Song of the chapter is Me and My Husband by Mitski

-06-
-Saina Bahl-
-Present-

_____________

Bahl Mansion, Gurgaon
7 November, 2030
9:02 pm

Another 'fantastic' Saturday evening at the Bahl Mansion, I thought, as I laid on the black satin sofa in the living room, still in my emerald green shift dress, still sleepless.

The customary biryani and sheer korma had been a big hit; the wine and the whiskey had followed. Everyone had had a 'fantastic' time.

Well, almost everyone.

I drapped the light pashmina shawl more securely around my shoulders and shifted my head to stare out at the soft drizzle on the balcony of the three-storeyed luxury mansion. It created a hum, drowning out the silence of the second floor except for the snores. Behind me, mummy-ji was audibly asleep. Malti, our maid, was fast asleep just beside her on the floor, with her head propped up on the side of the sofa. And through the open door of my own bedroom, Gautam, with his mouth wide open and his hairy arms and legs spread territorially across the double bed, snored the loudest.

I blinked hard as it started to lurch again. Really shouldn't have had the fourth glass of wine.

Usually when we held a get-together, I always managed to waft my way through the evening with a plastic smile on my face. My husband liked to entertain. He was a 'people's person'. He had a steady supply of imported liquor and misogynist jokes, and a bunch of excellent tips on how to invest in a market that was down, or buy a luxury car, or improve your golf game.

And I was expected to be his arm candy.

In these parties, my appearance was always supposed to be simple yet stunning, the flower arrangements on the table tops were always supposed to be elegant, the cushions on the sofa always fluffed, and the imported bottles of champagne always sparkling.

In the past three years, I had managed to transform into the perfect wife.

And yet that wasn't enough. It was never enough.

Just like how I was never enough.

Something inside me had snapped this evening. I didn't know what it was. Was it the clammy feel of Utkarsh Mehta's fingers on my knee under the dinner table? Or the flush on Gautam's cheek when I had walked in on him and Shreya in the balcony? Or was it the fact that no one at the party had a single unpretentious thing to say?

" The food is absolutely divine, Saina." Shreya had pronounced, stretching out towards me for a refill.

I should've felt flattered considering Shreya was the practically the machioness of West Gurgaon, with her father's share of property hogging half of the city's mainland. And yet the coziness of her and my husband in the balcony earlier had remained fresh in my mind.

Shreya had put a forkful of biryani in her mouth and closed her eyes for a dramatic effect. "Where on earth do you buy your mutton from, dear?" She had asked.

"From a little place down the road," I had responded, leaning in close. "You can see it from our bedroom window. Why don't you ask Gautam to show you later?"

My husband had instantly looked up from his conversation with Aniket Chopra and shot me a measured look. Careful, it seemed to say.

"But Saina dear," Utkarsh Mehta had chimed, claiming my attention by placing his filthy hand on my thigh. "Tell me about that horse painting on the wall. It's excellent. I feel like I could almost touch the horses."

I had slid my knee out from under his hand and took another sip of my wine. "It's a copy."

Utkarsh had turned to my husband and enquired, "Gautam, I thought you said that was an original."

"You must've misheard," Gautam had said, looking quite put out. "I said it was an original copy."

I had felt an immense giggle rise up inside me. "Next time you'll tell people these are an original copy too!" I had said, waving a hand at my chest.

This time there were gasps. My husband had set his glass of scotch down loudly on the table and demanded, "What are you talking about, Saina?"

"Van Cleef Arpels, Gautam, remember?" I had fingered the glittering neckpiece resting against my breasts. "Or did you think I was talking about my boobs?"

I had turned to Utkarsh then. "Those are real."

It had brought the house down. And everyone had gone back to their regular sophisticated laughter.

I uncrossed my legs, sat slowly up on the sofa. I needed to find myself something better to do to fill my hours or I would definitely explode.

I reached for my phone and the notification for a new mail popped up on the screen.

From Delmore High, it read.

I blinked hard as I tapped on the mail icon.

' Delmore High cordially invites the graduating class of 2020 till this day to their ten year reunion at the school on 14 November, 2030. All alumnis are requested to be present.

RSVP to confirm your presence.'

I sat paralysed for a second.

A rush of adrenaline flooded through me. A long forgotten breathlessness constricted my chest as I pushed myself off the sofa.

Thirty minutes later I was in the study with a shot of glass of single malt and a beating heart faster than a treadmill. Delmore High had plagued my memory like a ghost, haunting my dreams and bedeviling my existence. I had left a part of me behind the day I had left that place. It would always hold me captive.

I had lost the two most important people of my life in that very place. Those deaths would always continue to fetter me.

But eleven years had passed since that. And a lot had happened since then.

Relaxing my jaw, I dipped my head back and tugged at the corner of my dress. I chewed the inside of my cheeks, tapped on the reply option and paused. In a moment of spur, I pulled out the spiral notepad that I usually kept inside the front drawer and turned to a blank page. Clicking the pen beside me, I scribbled,

Reasons to not go:

1. Gautam would probably be pissed.

2. Mummy-ji's Diabetes is acting up.

3. Kavita is coming to visit in two weeks.

4. Haven't seen anyone from Delmore in years.

Reasons to go:

1. Gautam would be pissed (but who the fuck cares? he'd probably be busy with his meetings)

2. Mummy-ji's Diabetes is acting up (but it's under control)

3.Kavita is coming in two weeks (who the fuck comes to live at their brother's house for three weeks?)

4. Haven't seen anyone from Delmore in YEARS!

Staring at divided list for a moment, I sighed. Then in a small, almost undecipherable scrawl, I added,

will get to visit Avi and Ali.

_____________

and with that, we come to an end of the backstories.
next chapter is gonna be a blast!

saina has always been such an interesting character for me to write. she's flawed, confused and so unapologetically human. the complexity of her character is always fun to capture. she's not your average mary sue, and neither is she your average bad girl. she's complex, and has multiple layers.

just like me and you.

anyways, your thoughts are most welcome! how do you think she'll react when she meets Zoya after ages? will they be besties like before or will they be back at square one?

tune in next week to find out!

in the mean time, please vote, comment and share the book as much as possible!

love,
Bosedisha