The cake box had been surrounded by items when I opened the fridge. I relaxed, feeling a little more at ease. After that useless conversation with Romir on the balcony I realised that my best bet was just buying something that I thought Jose uncle would like.
There was no point in speaking to him because clearly he didn't want the peace he so claimed he'd wanted.
So here I was, after finishing up one assignment, at a gift shop. It was Jose uncle's birthday tonight and it had to be perfect. Since I didn't know my way around, I'd ended up at the wrong store one too many times. Somehow I'd ended up at a corner nook saree store which I didn't even realise could fit in such a small alley.
I peered through the glass at some watches kept under glass displays and whistled low under my breath. Some of the prices on these were out of this world. But it made sense because they were bulky and beautiful.
"Hi, can I help you?" A woman clad in all black and a neatly tied ponytail asked. I smiled and shook my head.
"Oh, I'm just looking around." I pretended I was interested in some more of the watches before sneakily making my way out. Okay, so watches weren't on the card. I sure as hell didn't want to buy chocolates. Those were gifts people got strangers when they didn't know what they would like.
There was a mall right opposite me. Maybe a nice shirt or something? The air conditioned mall made me shiver. I went up a level to the men's floor and browsed the array of different shirts neatly folded. A woman rushed up to me in a pencil skirt and white blouse with a friendly smile on her red painted lips.
She didn't say anything, only followed me around like a shadow. I would never get used to the hospitality. I was going to ask her what she recommended for a middle-aged man when I happened to make eye contact with a woman on the other side, watching me.
Why did she look so familiar?
It was only when she looked away that my forehead released the tension. It was that same woman that had been outside the cake shop. I looked back to see that she was staring at me. Again. What was her deal?
My skin prickled and I tried to ignore the obvious gaze on the back of my head as I spoke to the saleswoman. She led me over to the section where there were packets of dress shirts laid on a table.
"This is our best-selling shirt," she said, pointing to a black dress shirt with tiny white dots. It was the one that I liked the most. I fingered through the other ones to see if there was something else. Jose uncle wore a lot of dark shirts, though, so I figured this one would be good.
"Can you please wrap this up for me, too?"
"Is it a gift, ma'am?" I nodded. "That'll be extra."
"That's fine." As I followed the saleswoman, I turned casually. The other woman was still staring. I snapped my head back around. What the hell?
Even after leaving with the gift bag, I could see from the reflection of the glass doors that she was following me. So as soon as we got out and to the cement steps, I whirled around on her. She stepped back, dark skin dusted a little red at being caught.
"Why are you following me?" I demanded.
"I noticed you with Romir the other day," she stuttered. "I wanted to know how you knew him."
He didn't tell her? "We're married."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. You can stop following me now."
"Look, I'm sorry. I—just figured he was lying."
Wait what? "So he did tell you?"
She rubbed her bare arm. "Yeah, I didn't believe him." She stuck her hand out. "It's nice to meet you though. I'm Preethi."
I shook it. "Arshia."
"I'm sorry I didn't speak to you the other day. I was late for my job anyway and I happened to see Romir. He was kind enough to drop me off, like, seriously, because of him my job was saved."
Oh. "That's okay. I don't really care what he does."
Preethi's brows briefly creased before she let out a short laugh. "Uh...well, as his old friend from college, I know that he can be a little bit prickly and standoffish."
"Again, I don't mind." After all he wasn't the only one going through a hard phase in their lives. Losing a loved one was hard, it was for sure, but so was finding out a loved one was faking their love for you after years of being together. "But thank you for your concern. That's really sweet of you."
She smiled, revealing deep dimples and went to leave when I stopped her. "Actually...you said you were a friend of Romir's? Would you want to come to Jose uncle's birthday tonight?"
"It's his birthday?" She perked. "Of course, I'd love to. You're sure, right? I don't want to be crashing anything special. I haven't seen Romir and uncle in years."
"No, trust me. The more the merrier. Romir will be happy to see you." Hopefully. If the way he acted with his other friends was any indication I'd say he wouldn't be happy. But so long as I didn't have to endure him by myself, then I would do whatever it took.
