Priya gawked at the exterior of the five star hotel that stood before her. The limo driver held the door open waiting for her to exit, but Priya was too caught up in the luxurious sight before her.
“Priya. Come on.” Aman waited for her at the entrance of the hotel.
Priya exited the limo and joined Aman. She took a deep breath before following Aman inside. The lobby of the hotel was unlike anything Priya had seen before. The décor was pure Victorian that couldn’t be found in India. She mindlessly followed behind Aman, as she gaped at her surroundings with immense fascination. Aman paused in front on the entrance of the grand ballroom.
“Priya, I don’t know if you’ve ever been in this type of setting before. Just do whatever everyone else is doing. If they laugh, you laugh. If they’re drinking, you drink. Be polite even if someone says something stupid. Fake it if you have to. If the other wives aren’t contributing to the conversation, you shouldn’t either. And please Priya, just get through this for me.” Aman warned. He seemed just as nervous as she was.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Priya said with a smile.
Aman gave Priya small smile before taking her hand in his. He led her through the double doors. As soon as they entered, many of the people turned their attention towards them. Priya knew Aman was well-known in the business community, but she didn’t know that he was this well-known. Aman squeezed her hand letting her know that everything would be okay. He led her over to a rather large group of men and their wives. They were an older crowd, much older than Aman and Priya.
“Aman! How are you? It’s been a while.” A tall man with graying hair stepped forward and engulfed Aman in a hug.
“Hey Steve. I’d like you to introduce you to my wife, Priya.” Replied Aman.
“Wife? You went off and got married without even telling us?” Steve said incredulously.
The others looked in, surprised expressions planted on their faces. Priya wondered if these were Aman’s friends or simply his colleagues. Steve seemed like the friendliest of the bunch, while the others seemed less sociable.
“Anyways, it’s nice to meet you Priya.” Continued Steve, gently shaking Priya’s hand.
He turned back to the group.
“This is Walter and Elaine McDonald. That’s Greg and Megan Robinson. David and Elizabeth Oliver. Miguel and Maria Vazquez. And this gorgeous red head is my wife, Kate. And the couple walking up right now is Nikhil and Neha Sachdev.”Steve finished introducing all of the people, pointing to each one as he introduced them. Priya noticed that the Robinsons were the youngest couple of the group besides Aman and Priya. The Sachdevs, the only other Indians here, seemed like they were in their early thirties, still younger than the majority of the people present.
“Priya, darling, your outfit is simply divine.” Elizabeth Oliver commented.
“Thank you.” Replied Priya quietly, unsure whether or not her compliment was really sincere.
The men fell into a comfortable chatter as the women simply watched on, taking a sip of champagne every now and then. None of them said anything. Priya, remembering what Aman had told her before, also remained silent. Priya gazed at Neha. She was just a little older than her, but she looked as if she could be Priya’s age because she was so stunning. She opted for a bright red evening gown that flown regally down to the floor. Neha noticed Priya watching her and walked over towards her.
“Hi Priya!” Neha said quietly. “God your sari is exquisite. I wish I could handle wearing one.”
“Thank you. Your dress is very beautiful.” Replied Priya.
Neha opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by a man who had joined the group.
“Hey Aman! How was India?” A vibrant blonde haired man hugged Aman, careful not to spill the drink in his hand.
“It was great, Chris! I’d like you to meet my wife, Priya.” Aman gestured over to Priya.
“My my it’s a pleasure to meet you.” Chris looked at Priya, a goofy smile playing at his lips. Priya smiled back.
“Nikhil! We have to dance!” exclaimed Neha, grabbing Nikhil’s hand and dragging him to the dance floor as the orchestra began playing its first song.
Many of the couples followed suit. Aman continued chatting with some of the men, ignoring Priya. Priya watched as the other couples danced. Many of them looked so in love. They gazed passionately into each other’s eyes as they swayed to the music. She looked over to Neha and Nikhil. Nikhil looked flustered as he looked down at his feet, while Neha stifled her laughter. She watched as Aman continued on with his conversation, wondering if he would ever ask her to dance.
