41. Cold Showers
May God save me.

* * *

Jhanvi woke up early which made me jerk awake as well. Our body clocks hadn't adapted to the Indian time zone yet.

I texted Ashar to switch spots with Jhanvi. He hadn't answered my call. It was difficult to know whether he was awake or not. She went to the bathroom and I could hear throwing up. After she returned, I sat in my bed with the blanket wrapped around me.

"Why don't you tell Sunny about the baby?" I asked her as we waited for Ashar.

"I called him the day I found out," she said coldly. "He never answered nor returned my calls."

"The day he came to India he fought a milkman for you," I said.

"I thought I knew him, Annie," she said as she took a seat next to me. "After coming here, I realized I didn't even know his name. He changed his name from Arsalan to Sunny at some point before we met. He never told me. He told me his parents were dead and he was an only child. All these lies, Annie."

"You would've never found out anything had Ashar not said anything that day at the party," I said feeling horrible for her. "You might have been living a better life now."

"I'd rather be miserable with the truth than live in a relationship built on lies."

"Maybe he thought you'd leave him if he told you the truth." I didn't know why I was taking his side. "Ashar never told me anything about his parents either."

"You had an arranged marriage and he didn't lie to you," she said frustrated. "My love marriage is a complete lie. Sunny will find out when the time comes. For now, my baby and I will survive together."

At least she was more concerned about the baby now.

She rose up hearing footsteps. There was a light knock on the door and she opened it slowly.

I stretched my neck to see Ashar entering in. Jhanvi waved me bye and hurried downstairs. Ashar yawned as he closed the door. With half closed eyes, he walked across the room to grab a set of clothes and entered the bathroom.

Either it was the early morning grumpiness or something else, Ashar didn't acknowledge me. I immediately remembered last night and buried my face in my hands. My cheeks heated up for no reason.

I picked up my phone. While Ashar was in the bathroom, I kept the blanket wrapped around me and snuck to the rooftop. It was freezing cold but I sat down on the concrete terrace, my back against the wall.

I called Aara first.

She answered quickly and I checked up on her health and recovery.

"I'm fantastic now" was her response. "Grandma is teaching me and Rosie how to knit. I made a scarf today. I'm making a pink sweater for you!"

"That's sweet," I said pleased. "What should I bring back for you?"

She told me a list of things for her and Rosie which I noted in my Notes app. I talked to Rosie for five minutes before she ran off to watch her cartoons. Aara and I talked for almost an hour until we decided we'd continue the chat another time. It was dinner time for them.

I took a chance and decided to call the one person I feared.

"Finally" was the first thing mom said when she picked up. "Did you forget your mother, Annie?"

"It's hard to get network here," I lied.

"Where are you?" she asked immediately.

I paused, contemplating whether someone had exposed my whereabouts to my mother.

"We're currently at . . . the place where we are staying," I said carefully. "Jhanvi and I are thinking where we want to scout today."

"I haven't been seeing any card transactions," mom said. "Do you have money?"

This woman tracked my credit cards since she handed them to me. It was rare of her to bring it up, but it concerned me now.

"You're seriously keeping tabs on me?" I asked turning it around. It was the only way to distract her from my location. "We changed currency to cash. I can't believe it, mom. You can check my cards but you can't check how I'm doing."

"Annie," she said in a softer tone, "I've been texting you since you've gone to Brazil. I called you, but you never called me back."

I quickly checked my missed calls and she was right. She had called me yesterday.

"My network might've been down," I said. "You didn't try calling me again."

"Honey," she said tiredly, "I've been busy trying to get the divorce papers ready. Ashar wants to end the contract. Since you don't want this either, there's no point wasting a year."

My heart thumped. She was finally telling me the truth! I was hoping mom would come around and tell Ashar to wait the length of the contract. That I hadn't changed.

She pushed me in a position where I hated the contract at first but now I'd do anything for Ashar's attention.

"Why did you do this contract in the first place?" I asked quietly.

"It was your father's wish," she said simply.

"Did his ghost come and tell you to make his daughter marry Ashar Virk?"

"Oh Annie," she said in a defeated voice. "He wanted you to get married before his accident happened. He always thought Ashar would be the best match. You know, he knew Ashar very well and was fond of him."

Jhanvi's call blocked my screen and I ignored it. This conversation was too important for me to abandon.

"So you thought it was a good idea for me to contract marry him?" I asked, my blood pressure rising. "Hold on, I never heard Papa mention Ashar's name before. I met him at my birthday dinner for the first time."

"Your papa knew him for a few years," she explained. "I never paid attention because I think Ashar was engaged to someone before. Before your papa's accident, he mentioned how he still thought Ashar was a good match. Then, I got this contract opportunity and thought we could give it a try as per his 'last wish.'"

"Papa actually wanted me to marry Ashar?"

"I know you don't like him," she said. "I'm working on the divorce papers."

I took a deep sigh and looked up at the sky. If my papa was watching me from somewhere, I wanted him to know I had no complaints about his decision anymore.

Jhanvi's name flashed across my phone screen again, but I didn't answer her call.

"Why would papa want me to marry someone who was a waiter at his hotel?" I asked mom in confusion.

Something wasn't making sense.

"I asked him the same question but never got a response," mom answered. "Regardless, we don't have to worry anymore. The divorce papers will be ready when you return."

I begrudgingly kept quiet on the divorce and continued a small chat before disconnecting with her. My head was spinning.

I remembered the fit I had thrown and the tears I had shed the day I signed the contract. Now, I was going to feel the same pain signing the divorce documents. Divorce was inevitable since that was what Ashar wanted. He was going to leave me like my papa left me.

Forever.

