Chapter 37 Veera

Chapter 37 Veera

Veera loved the crisp feel of winter weather, the cool breeze as it whipped between skyscrapers. She held Deepak's hand as

they left the office that afternoon and made the long walk through midday pedestrian traffic and early holiday tourists to

the popular food cart on Fifty-Third Street.

"Is this what smugness feels like?" she asked.

Deepak chuckled, the warm sound escaping his mouth into the cool air with puffs of white. "I need more context."

"I feel happy. Ergo, smugness."

"Happiness makes you smug?" he asked, as they stopped at the end of the line that snaked down the street. He turned to face

her, then with his hands on her waist, tugged her close. She burrowed against his chest just as a brisk wind rushed by them.

"It's been a long time since I've been happy," she said. "I earned my emotions. Don't you feel smug?"

He dropped a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. "I would if you signed the damn marriage certificate instead of insisting

on a prenup."

She patted the lapels of his wool coat. "Prenuptial agreements are like marriage insurance. They're smart business. Look,

Kareena is drafting them this week. I'll sign the certificate as soon as they're done."

They moved a few steps forward and resumed their close embrace, enjoying the anonymity that came with the hulking city that surrounded them.

"I still don't like it," he muttered.

For a man who was supposed to head an incredibly profitable, incredibly successful media conglomerate in a few months, he

wasn't exactly making sound investment decisions in his personal life.

That was okay, Veera thought. She loved him anyway. She loved the life they were starting for themselves, too. And if he was

too emotional about money, then she'd have to be rational for both of them.

When they were next in line, Veera stepped out of his embrace and tucked an errant curl behind her ear. Knowing her man, the

friend she'd grown to love more and more each day, she decided that he'd earned a break from her teasing. "I'll take care

of the paperwork with Kareena, and you handle the trip for our next marriage ceremony."

"I can do that," Deepak said, his smile brightening. "I want the full wedding experience."

Veera worried her ring with her thumb, watching it twinkle in the cold late-fall sunlight. "If you're sure, but Deeps, do

we really need any more ceremonies?"

"I'll marry you a hundred times over," he said and gave her a smacking kiss that made her giggle.

"Next!"

They stepped up to the food cart and ordered two chicken and rice platters with red and white sauce. Deepak paid in cash,

then they moved to the side until their containers were ready.

"Hey, we're here!" Olivia called out. "Sorry we're late! I had a brand meeting." Her singsong voice was like a beacon for tourists walking by. With her faux-fur-lined coat, she was the picture of flamboyant fashion, which was only accentuated by her swirling cloud of shining black curls.

Sana walked at her side wearing lace-up heeled boots and a thick black peacoat. A style icon in her own right.

They could appear in magazines together.

Veera motioned to the cement ledge that surrounded the office building behind them. "We're going to sit and eat over there,"

she said to her sister. "Come and join us when you have your food."

Just as Veera and Deepak sat hip to hip on the ledge, Bobbi and Bunty arrived. Shortly after, Prem and Kareena strolled down

the sidewalk in their direction, hand in hand.

Less than ten minutes later, all eight of them were sitting on the ledge in front of the food cart, their containers open,

carefully balanced in one hand, while they ate with plastic forks in the other, hunched over their steaming food. They were

hip to hip, talking all at once.

"You know, guys, we can enjoy our food somewhere with heat," Kareena said from the far end of the ledge. "We don't have to

suffer like this."

"And miss out on chicken and rice when it's steaming hot and fresh?" Bunty called back from the other end of the row. "No,

thank you."

"Deepak and Vee, are you going to tell us how the board meeting went, or should we not talk about it?" Bobbi called out.

Deepak smiled at Veera. She winked in response.

"It was anticlimactic." He had to shout so everyone could hear him. "But you're looking at the next CEO of Illyria Media Group."

There was a resounding cry of cheers and Veera watched with pride as their friends got up to pat her husband on the back and give him awkward side hugs while they made sure not to drop their precious takeout containers.

