Chapter 33 Veera

Chapter 33 Veera

VEERA: I'm sorry I ran out on you both.

VEERA: We need to talk.

VEERA: Can we meet in person?

KAREENA: Clearing my schedule tomorrow.

BOBBI: Me, too. Come to my place.

Veera knew that even though she had been so mad at her friends for feeling left out, for the way that their relationship was

changing because of how their lives had shifted, they were the first people she wanted to talk to after she found out about

Sana's plan. They were the friends that despite their differences, she knew she could count on.

Two days after Karva Chauth, she sat down on Bobbi's couch in the large Jersey City loft space that used to be Deepak's apartment

before he sold it to Bunty. It was exceptionally designed with high ceilings and a gourmet kitchen. The space was also beautifully

decorated, featuring jewel tones and floral flourishes, just like Veera expected from Bobbi's home.

Her friend, now with a diamond of her own winking on her left hand, sat next to Veera and handed her another tissue.

"I'm going to kill her when I see her again," Veera said. "She's always been the more perceptive person between the two of

us, but now I'm not so sure. Did you know she somehow convinced me to go on this strange German's boat and it almost sunk

with all of us on it? And now this! At Karva Chauth, we were yelling at each other so loud that I'm sure we were the reason

the neighbor's car alarm kept going off."

"I bet it was because their son was trying to sneak out again and pressed the alarm instead of the unlock button," Kareena

said from her spot in the armchair across from the coffee table. "He's done that before."

Bobbi shook her head at Kareena. "Vee, it sounds like you have every right to be that angry."

"I know, right?" Veera cried. Then she noisily blew her nose into a tissue.

"What does Deepak say?" Bobbi asked.

That was the last question Veera wanted to hear. "Why does it matter?" she said. "I don't need him to tell me how to murder

my twin. I can make my own decisions."

"Honey, I'm not talking about murder. I'm talking about Sana's chances of being the alternative candidate at Illyria."

"He's not happy about it, but he's more worried about me," Veera said. She dropped her head against the back of the couch

and closed her eyes. "He won't talk to me because he thinks that I'll feel like I'm taking sides. To be fair, I told him I

didn't want to get in the middle, but that doesn't mean I won't be a sounding board if he needs me. He's just... shut down

all conversations about business the past couple days."

"You two are stronger together," Bobbi said and patted Veera's leg. "You'll think of something."

"And we're stronger as a group of six," Kareena added. "If you need more help, we'll get together and we'll sort it out."

The reference to friendship had Veera's anger subsiding, and guilt taking its place. She'd called her college roommates, her

ride-or-die besties, begging for a moment of their time because she wanted to talk to them, and without a moment's hesitation,

they dropped everything to come and see her.

She sat up in her seat and dabbed her eye again with the tissue. "Kareena, I'm sorry if we ruined your Karva Chauth."

Kareena waved a hand in dismissal. "Are you kidding me? The aunties loved every moment of it. They'll be talking about Olivia's

entrance for years . I'm just glad you and Deepak are okay. And maybe now, you'll stop acting like a weirdo around us."

Veera thought about Kareena's words and nodded. "I guess when we were all single, I assumed that we'd go through all the stages

of our lives together. I thought that we'd find our loves together, we'd get married and have babies together so there wasn't

a moment where we didn't know how the others felt or where one of us was left behind. And I was so happy for both of you.

So happy," she repeated. She looked at both Bobbi and Kareena, then back.

"But you were moving on, and I was stuck in the same place that you'd left me. I was the single friend with married friends.

Always the bridesmaid, never the bride." She remembered the first time Kareena and Bobbi had canceled on her because they

were with Prem and Bunty. She'd sat alone on her couch with takeout, old episodes of Buffy playing on her TV, while she tried so hard to convince herself that loneliness wasn't allowed. That marriage and dating and

men weren't the answer.

She knew that marriage didn't work for everyone, and companionship could come into her life in so many different ways. She was going to be the single friend with lovers.

