Meeting Arnab's mother shouldn't be this tough. Not when Shay has spent the last one week rehearsing the visit in front of her bathroom mirror. She knows the drill to keep the sweet smile plastered on her lips, be polite, speak less, listen more, keep your cool, and at no time let them see through your façade.
Somehow, the mask seems to be falling off her face this time. Now, whenever she stares at her reflection in the mirror, a layer of pretense peels off. Shay wonders what will become of her once all the layers she has put together in these years comes off. Will she once again become that miserable, soulless creature caged in the darkness of grief? Or will she come off as a survivor?
Then again, her mind can't stop thinking about the one responsible for these emotional ripples inside her.
Ryan.
She doesn't have to keep thinking about him but can't seem to stop herself either. Ryan has no right to give her the reality check. Not after all these years. He has no right to rock the foundation of her newly built life. But Shay can't ignore how shaky this new foundation is, either.
Shay screwed up big time again. Her soon-to-be mother-in-law can't look at her without showing displeasure. Though, Shay gets where this is coming from.
Paulomi Banerjee is the epitome of beauty, a famous model of her time, and even now, she owns a fashion studio downtown transforming girls into beauty icons. So, it's not easy to accept a girl with a scarred face as her daughter-in-law. Shay gets it, but damn, it burns her inside when she sees that disgusted look on her face.
"I won't lie, Shay," Mrs Banerjee says in a balanced tone. "I wasn't happy with my husband's decision at first. When he chose you for my son, I straight-up rejected the proposal."
The smile on her face as she said those disrespectful words shows how very unapologetic she is for belittling Shay. The dinner was Arnab's idea to bond more with his mother. For Arnab, everything is business, and so is for his mother.
It's always the same Indian Restaurant at the heart of New York City. From the murals on its walls to the silvers on their plate, every detail speaks of ethnicity. The place is literally called mini India. All five-star ratings in Google. But nothing tones down the shame, the humiliation that Shay feels every time she meets up with the woman.
Arnab seems unhinged from his mother's comment. Why would he? After all, he isn't the one with a scar on his face. Shay, however, doesn't let her words affect her self-esteem and let her words slide down her smooth edges. She cuts a clean slice from the barbecued pineapple on her plate and stuffs her mouth to prevent the comeback dangling in her throat.
"You're so lucky to have my son as your man." Mrs. Banerjee squeezes Shay's hand on the table and gives a proud nod at her son. "He made me realize what a smart, independent, and talented lady you are. His love for you won over all my doubts."
That. And the fact that Shay's father saved his father from going into jail for not paying the taxes on time. For them, her job as a business analyst has very little to do with her smartness.
Shay almost laughs at the 'love' word coming from her lips. Arnab doesn't even know Shay is allergic to spinach. Otherwise, he would have never ordered spinach ricotta lasagna in the first place. But on the other hand, Shay doesn't even expect love from him or anyone else.
"Shay, you're not eating," Arnab states, gesturing towards her untouched plate. He scoops a spoonful from his and brings it to her lips. She would have found it romantic if she wasn't allergic to the vegetable.
"I'm still allergic to spinach." Shay pushes his hand subtly and the embarrassed looks on their faces are totally worth it. She mentioned her allergy to him on their first date.
For the rest of the dinner, neither Arnab nor his mother bring up the 'love' word again. Although this gives Shay some relief, it is short-lived, since what Mrs. Banerjee says next has Shay fuming from inside.
"My friend is a plastic surgeon, and she is among the top ten surgeons in NYC." Shay drops the fork with a sound loud enough but the lady seems to ignore her signal. "Skin grafting is pretty common nowadays. Even the third-degree burn scars can have hope. Yours isn't that big of a deal. Don't you wanna get rid of that ugly scar from your face if that's possible?"
Shay is trying not to break the promises she made to her mother, but the woman in front of her makes it difficult with her derogatory comments on her scars at every chance she gets.
It's clear that they were not accepting her flaws, they were overlooking it for their selfish reasons and that's not acceptable. If Aarav was here, he would love every little detail about her, even her scars. He would never let anyone call her ugly or dishonor her. The grief once again crowds Shay and the thought of severing the very last connection to him has her nerves go crazy.
