Chapter 27 Veera

Chapter 27 Veera

KAREENA: Bobbi and I are planning for the fall festivals. Video chat this weekend?

VEERA: What, like, planning trips to a pumpkin patch or getting apple cider donuts? I'm in.

BOBBI: Not quite as "fall." Navratri, etc.

BOBBI: We started doing it last year. Now that you're with Deepak, we can all do it together!

VEERA: I mean, I could've done it when I was single, too, but yes. Sure, let me know when.

Veera knew that once her friends had partnered up, they would be a part of a world that was wholly different from her own. That they'd spend time together without her because they'd want to do couple things, and she wasn't a part of that.

But now, even in her fake marriage and real relationship, she'd started to see the extent of what she'd missed. And somehow,

that made her feel even more alone than ever.

"Do you have your shopping list?" Kareena asked, as she looked at Veera through the video chat screen. "I sent it over. It's

in a spreadsheet format. Plus, there is a Diwali cleaning list in there, too, so you know what you have to do for your first

event."

Veera looked at Bobbi's face in the corner of her screen. "Do you have this, too?"

Bobbi nodded. "We built it together after Bunty and I moved in. This way, the aunties aren't breathing down our throats with

last-minute reminders."

Veera knew that it was childish to think that she had a right to the information just because she was their best friend. Knowing

Kareena and Bobbi, they probably thought they were saving her from a massive headache by keeping her out of it.

"I feel like I need to sync this in my Google Calendar. Is there a Hindu events Google calendar thing?"

"You'll get the hang of it," Bobbi said. "Durga Pooja comes first. To welcome her into your new home. But you don't really

have to do much for that."

"Then comes Navratri, which is nine nights," Kareena added. "But you don't have to go dancing all nine nights. The aunties

probably want to see you either the first or the last night."

"There is Karva Chauth after that, but it's patriarchal and up to you on whether or not you want to fast for your husband,"

Bobbi replied.

"Followed by Diwali," Kareena said.

Veera dropped her forehead to the table and then began banging it against the surface in a slow, steady rhythm.

"Oh, come on," Bobbi said with a laugh. "It's not that bad."

"What happened to the days when all we had to worry about was whether or not the groceries we bought a week ago are going

rancid in our fridge? Or where we're going to go for a boozy brunch that isn't going to charge us by the glass?"

"Gone, my friend," Kareena said with a laugh. "We've traded it for cultural obligations and domesticity."

"And sex," Bobbi said. "Access to both sex and love. And five-course meals every day."

"Or sessions of playing doctor," Kareena replied.

"Good god, make it stop," Veera said.

"Come on," Bobbi said. "It's probably a nice break from worrying about Sana, or your future business. By the way, what is

the deal with that?"

Veera wished she knew. She had showed her plan to two other Illyria board members who were former Mathur Financial Group employees,

and she was met with a ton of positive feedback. Deepak's father had also asked for her pitch deck, which she provided. Since

then she hadn't heard from anyone. She'd been working on a framework for how her equitable financial practices model would

fit within multiple industries just in case she wanted to consult on the subject and Illyria didn't work out, but it felt

like busywork.

"Let's just say that this board meeting can't come fast enough. Four weeks is too many."

"Has Deepak offered any support?" Bobbi asked. "I mean, he's getting what he wants from your relationship, but you should

also feel like you're getting something out of it."

Veera shrugged again. "I am getting... it."

"Wait a minute." This time it was Kareena who leaned into the camera, her glasses framing her wide eyes. "You're getting...

it?"

Veera debated keeping the information from them, but she couldn't. Her friends hadn't been malicious when they did couples

things together without her. Treating them the same way she felt would be an asshole thing to do.

So, expecting a total meltdown and freak-out, she blurted out what had happened the weekend before. "I made Deepak Indian food, then I stole his sweatshirt, which I'm never giving back, by the way, and then he pulled my hair, and oh my god, it was the best sex I've ever had."

There was deadpan silence before Bobbi spoke.

"This happened four days ago, and you're telling us now? Thirty minutes into this conversation?"

"It hadn't come up," she said, weakly.

Kareena burst out, "Veera! You've been weird since you came back. No, you've been weird with us since you left on your trip.

