Jaishree Misra - Secrets and Lies

But to Zeba she merely said, ‘You could be right about Lily not telling Lamboo. I do hope for your own sake you are. But someone else could sneak…’

‘Who? No one in our class would tattle, you know that.’

‘Hmmm,’ Sam conceded reluctantly. ‘Look, we’ll talk about this later, Zeba, and I’ll help you figure out a way to get rid of Gomes. But I gotta go now. I have Haroon coming to pick me up today.’

The conversation was dropped as Bubbles joined them in the exodus to the school gates. ‘What are you two talking about?’ she asked.

‘Nothing much,’ Zeba said. ‘Well, I’m off to my bus. Bye—and stop fretting , Samira Hussain! I’ll look after myself. I promise!’

‘What’s she talking about?’ Bubbles asked.

‘Oh, just that damn Gomes thing. I really, really want her to put an end to it before it all goes horribly wrong.’

‘Do you think—just maybe— sex and all…’

‘Oh Bubs, how can you be so naïve?’ Sam said, throwing her head back in despair. ‘There’s only one person Zeba will ever love and that’s herself. Thing is, she’s so beautiful she’ll always have men chasing after her, and I guess she’ll just use that to get what she wants.’

‘Maybe Gomes loves her?’ Bubbles offered, undaunted. ‘After all, he’s risking his job and all that too.’

Sam finally smiled in sheer exasperation. ‘What is it with all these theories of love, Bubbles Malhotra? And, pray, are you being kind enough to walk with me to the gates only because a certain Mr Haroon Hussain is expected? I know I foolishly mentioned in your presence during lunch break that my brother was coming to pick me up.’

Bubbles blushed and Sam squeezed her arm, laughing, ‘You’re just hopeless at hiding your feelings, you know!’

Bubbles had met Haroon at least a hundred times, having been a regular visitor to Sam’s house since the age of six. But her comfortable old relationship with Sam’s big brother had recently undergone a curious shift that she had magnificently failed to conceal. Sam wasn’t sure yet how serious it was, but it would have been impossible to miss Bubbles’ newly developed curiosity about Haroon’s life, or the ineptitude with which she conspired to be in his presence, only to become all gauche and awkward when she was.

Sam spotted her brother’s head in the crowd and waved. She made her way through the car park, which was crowded with parked cars and school buses, Bubbles still glued to her side. She couldn’t bring herself to ask Bubbles why she wasn’t searching for her car. That would be too rude, and poor Bubbles had already lapsed into tongue-tied silence at the distant sight of Haroon anyway. As Haroon spotted the girls, he raised a lanky arm and grinned lopsidedly The other thing Sam hadn’t figured out yet was if Haroon reciprocated Bubbles’ feelings. He certainly liked her, but then he had always treated Sam’s friends nicely. Not that Sam would mind at all if her brother did start going out with her best friend. Bubbles was pretty much already a part of her family.

‘Hey there, gorgeous girls,’ Haroon said as they neared.

‘You only said that because Bubbles is here,’ Sam complained, throwing her bag into the back seat of the car. ‘On my own, I’d never ever get a compliment.’

‘That’s not true!’ Haroon protested. ‘Is it true? Bubbles, you tell us. Am I not always showering my sister with compliments? I order you to arbitrate!’

Bubbles smiled shyly from under her lashes, her voice little more than a whisper. ‘I don’t think it’s true at all. Haroon’s always saying nice things about you, Sam!’

‘Yeah, right, turncoat!’ Sam said.

‘Good girl, high-five,’ Haroon yelled, slapping palms with Bubbles. ‘Need a lift?’ he asked, reaching out for her bag.

‘No, no, it’s okay,’ Bubbles replied.

‘Really, it’d be no trouble at all. Hop into the car,’ Haroon insisted, not noticing his sister’s exasperated eye-roll.

‘Come on, Bubs, do you or don’t you want us to take you home?’ Sam asked.