Except that wasn't what she wanted, and she was so ashamed of her unhappiness.

"I'm not going to tell you how ridiculous you were being, because we've all felt that way," Bobbi said softly. "I'm just sorry

if we were a part of why you were in that position."

Veera nodded. "I was the person who chose work over love, and who people assumed was too picky or not attractive enough to

find a partner, when it was really that I fell in love with a man who didn't see me. When I came back months later, both of

you had this language, these moments that you shared that didn't include me, either."

Bobbi shifted so that her back was against the couch, and her side was pressed to Veera's. Kareena crossed the room and sat

on Veera's other side and assumed the same pose. Then they all slumped in their seats and linked hands, staring up at the

ceiling together.

"Just because we found people we want to have in our lives," Kareena said, quietly, "didn't mean we were going to leave you

behind. It didn't mean we intended to leave you out of messages and texts that should've included you."

"I know it wasn't intentional," Veera said. "But it happens. We get older. We have our own families. It's not possible to

do margarita brunches every weekend. And even if you don't want it to be that way, that's just... life."

Veera felt Kareena squeeze her hand. "Please tell us that you didn't leave and travel with your sister for eight months because

you felt like we were leaving you out."

"Not really, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that it was a part of my reasoning," Veera said honestly. "Making plans with both of your schedules was hard enough. And then? It just felt . . . lonely. I live in a city surrounded by people, and I was lonely."

"And when you found Deepak," Bobbi said slowly, "you thought we'd intentionally kept you out of these couple moments. Oh,

Veera, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Veera said. "It hurt, but I know it wasn't on purpose. Truthfully, I should've just talked to you about it instead

of keeping secrets and acting like a jerk."

"Yup," Bobbi and Kareena said at the same time.

Veera had so many happy moments with her friends, so many joyous occasions. And then she remembered the times she sat on the

couch next to them, talking about everything from their hopes and dreams, to heartbreak and loss. "I should've come to you

sooner," she said again. "I love you both, and you're so important to me. I should've come to you sooner."

"That's obvious," Kareena said.

"Agreed," Bobbi added.

She giggled and squeezed their hands. "Good god, both of you are going to be insufferable if you have children."

"Not me," Bobbi said. "Bunty and I are happy to be the family that takes care of others."

"Prem and I are waiting for another year or so," Kareena said. "Even though my father is increasingly concerned about my aging

egg reserve."

"Did I tell you guys my mother-in-law set up Deepak's bedroom in their family home as a seduction suite?"

Bobbi gasped.

"No," Kareena said, her tone willed with horror.

Veera grinned at the memory. "She had sexy Bollywood music, and fertility supplements for me next to the bed."

Veera's best friends both burst out laughing.

Kareena dropped her head on Veera's shoulder, then Bobbi did the same.

"Now I want a margarita before I hear in excruciating detail what this seduction suite looked like," Bobbi said.

"You can add that as a design service, Bobbi," Kareena said.

"Not a bad plan."

The conversation was silly and so familiar to who they once were. It felt like coming home to be with them, to feel them by

her side. No matter how busy they got, how hard it would be to make time to see Kareena and Bobbi in her life, she'd always

love them.

Kareena got to her feet. She straightened her sweater vest and held out a hand for Bobbi and Veera. "Come on," she said. "We've

sorted out why Veera was acting like a butthead, and we've apologized for being assholes ourselves."

"And?" Veera said.

" And ," Kareena replied. "We still have one huge problem that we have to figure out. Are we planning a murder? Or are we going

to figure out how the Mathur sisters, Deepak, and Olivia fit into this new Illyria Media Group?"

"I guess we're having margaritas after all," Bobbi mused. "I refuse to talk about your business things or seduction suites

without margaritas."

Veera grinned at her friends, then clapped her hands together. "Are we plotting?"

Kareena and Bobbi grinned at her then nodded.

"Bobbi, I hope you still have the whiteboard! I think we're about to make a pros and cons list."