CONSEQUENCES (a fiction)-updt Chapter 16 (pg 51) - Page 32

When Aarti finally woke, it was already late in the morning. She stretched then rolled over onto her stomach still not ready to get up. She knew as soon as she did, everyone was going to be telling her to go talk to Yash. Aarti wondered crossly why every friend she had wanted to butt in her life and tell her what she should do. Couldn't she just be left alone to do as she wished? She frowned when a knock on the door answered her.

Speaking of the devil she thought sourly and she turned her head away from the door with no intention of opening it. Just a few more hours she pleaded silently. She only needed a few more hours then she would be ready to deal with her nosey friends. Snuggling into the pillow, she proclaimed it her new best friend with a smile on her face. The knocking ceased and Aarti sung victory bringing the blankets to her chin.

Her door opened and Aman walked in frowning. "How did you unlock my door?" she exclaimed angry that he broke into her room.

"Obviously because I have a key," he said waving the card in the air and she frowned, how the hell he got a key to her room.

"Go away Aman! I'm not ready to get up. Which is obviously the reason I didn't answer the door," she grumped at him, turning over and pulling the blankets over her head."It's nearly eleven in the morning already! I think it's a good time to get up," he scolded her and she growled at him.

"Well I don't, so go away!" she shot back.

"Well at least I tried," she heard him say and the door closed. Hmm...that was easy, she thought happily. It was a short lived happiness as Aman hadn't left as she thought. He ripped the blanket off of her. She shrieked at him grabbing one side of the blanket.

"Aman, give me back my blanket," she demanded pulling on the blanket."No, you're going to get up and quit being so lazy!" he commanded her as he pulled the blanket back his way.

"Since when do you think you can boss me around?" she questioned as she dug her heels into the bed pulling the blanket back her way.

"Since you decided to waste the whole day in bed," Aman barked at her then gave the blanket one quick hard pull. Aarti shrieked as she lost the blanket and her balance causing her to fall off the bed. She sat on the floor crossing her legs and her arms, frowning up at Aman who was doubled over in laughter.

"Alright, you win. I will relax and enjoy myself but when Sameer wants to know why all his credit cards are maxed out I am so blaming you," Aarti told her friend as they got into the taxi. "Now that's the spirit," Mansi cheered as she gave the driver the address of the caf.

Despite the morning traffic, they arrived at the caf pretty quickly. During the ride over Mansi raved and raved about how good it was, even the taxi driver pitched in his compliments of the place. After a coffee and a croissant Aarti had to admit, the driver and Mansi were absolutely correct in everything they had said about it. She leaned back in her small metal chair with a smile, feeling her sour mood had disappeared.

Surprisingly she actually started to feel like her old self again, as she listened to Mansi talk about her new job and all the movie stars and famous singers she had gotten the chance to meet. She was an accountant for a very prestigious clothing store, those types that only goes to the very rich or very famous, or even a good mix of both.

"Well that is enough of my bragging," Mansi suddenly announced getting up from her chair. "Let's go shopping, you really need to update your wardrobe girl! Do you wear anything but t-shirts and jeans or sweats," Mansi asked her appalled.

"I like what I wear, thank you very much," Aarti told her stubbornly as she got up from her own chair. "Well it doesn't like you, dressed up like that, you're not going to get any man's attention," Mansi told her with a look of disgust.

"I don't want to catch any man's attention," Aarti replied tartly and Mansi shook her head. "Right…have you gotten your first cat?" she asked and Aarti looked at her confused. "I was just curious since you're going to be that old single lady with a million cats," she added and Aarti laughed dryly.

"You're so funny Mansi," she told her and Mansi gave her a cheery smile.

Four and half hours later, four hours of which Aarti spent walking from one store into another, she sighed when she sat down in the taxi. She loved shopping as much as any girl, but seriously four hours had made her totally pass her limit, not to mention her poor feet were really killing her. "You're a machine Mansi! I don't even want to begin to think about how much money you just spent!"

"I know me neither really," Mansi admitted as they left the parking lot. "Now on to get our hair and nails done," she added giving the driver an address.

"Why are you doing all this?" Aarti asked starting to feel a little suspicious of her friend. The last time Mansi wanted to pamper her she ended up in bed with Yash.

"Oh Aarti, don't over think things, I haven't seen you in ages and I know you don't take the time to ever pamper yourself, so I am doing it for you while you're here!"