“Aman, would you mind if I asked your wife for a dance?” asked Chris, suddenly appearing by Priya’s side.
Aman’s expression hardened. He stared at Priya for a moment before speaking.
“No. I don’t mind.” He said coldly.
“Great! May I have this dance?” Christ asked, holding out his hand.
Priya looked at Aman again. He continued to stare at her, a blank expression remained on his face. Priya placed her hand in Chris’s and followed him out to the dance floor. Aman watched as her silhouette vanished into the crowd.
Chris placed one hand on Priya’s waist and took her hand in his other hand. He pulled her close and began moving to the music.
“So, how long have you known Aman?” he asked, attempting to start a conversation.
“A few days.” Priya answered.
Christ looked at her in disbelief.
“We had an arranged marriage in India.” Priya added quietly.
“Oh…that makes sense. I didn’t think Aman was the type to just settle down.” Chris replied.
Priya became puzzled. Why wouldn’t Aman be the type to settle down? She decided to keep her curiosity to herself.
“So you aren’t in love with him?” Chris suddenly asked.
Priya lowered her gaze. She respected Aman, but she wasn’t sure if she loved him just yet. She shook her head in response to Chris’s question.
“Lucky bastard.” Said Chris under his breath.
Priya’s eyes grew wide. She was stunned at what Christ just said about Aman.
“No no! I just meant that he’s lucky to end up with a wife as pretty as you without even trying.” Explained Chris.
Priya giggled. Chris was sweet. They continued to dance until the song ended. Priya turned to leave as the orchestrated stopped playing, but Christ grabbed her wrist.
“One more song?” he requested. She was happy to oblige. She was enjoying Chris’s company. Priya started looking around the room for Aman as the next song started, but she didn’t see him anywhere.
“Priya, you’re so beautiful.” Chris nearly whispered. He was watching her intensely as they danced.
“Thank you, Chris.” Priya replied.
“Aman should appreciate you more. He didn’t even ask you to dance, which was extremely fortunate for me.” Mused Chris.
“Umm…I…he…” Priya didn’t know how to reply to that.
“Shhh.” Chris placed a finger over Priya’s lips. “I can tell you know how to make a man happy.” He pulled her closer as they danced. Priya felt uncomfortable in his arms. She felt his hand that was resting on her waist travel to her back, caressing the bare skin between her blouse and her sari.
“Chris.” She started pulling away from him, but he tightened her grip.
Priya stopped struggling for a moment and waited for Chris to loosen his grip. He continued to caress her making her feel even more uncomfortable. She broke away from him and hurried off the dance floor. Her eyes searched for Aman. She didn’t see him anywhere in the crowd. She began searching the crowd for Neha’s bright red dress, deciding that it would be easier to spot red rather than trying to distinguish Aman’s black tuxedo from the sea of the black tuxedos surrounding her. She couldn’t locate Neha either.
Priya felt suffocated. She needed some air. She needed to get away from Chris, who she was sure was searching for her. She rushed to the double doors. Before she could exit, she spotted Aman and his group huddled in the corner. Aman was engrossed in a conversation with someone she didn’t recognized. He seemed irritated. Priya quickly strode over to his side.
“Your marketing scheme is all wrong. You’re trying to appeal to the wrong audience. Switch advertisers, spend a little, and you’ll evade bankruptcy. It’s as simple as that.” Aman said, his voice raising a little.
“It’s simple when you have the means that you have.” Replied the man he was talking with, frowning.
“Aman.” Priya tried to get his attention.
“Well if you knew how to control your resources properly, then you’d have the means too.” Aman said, frustration evident in his voice.
“Aman.” Priya said a little more loudly this time.
“Excuse me.” Aman said. He turned to Priya, putting some distance between himself and the rest of the group to give them more privacy.
“So how is the party going?” he asked, taking a sip from his drink.
“Can we leave?” Priya blurted out.
“Leave? Why? Did something happen?” Aman seemed a little worried.
“No…I just don’t feel well.” Priya didn’t want Aman to know what Chris had done. She didn’t want to get in the way of their friendship or professional life.