For some reason, my eyes teared up, taking me by surprise. I tried not to think about the situation I was in.

How pathetic of me!

I was getting rejected by someone for the first time in my life. I had no idea what to do either.

Pulling my knees up to my chest, I tried to calm myself down. It was going to be okay. My therapist told me last year that better things were waiting for me.

"Annie!" Jhanvi's voice startled me.

I wiped my cheeks quickly as she ran to my side. Behind her, Ashar walked in looking flustered.

"What are you doing up here in the cold?" Ashar asked me.

"Oh . . . I was . . . doing morning yoga," I fumbled out. "But it was too cold."

"We were all looking around the whole house for you," she said worried. "You didn't answer my calls."

"I was talking to mom," I told her.

"Let me tell everyone else you're up here,"Ashar said going out of my sight.

Jhanvi looked at my face and raised an eyebrow.

"What did my aunt say?" she asked softly. "You've been crying."

I sniffled. "The divorce papers will be ready when we go home."

It didn't matter now if papa wanted me to marry Ashar at some point. I didn't bother telling Jhanvi this either.

"Oh my," she said letting out an exaggerated sigh. She side hugged me, her head touching my head. "Don't worry. I told you I'm going to help you win him over."

"He's never going to like me," I said accepting the truth. My eyes watered again as Jhanvi tightened her grip on me.

"Don't say that," she reprimanded. "He was running around the house looking for you when he realized no one had any idea about your whereabouts. Baba and Ashar even went looking around the neighborhood."

"He'd do the same thing if y-you were missing," I said sobbing. "He sees us as his res-responsibilities on this trip. Once the divorce papers are signed, everything will be finished. He doesn't see me differently, Jhanvi."

"You want him to see you differently?"

I nodded wordlessly.

"Start walking around your bedroom naked."

I retreated away from her smug face as both of us laughed at the preposterous suggestion.

"Too cold for that," I said feeling slightly better.

"What if I pretend to kidnap you and then Ashar has to come rescue you from goons?" She looked a bit too excited.

"No, thanks."

"I'll pay a priest or someone to tell him you were both lovers in your previous birth."

"Ashar isn't the type to believe that." Heck, I wasn't the type to believe anything related to past lives.

"What if we tell him if he stays married to you for the duration of the contract, we'll give him twenty five million dollars?" She wiggled her eyebrows as if she hit the jackpot.

That was the worst idea possible.

"Ashar didn't ask for money in the initial contract," I notified. "Why would he stay for money?"

She frowned. "He didn't ask for any money?"

"No."

"Oh Annie, we can't let this one escape."

The way she said that with all seriousness, I burst out laughing.

"Jhanvi, I'm not playing any games with Ashar," I said turning more serious. "He's too . . . genuine. He expects back honesty. I want to be sincere while we're here. That way, when he signs those divorce papers, I can say I tried."

She stared at me.

I blinked back waiting for a response.

"He changed you a lot," she said finally. "Ravi uncle would be proud of you if he was here. I'm proud of you!"

She gave me a tight hug before forcing me to get up.

We heard a loud thud echo in the stairway when we made our way to the stairs. Neither one of us could pinpoint the source.

There wasn't anyone standing in the doorway or in the staircase.

Maybe it was downstairs.

Jhanvi and I met Sunny, his Baba and his stepmom in the dining room. They said Ashar was getting his documents to visit the lawyers again regarding his mother's property.

I apologized for worrying them needlessly before excusing myself to return to my room and clean up.

Ashar had a binder full of documents spread across the bed when I entered. I placed my blanket on the bed. As he had done earlier, I trudged straight to my closet, grabbed my clothes, and went to the bathroom.

The bathroom mirror almost cracked at my sight. Messy hair, rudolf red nose, and bloodshot eyes—I was a mess this morning.

Was this how woman looked or felt when they went through real divorce? Where they had been together for years? I was crying over a three month relationship?!

I stepped inside the stand in shower and turned it to on.

Chilly water electrified my body. A short scream escaped my lips as I turned the knob in the opposite direction. The water was even colder!

Turning it off quickly to avoid frostbite, I wrapped my towel around me. I slowly opened the bathroom door and popped my head out.

"The water's cold!" I complained to Ashar.

He barely glanced up. "Geyser's broken."

"What is that?" I asked confused.

Did his family own a personal hot spring somewhere under the house that shot hot water through their pipes?

"I'm not sure," he said finally looking at me. "It's probably a water tank. It's broken. Baba told me last night someone will be here to fix it today."

"How am I supposed to shower?" I asked outraged. "I'll get a cold!"

"I took a shower in the cold water," he said calmly. "I'm doing just fine."

"You don't understand," I told him. "I need the water to be at least a hundred degrees Fahrenheit or—"

"This isn't St. Cloud," he said. "You take what you get. You chose to stay here."

"I'll get sick from the cold water," I insisted. I was already shivering. He didn't understand how hard it was in his house already with a lack of central heating.

"A little bit of cold water might be good for you," he said. "It'll clear your head."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Anmol, either take a shower or wait for the plumber," he said turning back to his files.

"You're mean!"

He looked up at me in surprise and opened his mouth to defend himself.

I slammed the door shut.

Guess I had no choice.

A one hundred percent cold water shower for the first time in my life.

May God save me.

* * *

A/N

So it has been a looooong time since I've been to India (15-ish years). Geysers are still a thing right?

Do you all like hot water or cold water showers?

I usually have the water warm at first before I slowly start making it colder and colder at the end.

How was the chapter?

How is life?

Safe to say, Anmol is my only character with character development thus far.

Thank you for the votes and comments! They're always motivating. Next update will be on Tuesday or Wednesday.

—K-K-Kiran