Voilà

2. Hurting your Ego

This chapter is dedicated to Ariana! I love your books, they're really amazing! Your books are one of the reasons which inspired me to write. 

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RHEA’S PERSPECTIVE

          “Tadaa! All hail the party buffet…” with a flourish, despite the fact that she was alone in the kitchen, June set out three bowls on the work top. She was wearing an outsized white T-shirt, sipping beer from a bottle and was pretending to host a TV cookery show. “Here on the left, we have sumptuous tortilla chips, chili flakes, the ones with the red dust on... moving along, we have roasted peanuts and this is my very own dip, which you can whip together in just a few minutes with some beans, garlic and, err…”, she took a swig from her beer bottle, and detecting a garlicky whiff on her fingers, tried to remember what the other stuff was.

          “Ugh, has someone been sick?” I asked, appearing at her shoulder and rubbing my eyes to wake up completely. June, without answering her, started to clean up.

          “Oh June! Forget that asshole!” I exclaimed.

          “I know. It’s just that he was the only guy I was sort of serious about. But you are right. I have to move on,” June said.

          “That’s the spirit!” I said and gave my best friend/roommate a hug. “We have to leave for work and we are late as it is. By the way, how did I come home last night? All I remember is that I was bickering with that dumbass”

          “Oh yeah, you passed out on Aryan and he brought you home in his arms. Isn’t that romantic?” June chuckled as I groaned.

          “Shit, was I drooling? Great, I have to thank him now”

           “No, you weren’t and yes you should, sweetie.”

          Aryan dropped me off last night? He carried me in his arms? If he hates me so much why didn’t he just leave me over there and go? Guys. Seriously, they are weird species. Unbelievable, but that’s the reality, unfortunately. June has been acting strangely these days on account of breaking up with Mark, of course. Mark and June were together for six months. Mark was this totally chivalrous guy who swept her off her feet. But after a few months, Mark started drinking way too much and was becoming a serious pain in the neck. Every night after getting drunk, he used to come to our flat and pass out on the couch. The worst thing? He peed in June’s closet. Yes, you got me right.

          After that scenario, June broke up with that jerk. But this did not stop him, apparently. Once in the middle of the night, he came to our flat and started singing Pink Floyd (See? Pink Floyd for wooing back your love) and started asking (screaming, precisely) June to forgive him, maybe after drinking what was there in the whole pub. After a few minutes, Mark trusted his heels and ran for his life. Courtesy: Dean Collins, June’s twin brother, who knocked the daylights out of him. Dean stayed in the flat opposite ours and he also happens to be the General Manager of the fashion magazine June and I work for.

          As I entered our office building, my eyes automatically started to search for Aryan. June, unfortunately, noticed this damned action of mine and cleared her throat. She was pointing towards the person I didn’t want to see. She hid a smile as I glared at her.

          “I am only going to thank him.” I specified and walked towards him, taking a deep breath.