"My scars, however ugly they might look to you, are my identity now." Shay fists her palms on the soft material of her dress and speaks in a low voice. Her cheeks burn with the suppressed fire, ready to unleash any second now. But before she can say anything else, Arnab squeezes her hand under the table rather tightly.
"I told you not to ruin it, Shay. Can't you listen to her once?" He hisses into her ear with gritted teeth. Shay has no idea why she's still sitting with them at the same table and planning a future. As she is about to retort, to say that she isn't the one who ruined this evening but his beloved mother, her eyes tug at a familiar face.
Two tables away, glaring in her direction, is Ryan. As soon as his burning gaze meets Shay, her nerves shoot up and make her palms sweaty. It's as if he is challenging her to accept it. The Shay he knows would never put up with something like that.
Arnab apologizes on behalf of Shay as his mother excuses herself to the restroom. As soon as his mother leaves, Arnab leans towards Shay to say something in a whisper, but Shay can't seem to make out his words because Ryan is holding her captive in his midnight eyes.
Ryan raises an eyebrow in her direction. Her eyes take on a guilty expression for a split second, and then it's gone. He waves at the server around his table. Shay notices another guy she saw with Ryan at his initiation party. Two glasses of golden liquid are poured, one for him and one for his friend.
Without breaking eye contact with Shay, Ryan brings the glass to his lips and tips it back in one go. Arnab, beside her, stops speaking, watches this exchange between the two with an ashen face, and she tries to hide the chaos passing over her. But it's impossible not to look back at the man in a black suit and a crisp white shirt underneath accompanied by his signature scowl.
Shay is suddenly nervous, her breathing turning uneven with every passing tension between them. However, she shudders back to the present when Arnab latches his hand on her bicep, giving a hard squeeze and making her wince almost loud enough for Ryan to listen.
"What the hell, Arnab." Shay hisses at Arnab, fuming with both embarrassment and the slight sting on her bicep. She tries to free his hold and regards his glaring self with gnashing teeth. "Just because I promised to bond with your mother doesn't give both of you the free pass to hurt me emotionally and physically."
"It's clear that your attention is elsewhere. I can see-"
He gets cut off. Both Shay and her fiancé jump on the loud crashing sound as the glass in Ryan's hand shatters into pieces. She looks at Ryan with wide eyes and breath held back.
Not even a second later, Ryan jerks his palm, and she can see them covered in blood. He gathers his shoulders and straightens up, launching towards them. Shay wets her drying lips and shakes her head at him, which he waves off obviously.
"Ryan!" Ryan's friend's voice snaps out from the left, and he places a palm on Ryan's tensed shoulder in time to pause his approach. "I don't think it's a good idea. Not in front of our clients." He nudges his chin towards a group of Korean professionals walking into the diner. "They are here."
Shay turns to Arnab, who is throwing daggers at her through his eyes. He stands from his seat, spine straight, and releases her bicep to flex what little confidence he has. It's clear from the fake smile on his face that he won't fight with his boss but won't stop standing in front of Shay to mark his territory.
Ryan glares at her slightly sore bicep where Arnab had his hold. He looks up at her with darkened eyes and mouths, "Are you okay?"
She gives him a nod and turns away, unable to face his unguarded concern for her.
She knows if Ryan decides to fight with him, Arnab will be on the ground within seconds. She still remembers Ivan's broken nose and Ryan's bloody knuckles from all those years back. And she doesn't want any part of it now, not when it brings back old memories.
"I'm done here, Arnab. Tell your mom that she is very kind to offer me medical advice but I'll have to disappoint her." Shay says to a fuming Arnab and collects her purse from the table. "Also, never touch me like that ever again. You should be glad to still call me your fiancée."
Shay glances at Ryan one last time, who still has a dark expression on his face. She takes in his bloodied palm, then heads the way out and doesn't wait for her would-be in-laws to follow.
***
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Another small update. Hopefully, you won't have to wait much for the next update. If you are enjoying the story, please add your comments and votes.
Stay safe!