"You know I am not really the whole hair and nails type of girl right," Aarti replied leaning back in the seat of the taxi. "Yeah I know, it shows," Mansi teased with an evil glint in her eyes, and a friendly smile, "but maybe it is time for a change, break routines, and have some fun," Mansi stated.

"Oh no, no, no more "breaking routines" for me! I'll stay just how I am or did you forget what happened the last time I break the routine?," Aarti told her friend and Mansi just shrugged.

"And once again I remind you to not over think things Aarti! It's just a beauty salon not a sign up centre for mail order brides!"

"Alright, I will do whatever you want today, just as long as no men are involved," Aarti warned her."You are definitely going on the spinster path," Mansi told her sternly and Aarti smiled at her.

"Just because I don't want to get involved with any men right now doesn't mean I won't in the distant future. Even if I don't that doesn't mean I am going to end up like a crazy old spinster with lots of cats. Who is over thinking things now?"

"Well I guess you got me there," Mansi admitted as they arrived at the beauty salon. Aarti looked at the building scrunching up her nose. "Can't we go do something else? I always wanted to try ice skating, couldn't we do that," Aarti pleaded with her friend.

"No, no way! We would probably end up breaking our necks. This is so much safer," Mansi stated and Aarti sighed getting out of the taxi looking at the building as if it were a house of torture. The things she is willing to do for friendship, she thought with a loud exaggerated sigh and Mansi rolled her eyes at her.

Aarti looked at her new shiny nails with their French manicure and smiled. They did look really pretty now and her hands did really look very feminine now. "Okay Aarti, I will come back in two hours to pick you up later," Mansi demanded.

"Mansi we have all week to do things. We don't have to smash it all in one day," Aarti complained but Mansi shook her head.

"Nope we are going out tonight, Aman will be going with us as well. So there is no way you can avoid it," Mansi told her simply.

Great, now I have both of you to gang up on me, I knew it was a mistake bringing you two together," Aarti fumed throwing her hands up in the air and Mansi simply laughed, warning her not to mess up her hair till this evening. Aarti walked up to her room, kicking off her shoes and tossing the several shopping bags to the floor. She plopped down on the bed, ignoring Mansi's warning about her hair.

Aarti was the first to admit she looked nice but she was also the first to admit she really just didn't care how she looked. She turned on the television and watched some Hispanic soap opera. She didn't understand a word but it looked juicy!

She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew someone was poking her violently and ordering her to get up. Aarti swatted them away, groaning and turning over wondering how the hell people keep getting into her room! She was definitely going to have to complain to the hotel staff about that.

"No, no, Aarti you promised! Now time for you to get up and you better not have destroyed your hair," Mansi demanded and Aarti groaned again pushing herself up from the bed.

"Why can't you people just let me sleep? I swear being a full time student I get more rest than I do when I am on vacation," she complained and Mansi stuck her tongue out at her as she went through the shopping bags on the floor.

"What exactly are you doing?" Aarti asked rubbing her sleep filled face. "I am picking out the clothes you're going to wear," Mansi said, grinning at Aarti who glared at her friend.

"Where exactly are we going?" Aarti asked starting to suspect that Mansi had something up her sleeve. "You'll find out soon enough," Mansi said handing Aarti a purple strapped dress. Aarti took the clothing and eyed her friend with even more suspicion.

"Don't you dare give me that look Aarti," she said with her hands on her hips then suddenly she adopted a horrified expression. "Just look at what you have done to your hair!" Mansi cried dramatically!

"What have you got up your sleeve?" Aarti asked and Mansi gave her a hurt look. "I don't know what you mean? I am just trying to make you have a little fun! GOD knows you haven't had any in more than half a year," Mansi said with exaggerated hand movements.

"You know perfectly what I mean Mansi, something smells fishy about all of this," Aarti told her but Mansi simply shook her head and ushered her into the bathroom to try on the clothes she'd laid out.

Aarti walked out of the bathroom and Mansi smiled handing her a very pretty shoes to wear. "I just knew you'd look great," she cheered. As soon as Aarti put on the shoes Mansi forcefully shoved her into a chair. She attacked Aarti with makeup then moved her forces to the disaster that had became Aarti's hair.

"Why are you fussing over me so much?" Aarti asked feeling irritated.

"Because I don't want you looking like you just got out of bed when we are seen in public! Come on Aman is probably waiting for us down stairs," Mansi told her once she was finished. Aarti relaxed a bit with him coming, knowing Mansi she would try to march Aarti right up to Yash's.

