26. Sujit
SUJIT
I couldn’t bring myself to forget the dream I had about Aarti. It was so vivid, so visceral that its aftereffects shook my world well into the following week. I knew it wasn’t just my overactive subconscious at work. It was me, with all the free will involved.
I had spotted desire in her eyes more than once, but the timing of this connection couldn’t have been more inopportune.
If I had met Aarti outside of our current situation, it would’ve been a straightforward and rosy path to our happiness together.
Our intertwined, murky histories made this a complicated situation.
On several occasions over the past two weeks, I considered disclosing my feelings to her, only to be reminded of her conversation with her brother.
She had vehemently dismissed the possibility of us, either from embarrassment or from the fear of losing her family’s trust in her.
In either scenario, the loss would be mine.
If her happiness was closely linked to her family’s name and business, I could never be a part of it.
On the other hand, if she was put in a position to choose between the two, my fear was she’d choose me, and I’d hate myself for it.
My predicament notwithstanding, I wasn’t about to desert her on the night of the wedding.
The wedding, or the marriage itself, had stopped being the all-consuming entity it had been a couple of months ago.
Now, it was merely a date that, for a reason, was etched in our minds but was destined to have little impact on our lives.
I liked it that way. The gift I’d arranged to send Tara on her wedding day was a testament to this.
I studied the invitation to the charity event that I held in my hand. I attended such events only when my presence was deemed mandatory. Usually, my checks were more appreciated than me, I had long surmised. This holiday party, though, seemed like the perfect way to celebrate the night.
I texted Aarti.
Free for a call?
She called me back instantly.
“How’s it going?” I asked.
“Just stopped by the new place to take a look at the renovations. The electrical system needs an overhaul at this property too.” The weariness in her voice was surpassed by a sense of pride for her work.
“Well, here’s something that might cheer you up.”
“Let me guess, you discovered another hidden gem with amazing food?”
I laughed. “Better. How would you like to go dancing?”
“Ha ha, you got me,” she said, then quickly added, “Hey, give me a minute.”
I heard her give instructions to the crew amid sounds of scraping metal.
“Don’t you have people who can do this for you?” I asked when she returned on the call.
“I do, but I trust myself better,” she said. “So, you said dancing?”
“Yes, why would you think I was joking?”
“I thought you were teasing me for that night in St. Martin. You are serious.”
“I am, and I’m surprised at your surprise.”
She hesitated. “It’s only because I thought you couldn’t dance—wouldn’t—didn’t, I mean.”
“Which is it? Couldn’t, wouldn’t, or didn’t?”
“I mean, you don’t seem like the person who’d go dancing in a club.”
“Who said anything about a club?”
“Where then?”
“It’s a charity event, a ball of sorts.”
She burst out laughing. I heard her heels as she stepped away from her crew, and then I heard the sounds of the streets.
“Did you laugh at the image of me dancing at a ball?” I asked.
“No, I just flashed back to the debutant events Dad insisted on me attending.”
“Then you can dance, can’t you?”
“Oh, I can dance!” I heard the twinkle in her voice. “I just didn’t know you could.”
“Could or did?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does. If I couldn’t, I wouldn’t be able to at all. If I could but didn’t, I certainly would with you.”
“Sujit, this wordplay is getting tedious, and I have a lot on my plate today.”
“All right, I’ll pick you up at seven on Saturday, and it’s a black tie.”
“Saturday?” she said and went silent.
“Why? Are you busy?”
“Saturday is Christmas Eve.”
“Yes, it is a holiday party,” I argued.
“It is the wedding day,” she said with some ire. “Sujit, I told you it’s best if I am alone.”
“And I told you, you won’t be alone. Can you trust me on this one?”
“Haven’t I repeatedly told you that I trust you? I’ve trusted you since the first time I saw you at the hotel bar.” The annoyance in her voice was loud and clear.
“And that is the troubling part, isn't it?” I softly completed her statement.
