Chapter One
Arya
(Present)
Ditched at the altar.
Every headline said the same.
At least it did the last time I went on social media, which was a week after the most tragic and humiliating day of my life. Even the thought of going anywhere near my phone or laptop, let alone going online, makes me break out into hives.
I’ve been living like a sad, depressed hermit in one of the properties owned by my dad for the past seven months.
A glass prison until he fixes the mess I created.
It’s half by choice, half by my dad’s order to hide me away from the media.
Their insidious desire for an inside scoop or a statement went so far as to call me nonstop on my personal number, leaving me no choice but to change it.
Only a select few people have it. Out of which, only two have checked on me every day.
Noor and Anaya.
Both would be by my side in person, even Noor, who lives in New York, if it weren’t for my father’s strict orders to stay away. His reason was that anyone could follow them and learn my location.
No fucks given to his daughter’s emotional predicament.
Reputation. Reputation. Reputation.
It’s all he gives two shits about.
Even more rigidly since Bianca, my older sister, left us for her husband. I can’t even blame her. She made the right call by walking out on our toxic family. My only regret is that I was on the wrong side.
BANG!
I jump at the loud noise, the TV remote crashing to the floor from my lap.
BANG!
Tring! Tring! Tring! the doorbell chimes.
“Who is it?” I mutter to myself. I don’t have any neighbors, not that they’d cause such a ruckus, like my door is a fire escape they’re desperate to use.
BANG!
“For fuck’s sake! I’m coming.” I throw away the blanket and stalk to the front door. Wrenching it open, I gape at the three people standing here.
And then I burst into tears.
“Oh, Aru.” Noor throws her arms around me. “Shh… I’m here.”
Anaya and Misha step inside, wrapping me in a group hug.
“We all are, Arya,” Misha murmurs.
Anaya nods. “You’re going to be fine. That jerk is going to rot in hell once he realizes in his thick skull what a precious girl he lost.”
“I-I thought I was getting o-over him-m.” What I’m unable to come to terms with is how easily he kicked me out of his life. He hasn’t even called once to apologize, much less realize he regrets his choice.
Am I so replaceable?
Do I not deserve someone who’ll love me unconditionally? Who will fight to be with me? Who will make me his number one priority?
I did it all for him, going to lengths I shouldn’t have.
“You will get over him,” Noor firmly replies.
“Come on.” Anaya takes my hand. “Let’s get you inside first.”
Misha locks the front door before the four of us make our way to the living room. They glance at the mess and share a worried look among themselves.
I’m a neat freak.
The filthy state of the coffee table screams the opposite. I can’t muster the urge for the most basic tasks these days. What’s the point? It’s just a distraction. My life will still be in shambles, my mood morose, whether or not I clean the room.
Misha starts to collect the empty packets of chips, a half-eaten tub of ice cream, and the coffee cup, while Anaya and Noor guide me to the couch.
Noor pushes my hair away from my face. “Anaya is right. It’s Aryan’s loss. Sooner or later, he’s going to realize it.”
“The man hasn’t reached out to me,” I utter with a derisive laugh. “I bet he’s not even thinking about me. I mean, did he reach out to any of you?”
Their long faces say it all.
“Exactly.” I sniffle, ignoring the sting in my heart at being forgotten so easily. “I gave Aryan all of me, stood by him through thick and thin. Why would he do this? What did I do wrong? I-I thought we were happy.”
“He’s a pig and a coward,” angrily huffs Anaya.
“He showed his true colors,” says Misha, sitting down on the arm of the couch. “A man like him doesn’t deserve you.”
“Seven months and I still feel it was just yesterday he dumped me in front of the entire world.”
Noor wraps her arm around my shoulders, caressing my upper arm. “We can’t imagine the pain you’re in. This whole situation is more fucked up than a breakup. But you will heal and come out of this stronger.”
“Yes,” Anaya and Misha respond in unison.
“However, you won’t be able to do it by being locked up in this tower.”
“You also need to stop thinking about that dirtbag,” Misha adds.
“Which is why we’re here to take you out.”
“What?” I lurch upright, shaking my head at Anaya. “No. My dad will kill me if he finds out.”
She bops my nose. “Then we’ll make sure he doesn’t.”
“Besides, people can hardly see others’ faces inside a club,” comes from Noor.
“A club? I’m not in the mood for dancing.”
“What about drinking?” Anaya wags her eyebrows.
