Chapter 1

Amara:-

Ding! Eva: What Time is your flight?

Ding! Eva: Have you booked your Uber??/ It takes forever for them to get to you in office times....??

Ding! Eva: DON'T FLAKE ON ME...I need you here...Please!

Ding! Eva: Also, pack that Cute Fendi dress we got on our last visit to Hawaii. Arman has a cute cousin Vik that I want you to me...Hint Hint...nudge nudge..*wink emoji wink emoji Kissy face emoji*

I rummaged through the pile of clothes to see who had been texting, although I was sure its EVA, my college roommate/best friend/roommate/ office colleague. She was all I had, and The constant messages were a way of coping with Anxiety. Wedding anxiety was to happen this weekend in the Bahamas. Since she was Indian, the festivities had been going on for the past week, but I couldn't take two weeks off work, especially now when we were in a critical product launch phase. Eva and I worked for a health start-up, It wasn't a deal, but I paid well. I had worked my ass off to get a Master's degree in IT product integration from YALE, and I graduated top of my class while waitressing, and scholarships paid my tuition.

I had to drop out from my last semester at Carnegie Mellon. (that's a story for a different time). All this happened almost four and a half years ago. The deadline was fast approaching, but I had done well for myself; I was debt free and lived a good and comfortable life. It helped that Eva owned our apartment, but I insisted on paying rent and Splitting the bill. Eva didn't need the degree or the work but had worked just as hard to prove she wasn't just a spoilt princess to a hotel monger. Hence the arranged marriage to the upcoming Dynamic Harvard law-educated Arman. Who had a bright future and a brighter smile that dazzled Eva's heart when they first met? She had been against being set up for marriage, but once she met Arman, all they could talk about was each other. I was happy for her, but Weddings, Love, commitment, and Trust didn't go hand in hand with me. I Remember me dropping out of my final semester. Finally, I was all packed, and just then, another

Ding! Your Uber driver is here.

A quick text to Eva: " I'm on my way...

BREATHE!!!!!! And off I went.... leaving everything, along with the bitter taste of the past and worries, behind. SFO to the Bahamas- 9hrs and 21 minutes, and my first-class ticket to Eva's dad. His generosity was not expected but greatly appreciated. After clearing security, I wanted to grab a book for the long flight; I saw Eva and Arman smiling on the front page of a few popular wedding and Bridal magazines. Looking at Eva with flawless olive skin, beautiful almond eyes, and Raven straight hair, she looked runway ready with her curvy figure and tall height.

Arman looked just as handsome in this pre-engagement shoot, with Eva's father's crown jewel Bahamas hotel in the backdrop; my heart had a twinge of ache in it, not that I was jealous of Eva, but it just brought back so many memories that hit me like a bullet train. I pushed those memories aside, not today, not on this long-ass flight, not even if it were up to me. These thoughts fed my drive to move my career higher and fuel my nightmares. Even Eva wasn't privy to them. She had asked me why I called out to Sunny in my dreams and why I always woke up crying, but I brushed it off. She never pushed me for information. Buying another crime thriller from my fav novelist, I headed to the VIP Lounge to wait for my flight.