"That sounds amazing, thank you." She flushed dark pink and scratched her arm in slow, long strokes. She seemed like a shy thing for someone that gave off the aura of a model.
But as we went our own ways, my stomach tightened. I felt bad for assuming that the girl was weird. Now she was probably going to be the one that would make this birthday a success.
***
"Okay wait you have to keep your eyes closed!" I said, not being able to keep the smile off my face. I pushed his chair from behind to situate him behind the dining table.
A part of me wanted Romir's other friends to show up because I wanted to make it a big birthday as possible. But the three of us would have to do for now.
The table was set with the birthday cake and Romir and Preethi were standing on the other end of it, at the ready with their gifts.
"Okay," I said, placing him right in front of the lit candles. "Open your eyes!"
When he did, he blinked at the cake sitting in front of them and then at us. I clapped, waiting for a reaction from him.
"Wha—" he spluttered like he couldn't believe it and raised his hands in the air, palms up. "What's this?"
"It's your birthday surprise, uncle!" Preethi said, placing the gift bag in his hand. "Happy birthday!"
"Preethi?" He chuckled and shook his head. "Wow. How long has it been since I've seen you?"
"Too long."
Jose uncle cut the cake and we fed him. "Did you two plan this?" He looked at both Romir and I. Not wanting to make him think we were fighting again, I nodded.
"Yeah, for you we thought we'd get together and plan a little surprise for you."
Romir came over and placed a kiss on the side of his head. "Happy birthday. I love you."
Jose uncle's eyes welled up with tears and he covered it for a second, a trembling chuckle leaving him. My own chin trembled and I fanned my face a little not wanting to cry. It was a happy occasion. No tears here.
"Dry those tears, mister," I told Jose uncle. "My parents are calling." I handed over the phone to him and his face was completely pale.
"Happy birthday, Jose!" my parents said in unison.
"Arshia told you?"
"Of course," I heard my mum say. "When she remembers to call us, she talks about you a lot."
Jose uncle sniffled and I moved away to let them speak. As I placed the cake slices onto the plates, I realised I hadn't brought the forks. Turning to ask someone if they could bring some over, Romir and Preethi were nowhere to be found.
Guess I gotta do it myself. I headed over to the kitchen when I overhead Preethi speaking. "I approve. She's just as prickly as you."
It wasn't said in malice but in a joking manner. Something that Romir wouldn't know even if it bit him in the butt. I nearly snorted but I mean, it was true. I was pretty bitter especially considering how I'd treated her when we first met.
To be fair though, she did come off as a stalker. I went into the kitchen keeping a straight face and flashing Preethi the most genuine smile I could muster and grabbed some forks before heading back.
My phone was on the dining table and Jose uncle was swiping at his eyes like a little kid. I came around and sat down next to him. I squeezed his clammy hand, holding it in mine.
I wasn't exactly used to comforting other people—usually people comforted me.
"If you're thinking about your niece, please don't cry," I said, trying not to make my own voice warble.
"You remind me of her," he whispered. "I haven't done something like this since—"
"She'll be watching from Heaven. She will be so proud."
"And how the fuck do you know that?" A voice with pure, unadulterated anger shook me to my core. I pulled my hand away from Jose uncle's and turned in my chair. There stood Romir with that shadowed, dark expression on his face. "Don't feed him fairytales."
"I was trying to make him feel better," I said, my face burning. I didn't want a scene. Not on Jose uncle's birthday and in front of his friend. Jose uncle squeezed my hand, as if to stop me but I couldn't feel it.
Like I wasn't fully there. Every time I was trying to be nice, being the best I could be, someone would try and fuck me over. First it was Varun and now this guy.
"Romir, she was—"
"I'm sick of you covering for this woman," spat Romir, lips curled. "How does she know about my sister? Is she prying information out of you?" He blew out a deep exhalation of frustration. "Stop whatever pretence you've got going on before I decide to kick you out of my house."
I'd never seen him so...so angry before. I'd never seen anyone so angry at me. I must have really pissed him off. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't. I felt like an idiot standing there all dressed up only to be insulted. What did I say that was so wrong?