It almost makes me smile. “We can do that here.”
“The point is to get you out.” Capturing my chin before I can shake my head, Noor puts on her mother hen face, and says, “It’s been seven months, Arya. You need to stop moping and feeling shitty for yourself. You’re a strong, independent woman with a spine of steel. Don’t let a man bring you down.”
“Amen!” chant my other two best friends.
“The way I see it, you dodged a bullet named adulterer.”
“What?” I gape at Noor.
“Aryan had a wandering eye, which I noticed the last time both of you visited me in New York.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I confronted him.” Arching an eyebrow, she asks, “Wanna know what he replied with?”
I nod.
“I was looking at her because I thought I knew her from college.”
“Lame,” snorts Anaya.
“Idiot.”
“Oh, you haven’t heard the best part.”
We all wait expectantly.
“He was trying to figure that out by leering at her ass.” Leaning back, she flicks her hand. “Like I said, you dodged a bullet, Aru. So, no more wasting time over him.”
I fight back tears. “It’s not that easy.”
They all sober up.
Anaya rests her hand on mine, squeezing. “But you need to try. We don’t want to see you sad. You’re our bubbly girl. Let us help you bring her back.”
“Please, Arya,” sighs Misha.
“I didn’t fly out here to stare at these four walls,” teases Noor to lighten the mood. “If not for you, come for me. You know that I hardly get to flirt with cute guys at bars with Kabir breathing down my neck back home.”
She isn’t exaggerating.
Kabir Shah is as protective as a big brother can be.
“Is he still dating that girl?”
“Arohi? Yes.” Rolling her eyes, she complains, “Talk about double standards. He’s happy with his girlfriend, but won’t let me date a guy without his approval.”
“He’s just being protective,” reasons Misha.
“Oh, please, you’re saying that because you have a big crush on him.” Anaya grins, making twin spots appear on our friend’s cheeks.
Noor raises her hand. “We’re getting sidetracked.”
The trio snaps their attention back to me.
“We’re going clubbing,” announces Noor. “So, get your ass off the dirty couch and get dressed. No buts or excuses.”
I gaze at their hopeful expressions and acquiesce. “Okay. Let’s go.”
“Attagirl.”
A smile breaks free on my lips.
“Wait.” Anaya halts us, mischief sparking in her eyes. “There’s something very important we need to do first.”
“What?” the rest of us probe.
***
Half an hour later, we’re all standing over the toilet seat in the bathroom.
I swear only Anaya can come up with such absurd rituals, which she learns from TV shows and movies. Tonight, she’s suggested the crazy one.
Squinting at her, I mumble, “Tell me again how this is supposed to help me.”
“It’s about letting the anger out into the universe…”
“The toilet.”
Anaya glares at Noor, who’s biting back her laughter, and continues, “And being free of your stupid exes.”
“By burning his picture?”
“Don’t forget cursing him out.” She juts her chin out like a teacher. “Most important step. Otherwise, it won’t work.”
“This is stupid,” I mutter.
“Come on, Aryan is a grade A shithead and shit needs to be flushed out.”
My gorgeous nutcase of a friend even came prepared with a postcard-sized picture of Aryan with A piece of shit written in black bold letters on top and a matchstick.
I stare at my ex-fiancé’s photo. He’s smiling widely with a mischievous expression in his black eyes. The sunlight is hitting him from the perfect angle as he gazes at the camera.
The photo was taken by me. It was after our morning run in the park, the day after we got engaged.
When I clicked it, I thought I was staring at my forever. Little did I know heartbreak was waiting for me at the end.
The longer I stare, the more fury burns in my veins. It pushes aside the pity, the despair, and the blame I’ve been shouldering.
The picture wrinkles at the corner as my fist tightens.
“He is a shithead,” I growl, crushing the damn paper while imagining it’s his face I’m choking. “He’s going to rue the day he walked out on me.”
“Hell yeah!” Noor hoots.
Anaya claps. “Keep going.”
“Asshole.”
“More.”
“Motherfucking coward! Scumbag! Lying piece of shit. The biggest chutiya [RK4]to ever exist! I hate him!”
“Burn his picture!”
I light the match, press the edge against the flame, and watch the photo set on fire. It melts rapidly, carrying with it some of my anger away. Before the flames can lick my fingers, I throw the picture into the toilet.
After one final look, I flush Aryan out of my life.
“Now, let’s go party!”