CONSEQUENCES (a fiction)-updt Chapter 16 (pg 51) - Page 8

Aarti shifted her salad around with her fork. Her stomach demanded food but when she ate a few bites it threatened to return them. She sighed and glanced around the diner. Everyone there was eyeing them and talking in hushed whispers. She could only imagine what they must be saying about her. It would only be a matter of time before her father found out. GOD, if only she could turn back time to Saturday night and stop herself from going to that club.

Why was fate playing this cruel joke on her? "Aren't you going to eat anything," Yash asked as he finished his lunch, seemingly totally ignorant of what was going on around him. Aarti picked up her fork again eyeing the lettuce there and then set the fork back down. She glanced at the man sitting across from her. She no longer felt the energies to be angry at him, though highly irritated with his amusement. How he could be so oblivious to the effect he created on her life?

"No, I am not hungry anymore," she lied coolly refusing to look at him directly. It made her feel all dopey, she shivered but her body grew hot. Her heart beat would start to beat irregularly and it was difficult to breath. Aarti stood up smoothing her skirt nervously, giving up on any attempts at eating. "We should be headed back," she told him as she pulled out her purse from her bag.

"I'm paying," Yash told her laying down the money on the table before she could even take out a single bill. Aarti started to object but Yash simply shook his head. "You drove using your gas so I pay. Next time we can switch," he explained giving her a playful wink. She felt a shiver run down her spine as her heart seemed like it wanted to break through her rib cage. Ugh, stop doing that, she commanded her body silently.

"You're assuming there will be a next time," she shot back with a scoff as she passed him with the intention of an exit dignified with any confident woman. However the snickers and whispers of the people in the diner made her cringe. She rushed out of the diner and to her car as fast as she could without running.

"I don't assume anything Jalebi," Yash told her as he got in the car and Aarti's breath hitched.

"Stop calling me that," she snapped at him fearing what would happen if someone heard him calling her that.

"You didn't seem to mind me calling you that Saturday night," he teased her with a large grin. She narrowed her eyes once more in response wanting to say some witty and clever comeback but she couldn't think of anything. Can this day get any worse she thought as she drove back them back to work.

Aarti entered the office building with Yash following right behind her. Why did he have to do that, she complained crossly, she always had hated people who walked directly behind her. Mrs. Arora gave Aarti her typical cheery greeting and as soon as she noticed Yash smiled a sly smile at her. Aarti frowned and went straight to her desk. Her life was totally ruined!

"You two had lunch together," Mansi asked in a hushed tone sitting on the edge of Aarti's desk. Aarti sighed as she sat down nodding. She tried to ignore Mansi's smug smile and the look that seem to state "go get him girl".

"Now I recognize you…Chameli," Yash said with a half smile, apparently still following Aarti. Mansi gave him a playful slap on the arm.

"Well about time, geez, you really know how to damage a girl's self-esteem!" Mansi told him with mock scorn.

"Sorry, it's just I prefer black haired to brunettes. It's Sameer who goes for the brunettes," he told her as justification and Mansi giggled a giggle fit for a school girl.

"Yes I remember clearly just how much he likes brunettes. Well if that's the only reason you didn't remember me then I guess I can forgive you," Mansi told him with a smile.

"Thank God, I was really worried there for a moment," he replied with an exaggerated expression of relief. Aarti frowned watching the two, just what she needed her best friend and him becoming buddies.

"Though if you got a thing for black haired I just happened to know a really nice one," Mansi began. Aarti glared at her with her best, "shut up or I will kill you" glare.

Yash's smile just got bigger as he crossed his arms. "Really, do you now?" he asked sounding too interested for Aarti's good.

Mansi smile grew and she nodded. "Yes, but she is a really shy and can be very stubborn," she told him and Aarti wanted to scream while she pulled at her hair. Why was Mansi going along with that man's games! After everything the two had been through together, this was how Mansi was going to repay her? She could feel her face flame red again but this time not only from embarrassment.

"Well I'd have to know more about her," Yash replied with a mischievous tone and Mansi got that look in her eye that Aarti knew meant there was no way to stop this train wreck.

