Chương 5: Chapter 4: The Ruined Party
A few minutes later, Vivian finally emerged from the restaurant, her normally composed face taut with tension. Sanvi noticed the shift from afar, her friend's usual lightness replaced by a gravity that seemed to weigh her down.
Vivian wordlessly slid into the car, her silence more telling than any words could ever have been. With a clipped tone, she instructed the driver to take them to Sanvi's home first.
Vivian had always been a person who remained calm in the storm. She is the kind who kept her cool even when everything around her was falling apart, but even the most serene waters can be stirred. Today, her silence, the frequent sighs, the way she pressed her fingers to her temples—all were signs that something had gone terribly wrong. Sanvi knew this about her friend; these were Vivian's danger signals.
Sanvi chose to stay quiet, giving Vivian the space she might need to sort out her thoughts. She could feel the tension between them, thick and suffocating, but said nothing, hoping it would dissipate by the time they reached her home. She had a special surprise planned for announcing her pregnancy. Despite her husband Sohan's carelessness in letting the secret slip, she was determined to make this moment special.
"Are you not coming upstairs?" Sanvi finally broke the silence as they pulled up to her building, her voice tentative, her eyes avoiding Vivian's. She knew her friend well enough to recognize that Vivian wouldn't want to display any vulnerability, not even to her.
"No," Vivian responded sharply, pressing her index fingers harder against her temples, her eyes squeezed shut as if trying to block out the world.
"Why?" Sanvi's voice was gentle but firm, pushing past the wall Vivian was trying to erect.
"Because my mind is a mess. I thought you knew!" Vivian snapped, her tone brittle, on the edge of breaking.
"I know. But I have a surprise for you," Sanvi persisted, her voice softening, trying to coax Vivian out of her shell.
"You can give it to me tomorrow," Vivian said dismissively, her fingers still massaging her temples, trying to ease the tension.
"No, I can't. It might just—"
"Sanvi, please!" Vivian cut her off, her voice rising in frustration. "Not now."
The sharpness in Vivian's tone was like a match to dry tinder, igniting the anger that Sanvi had been trying to suppress. She grabbed her clutch and threw open the car door with more force than necessary.
"Fine," she spat, her voice laced with irritation. She stepped out of the car, leaving the door wide open behind her.
"Sanvi, can't you understand?" Vivian called after her, leaning towards the open door.
"No!" Sanvi shouted back. "Go to hell!"
Vivian groaned, stepping out of the car and gently closing the door. "Oh, come on! Why are you being so emotional?" she called after Sanvi, her voice tinged with frustration.
Sanvi whipped around, her eyes blazing. "Because I am fucking pregnant!" she yelled, waving her clutch in the air as she stormed towards the building entrance, her pace quickening with every step.
"Walk slowly! It's dangerous," Vivian finally called out, her voice cracking with concern as she hurried after her friend, her heels clicking sharply against the pavement.
"Why do you care? Just concentrate on sorting out your bloody thoughts," Sanvi snapped back, her voice echoing in the empty lobby as she pushed through the doors.
"The floor is slippery down there!" Vivian warned, panic threading through her voice as she watched Sanvi's hurried steps, her own heart pounding in her chest.
Vivian ran, her six-inch heels a dangerous choice on the slick tiles. Fear gripped her as she imagined Sanvi slipping, the thought alone sending a shiver down her spine. By the time she reached the lobby, breathless and frantic, she saw Sanvi standing by the elevator, her expression impatient but unharmed. Relief washed over her, and she collapsed onto one of the cold steel seats, her legs trembling from the adrenaline.
"Have you lost your mind? I was so scared," Vivian gasped, her voice still shaky as she struggled to catch her breath.
The elevator doors slid open with a soft 'ding,' and Sanvi stepped inside without a word. Vivian forced herself to her feet and followed her friend.
"Wait! Hold on! Wait for me!" She cried out, nearly wedging her foot between the closing doors in her haste to join Sanvi. She slipped inside just in time, the doors sliding shut behind her. "God, I hate this. You should be more like me," she muttered, still catching her breath.
"And get angry at every little thing? No, thanks!" Sanvi shot back, crossing her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"I don't get angry at little things," Vivian protested.
"Really?" Sanvi's voice dripped with sarcasm, her anger still simmering just below the surface.
Vivian studied her friend's face, noticing the flush creeping up Sanvi's neck, the way her nostrils flared slightly—signs that her own anger was starting to rise. "Haha! Look at your nose getting red already. Come on! We've only just started, and your temperature's already rising," she teased, trying to ease the tension between them.
"Shut up!" Sanvi snapped as the elevator doors opened on her floor. She stormed out, Vivian following close behind, unwilling to let the matter drop.
"See, now who's getting angry at little things?" A smirk appeared on her lips.
"That's because my blood is already boiling," Sanvi grumbled, jabbing the doorbell with unnecessary force.
Inside, Sohan was in the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron as the aroma of garlic and herbs filled the small apartment. He had been meticulously preparing dinner, hoping to create the perfect atmosphere for Sanvi to announce her pregnancy to Vivian, her best friend and his only sister-in-law. The doorbell's sharp, insistent ring pulled him out of his culinary activity as his heart skipped a beat.
The bell rang again, urgently, and Sohan's worry deepened. He quickly turned the stove to medium flame and made his way to the door, his mind racing. Had Sanvi found out that he had accidentally let the secret slip to Vivian last night? The thought sent a wave of dread through him.
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