Why won't you talk to us? Ever since you've been away, we've had to find things out like they're just random facts when this

is huge!"

She could feel her spine stiffen at the tone. "Hey, you guys have been busy. I haven't processed all of it yet and sometimes

I need space to do it. I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

"That's not good enough," Bobbi said firmly. "You haven't had sex in what, years? Since that guy who was so happy that he

cried every time he took his shirt off."

"I thought we weren't ever going to talk about Dan again."

Bobbi leaned forward until her nose practically touched the screen. "This is such a big commitment for you, and we want to

be there for you. Now we don't know if you haven't said anything to us because there is something wrong and you're not happy,

or because it's us."

Veera cocked her head at Bobbi's tone. Her friend did not just speak to her like that. "There is nothing wrong, guys. I haven't slept with anyone in a long time because I didn't want

to. Then Deepak came into my life, and I didn't want anyone else."

Her friends were quiet on the video conference screen, as if they weren't sure what to say to her now that she'd effectively told them to mind their own business. She crossed her arms over her chest and waited.

"I'm happy for you," Kareena said. "I really am. But, Veera, we want to be there for you, and we can't if you don't feel like

you can trust us with what's going on in your life."

The bitterness bubbled in her throat like acid, and the feeling burned. "I know that I left you both to travel with my sister,

but I have always been here. I reached out every other day to share pictures and tell you where I was. And all that time,

you two were traveling together, and making lists, and having parties. And not once did you tell me that you were doing those

things and that you missed me. So excuse me if I think twice about telling you what's been happening in my life, too."

"Oh, no," Kareena said softly. Her mouth fell open. "I'm so sorry that you felt that way, Vee. We never—"

Veera sniffled, and she tried desperately to swallow her tears. "It's fine. Our lives are different now."

"But we're not different," Bobbi said. "We have partners, but we are still a unit."

"No, we used to be a unit," Veera said. "Now we're friends who are married."

"You don't mean that," Kareena said with a gasp.

"Vee, what are you even saying?" Bobbi added.

Veera's computer started flashing with an incoming video call from her sister, and she practically jerked out of her seat.

Other than the odd text message, and the random voice recording, she hadn't had a chance to sit and talk to Sana since she'd

first left.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I have to go. Sana is calling and she probably has news about what's happening with Olivia."

"Wait," Bobbi said, holding up her hand to the camera. "Veera, you know you can tell us anything, right?"

Veera wanted to believe that was true, so she nodded while she pressed a hand to her clenching abdomen under the table. "I'm

sorry," she said. "I really am."

"We are, too," Kareena replied. "Love you, Vee."

She waved before ending the call and switching to Sana's window. Her sister's face filled the screen. She wore a knit cap,

and her cheeks were rosy with the cold weather. Sana was obviously standing outside on some sort of a porch.

"Hey, where are you?" Veera asked.

Sana pointed the camera to rolling hills in the distance. The sound of wind whistled through the phone speaker. "It's gorgeous,

isn't it?"

"Yeah," Veera said, when her sister's face filled the screen again. "Sana, what is going on over there? You're supposed to

talk to Olivia and ask her if she's willing to come back for the board meeting the week before Thanksgiving. I haven't heard

from you in a month other than something about you and Olivia getting to know each other."

"Things have been hectic," Sana said, as she looked out in the distance. "I got a call a couple days ago from Dad, and I've

been doing recon to cross-check his story."

"From Dad ?" Veera gaped at her. She always thought that she'd be the one who failed to hold firm on her boundaries first. She was always

so eager to forgive. For Sana to talk to their father was huge. "I thought we were no-contact with him. What did he say? What

did you tell him?"

Sana's jaw clenched, then she looked back at the screen, her eyes narrowing. "He said what I always knew would happen. Deepak is fucking you over. He's lying to you, Veera. You're just not seeing it. I'm calling you to tell you that the deal is over, and you should go back to your apartment."

Veera understood the words that Sana was saying, but she couldn't believe her. Together, they didn't make any sense. "I live

with him. We talk every day, multiple times a day. What could he possibly be lying to me about?"

