Vicky stares at me and in a low grumble says, ‘Randi,chalein?Or should I stuff some money down your bra? Or your mother’s?’
‘Enough!’ warns Vanita.
‘I KNEW it, Aanchal, I knew you wouldn’t—’
‘Not here,’ Vanita shuts Vicky down.
‘I have lost the key card,’ I mutter.
Vanita holds my hand and takes me to the front desk. The girl there looks at my face with pity and confusion and gives us the room’s key card. We take the lift to my room. Vanita’s holding me by my shoulders as we walk slowly towards the room. At the door, Vicky stops Vanita from entering.
‘This is between us. What are you doing here?’ commands Vicky.
‘I’m not going anywhere. Whatever you guys talk about will happen right in front of me,’ snaps back Vanita. ‘And Vicky, you touch me one more time, I will make another Sanjog out of you.’
Vicky steps away from Vanita. His face hardens.
‘Why? Why in front of you? Who are you?’ he spits back. ‘Oye Aanchal, ask her to leave or—’
‘Or what? What will you do? Tell me, what?’
My throat’s dry, the world spins lightly. No words come from my mouth.
It feels like an out-of-body experience. I’m not here. My body is all that’s here, and I’m watching it from above. My real self is in the future. We are in Vicky’s house, where Vicky is telling Maa–Papa how I was having sex with random men in Mumbai. Maa is telling Baba that she wished she had died in childbirth. Vanita swipes the card. The room opens. I walk to a corner of the room. I can’t bear to look at Vicky. He looks like he can do . . . anything.
‘Who was he? Don’t you dare lie to me,’ growls Vicky.
I try to talk but I can’t form the words.
‘BATAEGIRANDI or will you just keep looking at your feet?’
‘It doesn’t matter who he was,’ answers Vanita. ‘We all know you’re going to say whatever you feel like to her parents.’
‘I’m asking you!’ thunders Vicky. ‘HAVE YOU GONE DEAF NOW? DID HE FUCK YOU IN THE EAR TOO?!’
‘Daksh . . .’ Vanita says. ‘He’s the guy she met in the Andamans.’
I look at Vanita, horrified. It’s time to beg, not fight. Ask for his forgiveness. That’s what works with Vicky. When I look up, I find Vicky marching towards me. His face is inches away from me. I flinch backwards. His bad breath wafts towards me. Rivulets of saliva hang from his canine teeth like a rabid dog. A strange fear takes root in me.
‘Who’s he? What did you do with him!? DID YOU FUCK HIM? TELL ME!’
Vanita comes and stands next to me. ‘You don’t have to answer that,’ repeats Vanita. ‘He’s going to say shit anyway. So what’s the difference? Don’t say anything, Aanchal!’
‘MADARCHOD!’ he screams and walks away.
He paces around in tight circles. He picks up the fruit plate from the table and throws it to the ground. The glass shatters. Little shards strike Vanita and me.
He turns to us, ‘BEHENCHOD! Have you guys gone crazy?’ He picks up another plate. ‘TELL ME OR THE NEXT ONE WILL BE ON YOUR FACE!’
Vanita stands between me and him.
‘OYE!’ he explodes.
‘DON’T OYE ME,’ warns Vanita. ‘YOU’RE A FUCKING NOBODY!’
‘Stop it, Vanita, please stop speaking,’ I finally mumble. ‘You’re making it worse. Please, please go. I will manage.’
‘Listen to her, this is between the two of us!’