“Didn’t you have fun dancing with Chris?” asked Aman.
“Hey Priya. Where did you run off to?” Speak of the devil. Chris appeared behind Aman.
“She doesn’t feel well.” Aman answered for her.
“Well that’s too bad. I was hoping to persuade her into another dance. Come on, Priya. I’ll take care of you.” Chris said, his eyes bore into Priya. She looked away.
Aman looked at Chris and then back to Priya. She visibly seemed uncomfortable around him. Chris had done something to upset her. Aman was sure of it.
“You can’t leave now. The evening is young.” Continued Chris optimistically.
“He’s right, Priya. We can’t leave now.” Aman said.
Priya looked at Aman. Her eyes pleading with him.
“Will dance with me?” he asked with a smirk.
“What?” Christ said with a shocked expression.
“What’s the matter, Chris? Can’t a man dance with his own wife?” Aman said with a hint of spite. He wasted no time in grabbing Priya’s hand and pulling her to the dance floor.
He placed her hands around his neck and placed his own around her waist. She wouldn’t look at him. Her attention was on the ground. Aman continued to dance with Priya in silence. He found himself admiring her beauty. This was the first time he’d seen her this closely.
“So are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” he finally asked.
Priya looked up at him. She hesitated before answering.
“Nothing. I just don’t feel well.” She stuck to her story.
“Come on Priya. Tell me what’s really wrong. Did Chris do something?” Aman replied.
“No.” Priya looked away before answering. Aman was confident that she was hiding something.
“What did he do?” Aman asked through gritted teeth. He couldn’t figure out why he was angry. He just was.
“He…He didn’t…It’s just that dancing with another man seemed wrong.” She said. Priya stated the first excuse that came to mind. Her excuse wasn’t completely untrue.
Aman’s expressions softened. He suddenly felt bad for not asking Priya to dance earlier.
“Don’t worry. I won’t let another man dance with you, Priya. You’re all mine.” Aman stated. He gazed deeply into Priya’s eyes as he spoke. She blushed and instinctively lowered her gaze.
The song came to an end, but Aman didn’t want to stop dancing with Priya. He pulled her slightly closer to him as the next song started, indicating that he wanted to continue dancing. Priya didn’t object. They continued dancing and talking for what seemed like hours. Aman forgot about all of the business deals and offers he’d planned on lobbying for this evening. Instead, he focused all of his attention on Priya.
The party came to an end. Aman was secretly relieved. The evening had been too long. He was anxious to go home and relax. He bid farewell to all of his colleagues. Chris approached Aman as he was exiting the hotel.
“That was some party, huh. I’d never been so bored in my life.” Christ commented.
“Yeah. The crowd was a lot older than what you’re probably used to.” Aman replied. He glanced at Priya, noticing how uncomfortable she became as soon as Chris appeared.
“The highlight of my evening was dancing with your wife.” Christ said, eyeing Priya.
Aman took a step to the side, obstructing Chris’s view of Priya.
“Yeah mine too.” Agreed Aman.
Aman’s limo rounded the corner and stopped in front of the hotel. He protectively placed his arm around Priya as they walked up to the limo. After helping her into the limo, he turned back to Chris.
“I hope you enjoyed dancing with my wife tonight because you’ll never touch her again.” Aman growled before walking around to the other side of the limo.
Chis watched on in shock as Aman’s limo pulled away from the hotel.
Aman didn’t know it, but Priya had heard what he said. She smiled to herself as she reflected upon the events of the evening. Aman had yelled at her, ignored her at the beginning of the party, danced with her until the end of the party, and now he was threatening the man that misbehaved with her. She was pleased but thoroughly confused. At times, it seemed like Aman disliked her. Other times, it seemed like they were friends. And sometimes, he treated her like his wife. These were the times Priya enjoyed most.
Another long chapter! Sorry for taking forever. I started working on another chapter that will be much further in the future, but it was such a great idea (in my opinion, of course) that I had to write it otherwise I would forget.
So give me some honest feedback in the comments! Would you like to see more Neha and Nikhil? What about more romance between Aman and Priya? Tell me in the comments!
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