Apricity

Part 7

Suhani scrutinized her wardrobe. The walls were draped with clothing of various shades of blue, with a few pieces of black clothing declaring their presence. A few warmer-toned outfits were sprinkled here and there to lend some variety to the color scheme, and the purples huddled together at the very edge of one wall.

She dragged her hands over the dresses strewn across her bed. Some were heavy and rough, some flowed like water, and a few warmed her fingers with their softness. She didn't understand why she continued to agonize over what to wear for dinner with Ranveer Dhoopar.

The man had known her from the times of milk teeth, and if he was as observant as he had claimed, and proven, he would be no stranger to her sartorial preferences, which tended to be on the extremes. On one end, she had simple white denims with plain cotton tops. On the other were intricately-embellished ensembles made with handwoven lace. Suhani wondered if a keen observation also called for premature judgments from the observers as she sifted through her choices.

She zeroed upon a purple lace blouse with a round neck and full-sleeves, which she would pair with plain white trousers. She smoothed the uneven texture of the lace in front of the mirror after changing into them.

Suhani's mother, Mrs. Priya Ahuja Malhotra, was a fashionista who would often regale her young daughter with the stories about the evolution of fashion through the decades of her own life, or facts about the materials used for her look.

The cold, hard surface of the mirror mocked her. Standing alone in the room, with only her reflection to witness her insecurity, she felt each passing second amplify her fears. Without her mother's comforting hand to guide her appraisal and fan the flames of confidence, her heart had become a desolate desert; the sustenance of self-love dried up and blew away in the wind of grief. Her desire to accentuate herself had been buried with her mother, smothered under the weight of loss.

Suhani gritted her teeth as she lathered the moisturiser over her pale skin. The already sunken eyes seemed to deepen further as her fingers harshly rubbed the cream in, causing a darkness around them that seemed to grow and spread like a disease. The stark contrast of her skin against her pale palms only added to the despair.

She had picked up the hairbrush when a message on her phone shifted her attention from the brush to the phone. The phone unlocked as she inched closer and revealed the message to be from Ranveer.

"Hi. I'm so sorry, but we will have to do it some other day. The servers crashed, and I have to be there. Sincere apologies."

Suhani felt the pain that sank into her bones when she read the message. The crushing disappointment shattered her illusions, leaving behind a barren wasteland of what could have been between her and her partner in a marriage-of-convenience. Despair clung to her soul like heavy chains, preventing any hope from resurfacing.

Disdain for herself sprinkled spice over the gashes left behind by the unexpected postponement. Ranveer Dhoopar was the same man whose prioritisation of another woman left Aanchal with no choice other than to break their alliance.

How dare her imprudent heart assume his treatment of their relationship is different?

How dare her inconsolable heart allow him to agonise her?

Suhani could not stop herself from speculating if the reason he provided was a mere cover to meet the paramour described by Aanchal. Her lips curled into a sardonic smile and her fingers typed away a courteous, yet cold, reply to the man.

The days felt like a deep pit, with no end in sight. But despite the darkness that engulfed her world, Suhani had moments where she felt the light of hope. Yet today was not one of those days, and the hours dragged on endlessly as she desperately waited for the sun to set and night to come.

****

Ranveer rotated his phone between his index finger and his thumb, awaiting a reply from Suhani. He had driven to her home on an impulse after finishing up at his office and picking up some focaccia bread with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and thyme from his mother's bakery.

The automated message declared her phone to be powered off upon calling her, and his messages sent by him had a single tick.

Although he acknowledged he had made a prudent choice to rush to his office, a voice at the back of his head beckoned him to step into Suhani's shoes and experience her frustration at the last minute cancellation.

He had not considered the possibilities when he had driven to her home, and had forgotten she lived with her father, unlike him, who lived alone in his flat. The tensed man decided to wait for ten more minutes before giving up on his mission to placate the chagrin of his ladylove.

The engrossed man's spine straightened when the chilly wind carried the sound of approaching footsteps to his ears. In the faint life of the security cabin, Ranveer could make out the outline of the features, and realization dawned he faced his father's friend, Mohit Malhotra.

"Bete, what are you doing here? Is everything alright? Prateek - is he fine?" asked Mohit, huddling towards the taller man and grasping him at his biceps.

An awkward smile made its way to his lips. "I just dropped by, uncle. It's been a while, and Dad said he came over recently and I thought I should do it, too!"

The shorter and wrinkled man nodded, and ushered the younger man towards the main door. "I took up walking after dinner these days." Ranveer bobbed his head. "It's good to see you after a long time. Hope you're well?"

Ranveer held the door for the older man and followed him in. "Yes, uncle." He handed over the paper bag with the bread to one of the housekeeping staff. "Just some bread from Baked Delight."

Ranveer and Mohit entered the room, with Ranveer towering over his shorter companion. The older man's eyes twinkled as he gestured to the sofas, inviting Ranveer to sit across from him. Ranveer adjusted himself on the sofa, trying to appear relaxed, but a slight curl of his lips betrayed the nervous energy in the air. Meanwhile, Mohit nodded in the direction of a nearby staff member and asked them to call Suhani.

Discomfort and unease paved the way for excitement at the thought of meeting the chagrined woman. Ranveer answered Mohit's questions about the data analytics startup founded by the former, but he found himself bereft of the concentration to provide well-rounded answers.

After turning down the offer for dinner, Ranveer's eager and earnest eyes fell on the disoriented form of Suhani, who rubbed her groggy eyes. Her lips pressed together in a tight line as though she were swallowing a yawn or trying to hide her exhaustion.

Ranveer took in the sight of her sleeping form, his eyes weary with realization. He fought back a sigh and the urge to throw his hands up in exasperation - he should have known that she'd be an early riser. As the weight of his presence registered, her eyes fluttered open and he saw the dawning comprehension in the depth of her gaze when she realized why her father would have summoned her.

"He-hello there. I apologize in advance if I interrupted anything," he stuttered, desperately trying to maintain composure. Her widened eyes squinted and her eyebrows raised almost as if the surprise was being measured to decide his fate. He felt a chill down his spine as she fixed him in her gaze, never even blinking as she slowly walked to the sofa, sitting distantly from her father.

He had made it more difficult for himself to placate her, and the night had just begun.