Chapter 30
The warm breeze gently mussed Manisha’s freshly curled hair as she strolled toward Chai Time.
She scanned the packed streets around her, suddenly aware that Sunil could be any one of the men here.
It was strange to think that perhaps he’d been right under her nose this whole time, and she hadn’t even noticed.
Maybe you’ll bump into Prince Charming on your walk home. She could hear Dr. Rocky’s words.
If only it was as easy as Dr. Rocky made it seem.
She thought back to how easy it was to talk to Sunil, how effortlessly he made her feel heard and confident in a way she’d never known before.
It was clear now that someone was going to be incredibly lucky to experience all those qualities he brought to the table.
Serendipitously, an email from Sunil lit up her screen.
Well, I guess I have no choice when you put it like that…
She started to reply, but then another one came in.
Isha, I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and after a little push from a friend, I’ve decided to put my charm to good use. So here I am, with all the confidence I can muster, telling you that I’d love to meet you in person and take you out on a date.
Manisha came to an abrupt stop.
“Hey! Careful!” a woman behind her yelled, skirting around her frozen form.
Manisha’s heart raced as she quickly reread the message.
Sunil wanted to meet her. Her! Of course—they’d spent the past week sharing their values, their dreams, their fears late into the night.
She’d opened up to him more than she had with anyone in a long time.
But her elation morphed into panic not a second later.
How was she supposed to explain the tangle they were stuck in, all because of her?
Manisha was at a loss for words—a first when it came to corresponding with Sunil.
Her name being called from afar ripped Manisha from her thoughts. Turning around, she was startled to see Suzy waving at her across the street.
“Manisha, wait up!” Suzy exclaimed, trying to catch up with her.
“Suzy, hi. I’m surprised to see you without Rohit.”
“Oh, he’s busy working at the café, and I need to finalize the touches on our acquisition.”
“Ah. Well, you two have been having a lot of fun, so I guess it’s time for a little work now.”
“Are you kidding? It’s been more work than fun. It’s all business with Rohit.”
Manisha playfully nudged her. “Better get that Indian man in line or send him packing!”
“Not so easy to send a business partner packing.”
Manisha was perplexed, her brows furrowing in confusion. “Especially when he’s also your boyfriend…right?”
“Boyfriend? Rohit?” Suzy laughed. “No way! He’s a great person, but we’re just good friends.”
Manisha was speechless. After Rohit mentioned that Lucky had been lying, Manisha had convinced herself Suzy was his girlfriend.
But then, they were together all the time. Ate fancy meals in each other’s company. And he cooked for her. So, it wasn’t such an out-there assumption.
“I just thought because he was making dinner for you…”
“Well, we often work through dinner! And he has a talent for preparing the most mouth-watering Indian cuisine, which he graciously used to share with my ex-husband and me.”
“Your ex-husband,” Manisha said dumbly. She hadn’t known Suzy used to be married…but then, she didn’t really know anything about Suzy, did she? She hadn’t allowed herself to learn. “Does he live in Baskin?”
“No, why would he live here? Oh, Manisha, you don’t know who he is?”
“Is he a famous celeb or something?” she asked, intrigued.
“No, not at all. I guess I just thought Rohit would have told his friends. After all, he speaks so highly of you.”
Now Manisha was utterly bewildered. “He does?”
“My ex-husband is the man Rohit’s ex-fiancée cheated on him with. Rohit’s best friend and former business partner. Lucky and my ex left us for each other.”
Manisha struggled to process all this information. It felt like a plot straight out of a Bollywood movie, but these were real people with real feelings. Overwhelmed by it all, Manisha unexpectedly embraced Suzy.
“Oh wow…thank you.” Suzy hugged her back.
Manisha pulled back, her hands still resting on Suzy’s shoulders as she looked at her with genuine regret.
“I’m so sorry, Suzy. I had no idea. I was so awful to you and Rohit.
The things I said, how I reacted…I was out of line, and I just…
I feel—” Her voice wavered as she spoke, the weight of her apology sinking in.
She pulled Suzy into another tight hug. “I can’t believe I misjudged everything like that. Please, forgive me.”
“It’s alright, Manisha,” Suzy said softly, her hand resting on Manisha’s shoulder. “You didn’t know.”
Manisha swallowed, still feeling the guilty sting of her earlier judgment. She took a step back, her voice laced with genuine concern. “Are you okay, Suzy? I mean, with everything that’s happened…how are you holding up?”
Suzy let out a slow breath, her expression thoughtful.
“I’m actually alright now. The divorce settlement was just finalized.
Rohit didn’t want anything to do with the company, even though he helped build it.
