She flung it open to find Vishal and Karan standing there.
Vishal and Karan. Maui. That disastrous last Wanderlust flight…
“We heard screams. Are you okay?” Karan asked.
“No! There’s a man in my room.” Her voice was shaky but clear.
Karan pulled out his phone, as Vishal brushed past her, turning on the light.
“Oh shit. That’s Roshan,” came Vishal’s voice.
Nimita swung around, squinting in the sudden light. “What?” Her heart was thudding in her chest, and her breath was coming hard. She was suddenly aware that she was in nothing but a ratty old T-shirt that grazed her mid-thigh.
“And he’s unconscious.” Vishal looked at her, not the slightest bit of accusation in his voice. “Did you do that?”
“Well, yeah. He didn’t knock himself out.” She crept back into the room to look at him. His eyes were closed, and he was pale. She almost felt bad. “I was dead to the world, I didn’t even think about… I didn’t know it was him. It was dark. And I heard someone enter. I usually do the chain, but I was so tired, I must have neglected it.” She paused. “Why was he coming in here anyway?”
Karan shook his head and turned to Vishal. “I thought you texted him about the change.”
“I thought you did!” Vishal said.
A groan from the floor had them all snapping their heads to him.
“Whoa. Easy there. Paramedics are coming,” Karan said.
“Wha—” Roshan squinted up at them, his hand rubbing his chest. “I feel like I was hit by a truck. What the hell happened?”
Nimita stepped forward. “I did.” She tried to keep the pride out of her voice.
“Why? Why would you—” He stopped. “Nimita? Nimita Chaudhary? Guys. I must have really hit my head. I’m seeing Nimita Chaudhary all grown up.”
“That’s because thatisNimita Chaudhary,” Vishal said.
Roshan narrowed his eyes and groaned. “I guess you finally got back at me for being an asshole.”
Chapter Two
Roshan woke in the morning in Vishal and Karan’s room. They had two king beds, and Roshan was sprawled in one of them. He was sore and bruised but otherwise okay. His friends had explained everything to him after the paramedics cleared him. Thankfully, nothing was broken, and no concussion.
The three of them put on their bathing suits and T-shirts and went down to get breakfast in the hotel restaurant. The air was already warm, the sun high enough in the sky to flood the open-air hotel with blinding light. Roshan donned his aviators and tried not to limp.
“She really got you, huh?” Karan asked, trying to hide his smirk.
Roshan groaned. “I actually held back.” His jaw hurt when he spoke. “A text would have been nice.”
His friends were unusually silent. He sighed. “You each thought the other sent the text.”
They both shrugged.
As they entered the restaurant, Roshan grabbed a copy of the newspaper and tucked it under his arm. “I need coffee.” What he really wanted was comforting chai, but the coffee would have to do. They entered the restaurant, and he made a beeline for the coffee bar. He nearly bumped into Nimita, also getting coffee.
She was adding artificially sweetened creamer to her mug.
“You’re polluting your coffee.”
She brought the cup to her lips and sipped, turning to him without a word.
“Apology accepted,” he said to her.