“It is,” she said with a gentle sigh.
I let the silence hold between us before I spoke again. “Can I ask you something? Seriously, this time.”
She hummed in response.
“Are you uncomfortable about being seen with me at a public event with the press involved? Especially on Saturday?”
She sighed. “How much did you hear of what my brother said that day?”
“Enough to get the gist of it.”
“They feel it’s an embarrassment for them and should be shameful for us.”
I didn’t react. I was eager to know how she felt about it, about us.
“Sujit?” she prodded.
“I’m here.”
“You didn’t respond.”
“I can’t tell you how to feel, Aarti. But I will honor your decision, always. You know that.”
I heard a deep exhale.
“I’m not uncomfortable about being seen with you,” she replied. “Neither am I ashamed of our friendship.”
“And if people arrive at certain conclusions?” I attempted to test the waters.
“They always do, my good man, but that’s their problem, isn’t it? I just hope to dance my ass off.”
Devi knocked on the door to remind me of my next appointment. I waved her to give me a minute. “Well, I promise to be a consummate gentleman and have you back from the ball before your carriage turns into a pumpkin.”
“You are a gentleman even if you don’t try, Sujit. But I’m certainly not cut out to be a gentlelady. What if I end up wanting to spend the night at your place?”
“That would be absolutely out of the question. You have your own home now. I will make sure that you are tucked in safe and sound, like the sweet girl that you are.”
She offered me another short laugh, then whispered, “Thank you, Sujit.”
Saturday evening, I was en route to her apartment, perusing the file that Devi had entrusted Imran to place in the car for me.
“How is Razia?” I inquired about his sister with my eyes on the file in my lap.
“Good. She’s happy,” he said. I could feel his eyes on me in the mirror.
“How are her courses going? Any trouble catching up?”
“She didn’t say, but I will ask her.”
I looked at the mirror. “I know she’s working at the convenience store.”
He sat up straight, then slumped with a sigh. “I told her not to worry about money, to focus on her studies, but she feels like she’s a burden on me. I keep telling her you pay me well, but she feels obligated.”
“She’s a self-respecting person, like her brother, and I appreciate that. But if she doesn’t get the necessary skills, I won’t hire her, tell her that. She needs to be at the top of her game if she wants to come work for me.”
He smiled with relief. That was one threat he could use to get his sister to take her courses seriously. “I will tell her. She says she is already feeling bad that I am paying for her college.”
“In the grand scheme of things, it’s a very small amount. When she gets the job, she’ll be able to repay you in two months.”
“That’s what I told her, but she doesn’t listen. She’s stubborn.” He shook his head.
“Like her brother,” I said with a smile.
“Me, stubborn? Come on, Boss, you won’t find a more agreeable person.”
“Sure. Absolutely.”
He grinned wide.
“How’s Afra?” I asked.
He flashed a shy smile at the mention of his girlfriend. “She’s good too.”
“Did she get the job?”
“Yes, she started this week.”
“Good, and the pay bump she was hoping for?”
“Yes, she is very happy. She will be trained by the head nurse, who has already taken a liking to her. I said, that’s surprising.”
“And how did she take that?”
“Not well,” he said with a laugh. “Hit me on the arm and said, you better be careful what you say. I’m a nurse , and I know all ways to make murder look like natural death.”
I had to laugh at that. “Good for her.”
“She’s so smart, Boss. I wonder what she’s doing with me.”
“You are not bad yourself, Imran.”
“But I’m not educated. Can I keep her happy?”
“Those two have no correlation. And you had to quit studying and migrate to a foreign country to support your family. It’s because of you that Razia is an engineer today. Your little brother is on his way to getting his degree. And your mother could have her knee surgery.”
He nodded.
“And if you ever want to go back to college, you know you don’t have to think twice.”
“I know, Boss. But it’s too late for me. Now I want to settle down, marry, have kids.”