Hearing the irritation in her friend’s voice, Bubbles started backing away. ‘No, no, my car must be here somewhere. I just came to see off Sam and to say hello to you, Haroon…’

‘You sure, Bubbles? A lift wouldn’t be a problem. You’re right on our way…’ Haroon wasn’t letting go and now Bubbles was looking ever more confused.

‘Yes, she’s sure, Haroon! Didn’t you hear her say that her car’s here?’ Sam yelled, climbing into the passenger seat. ‘C’ mon , let’s get going now, I’m starving! Okay, bye, Bubbles!’

‘That wasn’t very nice,’ Haroon said to his sister as they finally pulled away, Bubbles waving forlornly at them from the car park and barely noticing that she was blocking the path of a bus.

‘God, if you must romance each other, at least have the decency not to carry on under my nose,’ Sam snapped.

‘Romance? What—me and Bubbles? You can’t be serious!’

‘Well, I think she is. And I think she thinks you feel the same.’ Sam was seriously annoyed but squawked in fright as her brother, who was gazing astounded at her, nearly ran into the back of a taxi.

‘You mean you hadn’t noticed about Bubs?’ she asked after Haroon and the taxi-driver he was overtaking had stopped gesticulating rudely at each other.

‘No! Since when?’ Haroon asked, adding an agonised, ‘Why?’

‘Beats me,’ Sam replied impolitely, before accusing Haroon, ‘Must have been something you said. You must have led her on in some way.’

‘Me? Lead Bubbles on? For God’s sake…I’ve known the kid since she was a snot-faced six-year-old!’

‘Oh, poor Bubs! So you don’t fancy her,’ Sam said. ‘She’s never had her heart broken before. And it’ll all be your fault! I hope you’re happy with what you’ve gone and done now, Haroon Hussain.’

‘But I haven’t done anything. Look, just tell her tomorrow that she’s got it all wrong, okay?’ Haroon wheedled. ‘Please?’

‘Why should I be burdened with breaking her heart? You’re the one breaking it. You tell her!’

‘Have a heart, Sam. I can’t say anything to her if she hasn’t said anything to me, can I?’

There was some logic to that, Sam had to agree. ‘Well, okay, I’ll try to say something to her,’ she said finally. ‘Not tomorrow, necessarily, but whenever I get the chance. And I don’t know when that will be, so don’t keep pestering me in the meantime, okay?’

‘Thanks, sis,’ Haroon said with relief, ‘I owe you one.’

Sam sighed, looking out of the window as they approached India Gate and the roads became quieter. The lawns flanking the road were brown from the summer sun and ice-cream vendors were plying a brisk trade along their edges. ‘Trouble is, Bubbles isn’t very good at picking up non-verbal cues. I’ll have to virtually hit her over the head with this information. Then she’ll probably start crying and—aaaaarrrrggghhh—why did the idiot have to go and fall for you , of all people, Haroon!’

‘Well, some people just can’t help their magnetic good looks and overwhelming charm, I guess,’ Haroon said, twinkling and then hollering ‘Owww’ as he earned a sisterly slap on his thigh.

LONDON, 2008

Bubbles sniffed her forearm appreciatively. Bergamot oil would help unwind her tense mind, the therapist at the Mandarin Oriental had assured her. The diminutive Chinese woman had been unfailingly sympathetic and gentle but, while being ministered to, Bubbles had not been able to help speculating that this woman was thinking, as all her therapists no doubt did: ‘What the hell do you , you beautiful, lazy, pampered wife of a millionaire, have to be stressed about?’ The staff at the Mandarin Oriental spa had emitted a collective sigh when Bubbles mentioned her recent cruise in the Bahamas, but little did they know how stressful it had been for her to play dutiful daughter-in-law throughout her two weeks trapped on the Minerva , not just to Binkie’s mother this time but to all her cousins and best friends too! There was no point trying to explain. These people would never understand anything,