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.”
“Two 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.
Italmostmakes 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 two 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.”
“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.”