They left the room and down to the lobby. "Wow Aarti you look absolutely gorgeous and wonderful," Aman said with a wolf whistle and a huge smile that caused her to blush a little.

"Why thank you, you don't look half bad yourself," she replied taking the arm that he held out for her. He looked awesome actually, she thought, looking up at him as they were walking out of the hotel.

Aarti looked at the building and froze. She knew it! Her soon to be ex-friends were playing dirty. Aarti glared at both of them, she had expected so much from Mansi, but for Aman to set her up, she thought he was better than that.

"What's wrong Aarti?" Aman asked noticing she didn't follow them. "Why can't you two just listen to me?" she asked acidly and they looked at her confused. "Oh please, you both are going to deny that you are up to something," Aarti demanded. They had led her right to the exact same club that Mansi and she'd gone when they first met Yash and Sameer.

"Aarti, you're over thinking things again," Mansi told her rolling her eyes but Aarti continued to look at her friend with a cold glare refusing to take another step. "It just happens to be one of the best clubs in the city," Mansi exclaimed desperately. "Yes, Sameer will be coming later but I only invited him and only him! I didn't say a word to Yash about us going out or going to the club," Mansi finished and Aarti looked at Aman.

"It's true," he told her then took her by the hand and guided her inside the club.

After several minutes, Aarti couldn't get rid of the incredibly uncomfortable feeling of being in that place again. She stared into her glass as the other two talked to each other. "Try to at least have a little fun and smiling won't kill you either," Aman said as he placed an arm around her shoulders in a comforting manner and she gave a shrug.

"This really isn't my thing Aman, it never was. I'm more of the stop by a book store and get me a nice novel to take back to the hotel kind of girl," she told him with a weak smile.

"Why read when you can experience it," Mansi replied eagerly then clapped excitedly when she saw Sameer near the bar. "I will see you two later, my man has arrived!" She quickly got up from the table waving to them. Aarti felt a genuine smile creep on her face as she watched her friend.

"You were right, she does seem a little crazy," Aman said laughing "but I see why you like her."

"Let's sneak out of here while she is gone and do something else," Aarti said tugging on his jacket but he shook his head. "That would be rude to Mansi if we just left," he explained and she pouted.

"Okay, so I will send her some really nice flowers as an apology. Aman, I seriously don't want to be here," she whined.

"Don't be so silly Aarti, besides I see a really hot brown haired head that looks like she could use some company too," he said with a wink getting up from the table and she stared at him awestruck.

"Seriously! You just spat out a speech about not being rude to Mansi but now you're doing the same with me, and for some brown haired head," Aarti scolded him feeling absolutely furious.

"Aarti Dubey you're a great woman and a great friend but I'm a man, I've got needs and we're not that "kind" of friends," he told her and she gasped then narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well it's the truth," he teased and she narrowed her eyes at him even more. "I suggest Aarti that you get your butt out of that chair, get yourself a good looking guy, and do the same!"

"Like hell! I have so been there, done that, not a good idea as it sounds," she said bitterly. He shrugged with a "suit yourself" expression and started to leave. She grabbed his arm.

"Come on Aman, you can't just leave me! You said you would be here for me," Aarti begged him clutching on to his jacket sleeve as if it was her life line.

"I didn't say we had to be every single second of every single minute together. You're really being silly! Get up and live a little," he told her prying her fingers off his jacket and left her alone. She watched him walk over to the other woman then looked back down to her glass. Her eyes watered over as she felt so abandoned, her mood now began to sink to new depths of depression looking up at her friends. Both happy and obviously enjoying themselves. GOD, I have the worst friends in history, she thought gloomily.

She seemed to be sitting there all by herself for ages and neither of her friends showed signs of returning, in fact she would wager that they had completely forgotten about her. She frowned as she remembered her first night there. Aarti's chest ached and she was at the point of crying. "Ok, I have had enough! They had dragged me here of all places just to leave me alone. I will never forgive them for this," she vowed quietly and furiously, the painful memories were just too much. She got up quickly grabbing her purse running straight into someone.

"Whoa! Easy there Jalebi, now where are you running off to so quickly," she heard the person say and her heart stopped. It couldn't be, she thought but she would recognize that voice anywhere. She slowly raised her eyes to his face and confirmed what she already knew. It was Yash standing right there in front of her.