The Favour (COMPLETE)

Chapter 6.

Leyla

I don't dance because when I was a little girl my auntie would show me videos of my parents and in most of them they would be dancing. I was so fascinated by the way they could move around the floor from a waltz to full on Bhangra. So I would copy their moves and for a short while it would make feel like I was with them or they were in the room with me and I'd be so overcome with joy. But then it would end. Then I'd be left alone in the room. Then I would feel unloved and unwanted. So as I grew up I stopped dancing to the videos and I would just watch them. Then I realised that watching them had the same effect, euphoria followed by the crash landing of realisation. So now I don't watch the videos and I don't dance because for a split second when I'm dancing I remember my parents and the way I'm never going to feel their love. So I'm sorry Rahul Khanna but... I don't dance.
"Are you just nervous?" Rahul's voice cuts through my thoughts like a knife through butter. I look at him in the drivers seat gripping onto the steering wheel. It looks like he's more nervous than I am.
"No," I respond looking back out the window. I feel bad for shouting at him yesterday then just walking off. I can't explain it to him though, why I don't dance that is, he just doesn't need to know. In a years time he'll be in America and I'll be around.
"Look about yesterday..." Rahul begins but I cut him off not wanting to hear what he has to say.
"Rahul Khanna yesterday was yesterday, today is today just leave it," I mumble looking down at my fingers which keep lacing and unlacing themselves in my lap. Rahul sighs.
"Why do you insist on calling me 'Rahul Khann'?" He asks briefly looking at me.
"It's your name isn't it?" I retort resolving to just sitting on my hands so I can't see how nervous I really feel. I'm good at just blanking out emotions and replacing them with nothingness. Today though, today is a big deal for Rahul and I don't want to mess it up.
"Okay well I'll call you Leyla..." He falters. I can't help but smile to myself. He doesn't even know my second name and we are supposed to be engaged. I look at him.
"Haan?" I ask playfully, "Leyla what?" I watch as Rahul bites his tongue out of annoyance.
"Leyla... What's your cousins second name?" A thougtful expression falls over Rahul's face as he tries to remember this piece of such irrelevant information. Ajay and I have different surnames for some unknown reason. Even though my uncle Aravinda was my father's brother they had different surnames on account of my grandma being picky with what worked with their names.
"Chopra," I help him and he smiles a smug smile thinking he knows my second name.
"Leyla Chopra," he says like a child that has just learnt the alphabet and been given a gold star.
"That's not my name," I let him down and his face drops.
"Fine," he smirks, "I'll call you Leyla Khanna then." He begins laughing as I turn to face him my eyes wide.
"No you can't call me that," I stutter as Rahul continues to laugh.
"Let's play twenty questions," Rahul suggests and I shrug. I'm never good at answering questions about myself. I prefer to just stay anonymous plus my life story is hardly one I want to share.
"What are your parents' names?" I ask as my first question. I want to be able to at least put a name to their faces.
"Vijay and Sangeeta," Rahul replies, "how bout yours?" I open my mouth and pause. I feel a lump coming in my throat and have to stop myself from swallowing else I'll choke.
"You okay doll face?" Rahul asks glancing at me with my mouth still open and the words not forming like I want them.
"Ram and Aisha," I say the first names that pop into my head. I blink in surprise at my own lie but Rahul Khanna just nods his head thoughtfully as he pulls in front of a wooden gate and puts his window down. I turn to look out of my window and inwardly curse myself. I could have just said I don't know them but then that would have brought about questions like am I adopted or are my parents dead and I'm not ready to admit that out loud yet. I hear Rahul type a number into the pad before the wooden gates slide open slowly revealing, what I can only describe as, a mansion. The front wall itself has over thirty windows on it and a giant balcony with pillars supporting it. The door isn't even a door but a giant slab of wood and there is even a whole block dedicated to a garage.
"I know it's a bit tacky and overbearing but you get used to it," Rahul sighs obviously noticing my even wider mouth than before and my popping eyes. I close my mouth and feel the heat rising to my cheeks which indicates I'm going a shade of pink. I scrunch my eyes up and place my hand on my head. Sheesh Leyla! Be normal. Rahul pulls the car up to the front steps and the door immediately opens. A short woman with long black hair and a dark blue embroidered salwar kameez rushes out followed by a tall man with cropped black hair wearing a grey kurta pajama which looks expensive.
"You didn't tell me to dress up?" I look down at my own outfit as Rahul turns off the engine. I'm wearing a faded orange salwar kameez which last saw the day of light when? I can't even remember when I last wore it. Rahul shrugs and opens the car door before walking around the car and opening my door.
"Rahul!" The woman-who I presume to be his mum-runs down the steps and engulfs Rahul in an uncomfortable looking hug. I stand awkwardly by the car as I'm introduced, looked at like a piece of meat and had the ring on my hand scrutinized.
"Well come in Leyla," his dad says evidently judging me. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to become Rahul's fake fiancée, I'm evidently not what his parents are looking for and from the frosty response Rahul has given his parents I don't really want to be thrust into another family cold war-my own family is bad enough. I try to smile but just end up grimacing as Rahul takes my hand in his and shuffles up the steps.