"Are you all friends now?" Kareena asked, as she motioned to Sana and Deepak.

"Considering I'm working for him," Sana said with a smile, "I have to be nice to the boss. I'm going to lead Global Ops for

Illyria Media Group. Still unconfirmed, but I doubt the CEO's wife is going to put up with any bullshit obstacles."

Veera nudged Sana's arm. "You're just lucky that your background check won't have the shenanigans in Madrid on it."

"What happened in Madrid?" Bunty called out. "The food in Madrid is the best."

Veera glanced at her sister and saw that Sana was smiling back at her. There were memories of drinking way too much alcohol

and then trying to appear professional during stakeholder meetings, all while covering up their new cash money and paneer tattoos. They were thirty-two but hadn't quite lived until they had traveled the world together.

"Nothing," they spoke in unison.

There was another round of laughter.

Olivia stood up and held up her phone. "Hey, can I get a picture of all of us?"

There were grumbles, complaints about hair and wanting to finish their food, but when Olivia began to whine, they all squeezed

closer together, tilting their heads one way or another.

"Let's do this right," Olivia said, as she ran into the middle of the sidewalk and set up a makeshift tripod faster than Veera

had seen anyone move in their life. Mindful of the foot traffic, she waited until there was a brief break in flow before she

ran back to her spot on the ledge between Sana and Bobbi.

"Say ‘samosa'!" she shouted.

"Samosa!"

Olivia pressed a coin-size remote and there was a tiny flash, and then another, and then a third.

"Got it!" Olivia called out. She disassembled her tripod, then passed her phone down the line so that everyone could see the

picture.

When the phone reached Veera, she leaned closer to Deepak so he could see it as well. It was a perfect snapshot of their friends,

of their growing family.

Deepak pressed his lips against her ears, warm enough to trigger a shiver down her spine. "Should we tell them?" he whispered.

Veera nodded. Then whispered back, "I love you."

"I love you," he said. He stood and set his lunch container on his ledge seat. He took a few steps back and motioned to his

friends like a conductor.

"Can I have your attention, please?"

"Already bossing people around," Prem shouted.

"This isn't your boardroom, asshole," Bunty added.

"Let the man talk," Sana said with a laugh.

"You're just saying that because he's signing your checks now," Bobbi commented.

"Truer words were never spoken."

Veera tucked two fingers in her mouth and let out a piercing whistle loud enough to have half the block looking in her direction.

"Thanks, Vee," Deepak said, grinning.

"You're welcome." Her father had given her two gifts: trauma and the ability to whistle like a drunk Punjabi uncle. At least

one of them came in handy.

"We are planning a trip," Deepak continued. "January is going to be busy as we transition into our new roles, so we're leaving right after Christmas."

"Where are you going?" Prem called out.

"To Goa," he said. With his eyes fixed on Veera, his face full of love, he added, "In fact, we're all going to Goa. For one week."

Everyone was stunned silent.

"Look." Deepak held his hands up in surrender. "I am not the greatest best man, and I'm terrible at wedding planning, but

I can spend money. So... I'm paying for all of you to come with us to Goa for another wedding." He smiled at Veera. "I

want to marry my wife properly this time. Not with a traditional ceremony, because the one we had was special to us, but with

a marriage certificate. And a few parties..."

Olivia was the first to scream. Then they were leaving their lunch containers and tackling him with a hug.

Veera stayed back, watching their joy as pedestrians shook their heads and muttered curses about blocking traffic. She met

her husband's gaze as he accepted slaps on the back and gentle embraces with kisses on the cheek.

Mostly from Bunty.

Come here , he mouthed over the chaos of their friend group.

Veera shook her head and pointed at her chicken and rice with her fork before she took another bite.

Brat , he mouthed again. Veera shivered. She knew she was going to get deliciously punished later, and she didn't mind at all.

Not one bit.