“So when’s that happening?”
“Afra and I think after Razia gets back on her feet. We don’t want her to feel like she’s dependent on us after our marriage.”
“That won’t be long. Tell Razia I was upset and asked her to focus on her courses.”
He nodded.
“Have you talked to Afra’s parents yet?”
He blew out a breath.
“What’s the holdup?”
“I’m a driver. That’s the holdup,” he said in a sorrowful tone. “They want her to marry someone educated, someone rich.”
“Have you told them how much you make?”
“No, bragging is un-Islamic.” He smiled heartedly.
“Then let me brag on your behalf. You’ll always have a job with me, you know that.”
“Thank you, Boss. But that won’t be necessary. Afra is strong. She’s got my back.”
“Good. I’m glad you have a strong, smart woman in your life.”
He eyed me in the mirror with a sly grin.
“Yes?” I asked.
“And you?”
I closed the file and placed it on the seat beside me. “Hopefully someday.”
“That day is today, Boss,” the sly rascal said as he parked the car under Aarti’s building and then came around to hold the door open for me.
I rode up the elevator and waited for Aarti to answer the door.
Lord have mercy! That was the first thought that hit me when I saw her in the sultry, smooth red gown. I looked at her from top to bottom with complete reverence for her beauty.
“Don’t forget to breathe,” she teased as she turned inside.
I caught a quick breath and followed her, gazing at her glossy, deep brown hair cascading over a delectably open back. Her perfect curves swayed gracefully with her every step.
“Just need to put my earrings on,” she said, grabbing one from the coffee table.
Unable to take my eyes off her, I watched her put the stud in her ear.
She laughed with her beautiful red lips as a light from the chandelier caught the stunning solitaire.
She grabbed the other stud from the table.
The gold setting of the earrings matched the muted gold in her neckline, her proud breasts pouring out generously.
She blinked at me with her long lashes underneath a delicate eye makeup. I noticed she had not used false lashes today, and it did nothing to diminish the beauty of those eyes.
A side slit rode up to her right thigh, drawing attention to her silky, toned long legs.
I let my gaze linger and wasn’t ashamed of it, for no one else I knew could walk that elegantly in those tall heels like she did.
She glided. Her perfume was some sort of magical mix of everything the heavens had to offer.
I was certain if goddesses had a scent, they would smell exactly like this.
A goddess, that’s who she was. Gorgeous, powerful, brilliant.
Amid my admiration and reverence, I forgot that I had brought along a gift for her.
“Is that for me?” she asked, her eyes darting to the box in my hand.
Shaken out of my trance, I said, “Ah, yes.”
When I handed her the box, she opened it and saw the diamond necklace I’d had custom-designed. I couldn’t describe what cut it was or how many carats the diamonds were. All I could say for certain was that it was beautiful, and it was created especially for her.
The look in her eyes confirmed it for me. “This is beautiful, Sujit! But you shouldn’t have…I mean, there was no need…”
“This isn’t from me. This is on behalf of Ms. Dina,” I said as I lifted the necklace out of the box and offered to help her put it on.
She pulled her hair to one shoulder as I tried to lock it at her nape. Her scent enveloped me, and I was transposed to an imaginary world where I could take her in my arms and kiss her till our lips were sore.
“Ms. Dina, huh?” she said as I came back around to face her. “So, what did you get me?”
I grinned and pulled out a single red rose out of my jacket and held it out for her. “This is from me.”
She threw her head back in a heartfelt laugh, showing me all of her teeth, and her nose scrunched up in delight. It was then that I noticed she had not covered up her beauty mark. It wasn’t a noticeably prominent size, but there it was, visible under her makeup.
I stepped closer and touched it. “I love it,” I whispered against her cheek and placed a gentle kiss on it.
“Don’t,” she said softly. “This will make it all the more difficult when I have to leave.”
This time, I didn’t hesitate. “Then don’t leave.”