“Exactly.”
Vivek leaned forward.
“But the rest of the world doesn’t see them that way.”
The room went quiet again.
That might have been the single most uncomfortable truth of the evening.
Five minutes passed.
Perhaps six.
Nobody checked.
Then the lock clicked.
All three turned.
The door opened.
Puja walked back inside.
Sanjay stood instantly.
“What happened?”
She closed the door behind herself.
“Relax.”
“What happened?”
“My cab cancelled.”
“Oh.”
“And I forgot this.”
She walked toward the television unit and picked up her charger.
Raja stared at her.
“You came back for a charger?”
“It’s an expensive charger.”
Vivek laughed quietly.
Puja looked toward the refrigerator.
“Can I have water?”
“It’s your brother’s apartment too apparently,” Raja said.
Sanjay looked at him.
“Not helping.”
Puja opened the refrigerator, removed a bottle and drank.
Almost half of it.
Then she remained standing.
Thinking.
Her phone was in one hand.
Water in the other.
Finally she put both on the table.
And sat.
Sanjay frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s never true.”
She looked at him.
“Sit.”
“I’m already—”
“All three.”
Raja immediately sat.
Vivek followed.
Sanjay remained standing for another second before reluctantly joining them.
Puja looked at the three men.
“You paid thirty thousand tonight.”
Raja sighed.
“Please don’t remind us.”
“The agent isn’t refunding you.”
“We know.”
“Even though nothing happened.”
Sanjay shrugged.
“Forget the money.”
Puja studied him.
“That’s easy for you to say.”
“What does that mean?”
She didn’t answer immediately.
Instead she stood again.
Walked toward the switches.
The white ceiling lights went off.
Darkness.
“Puja?”
A second later she switched on the LED strips around the false ceiling.
Blue.
Then violet.
Then red.
The room transformed.
Raja looked upward.
“Where was this setting all evening?”
Puja returned to the sofa.
“Better.”
Vivek looked around.
“This somehow makes your upcoming speech more suspicious.”
Puja smiled.
“Maybe.”
Sanjay folded his arms.
“What are you planning?”
She looked at each of them.
“Suppose I make you a deal.”
Raja leaned forward.
“What kind?”
“Not the kind you originally paid for.”
Sanjay immediately relaxed slightly.
“Good.”
Puja looked at him.
“Don’t celebrate yet.”
She took another sip of water.
“You heard everything I told you tonight.”
“Yes.”
“You know about me.”
Sanjay nodded.
“You know about Sonam.”
Raja’s expression tightened.
“And Akariti.”
Vivek looked down.
Puja continued.
“You three are angry.”
Nobody denied it.
“Confused.”
Again, silence.
“Probably disgusted with some of our decisions.”
Sanjay interrupted.
“I’m not disgusted with you.”
Puja looked at him.
“Maybe not with me.”
She tapped the bottle against her knee.
“But with what we’re doing.”
Sanjay couldn’t deny that.
“Fine.”
Puja leaned forward.
“Then help us stop.”
The three men looked at her.
Raja frowned.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
Puja’s voice had lost all teasing now.
“Help us stop.”
Vivek stared at her.
“You said earlier you weren’t even sure whether you wanted to.”
“I’ve been thinking.”
“For twenty minutes?”
“Sometimes twenty minutes is enough.”
Sanjay watched her carefully.