"Then it just happens to be your lucky day. I know everything about her," Mansi confessed, Yash's face lit up. Aarti's stomach churned, feeling betrayed by her friend. She started to demand that Mansi shut up when she gagged. She slapped her hand over her mouth fearing she would get sick right there. She shot up from her chair glaring at her friend before she ran to the bathroom.

She just barely made it to the bathroom stall when Aarti started to heave so strongly it made her stomach hurt. GOD, if you hear me and care anything about me, strike me dead now! Aarti begged silently as she left the bathroom stall with wobbly legs. All she wanted was a chance to feel like everyone else, she thought feeling tears prickle in her eyes. What she got was a horrible reminder that she wasn't close to being like everyone else.

Aarti washed her face in the bathroom sink, not caring about the makeup she had so carefully put on that morning. What's the point, she thought bitterly. There was no point in keeping up appearances any more. She dried off her face with a paper towel and made a slow march back to the disaster that was still awaiting her at her desk. "Aarti, are you alright?" Mansi asked concerned and Yash had a curios expression on his face.

"I'm just peachy! Why could I possibly have a reason not to be," she snapped at her friend bitterly before she could stop herself. Mansi looked taken back and Yash's expression of curiosity only grew as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Aarti Dubey, bring me the fourth quarter report of last year on the Choudary account," Her father demanded and returned to his office.

She stood up and glared at her friend. "Be quiet!" Aarti warned Mansi and walked off to gather the papers her father needed but she could hear them pick up the conversation where they left it. She was starting to feel nauseous again as she entered her father's office. "Here you are sir," she said as he eyed Yash and Mansi talking and not liking it one bit.

"I see Mansi sure moved in on the kill quick," her father said with clear distaste.

"She isn't flirting with him, she's-" Aarti started but realized there was no way she could honestly tell her father what Mansi was talking to Yash about. "Just getting to know him more. He is the new guy after all," she added.

"Well at least she had the dignity to know his name before she sleeps with him," her father stated bitterly and Aarti felt as if someone had just kicked her in the stomach, realizing that was exactly what she didn't do. She swallowed the bile that crept up her throat and sat down in one of the chairs. Her father really disliked Mansi since she had no problem with a playful flirt here and there; she was nothing more than the office s**t to him, even if he knew that his company did so well because of her. Aarti would admit Mansi wasn't a saint by any means but she was definitely not a s**t.

Aarti rubbed the bridge of her nose as she felt a really bad headache started to pound her head, the icing on her cake of disaster. "I understand you still have that childhood need to believe in everyone but she is what she is. I really wish for you to find yourself better friends," he started with a tone one would use on a child. Here we go again, she thought and really wasn't sure if she could handle his lecture that day.

"She is no good and is going to cause you a lot of trouble one day" Well…Aarti thought bitterly. Actually her father was right about that one; she had caused Aarti a lot of trouble lately.

"Look Dad can you please lecture me about the company I keep another day I'm really not having a good day. Actual-" she pleaded with him but her plea went ignored and in fact he went on to interrupt her.

"Mr. Dubey!, Aarti Dubey, don't forget yourself! I can't believe I let you talk me in to allowing you to go to Las Vegas with her," he told her.

Aarti snapped her head up and felt her anger boil. "Allow me? Mr. Dubey I am twenty-eight, I don't exactly need your permission to take a trip with whoever I wish," she told him acidly and he gave her a look of irritation and doubt obviously not taking her seriously.

"As long as you are a part of this family, you'll need my permission! I'll not have you make a fool of me Aarti Dubey with this stupid silliness you seem to always be getting yourself into," he barked. Aarti felt something snap within her she literally saw red. What was this "Treat Aarti like Trash Day?" Her pulse raced as she gripped the chair with anger and adrenaline flooded her body as she stood up shaking.

"I need to leave…I'm not feeling well," she said slowly, she didn't want to lose it and make a scene. Her father eyed her with a hard look.

