20. Three Days of Suspension
Fixing someone else's mood lifted up my mood for some reason.

I crouched down next to grandma's wheelchair after breakfast the following day. She had finished hers already and had moved into the living room. The Virk siblings were still finishing their toast with omelettes.

I wondered if they ate that before coming here. They might as well enjoy their stay. Ashar wasn't half so bad. Especially after what he had told me last night.

"Grandma, Jhanvi is divorcing Sunny," I told her.

The pool of yarn in her hand dropped to the floor quite dramatically. I expected as much. She shot me a questioning look.

"He was cheating on her and admitted it in front of everyone," I explained. She started shaking her head in disbelief. No one told her? "I don't think she's wrong in separating from him. Do you think I should support her?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, should I be by her side even though she left me to deal with therapists after Papa's death?"

Grandma stroked the side of my head and blinked affirmatively. I leaned into her and let her hold me. I hoped she'd learn to talk again one day. Just to give me some adult in my life to talk to.

We were broken out of her bonding time by Ashar's angry voice. Aara was rushing out of the house and her older brother chasing behind.

"Aara! Aara!" Ashar stopped in the doorway. He let out a frustrated sigh before turning around.

Grandma nodded me to find out what happened.

"She probably doesn't want to go to school," I guessed. "Poor people don't mix well with the rich."

Grandma gave me a hard stare and I got up.

"Ashar, is everything okay?" I asked aloud. He was walking back towards the dining room.

"I don't know," he said with a helpless look. "She won't tell me anything. She keeps saying she wants to return to her old high school. Why? She won't say."

"Maybe she's missing her friends . . . or boyfriend," I said jokingly.

"Her friend and boyfriend is Netflix," he said before leaving me.

He didn't even value a further conversation with me even after that stormy snowy night? For a low class person, he sure had the attitude of a Roman king.

I bid goodbye to grandma before leaving for work.

Ashar could solve his family matters on his own.

* * *

"I'm going to quit," I threatened. "Roshan, if he makes me redo the schedule for next week again, I will walk out. The man is modern day Hitler. Even Hitler was kinder to his Nazis."

"Annie, relax," Roshan cooed. "I'll talk to him. Honestly, I'm getting tired of his behavior towards us too. We are assistant directors not slaves. He treats us like peasants."

"He doesn't know my mom could produce any movie I want to make," I vented out. "I don't need him."

"We can't quit as per the contract," Roshan mumbles.

"The penalty is nothing but loose change," I said. "I'm giving him a final chance today or I'm gone next week."

Roshan made a face. "You're gonna ditch your best friend? Oh come on!" He swung an arm around my shoulder.

I pushed him off. "I'm not kidding."

Frustrated, I returned to the set from my break to resume the peasant work for the next few hours.

The director made me run around frantically to take care of everything.

My name better be in all caps and bolded when they rolled those beginning credits of the movie.

I didn't arrive home until six in the evening. The house was as silent as it could be. I found Ashar whispering something to Cecily in the dining room. Her hand was on his bicep rubbing it in a consoling manner.

Did he not mind?

While I understood our marriage wasn't actual marriage, he couldn't keep going off to his friend in this manner. Did she not understand he was taken? He was my husband by law.

"Where's my green tea?" I asked loudly to gain their attention.

Cecily retreated a step seeing me. Ashar turned to face me with a solemn look.

"I'll bring it," Cecily said rushing into the kitchen.

"What conference was going on here?" I asked Ashar casually referring to the previous scene.

He just shook his head and left.

Had I done something to upset him?

Wait, this morning.

He had to be petty if he was upset I joked about his sister having a boyfriend.

Cecily brought me the cup of steaming tea. Her eyes searched for my husband as she handed me the cup.

"What were you two talking about?" I asked.

"Nothing." She pursed her lips.

"Nothing? Why did he look upset? Did you annoy him? I can make your life hell—"

"I did no such thing," she said calmly. "He's your husband. Maybe you should talk to him if you're concerned."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "This tea tastes disgusting. Make me another one and bring it to my room."

I put the cup down on the dining table and left her to curse me out in her head. She should know better than to mess with me next time.

Ashar was pacing around the bedroom with a worried face. I set my purse on the bed and stood in front of him.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Why do you care?" he snapped.

I was far too tired to start an argument with him.

"I thought we were pretending to be in love. You said to be civil to each other," I reminded him. "If you don't want to tell me, it's fine. Sorry for bothering you."

He plopped down on the bed with a thump.

"Aara's misbehaving," he said. I was about to remind him she was a teenager when he added, "Her grades the first semester were all B's and she's a straight A student. She skipped school yesterday. Today, I got a call from her Vice Principal to drop by to pick her up. She got into a verbal fight with some girl at lunch. The cursing and swearing got out of hand. She's suspended for three days."

