‘Well, it’s only once a year and we need to celebrate, don’t we, Bridget?’
They linked arms and marched into the club as if it were them that owned it and not Omar Khan. There was something totally liberating about being old enough not to care what other people thought but young enough to still get the looks and they still did. Every man’s head turned as the three beautiful women walked through the double doors and into the main bar. As soon as they stepped inside the first man willing to chance his luck approached them. He was tall and dark-haired, wearing a sharp suit and a tie in a thick Windsor knot. He made straight for Rani.
‘Good evening, gorgeous. Would you like a drink?’
She smiled politely and shook her head. ‘We’re fine, thanks.’ She continued to walk towards the bar.
‘Who’s the gora?’ asked Sunita.
‘I’ve never seen him before,’ Rani replied with a wide smile. They hadn’t been in the club five minutes and they were already being admired. It felt good but she was very anxious. Her friends had talked her into accepting the invitation to the opening of Omar Khan’s club and she’d reluctantly agreed just hours before.
‘I’m not sure I can face him again, not after what I’ve written about him, and knowing he’s read it.’
‘Look,’ said Sunita, ‘think about it this way, he wouldn’t have invited you if he was upset, would he? He knows just how you feel about him, doesn’t he?’
‘The whole world does!’ said Shilpa.
‘What I mean,’ Sunita began again, ‘is that he knows you.’
‘He knows he’s onto a good thing!’ Shilpa butted in before Sunita could finish what she was going to say.
‘I wasn’t going to put it quite like that,’ said Sunita, ‘but he does know you’re interested in him—so what? It’s about time you looked forward and not back.’
‘That’s just what I’m afraid of,’ said Rani. ‘I’m not like that—you know that.’
‘You know you mentioned the D word this morning?’ Sunita probed, hoping to excavate a little more of the truth.
Rani looked shocked. She’d brought up David?
‘I did?’ she questioned her friends. They both nodded.
‘You see, that’s why I’m scared. I mean, I would never have said … that … I mean … really, would I? You know … it’s …’ Rani struggled to express herself. ‘If I got involved with Omar, what if it was like it was with David all over again? I mean, imagine how awful that would be.’
Sunita looked straight into Rani’s eyes.
‘He sent you flowers, didn’t he? Why did he invite you to his club? It’s not out of charity, is it? He could have any woman he wants, can’t he?’
‘That really makes me feel special, that does!’ baulked Rani.
‘You know I didn’t mean it like that,’ said Sunita. ‘It’s just that he’s obviously interested or why go to all the effort?’
‘You won’t find out unless you go,’ said Shilpa.
‘For once I agree with her,’ said Sunita. ‘You’ve got to be in it to win it, as they say, so come on—you’ve nothing to lose.’
‘My dignity, my self-respect,’ pointed out Rani.
‘You lost that the moment you hit the send key on your computer.’ Shilpa laughed.
‘But I feel too embarrassed to face him. What will I say? What can I say?’ Rani asked, her face stricken with worry. Her two friends now sat either side of her, each with an arm around her waist.
‘You don’t have to say anything,’ said Sunita. ‘You just have to be you. Go on, enjoy yourself. After all, it’s not every day a Bollywood superstar asks you out, is it? And anyway, you can just brush it off as journalistic exaggeration, can’t you? What’s the worst that could happen?’ Sunita continued.
‘She could get pregnant, that’s the worst!’ said Shilpa and then, putting on a matriarchal Indian accent, ‘Beti, you make sure he’s a good man, an honest man.’ She was wagging her finger at Rani like a scolding mother. ‘Make sure he’s handsome, make sure he loves you, make sure he’s a doctor. And, if he’s none of these, make sure he’s rich!’ They all hugged and laughed.
‘Come on, then, no time to lose,’ said Sunita.
Rani had met Sunita on their first day at university. They’d been allocated rooms next door to each other in the halls of residence and had struck up an immediate friendship that hadn’t wavered in the subsequent years. They’d even started out on the same course, medicine—what else for two Asian girls? But Rani had grown frustrated by the length of time it was going to take to finish, and, much against her parents’ advice, dropped out to study journalism instead. That was what she’d told her parents anyway. But it wasn’t the truth; she’d never been able to open her heart to them about the real reasons for switching course. She was too scared to admit it even now, but the unpleasant memories of that ordeal were stirring deep inside Rani’s stomach again. She was trying her best to ignore them and she knew it. The self-deception was paper thin because no matter how she tried to distract herself it was always there at the back of her mind and in her aching tummy. David. That one word that summed up her entire attitude and experience of men. One word that caused a tower block of feelings to crash in on itself. One word she’d not uttered since leaving university. One word that encapsulated all of the extremes of love and pain, just five little letters. David was the real reason Rani had dropped out of medical school. He had said he loved her. She had thought she loved him. He cast a long shadow over Rani and meeting Omar had brought back all of those memories and they tore at her now.
The rest of the day was spent in preparation for the night out. There was plenty of discussion and squabbling about what to wear. How to do Rani’s hair and what make-up was appropriate.
‘You don’t want to look tarty,’ Shilpa advised. ‘Go with the gold. It says, I’m sophisticated and know my own value.’ Rani and Sunita looked amazed.
‘An eyeliner can tell you all that?’ asked Rani.
‘Of course! Don’t you girls know anything? No wonder you’re both single.’
‘And you’re not?’ Rani retorted. Shilpa ignored the comment and continued to extol the virtues of her make-up choice. Sunita helped Rani with her eyebrows, expertly shaping them with thread. Shilpa offered to give Rani a wax but she declined. Instead she took charge of the curlers and began to set Rani’s long brown hair.
‘He’s a film star, he’s used to perfection, so we’ve got to give you the film-star look,’ she said, rolling strands of hair up. The day passed in a blur of colour and conversation as Rani paraded her entire wardrobe and they discussed the merits of each outfit. Apart from some family occasions the opportunities to wear traditional clothes were rare and they all made the most of the preparations for Rani’s big night out.
‘What about this?’ Rani said as she tried on a marigold-yellow churidaar pjama.
‘Nah, too bright. It’s not a ladies’ sangeet, you know!’ replied Sunita. She busied herself rummaging through Rani’s impressive jewellery cabinet and laid the pieces on the bed. There were simple plain gold chains, wonderful solid bracelets and her prized possession, her panjagla given to her by her mother as a hint that she should be looking for a husband. In the end Rani decided on her black halter-neck sari, which was decorated with waves of silver sequins and embroidered flowers.
Now they were actually in the club Rani felt nervous about meeting Omar again. Just what would she say to him? What could she say that would