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Authors: Chetan Bhagat
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hot-shot,’ Rohan said.
Everyone laughed. I think when rich guys say something, girls find
it extra funny.
‘Wait a minute, guys,’ Rohan said as he took out his phone from
his pocket. ‘Yes, Mummy ji. Everything okay, right? When will you be
here? Everyone is asking for you... Okay, don’t be too late.The party
can’t start without you.’
I watched Rohan’s face as he stepped aside to take his call. It
glowed, perhaps due to the facial he had mentioned, or maybe it was
just his mother’s voice.
‘You ladies like to party? Is there a nightclub for afterwards?’
Rohan said when he came back.
‘There’s Agni at the Park,’ Ayesha said, playing with her hair.
I wondered why on earth anyone would leave such a fancy party
and go anywhere else. However, rich people like to have options and
try different things.
‘You’ve known Riya a long time?’ Rachita asked Rohan.
‘Since she was a little girl,' Rohan said, ‘I used to be able to lift her easily.'
‘Hah. I was two, you were eight, Rohan.’ Riya said.
‘Yes. Let me try that now,'
Rohan put his glass down. He bent forward and took hold of
Riya’s waist. Riya was too startled to protest. A surge of anger ran
through my entire body. My fists and face tightened up in a primal
response.
Leave her alone, you bastard, I said in my head.
Rohan lifted her off the ground. The girls giggled. He placed Riya
back down. It all lasted only two seconds. However, my insides
continued to burn long after it was over.
‘You are the quiet type, mate,’ Rohan said to me. ‘What’s up? Need
another drink?’
Yeah, I need to drink your blood.
Rohan beckoned to a waiter with drinks and passed me a beer
without me asking for it. I didn’t need a beer. I needed to whack this
NRI’s head like a slam-dunk shot. I needed alone time with Riya. I
needed another accent.
I chugged the beer down in one shot. I did it to assert my fast-
diminishing manliness in the group. Everyone watched me in surprise.
‘Mate, that’s rough. Go easy,’ Rohan said.
Riya understood I wasn’t being myseif. She looked at me as if to
hat the matter was. I turned the other way to avoid eye contact.
The girls gathered around Rohan. He told them stories about his
adventures at Indian airports.
'Madhav, can I talk to you for a second?’ Riya said.
We stepped away from the group.
*
We sat opposite each other on plush white sofas in Riya’s drawing
room. Two waiters hovered around us.
'Can’t we just...’ I said and fell quiet. A waiter brought us a tray of
spring rolls.
'Madhav, so many guests. How are we supposed to be more
private?’
'Yeah, fine, I understand,’ I said. I picked up two spring rolls.
‘Besides, I will see you in college on Monday, right?’ she said.
I nodded as I ate the spring rolls. A part of my frustration came
from hunger. I felt better after the snack.
‘I understand how you feel. In some ways, even I feel like a tourist
at these parties,’ Riya said.
‘What?’
‘It’s not real. All this. I’ve lived with this fakeness all my life,’ she said.
‘And why did you speak to your dad so rudely?’
‘Did I? Whatever. He’s another fake.’
‘C’mon Riya. Don’t talk like that.’
‘You hate it here, don’t you?’
‘No, I’m fine. What a grand house you live in. I still can’t get over
it,’ I said, in an attempt to change the topic.
‘I hope it doesn’t affect us. I’m still the same Riya who plays with
you on the dusty court,’ she laughed.
‘What is “us”, Riya?’
‘Us.You and me. Our friendship.’
‘Riya, we are more than friends.’
‘Are we?’ She looked at me as if genuinely confused.
‘I’ve never kissed anyone before,’ I said.
'Madhav.’
‘What?’
‘People can hear us.’
‘Nobody can hear us.’ The loud music in the garden ensured
nobody could hear anything.
‘We’ll talk about this later.’
‘You never do,’ I said
'I will, I promise. Please cheer
Everyone laughed. I think when rich guys say something, girls find
it extra funny.
‘Wait a minute, guys,’ Rohan said as he took out his phone from
his pocket. ‘Yes, Mummy ji. Everything okay, right? When will you be
here? Everyone is asking for you... Okay, don’t be too late.The party
can’t start without you.’
I watched Rohan’s face as he stepped aside to take his call. It
glowed, perhaps due to the facial he had mentioned, or maybe it was
just his mother’s voice.
‘You ladies like to party? Is there a nightclub for afterwards?’
Rohan said when he came back.
‘There’s Agni at the Park,’ Ayesha said, playing with her hair.
I wondered why on earth anyone would leave such a fancy party
and go anywhere else. However, rich people like to have options and
try different things.
‘You’ve known Riya a long time?’ Rachita asked Rohan.
‘Since she was a little girl,' Rohan said, ‘I used to be able to lift her easily.'
‘Hah. I was two, you were eight, Rohan.’ Riya said.
‘Yes. Let me try that now,'
Rohan put his glass down. He bent forward and took hold of
Riya’s waist. Riya was too startled to protest. A surge of anger ran
through my entire body. My fists and face tightened up in a primal
response.
Leave her alone, you bastard, I said in my head.
Rohan lifted her off the ground. The girls giggled. He placed Riya
back down. It all lasted only two seconds. However, my insides
continued to burn long after it was over.
‘You are the quiet type, mate,’ Rohan said to me. ‘What’s up? Need
another drink?’
Yeah, I need to drink your blood.
Rohan beckoned to a waiter with drinks and passed me a beer
without me asking for it. I didn’t need a beer. I needed to whack this
NRI’s head like a slam-dunk shot. I needed alone time with Riya. I
needed another accent.
I chugged the beer down in one shot. I did it to assert my fast-
diminishing manliness in the group. Everyone watched me in surprise.
‘Mate, that’s rough. Go easy,’ Rohan said.
Riya understood I wasn’t being myseif. She looked at me as if to
hat the matter was. I turned the other way to avoid eye contact.
The girls gathered around Rohan. He told them stories about his
adventures at Indian airports.
'Madhav, can I talk to you for a second?’ Riya said.
We stepped away from the group.
*
We sat opposite each other on plush white sofas in Riya’s drawing
room. Two waiters hovered around us.
'Can’t we just...’ I said and fell quiet. A waiter brought us a tray of
spring rolls.
'Madhav, so many guests. How are we supposed to be more
private?’
'Yeah, fine, I understand,’ I said. I picked up two spring rolls.
‘Besides, I will see you in college on Monday, right?’ she said.
I nodded as I ate the spring rolls. A part of my frustration came
from hunger. I felt better after the snack.
‘I understand how you feel. In some ways, even I feel like a tourist
at these parties,’ Riya said.
‘What?’
‘It’s not real. All this. I’ve lived with this fakeness all my life,’ she said.
‘And why did you speak to your dad so rudely?’
‘Did I? Whatever. He’s another fake.’
‘C’mon Riya. Don’t talk like that.’
‘You hate it here, don’t you?’
‘No, I’m fine. What a grand house you live in. I still can’t get over
it,’ I said, in an attempt to change the topic.
‘I hope it doesn’t affect us. I’m still the same Riya who plays with
you on the dusty court,’ she laughed.
‘What is “us”, Riya?’
‘Us.You and me. Our friendship.’
‘Riya, we are more than friends.’
‘Are we?’ She looked at me as if genuinely confused.
‘I’ve never kissed anyone before,’ I said.
'Madhav.’
‘What?’
‘People can hear us.’
‘Nobody can hear us.’ The loud music in the garden ensured
nobody could hear anything.
‘We’ll talk about this later.’
‘You never do,’ I said
'I will, I promise. Please cheer
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