Page 51 of You’re So Vein

Maisie: Ooooooh.

Celeste: I knew it!

Maisie: So what do we do?

Beth: About what?

Maisie: About Augustin and Komal? Obviously, they’re destined to be together. It’s a classic rivals-to-lovers tale. How can we make sure that she knows he’s serious?

Dora: How about we DON’T meddle in their romance and let Komal come to her own conclusions about Augustin.

Celeste: Not meddle? I don’t think you know what you’re suggesting.

Isis: The problem with Komal is that she doesn’t know what she wants. She’s spent the last five years putting her life on hold for her family. She needs her closest friends to give her a little nudge.

Beth: I’m with Dora. Even if Augustin has feelings for her, we shouldn’t be trying to push them together.

Celeste: We might not even have to. The Conclave representatives will be here shortly. Komal and Augustin will have to work together to convince them to change the laws. If their love story truly is rivals-to-lovers, we’ll see things heating up!

17Komal

Harish: Hello, Komal, I know you’re too busy on the campaign trail to date, so your mother invited me to your launch party. I’m so excited to meet you! I’m a bit of a twitcher, and all this rain we’re having brings out the Small-headed Flycatcher because they like to dig for grubs in the soft earth, so I’ll be coming straight from the woods. I hope that’s okay. If I see one, I’ll very much be in the mood to celebrate. I can’t wait to meet you, future wife!

“KOMAL, I KNOW YOU ASKED me to set out all the snacks, but I don’t know how you want them arranged, so I’ve just left it for you to do.” Preeti blows me a kiss as she sweeps past me, her hair and dress immaculate. Which, of course they would be, since she’s spent all afternoon at the salon. I’d been hoping to squeeze in an appointment to tame my ragged curls, but I’ve been too busy with launch party arrangements and screening my friends’ picks for my future husband, so the best I’ve been able to do is finger-comb some product through it and hope people are too busy being wowed by Papa’s food to notice I resemble a tumbleweed with delusions of grandeur.

“It’s fine. I can do it. Mamma, I’m not sure all the aunties should stay for the party,” I whisper to Mamma as our living room fills up with my mother’s friends, their husbands, and a gaggle of children who run straight for the bowls of candy I put out.

“What do you mean? The aunties love a party. This is the most exciting thing to happen since your cousin Sajani joined that cult.” Mamma fusses with the neckline of her favourite purple and gold embroidered salwar kameez. “They were a strange bunch, all that singing! But they knew how to throw a real bash.”

“It’s just that there are a lot of VIPs coming tonight.” Including a delegation from the vampire Conclave. “I don’t want Dolly to bedazzle the guests with knitted willies or Jasmine to regale them with stories about when I was a girl and tried to marry the postman—”

“That poor man still refuses to drop parcels at the door,” Papa says from the sofa. He looks so handsome tonight, and he can’t stop beaming. Getting involved in organising my party and my campaign has really helped him. I’m so happy I thought of it.

Mamma plants her hands on her hips. “Komal Ahuja, you’d better not be embarrassed by your family.”

“What? No, of course not. I’m just trying to create a professional image and—”

—and as soon as the local news crew, vampire dignitaries, community group leaders and fellow business owners step into my house, they’re going to see the chaos that I live in and judge me.

I love my family. I came home to them because I love them. I’m just trying to mitigate their chaos.

“Will you calm down? Have a glass of wine. I’ve been a professional woman for twenty years, and I don’t worry about these things.” Mamma pats me on the shoulder.

Yes, because you’ve been relying on me.

The thought rises in me, unbidden. I quickly crush it. How unfair of me! Mamma and Papa raised me. They supported me even though they didn’t want me to join the RAF. They’re trying to find me a husband. I sound like I resent them!

I just see a problem and I want to fix it. Only right now, my problem is them.

This party has to go well. Maisie’s informal newspaper poll has me eight points behind Augustin and his stupid marriage resume. I wish I’d taken Alaric up on the offer to hold the launch at Black Crag. “Mamma, can we please at least instruct the aunties that there are to be no food fights or unsolicited beauty tips or impromptu Bollywood dance lessons—”

“Don’t worry, Beta.” She places her hands on my shoulders, giving me a short, sharp shake. Mamma code for pull yourself together, woman. “You do so much for us. Tonight, you must relax and not worry. Let us take care of you.”

That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.

I’ve run out of time to argue, because the doorbell rings.

“Komal, can you get that?” Preeti yells. It’s supposed to be her job. “I can hardly walk in these heels!”