A part of me felt bad for him. He had signed up for this marriage in return for his sisters' better future. Things were heading in the opposite direction.

"Cecily and I tried talking to her but she won't say a word," he said and put his head in his hands. "Maybe I should send her back to her old school. I can't handle her rebellion."

"Mind if I try talking to her?" I asked him.

"Do you think she'll listen to you?"

"I've gone to the same school she's going to," I told him. "Maybe I can help her out."

"You'd do that for her?" he asked surprised.

I didn't know about her. But I'd do it for him. I didn't know why. Maybe because he came out in the snow to get me that day or the day he saved me by bringing my papers on time on the set, I wanted to help. Maybe I wanted to compensate for the times I had hurt him without realizing he was the only person in my life who wasn't two faced.

"You underestimate me," I said with a smile.

I turned to go to find his sister. He called after me saying I was wasting my time, but I ignored him. I wanted to prove to him I wasn't all he thought I was. Why? I didn't know. I suppose I took his fake love thing too seriously.

When I reached Aara's room, I knocked three times to no response. I slowly twisted doorknob and entered without invitation. In my defense, it was my house and I knocked thrice.

Aara was curled up in a blanked on the floor next to her bed. The blinds were turned to let no light enter the room.

"Go away!" she exclaimed seeing me.

Her glasses sat on the bed and I ignored the tear she swept away with the back of her hand.

"I will." I threw my shoes to the side before sitting down next to her on the floor. "I used to sit like this when my dad passed away. Did you know no one came to talk to me? My mom had to take care of the business. Grandma went mute. The maids would bring me food and leave. It was like being sent to a lavish prison with no inmates."

"At least you still have your mom," she said bitterly.

This girl had no idea. "You have your brother who'd do anything for you."

"Like send me to hell."

"What's going on?" I asked directly. "Is it the school?"

"Oh you're here to tell me I'm not good enough for your rich people school," she said. Her jaw clenched and she turned her face away.

I sighed. "I already knew you weren't going to enjoy it. It's Ashar's dream to give you and Rosie top class education."

"I don't want it. I want my old life back!" she snapped.

I ran a hand through my hair. Ashar complained about her not talking but she had no problem asserting her opinion in front of me.

"I'll talk to him, but I think you should reconsider," I told her truthfully. "Ashar said you're interested in going to medical school. If you graduate from here, Harvard, Yale, Brown, etc. will be easy to get into."

Her jaw clenched and unclenched for a moment. As if the anger didn't know how to take my words.

"It's a competition in there," she said finally through tears. "Who's wearing what. Is it Prada's latest purse or is it Dior's latest dress? Are you going to Paris this summer or Singapore? How can people like this exist? They make you look like an angel."

I blinked at her words. Here I was trying to be kind to her for once. Then again, I never tried to amend things with her after that party stunt I pulled with my friends.

"I'm gonna pretend you didn't say that," I said. "I know you hate me. It's okay. But your brother is going crazy worrying about you. Let me help you work this mess out."

I held my palm out.

She stared at it and shook her head.

"I'm not gonna kill you," I promised.

"You're mean."

I stared at her. "You and your brother underestimate me sometimes. Give me a chance. If you feel uncomfortable for even a second, I'll talk to Ashar and have you transferred back to your old high school."

"Promise?" she asked hopefully.

"Promise."

She put her hand on top of mine to seal the deal.

"Be ready tomorrow. I'll be home by four," I told her as I got up to my feet and helped her to hers.

"For what?"

"Girl, both of us need a spa day before the shopping spree! I'm gonna give you a glow up in these three days of suspension."

She scowled before nodding.

I patted her shoulder and left the room. Ashar met me in the hallway to my room. He stood with his back against the wall.

I cocked an eyebrow, stopping in front of him.

"Okay fine, I was eavesdropping," he surrendered surprising me. "I can't believe she talked to you not me. She hates you!"

I frowned. "You and your sister . . . You call me mean but you aren't any nicer."

I started to walk away when he grabbed my elbow to pull me back. When I looked at his hand, he let go immediately.

"Sorry," he said. "Thank you."

"No problem."

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Talk to her," he said as if it was obvious.

"I didn't want to see you start crying," I said playfully.

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. "A true princess, I see. Not wanting to see her peasants unhappy."

"You're not a peasant," I said. A smile touched his lips. "You're a serf!"

I ran ahead laughing with him running behind me yelling at me to take it back.

I couldn't believe a day that had been close to hell for me turned out happy. Fixing someone else's mood lifted up my mood for some reason. Ashar and his family wasn't that bad.

Maybe Aara and I could have fun getting her to fit into her new school and society.

* * *
A/N

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