"I want to go home", Riya groaned like a Bigg Boss contestant.

She had been in a very bad mood since we had come back from the clinic. Dr Navya had prescribed some pain killers and asked Riya to rest for a day after bandaging her foot. But the real bummer was that she couldn't wear heels.

When we had come back to the resort, we had learnt that Lakshan's mother had finally overridden his father at her birthday lunch and he had been allowed into their penthouse again. He was gone by the time we came back and that had worsened Riya's mood.

"I agree", Zoya said "I couldn't have imagined things would go wrong like this. And Rahul, of all the people turning up while we're here! How on earth did it even happen? It's actually eerie!"

"Oh my God! What is wrong with you two?" I snapped "Have you forgotten that you were the ones bogging me to come here? And now you want to leave? And Zoya, Rahul came here because his sister was getting married. There's nothing eerie about it, for Godsake. Girls come on, if we somehow get through this, it's going to look excellent on our resumes after we finish college".

"And what use is an excellent resume, if I happen to be dead?", Riya snapped back "Because that's what I'm going to be, by the end of this program. DEAD".

"Don't be dramatic Riya".

"I'm not being  dramatic. Those boys tried to kill me!"

I got up and went to the door.

"Where are you going?", Riya asked.

"I said I'll go for shopping with Reyansh".

"Great, so you're going on a date while me and Zoya will work our asses off here".

"I can't cancel it", I said "And I'm getting things for all of us".

"For all of us?", Riya asked, a little more lightly.

"Yeah", I said, knowing it was working "Shall I get you foundation? Or lip gloss?"

"Get me BB cream", Riya said.

•••

It felt good to being going out with just Reyansh after such a long time. Even though it was a very busy day, we enjoyed each other's company to the fullest.

We had to buy the BB cream for Riya, some other stuff for Zoya, souvenirs for my parents and souvenirs for everybody else's parents.

After we finished, we went to a bakery down the same street to eat something. Three shopping bags lay plonked on the bakery floor near our table. We ordered a pizza and two red velvet pastries which arrived in less than a minute.

"I can't believe you still don't eat the edges", Reyansh said as we devoured the pizza "It's the best part". 

"That's why I leave it for you", I said.

Reyansh's expression softened as he looked at me. He leaned forward and tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

I leaned forward and kissed his lips.

All the housewives who had come to the bakery for shopping, simultaneously stared at us in horror.

They all looked like various manifestations of Revathi with that customary disgusted expression.

"Aiyo Rama! Youngsters these days have no shame", one of them lamented, out loud. The others nodded fervently.

Reyansh and I grabbed our bags and ran out.

•••

We burst into laughter once we were out of sight.

"Are you stupid?", Reyansh asked.

"No".

"Then why did you that?"

"What? Are you scared of those aunties?"

"No. Still, why did you do that?"

"Because I love you Reyansh. I love it when...I love it when you reach out and tuck back a strand of my hair. I love it that you're not a Rahul or a Joshua or a Lakshan. I love it that I've never stayed up crying in the night because of you. I love it that you chose me when you can have any Sulochana or Sangeetha. I know you don't have Kylie Jenner's ass. Neither do I. But we can still be stormy."

Reyansh burst out laughing.

"What?"

"Sorry..", Reyansh said, still laughing "You were doing really well, till Kylie Jenner came up. I mean, stormy? Seriously, babes?".

"What did you say?"

"Oh I forgot you don't like to be called babes...right babes?"

"Yuck".

We crossed the signal and reached the lane where Bluepeaks stood.

"Hey can we make a detour?", I asked Reyansh.

"Sure, where to?"

"I'll tell you", I said. Lakshan would certainly not be in the penthouse at this time of the day. This was my chance to get back Neena's doll for her. I was sure Lakshan had hid it in his house. Time to rescue Jalebi Devi! 

•••

The penthouse that belonged to Lakshan's family was nestled on the cliff in a perfect picturesque spot. I was no expert on houses but it resembled the ones you see on Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

"Why are we here?", Reyansh asked.

"You'll find out", I said.

A huge silver coloured eagle face shaped knocker was carved onto the door to serve aesthetic purpose. A more sensible looking doorbell switch was visible on the side and I pressed it.

Two seconds later, Tara opened tbe door, looking skimpy in a peach T-shirt and white shorts, "Sorry I just returned from my pilates class", she said hastily, referring to her underdressed state. I tried to imagine having a mother who went to pilates classes. My mother would flip out if she had to wear those shorts.

"Can I help you?", Tara asked when we didn't say anything. She didn't seem to recognise us even though we had probably been in the same room a dozen times.

"Wait, aren't you among the kids who came as volunteers?"

Finally.

"Uhm...yeah aunty"

"I thought so. And how can I help you?"