"You do look a little pale," he stated then his hard look got harder. "You didn't take anything while in company with that woman in Las Vegas did you?" He asked with an expectant look and Aarti gawked at him.

"What? No, dad I didn't take any drugs if that is what you're suggesting! I'm just feeling a little sick to my stomach," She shot right back at him. "What kind of woman do you think I am?" Aarti demanded and felt offended. Her father scoffed with a skeptical expression.

"I think you're the type of woman that you'd do whatever that crazy brunette told you to Aarti Dubey. I'll tell you this now; if I see you like this again I'm forcing you to submit to a drug test! Don't think I won't fire you for drug abuse," he snapped at her with anger in his voice and she gawked at him.

"Fire me…for drug abuse," Aarti repeated and stood up, her control over her anger was slipping away to nothing. "You know what dad, I hate you! I can't take this hell today! I've always done everything you asked of me and much more. When other teenage girls snuck out to see their bad boy boyfriends I was at home studying! So I could get good grades just so maybe once you would be proud of me! I never rebelled or anything like what every other girl did! Yet you've never been proud of me but ashamed, ashamed and distrustful," she shouted at him. His jaw dropped in by her outburst.

"I know I have a tendency to make a mess of things and I have the social skills of a barracuda but I'm your daughter! I don't think I deserve to have you throw in my face how inept I am at life every time I screw things up! I can't take anymore today. I just can't," She snapped and without waiting for him to recover Aarti stalked out of his office.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He called after her, but she refused to say another word. She stomped over to her desk where Yash and Mansi still stood. Aarti gave them both hateful glares; they were as guilty of creating this mess as she was.

"What happened?" Mansi asked but Aarti ignored her as well as she snatched her handbag up from the desk. What happened?, Aarti asked with a scoff. That brunette just couldn't leave her life alone, that's what happened.

"Aarti Dubey I demand you get yourself back into this office right now!" Her father demanded from his office door but her only answer was when lifted her hand over her head and flipped him off where everyone could see. She stomped out of the building and into the parking lot. She didn't care about the fact that everyone was staring at her with their mouths and eyes wide open. She got into her car slamming the door as hard as she could and racing out of the parking lot.

It wasn't until she submerged into the hot bubbly bath water of the large bath tub in her home that she finally felt her racing heart slow. Her hands started to shake as she felt the adrenalin slowly leaving her system. Never in her life had she talked to anyone like that, especially not her father. Aarti imagined several times of saying all those things to him but could never get up the courage.

It felt good to finally say what she did but stronger was her fear. What was happening to her, she'd never blown up before, and in fact Aarti always prided herself on how in control she was when she got angry. Aarti sighed and leaned back into the tub playing with the waters. Tears streamed down her face silently. She wanted nothing more than to desperately go back to her normal life.

It may not have been the ideal for the majority of people but it was comfortable. Aarti always knew what to expect and knew what would happen next. Now her feelings were all unfamiliar and strange. Aarti's body was out of control every time Yash got near her. She felt as if she was going to melt into some puddle. Is this what normal people lived like, how could they want this, how can they be happy? She asked herself with a sigh and looked at the ceiling.

Finally Aarti pulled herself out of the now cold water, slipping on her robe. She felt so exhausted and weak. She dragged herself to her bed and buried herself under the blankets not bothering to dry herself or put anything on other than the robe she wore. She began to cry all over again as she thought about how all of the mess her life had become, had happened till she drifted off into a restless sleep.

The next morning Aarti woke up feeling better despite the fact she had a horrible headache. She took some aspirin to ease her head and slowly ate a meagre breakfast; her stomach still wasn't ready for anything more than a cereal bar. She looked at her cell phone; there were several missed calls, messages, and voice mails. You've got to be kidding me; she thought, almost laughing at the absurdity of it all. Aarti hardly ever get calls, messages, or voice mails and thought several times of getting rid of her cell phone because she really didn't think she needed it.

Now that she made an embarrassing scene of herself, everyone wanted to talk to her? "Oh my GOD, what a mess this all has become," she groaned but a smile was on her lips. Aarti finished her cereal bar and stood up with determination. "No more feeling sorry for yourself," she demanded.

