in a blog style. It paid off as she liked it. She told me to click professional pictures of the market and clothing.

Meanwhile, Tanya kept herself busy in work, scarcely talked about Rishi. He went to Chicago for a business deal and was supposed to get back a week later. Kush, on the other hand, was cheerful. He cooked dinner and took us out for clubbing. On asking about his newfound joy, he would just wave away and grin.

Siddharth was popping into the meetings with JP publications, teasing about my sincerity. As his usual practice went, nobody took notice of him or raised any objections him being there. Twice, he asked me out for dinner, but I made excuses to concentrate on demanding Anamika. That was paying very well as she had become soft in her manner. She appreciated my article and also shared her son's pictures of childhood.

On that particular day, I had finished with my work and was leaving the office. She offered me a ride in her car. After some time in comfortable silence, she started, "I am happy that you are focusing on the job. But I want you to you think out of the box, and come up with new ideas of your own."

"Thanks, Ms. Vora. I appreciate that."

She nodded when her phone pinged. Her sister sent her a picture. The aunt and nephew looked cheerful at Anamika's home having an ice-cream. Another text pinged, saying 'come home early.' A smile played around her mouth as she said, "I miss being with Arav, I wish I could spend more time with him."

"He is very sweet and adorable." I murmured.

"He was a chubby toddler. Do you want to see his pictures?" she asked unlike herself. When I nodded smiling; she browsed through her phone and shown his early baby pictures. He was literally pink and had a big, beautiful eyes. She told a few stories of him, recalling the time. When the subject of his dad rose, she sighed and muted. Everybody knew of her divorce. Her former husband was a banker in a good position. Though the downfall started when Anamika started to get more important and famous. It was said that he couldn't cope with her success and was egotistical. After a year of hardship and fight, they separated and divorced mutually.

I was silent as she brooded over her thoughts. However, she again brought up a different subject. There was a party being held for the JP publication completing its thirty years in India. She briefed about her schedule that day, it was a couple of weeks later. It was a large event, followed by media on a large scale, even the ministers, celebrities were invited for the event. She had arranged three extra passes for me. Although, I was to stick with her the whole night. Also, she informed that she called her sister to help her with the evening gown and she would also dress me. Bubbles of joys were dancing in my stomach. Dressing up for the event of the year, in a famous designer gown, would be a Cinderella story for a girl like me. I even thought of convincing her to buy a gown for Tanya as I was sure that I would take her, and Kush.

"Who else would be there?" I asked.

"Well, all the guys you see in the JP meetings, some top media people too," she informed.

"Oh. Is it?" I mumbled, though my first thought went to Siddharth being at the party. "That means Siddharth will come too."

"Did you say Siddharth?" she questioned as she caught my murmuring.