He handed over his shares to me, which left me and my ex to figure out the rest. This week, the board decided all the shares would go to me.
I sold the company, and now…I’m giving half the money to Rohit. ”
Manisha was taken aback. “Why? The Khannas don’t need the money.”
Suzy nodded, a wry smile tugging at her lips. “No, but I didn’t want it. So, I took my half and donated it to a children’s charity. And when Rohit told me about the community hub he was working on, I decided the rest of it should go to him. It felt right.”
Manisha’s heart softened. “So, you’ve been visiting Rohit—”
“It’s been a difficult week with the settlement and everything, but more importantly, I’ve been there to support him. The anniversary of his mother’s passing has been weighing on him, and I wanted to be here for him during that.”
The pieces began to fall into place for Manisha. Her mouth pulled to the side in understanding. “You two are really something, you know? The way you’ve supported each other…It’s incredible, handling everything with such grace.”
Suzy smiled faintly, a touch of sadness in her eyes. “It’s been hard, but we’re doing it. We’re in this together.”
Manisha hesitated, then spoke with vulnerability, her voice quiet.
“I went through a cheating scandal of my own, and honestly, I didn’t handle it with grace.
There were a lot of f-bombs thrown around, clothes scattered all over the place…
and let’s not even talk about the wine bottles that didn’t survive the night. ”
Suzy let out a small laugh. “Well, I drank those wine bottles instead,” she said, giving Manisha a playful look. “It was more satisfying that way.”
Manisha grinned, shaking her head. “I probably should have done the same.”
“Everyone copes differently,” Suzy said with a shrug. “Especially when it comes to betrayal. It’s messy.”
Manisha nodded in agreement, but then her thoughts shifted. She took out her phone and pulled up the viral video that had been the talk of the town in London, handing it to Suzy. “Well, there’s also this,” she said, her voice tinged with a mix of exasperation and resignation.
Suzy watched the video, then looked at Manisha with a raised brow. “Oh, come on, Manisha. This? This is nothing. I set my ex’s clothes on fire once. Almost set him on fire, too—though I’m only half kidding about that last part.”
“Wow, remind me not to mess with you!”
Suzy smirked, leaning back against the wall. “It’s all part of the process, right?”
Manisha let out a small laugh, but then her tone shifted, more sombre. “Well, I basically lost my job over this mess.”
Suzy gave her a scrutinizing look. “So? You’ll find another one. I have a feeling that someone who made senior partner at a prestigious firm is smart enough—no matter how much she’s had to drink—to understand that there’s always someone watching. Maybe…maybe you wanted to lose your job?”
Manisha froze, wide eyed, the words hitting her harder than she expected. She’d been wondering about that very possibility herself for months but never had the guts to voice it. Maybe, deep down, she had wanted it all to implode. “You might be right,” she whispered.
Suzy gave her a reassuring smile. “Manisha, you’ll figure it all out. Just…be kind to yourself, alright?”
Manisha nodded slowly, her eyes meeting Suzy’s with new-found respect. “Thank you. And again, I’m so sorry for the way I acted. I honestly had no idea, but even then, it still wasn’t okay. It was my mistake.”
Suzy smiled warmly, her eyes softening. “It’s alright. We all make mistakes. But now, we can all start fresh. Rohit included.”
Manisha’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean by that?”
Suzy’s expression grew a little more serious. “I’m just worried that he might not want to open up to anyone again, after everything that’s happened.”
“I have a feeling he’ll open up when he’s ready,” Manisha said, her voice steady. “On his own time. He’s a good person, Suzy. And so are you.”
Suzy smiled at her, her expression softening with a quiet sense of understanding. “Thanks, Manisha. That means a lot.”
Manisha looked at her watch, suddenly aware of the time. “Speaking of time, I have to run…I’ve got a date!”
Suzy’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “A date? That’s fantastic! I’ll be sending all the positive vibes your way, though honestly, in that dress, you’re already glowing. You look incredible!”
Manisha grinned. “Thanks. I’m really looking forward to it. And I’ll send some positive vibes right back at you.”
Suzy chuckled. “Funny enough, I just met this woman today who claimed she could help me heal my broken heart with a bag of—”
“Seeds?” Manisha interrupted, laughing. “Oh, no, not Meena Auntie. She got to you, too?”
Suzy raised an eyebrow. “Meena who?”
Manisha waved a hand dismissively. “Never mind. You know what? We all need to have faith in something.”
Suzy smiled, her eyes thoughtful. “Yeah, we do.”
Manisha felt lighter than she had in days as she turned to go. It wasn’t just the date on the horizon that made her smile—it was the realization that despite the messiness of life, the bonds she created, the ways she supported those around her, were the things that truly mattered.