"You know what I'm sick of?" my mouth blabbered, stopping him from turning to Preethi who was trying to tug him away. "I'm sick of you acting like you're the only one going through shit. I'm sorry for whatever happened in your life but I'm trying to be positive for your uncle. But clearly you don't give a shit about anyone but yourself."
Romir chuckled, the sound hollow but starting from deep within his gut. His unblinking gaze refused to leave mine. "That's real funny coming from you," he said. "Since the moment we got married, have you ever stopped whining? Did you ever stop to think that your stubbornness was hurting people that had no reason to be hurt?" He shrugged Preethi off who had placed her hand on his arm again. He stepped toward me. "You want to talk big about me being selfish when you see the world through such a narrow fucking lens. A few sugary words and you think wounds heal. You know why? Because you're an entitled little brat. That's all you are."
It was like I had been sucker punched in the gut. I stood there, my hands shaking and my throat clenching. I thought I would be able to tell him to go fuck himself or something, but all my pathetic self did was stand there with aching, blurry eyes.
Unfortunately, before I could find the deep breath to curse him out, Romir turned and walked out through the hall heading to the front door. Preethi spared me an awkward glance and followed him out, calling after him.
Jose uncle rubbed his forehead. "God, what a mess," he mumbled.
"I'm sorry, uncle," I said, hating how childish my croaky voice sounded. So weak. That was why Varun found it easy to throw me under the rug. Because I was a brat. I literally had everything handed to me. Maybe that was why. "Your birthday is all ruined."
"Arshia—"
"I'm tired. I'm gonna go lie down."
I didn't want Jose uncle to see me cry if the tears did end up coming. I grabbed my phone beside him and headed to the room. I called my parents sitting on the bed, wiping at my cheeks. I didn't want them to see that I was crying.
I needed a distraction otherwise I really was going to be bawling. My parents picked up almost immediately and they grinned. Seeing their bright faces back in the familiar place of England, I relaxed.
"Arshia!"
"We were just talking about you," said dad.
"Bad things?" I asked.
Mum's face dimmed a little. "It's serious, Arshia. Be serious," she muttered to dad. "I wanted to talk to you about Anjali."
"Now?"
"We wanted to wait until your celebration with Romir's uncle was over. Is it okay to talk?"
"Yeah, but what's going on?" I tried to read their expressions but it was hard.
"She's been sending voicemails and calling constantly about what happened with Varun," whispered mum.
I clicked my tongue. I'd already told Anjali though so why was she bothering mum and dad about it?
"Mum, I told her abo—"
"Wait, you spoke to Anjali?!"
Dad cut in, "When was this?"
"I thought this day would never come!"
They both sounded so excited and I blew out a deep breath, my cheeks puffing out. I'd long forgotten about the fight that had occurred moments before. My mind was more focused on this disaster.
"Yes, okay, I spoke to her," I said, cutting their rambling off, "but now I'm regretting it because I already told her everything! Why is she bothering you guys about it again?"
"Apparently she blocked him but his girlfriend's calling her now? I don't understand what she said. I think she was afraid to ask you about it."
I lulled my head back. Was that why she asked me to FaceTime her? To tell me that she was being harassed by his fiancé too?
Oh my god. I couldn't believe Varun seriously had Claudia call us up. What was wrong with them? They cheated together and wanted to be happy at the expense of hurting me. And now they wanted to be good people at the same time?
Fuck that.
"Mum, tell Anjali to cut off all contact with those fucking pieces of —" Seeing my parent's crestfallen faces, I reigned it in. I tried to take deep, slow breaths so I could control my teary voice. Mum looked like she was about to cry with me and if I lost it, she would, too.
No stress, the doctor had said. No. Stress. "Mum, please tell her to block them all. She shouldn't have to worry about the both of them harassing her. This has to do with me. Not her."
I hung up and gripped the phone tightly in my hand, wanting to chuck it against the door right opposite me. I was debating what to do to get rid of the coil in my chest that was ready to spring out when I heard a loud clatter, almost like something large crashing against the floor.
Like wheels—
Jose uncle.