Half Girlfriend Read online

  ‘Oh no, please. I read enough economic reports in the bank,’ Shailesh said.

  ‘Hey, I’m a nerd and a proud one. Cheers.’ Priya raised her glass. All of us lifted ours.

  ‘Don’t worry, UN boy, I won’t bore you with my little nuggets of wisdom anymore,’ Priya said. She clinked her glass against mine.

  The girls decided to make a trip to the ladies’ room together. Why do they go together for a solo activity?

  ‘Like her?’ Shailesh said, after the girls had left.

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘Priya. She’s giving you the eye, dude. Isn’t she hot?’

  ‘What?’ I said.

  ‘You play your cards right and she can be yours.’

  I shook my head.

  ‘I’m not kidding,’ Shailesh said.

  ‘Not interested.’

  ‘I’m not asking you to marry her. Take her out, have fun. Loosen up.’

  ‘Very funny. I hardly have any time left in New York. Only two more weeks.’

  ‘All the more reason. Don’t go back without some romance. Or a score.’ He winked at me.

  ‘I have a final report to finish. I haven’t even started to pack. Plus, so many bars to go to.’

  ‘You won’t give up on this Riya nonsense?’

  I kept quiet and finished my third glass of wine.

  ‘You’ve visited or called over a thousand places,’ Shailesh said.

  ‘In two weeks it all ends anyway. I am tired, too. Just giving it my best shot.’

  ‘Idiot you are,’ Shailesh said.

  We heard giggles as the girls returned.

  ‘My friend here thinks you’re a little serious. But hot in a brooding sort of way,’ Jyoti announced.

  Priya smacked Jyoti’s arm.

  ‘Shut up. You can’t repeat a private conversation,’ said Priya, blushing as she sat down again.

  Shailesh kicked my leg. Act, buddy, he seemed to say.

  The waiter brought us another bottle of wine. I poured my fourth glass.

  ‘For dessert I would recommend a drained Greek yogurt served with fresh cherries, thyme-scented Greek honey and walnuts,’ the waiter said. The girls swooned over the description and ordered two servings.

  ‘Where are we going next?’ Priya said.

  ‘Well, we are the boring banker couple. We have early morning calls,’ Shailesh said. ‘So we will head home. Why don’t Madhav and you check out other places in the neighbourhood?’

  ‘Sure, I don’t mind. I could show Madhav the East Village area around Pylos. I used to live here earlier.’

  ‘Actually, I have other places to go to,’ I said. I did have five places on my list tonight.

  ‘Madhav, the lady wants to go out,’ Shailesh said. He kicked me again under the table.

  ‘Stop kicking me,’ I said. The wine had made me more confident.

  Jyoti looked startled by the sudden rise in my voice.

  ‘I need to go. Thanks for dinner. What is my share?’ I stood up.

  My head felt heavy. I had drunk too much.

  ‘Sit down, Madhav. We are trying to help you,’ Shailesh said.

  ‘What am I? A fucking patient who needs help?’

  My wine glass slipped from my hand and fell on the floor. There was shattered glass all over the floor.

  ‘You do need help, Madhav. You’re losing the plot,’ Shailesh said.

  Customers at other tables were looking at us. A waiter came to remove the broken glass.

  ‘We should go. Shailesh, did you pay the bill?’ Jyoti said.

  ‘Did I say something wrong?’ Priya said.

  ‘No,’ Jyoti said to Priya.

  ‘So what just happened?’ Priya said.

  ‘The boys go back a long way. They have their way of talking. Don’t worry about it.’

  Shailesh took hold of my upper arm. He dragged me out of the restaurant. The cold December breeze hit us all.

  ‘You are drunk,’ Shailesh said in a slow, deliberately calm voice. ‘Let’s take a cab home. We will drop Priya on the way.’

  ‘I am not drunk,’ I said, even though I found it hard to keep my balance on the icy street.

  ‘You drank wine like water,’ Shailesh said.

  A yellow cab stopped next to us. The girls got in. Shailesh shoved me into the front seat. He sat behind with the girls.

  ‘83rd and Third please, with a stop at 37th first,’ Jyoti said.

  I opened the front door of the car.

  ‘I have to visit five bars,’ I said and stepped out.

  Priya looked at Jyoti, confused.

  ‘You are drunk. Come back in so we can leave. It’s cold outside,’ Shailesh said, in a firm but annoyed voice.

  ‘I am not drunk,’ I screamed, stumbling on the road and falling on all fours. I twisted my right ankle and it hurt like hell.

  ‘Can you cut the drama and come back in?’ Shailesh said.

  The girls saw me wince and were about to step out when Shailesh stopped them.

  ‘Are you coming or not? I’m running out of patience, bro,’ he said.

  ‘I have to visit five bars,’ I said again, still wincing from the pain of the fall.

  ‘Chutiya,’ Shailesh said. He slammed the door shut and the cab zoomed off. A few cold drops fell on my face. I looked up at the sky. Little white snowflakes were falling everywhere. A homeless man offered a hand to help me stand up. Only the most pathetic can help the most pathetic.

  ‘I have to visit five bars,’ I told the homeless man.

  41

  ‘I’m so ashamed, I can’t even look at you guys,’ I said, eyes down.

  I sat at the dining table in Shailesh’s house. I had brought muffins, bagels, cream cheese, fresh orange juice, takeaway coffee and fruit from Dean and Deluca, a neighbourhood deli.

  Shailesh did not respond.

  ‘When did you come back? And when did you get so much food?’ Jyoti said.

  ‘I came back at 6. I tried to sleep but the guilt wouldn’t let me. So I went out and got breakfast.’

  Jyoti said, ‘You need not have bothered. We were so worried about you last night.’

  ‘No, we weren’t,’ Shailesh cut Jyoti off.

  I said to her, ‘Sorry, Jyoti. I behaved like an ass in front of your friend. I embarrassed you guys. Luckily, I will be gone soon.’

  Shailesh didn’t say anything. He just stared at me without a word.

  ‘Shailesh, I’m sorry. I had too much wine. I didn’t know Greek wine was so potent.’

  ‘That’s not the point, Madhav. We all get high and have fun. You disrespected us. Priya felt horrible. You ruined a special evening.’

  ‘I’m sorry. You are right.’

  ‘Did you see yourself? Staggering on the road screaming “five more bars”. What has happened to you?’

  ‘It’s sinking in finally. I might never meet Riya again. It is the realization that my effort was a waste. It got to me yesterday.’

  ‘You are still visiting places. Five bars, five bars, you kept saying. What the fuck, Madhav?’

  ‘I never went. I couldn’t. I passed out.’

  ‘How did you get home?’ Jyoti said.

  ‘I woke up shivering near a bus stop. Took a cab and came home.’

  Jyoti and Shailesh looked at each other.

  ‘You might be right, Shailesh. I may need a psychiatrist,’ I said.

  Shailesh gave me a sarcastic smile.

  Jyoti took the cream cheese and applied it on three bagels. I took a sip of black coffee.

  ‘Anyway, guys, I’m sorry I lost control. I hurt you guys, after all you have done for me. Enough is enough. No more visiting live music venues.’

  ‘Really? Promise?’ Shailesh took a bite of his bagel.

  ‘Yes. I want to finish my final report. I want to see a bit more of New York, even though it’s snowing and cold. More than anything, I want to spend my remaining free time with you both, because who knows when we will meet again.’

  Jyoti smiled. She looked