"Your equitable lending plan," she said. "Dad said that somehow it got on his desk, on Deepak's father's desk, and it turns

out that Deepak was the one who didn't recommend it. He shut it down. You don't have a chance of working at Illyria Media

Group after all."

Veera collapsed back in her chair.

How was her equitable lending program rejected before she even had a chance of presenting the full pitch?

No , she thought. No, there is no way this is true.

"Dad is lying to you, Sana."

"Look, I normally wouldn't believe him," Sana said gently. "But he's the CFO. He gave me details that were so specific about

your equitable lending plan, there was no room for doubt."

She rattled off some of the highlights that Veera had wanted to make.

"Oh my god, he did read it."

"I knew it," Sana said, her voice cracking like a whip. "I knew Deepak would fuck you over. I told him that I'd only bring

Olivia back if he upheld his part of the bargain in supporting you, and he cheated. Just like he's cheating his way into the

CEO role—"

"Stop it, Sana," Veera snapped. She leaned so close to the image of her sister that her nose practically touched the screen. "No one cheated anyone into the CEO role. I know you're angry on my behalf and I love you so much for always being there for me, but let me figure out what's going on. If you don't want to stay with Olivia and convince her to come back, then just come home. We would be happy for you to stay here with us."

"We?" Sana said, her voice incredulous. "You're a we now? You don't think he did it. Oh my god, Veera, you're defending him again!"

"I'm defending myself," she shouted over Sana's voice. "Why do you think I don't have any common sense of my own?"

"Because right now you don't, you chute . Why don't you fly out and come see me? Maybe with some distance, you can—"

"I got married, Sana," Veera snapped. "There is no turning back for me now, and you need to stop trying to dictate my life.

I love you, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate you wanting to protect me, but this is too far. Believing Dad after

all he's done is too much."

"I'm trying to help you."

"Well, stop it!" Veera snapped.

Before Sana could respond, her phone was snatched from her hand, and a beautiful face filled the screen. Olivia Gupta was

a natural beauty with flawless skin, healthy, thick curls, and a pouty mouth with a shiny pink tint. "Hi, darling."

Veera's anger cut off like it had disconnected from the internet. She gaped for two seconds in silence, her hand falling to

her lap, before she found her voice. "Oh. Uh, Olivia?"

"Yes, it's me," she said, then flipped her hair at the perfect moment for the British breeze to waft over her skin and flutter

her curls. "Look, I know that you and I don't know each other, but it looks like we're sort of in this mess together. The

four of us."

"The... the four of us?"

Olivia nodded. "You and Deepak, me and Sana. Since, you know, Sana and I are together."

"You and Sana ?" Veera knew she was repeating everything that Olivia was telling her, but this was harder than her Kumon comprehension homework.

"Are you two in England together-together? Like together ? Wait a minute, you wrote about someone on your website. Were you talking about Sana?"

Olivia's eyes brightened. "Oh, you're so sweet! You read my website. Sana was right, you're adorable."

"Ah, thank you?"

Olivia nodded, her hair bouncing with enthusiasm. "I haven't told my followers yet, because we want to do a big announcement.

Maybe at a pop-up venue in Miami. Surprise! Olivia has fallen in love after all."

"Olivia," Veera said. She cleared her throat. "We should probably talk to Deepak—"

"Oh, I agree," Olivia said with a smile on her face. "In fact, we're going to come back to the States soon. Sana has some

meetings, and I think you two need to figure out who you trust."

Veera gripped the edge of the table. "Sana and I have always trusted each other."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I don't want to sound mean, but none of this is your business."

Olivia's eyebrows jerked up before her expression cooled. She looked away from the screen, and then the sound of a door slamming

came through the line. "I think that's where you're wrong. And since Sana has stormed off, I'm going to assume this conversation

is over. I have to soothe my baby now. Toodles," she said.

The screen went blank. Veera pressed her fingertips against her eyeballs. This could not be happening. None of this could

be happening right now.

How did she end up in a position where she had to choose between supporting her twin sister, and supporting her husband? The man she'd been friends with before she fell in love?

If one thing was certain, Veera was done sitting around and waiting for this ridiculous board meeting to happen. She had to

do something, and she had to do it now.

She needed a whiteboard.

And maybe a latte.