Club You to Death by Anuja Chauhan (books to improve english .TXT) 📕

that bad at Cookie auntie’s exhibition,’ Kashi says.

‘He’d cleaned up for the uncle-aunties that day,’ she replies. ‘This is much more his default setting.’

She says it so casually that Kashi gets angry. ‘This is nobody’s default setting! How can you be so callous, Bambi?’

‘Wow! Please forgive me for having no sympathy for privileged, entitled losers. Shit happens to everybody, that doesn’t mean you develop a drug habit! You’re supposed to suck it up, and soldier on, not become bitter!’

The catch in her voice betrays her emotions.

He squeezes her arm. ‘Sorry.’

She stays rigid for a moment then, wordlessly, lets her head drop sideways onto his shoulder.

As he feels the soft, scented weight land on him with a trustful sigh, Kashi is conscious of so many complex emotions that he feels his head might explode. Automatically, from sheer muscle memory, his arms goes about her waist.

Kiss her.

She wants you to.

She always has.

They stay like that for what seems like an eternity.

Finally, Kashi straightens up.

‘C’mon, let’s do this,’ he says briskly.

He strides down the poolside and stands beside the supine Aggarwal.

‘Aggarwal? Hey, Aggarwal!’

Bambi rushes up behind him, bends down and smacks the prone figure smartly on his shoulder. Aryaman Aggarwal grimaces and stirs. He manages to prop himself up onto one elbow, and agree, in a very bleary and slurry voice that yes, he is indeed, probably Aryaman Aggarwal.

‘It’s meee!’ Bambi does her little dancing-on-the-spot routine. ‘Bambi Todi! Your junior from Red House!’

He blinks, recognition lighting up the dull eyes. ‘Bambi Todi. You’re cuuuute. I like you.’

He reaches for her in a dim sort of way. Kashi hastily pushes her aside.

‘So how’s it going, bro?’ he asks in his nicest man-to-man voice.

But this is too much mental stimulation. Aggarwal droops, then passes out on the deckchair again.

‘What t’fuck!’ Bambi mutters. ‘You scared him, Kashi.’

Kashi looks indignant. ‘I scared him! You’re the one who slapped him so hard!’

She leans down over the crumpled body.

‘OMG, Aryaman!’ she coos. ‘Remember when you used to play the drums? I ogled you right through the Western Music showcase when you did that Imagine Dragons song! Didn’t you used to play the drums?’

No response.

Kashi and Bambi look at each other, quite at a loss.

Bambi tries again. ‘I do Zumba classes with your mum!’

Aryaman stirs.

‘I hate my mum,’ he mumbles. ‘Bitch hates me too.’

‘Hello, language!’ Kashi rebukes him, genuinely shocked, but Aryaman has already fallen asleep again. ‘Uh… should we fling him in the pool to wake him up?’

‘He’ll probably drown. This is all your fault. I wanted to zoom in on him the moment we got here – but you were all like, no hurry, we’ll make him come to us!’

‘Yeah. ‘Cos Bhavani had told me to be subtle!’ Kashi replies, stung. ‘I didn’t want people to think we’d come to the party with a one-point agenda of pumping the guy!’

‘Throwing him into the pool will be subtle?’

‘You have a better idea?’

She sits down with a thump. ‘Oh, forget it. We’ll just track him down when he’s sober and get him to talk.’

He sits down beside her. ‘You want a drink?’

She gives her head a quick shake. ‘I talk too much when I’m drunk.’

‘Really?’ He quirks a brow. ‘And what’s all this deep dark stuff you’re afraid you’ll spill?’

‘Oh … just … stuff.’ Her eyes grow wistful. ‘Like, I should never have believed Mammu-Paapu know best … I should never have broken up with you.’

Kashi doesn’t reply. There really isn’t anything to say.

She stares out at the party moodily. Some drunken people are moving slowly to very fast music. There’s a food fight going on near the bar. Some impassive bearers are cleaning up several broken beer bottles. Birthday girl Sia Kapoor is staring down at her phone, tears streaming down her face.

‘This is all so fucked up!’

‘That’s what Kuhu says too.’

‘Oh please! Can we not talk about your perfect girlfriend?’

‘That’s a bit unfair,’ he pushes back gently.

Bambi blinks and shakes her head, like a boxer who’s just taken one on the chin. ‘You’re right – tell me all about her, then! How you guys met, why she didn’t want to Goa with you, how soon this long-distance thread is gonna snap!’

‘You seem pretty sure it’s gonna snap.’

She nods. ‘Uh huh.’

Anger descends in a sudden red mist on Kashi.

‘Long distance isn’t just about physical distance, you know,’ he bites back. ‘People can be doing the long-distance thing even if they’re sitting right next to each other – like you and I are.’

‘So you … and Kuhu … you’re like tight in the head?’

‘Yes,’ he says steadily.

‘And you and I are … not?’

He sighs. ‘No.’

She bursts out laughing. ‘That’s nuts! We’re practically the same person! We have all the same memories and all the same ideologies.’

‘We’re toxic as fuck, Bambi.’

‘Would you ever consider getting back together with me?’

It’s a typical Bambi Todi attack, coming right out of blue and hitting him bang in the solar plexus. Completely winded, heart thudding against his ribs, he rakes hair off his forehead with slightly shaky hands and says, ‘Whuh … what?’

She was staring up at him, but now she drops her gaze at once. ‘Forget it,’ she says with a grimace and a quick shake of the head. ‘It was a dumb, dog-in-the-manger thing to say!’

‘No no, it’s okay,’ he reassures her just as quickly. ‘You can say anything to me, you know that.’

‘No!’ she says vehemently. ‘I really like this friend space we’re in right now, we mustn’t mess with it – I must’ve inhaled that damn joint accidentally.’

Kashi steps closer, his brown eyes intense. ‘No, Bam, it’s cool, tell me what you mea—’

‘Hey Dogra! Hey Todi!’

They look around – the Doscos are back, ravaged and dishevelled and extremely pleased with themselves. Walli is wearing only a pair of bright blue briefs and Kalra’s black party shirt is badly torn. There are bits of grass on their backs and in their hair, and a suspicious swollen look to their mouths.

‘Have you two been banging each other in the bushes?’ Bambi asks.

They just