I explained the situation but twisted the story a bit. I told her that Laksh had taken the doll to keep it safe for Neena. But Neena was making a fuss now and we had to come and get the doll. I didn't tell her that Laksh had kidnapped the doll. Tara might think I was a wacko even though the real wacko was her son.

Tara laughed, "Sure I'll get you the doll. My son can so be extra sometimes", she said.

Isn't that true lady!

"Is Lakshan at home aunty?", I asked just to be sure.

"No..he's out somewhere...as if kids tell their parents where they go. And why are you standing out? Come in."

As we stepped in, an aesthetic feast greeted us from all sides. The place seemed to have more marble than the Taj Mahal. The floor shone like it was made of diamond. Rosewood and mahogany showcases lined with silverware and antique artefacts stared down at us.

The luxury of the penthouse made even the deluxe cottages in the resort look poor. If someone got used to living here, they wouldn't be able to live anywhere else. No wonder Laksh had kept begging to come back. But still, there was something cold and vindictive about the house.

We put down our shopping bags and sank into the purple velvet sofas in the living room.

Tara went in to find Jalebi as a servant brought out water for us in two gold tumblers and placed them on the marble coffee table.

"Do rich people get their water from somewhere else?", Reyansh said sipping from the tumbler.

"I don't know, you tell me. You're quite rich", I said.

Tara came back with Jalebi Devi I jumped up and grabbed it from her. I thought about how Neena would react and felt light.

Tara, however looked at us holding our empty tumblers and frowned, "Raju!", she screamed and the servant who had given us water came scurrying out, "You didn't give them anything to eat? Idiot, go and get some dry fruits and something else too".

"No, it's okay...", I began but Tara shushed me. I realised beneath the pilates figure, was a regular Indian aunty.

I was filled up to my throat with the bakery trip and so I found it enormously difficult to consume the cashews, dates, jalebis, badam halwa and pakodas placed infront of us.

Reyansh was doing a much better job than me. He even wowed at the exotic cutlery, making Tara gloat with happiness.

"You two are friends?", Tara asked suddenly as I was tackling some cashews with difficulty.

I nodded. "We were in school together aunty", Reyansh supplied in an effort to make it sound like we were the grew-up-together types. It didn't work.

"But you're both in love?", Tara wanted to know.

I almost dropped my plate.

Okay, maybe she was not such a regular Indian aunty.

"No", Reyansh and I said at the same time. We had not reached the point of admitting our relationship to adults.

"Of course, where do youngsters fall in love these days? You people just swipe left and right on Tinder", Tara said and burst into a bout of maniacal laughter that irresistibly reminded me of Laksh. This whole family was nuts man.

"You kids should stay for lunch", Tara said just after we finished eating, "We're having fish curry today. Our chef prepares it the best. You North Indian kids will love it."

"No aunty, we really should be going.", I said immediately and Tara looked visibly offended. Apparently us finishing all the thousand calories she had plonked on the table hadn't satisfied her. But there was no way I was going to eat anything more here. I would throw up right here on the velvet sofa.

So I repeated my statement, a little more politely. But Tara only looked more affronted.

In a desperate attempt, I added "Err...today is Thursday aunty..so we don't eat non veg....".

Why was I lying like this? But I couldn't think of any other way. I wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Tara blinked for a second and then laughed, "How religious! Kids these days. You are all so unpredictable and weird sometimes. Okay then...I think I'd better go and enjoy the fish curry alone. I will tell Laksh that you guys came to get the doll. Poor boy, he suffered a lot in those horrible quarters".

It probably didn't occur to Tara that we were also suffering in those horrible quarters.

"Thanks aunty...please tell him that Mishti Kanwal came".

"No aunty", Reyansh interjected "Give him the name Reyansh Malhotra".

Tara blinked again, "Uhm..okay. I'll tell him you both came". We left.

•••

"So...we just went to Riya's potential in-laws place", Reyansh declared as we walked back to the resort.

I blinked. I hadn't thought of it like that at all. There was so much to tell Riya about this beauty of a house. But then, I remembered I couldn't tell Riya that I had come here. I also remembered something else.

"Don't try to divert me Reyansh", I said "Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Why did you give your name?"

"Because...", said Reyansh, pausing for effect, "when Laksh finds out what has happened he'll go nuts. And if he's going to pound anyone's face in, it should atleast be someone who is in a position to pound him back".

To my utter embarrassment, I found tears coming to my eyes.

"Oh madam, why are you crying? It's not like I donated my kidney for you", Reyansh chuckled.

"I don't deserve so much kindness from you Reyansh", I said wiping my eyes with the back of my hand, "Especially when I just deprived you of some good fish curry".

"Don't worry, I was keen to leave the place too. I wonder how Riya is going to live here someday".

"She will like it", I said "Gold tumblers are totally her thing".