She dialled the number of her father's company. "Dubeys Accounting, how may I help you," the cheery voice of Mrs. Arora answered and Aarti's small smile grew.

"Hi Mrs. Arora, this is Aarti," she started.

"Oh dearie, are you okay? Where have you been? Everyone has tried to reach you," the older woman fussed. Aarti shook her head, containing the laughter that tried to escape her. GOD, was this really what people did to get noticed in life?

"I'm fine actually, could you please pass me to my father if he hasn't fired me already," Aarti explained and the other woman chuckled and put her on hold.

"Aarti Dubey, I hope you have called to apologize because if you haven't then I don't want to hear whatever it is you have to say," he said in a harsh tone that made Aarti cringe. Did he always have to be so stern?

"Yes, I wanted to apologize, it was wrong and unprofessional for me to act like that."

"Yes it was…"he interrupted her but Aarti interrupted him in return.

"But Dad can you please stop treating me like a child and let up off of Mansi," Aarti pleaded but she could hear him scoff loudly.

"I will stop when I see there is no longer a need to treat you or Mansi in such a manner," he put in and Aarti could feel her temper threaten to boil over again. Several choice words, each more colourful than the last threatened to escape her but she took deep breath.

"Look Dad, I am obviously not coming in today, I am calling in a sick day okay. I'll see you tomorrow," she finished hanging up before he could answer her. She let out an angry hiss as she grabbed her IPod and stuffed the ear buds in her ears. With a surplus of energy from her pent up frustration, she angrily turned the music up loud and did her daily chores.

That afternoon she prepared lunch as she tried to figure out what had happened to her. Aarti wasn't this volatile creature she had become over the simple course of twenty four hours. How could she change herself back to the person she was? It can't be that hard considering how easy she slipped into this nasty change, she thought as drained the cooked pasta.

A knock on her door broke her from her lamenting and she wasn't at all surprised to see it was Mansi, in fact she had partially expected it. "Hey Mansi come on in!" She told her stepping aside so her friend could come in but instead of walking inside the house Mansi stopped at the door and gave her a long hard look as if she was trying to dissect Aarti with her eyes. "What?," Aarti asked feeling suddenly self-conscious.

"Nothing just waiting to see if your head will start to spin and you vomit pea soup," Mansi replied with a nasty smirk. Aarti narrowed her eyes and frowned at her friend.

"Oh, ha, ha, my GOD Mansi you're hilarious!" Aarti said with a flat tone and Mansi smiled a big bright smile.

"I know!" She stated cheekily as she walked into the house and Aarti closed the door. "So girlfriend, ready to spill on what the whole Kareena Kapoor thing was about yesterday? Not that I'm complaining, any day you give your father the bird is a good day in my books," Mansi told her with a sly grin and a laugh that sounded a little evil.

"It's not funny Mansi, my father is going to hold that over me till I am like sixty," Aarti retorted setting a plate of spaghetti in front of her friend.

"Nah, he blamed the whole damn thing on me; it was me he was threatening to fire!" Mansi told her as she inhaled the smell of the pasta. Aarti ground her teeth feeling the anger build up in her again.

"Of course it was your fault! Poor little Aarti can't have her own thoughts and feelings that could possibly go against her honourable father! Oh no, someone must have planted them there," she snarled and sat down with her plate angrily. "And you know good and well he won't fire you, he isn't that stupid! The only reason his company is doing so well is because of you," she finished hotly then began to eat.

"Whoa, maybe I should call the priest or perhaps you really are turning into a Jalebi," Mansi joked but Aarti froze. She let her fork drop down to her plate as she no longer had any desire to eat; in fact her stomach returned back to the stated of a twisted mass of knots. She covered her face with her hands feeling so foolish.

"GOD Mansi, what is happening to me? This isn't me! Ever since yesterday I seem to have lost control over aspect of my life," she groaned and explained everything to her friend; Yash's stupid game in the hallway, the lunch, and her father's treatment in his office.