2. Hot and Sour

ROSE

It had been days since I’d even looked at my phone. After calling him again and again the day he left and hearing nothing, I’d tossed it into a corner like a cursed object.

But now as it rang, hope flickered to life inside me.

Monica said, “Oh, I found your phone under the loveseat. It was switched off, so I charged it. There are loads of messages from Natasha. She’s been trying to reach you. I didn’t know what to say to her, so I haven’t picked up any of her calls.”

The mention of my best friend brought a fragile smile to my lips. “It’s okay, Monica. Thank you. I’ll talk to her. I don’t want her to worry. She’s probably enjoying her honeymoon right now.”

Monica didn’t respond immediately. She just looked at me. She knew. She always knew. But being the kind of friend she was, she didn’t say a word about the storm behind my eyes.

“I’ll leave you to it, then.”

“No.” I grabbed her hand, my voice barely functioning. “Don’t go. I don’t want to be alone.”

Her eyes shimmered, and she turned away too quickly. “Let me get your phone,” she murmured and crossed the room to the sofa.

I watched her rummage through a bag tucked in the corner, and a moment later, she returned with the still-ringing phone in her hand.

“Thank you,” I whispered to her, before I cleared my throat and answered the call. I pressed the phone to my ear and said, “Hello!” The word came out choked and far too fake. I hated how pathetic I sounded.

“Rose!! Rose, where have you been? Are you okay? Why the hell weren’t you answering my calls and texts?” Natasha’s voice poured through, frantic and relentless.

“If you’ll give me a second, I’ll explain,” I said, gripping Monica’s hand. “I’m fine. My phone was just... broken.” The word cracked something inside me, and a single tear slid down my cheek.

“Oh, Rose. I’ve been dying to tell you how lucky I feel to have you as my best friend. And thank Ryan from me— and Nick— for the wedding gift. We can’t thank you enough.”

Her words scraped against the raw walls of my heart. Ryan. Just hearing his name twisted my stomach until the food I’d just eaten threatened to rise. I felt the cracks widening and pain encompassing me anew.

“Yeah,” I breathed, swallowing hard. “It’s nothing. I’m happy that you’re happy.”

“I’m so damn happy, Rose. I can’t even tell you. Nick’s so tender and loving. And now that we’re married—”

I couldn’t.

I couldn’t listen to her happiness.

I couldn’t bring myself to hear how happy she was with Nick. Her husband and the man she loved.

The man she had married, and I was there with Ryan that day.

I shoved the phone toward Monica, my hand trembling. She took it without question and placed it to her ear.

“Natasha,” Monica said gently, “Yeah, it’s me. We were out for drinks. She’ll call you later, okay? Enjoy your honeymoon.”

As soon as she hung up, I broke. “I’m a horrible friend.”

“No, Rose. You’re not.” She grabbed my hand, silently supporting me.

“Yes, I am!” I sobbed, unable to hold back my tears anymore. “I was jealous of her. I couldn’t even listen to her talk about her married life. What kind of friend does that make me?”

Monica didn’t flinch. She wrapped her arms around me, voice soft and sure. “Oh, Rose. It’s okay. You’re hurting. That’s all this is. It’ll pass.”

“Will it?” I asked, so much hope packed into two tiny words it nearly broke me.

“Yes.” She nodded, but her eyes betrayed her. She wasn’t sure.

And neither was I.

Still, I nodded back and wiped my face, my body heavy with exhaustion, like I hadn’t slept in days. “I’m tired,” I whispered, eyes falling shut as I slumped into the bed.

“No. Not yet. You have to eat some more first.” Monica’s hands on my shoulders stopped me from lying down.

“Okay, Mom,” I grumbled half-heartedly as she held up the chips. “I feel like an invalid like this. Let me eat on my own.”

I took the packet and finished it without even realizing how ravenous I still was. I reached for the muffin, but Monica’s voice stopped me.

“Just eat this first,” she said, opening another bag. “You need some veggies in you. Then you can have the sweet treat.”

The scent that drifted from the bag made my throat close up.

Hot and sour soup.

I stared at it, unmoving.

The moment with Ryan flashing in front of my eyes.

“Rose?” Monica’s voice was hesitant now, her concern thick in the air.

“He once fed me this,” I murmured, eyes locked on the plastic bowl. “When I had a migraine. He sat with me for hours... made me drink it spoon by spoon.”

“Oh, Rose,” Monica whispered, quickly setting the bag aside and wrapping her arms around me again in a tight hug.

I didn’t know why I was like this. When had I become this version of myself? Weak. Broken. So easily wrecked.

I wiped my tears away and laid back down, the conversation suddenly too much. The memories too vivid. The pain too deep.

“I’m going to sleep.”

“But, Rose, you haven’t—”

“It’s okay,” I cut in softly. “I’m not that hungry anymore. I’ll eat when I wake up next.”

And with that lie lingering in the air, I closed my eyes.

Wishing I wouldn’t dream of him again.

____

The next time I woke up, I heard the murmurs of Michael and the doctor. “Here's the prescription, the last week and consumption of this much of alcohol has made her weak. The medicines mostly consist of vitamins and as such. And, it'll be advised that there should be someone to look after her for the next few days.”

“Sure, doctor. Thanks, I’ll take care of it.” I heard Michael replying to the doctor.

“Make an appointment with Mrs. Sharma for after three weeks.” The doctor said, before the door closed behind her.

I opened my eyes fully this time to see Michael coming towards the bed. “How you doing, precious?”

I sat up, a bit uncomfortably, as I replied, “Fine, I think. Or mostly.” I grimaced as a sudden wave of nausea attacked my senses, and my stomach grumbled loudly.

“Hungry?” There was a bit of an amusement in his voice as he asked that. “Let's get you out of here, then we can find a perfect place for you to eat.”

I nodded eagerly, wanting to get out of this bed and this hospital. But when I setup in the hospital bed, I realised I was not wearing my clothes, only a thin hospital gown covered me and I had no idea where my clothes were. “Uh, Michael?”

“Hmm??” he questioned, his attention on his mobile phone as he furiously typed on his screen.

“Do you know where my clothes are?” I asked a little embarrassed to have his attention on me in my current predicament.

His gaze snapped to me from his phone. “Oh, yeah… Monica brought a bag for you...” He looked beside the sofa and came up with a small handbag. “Here, it has your things. Monica packed it for you.”

I smiled at him in response, it was really sweet of these two siblings to be here and help me.

“Thank you,” I said as I tentatively slid out of the bed. Once on my feet, I started to briskly walk to the bathroom not wanting to remain here in his presence with only this slip of a gown on me.

But, I only got two steps before the world started to blur in front of my eyes and the floor tilted under my feet.

“Woah… Rose!!” I heard Michael’s exclamation as his hands came around me and he helped me to sit back on the edge of the bed. “I think you should wait, Monica would be here soon.”

I nodded, unable to do anything more.

____

A. Gupta