Chapter 2

A few days earlier in a small college town in Florida

The fiery red Mini Cooper roared to a stop, a vibrant contrast to the beige monotony of Lisa's suburban street. Ruhi hopped out to show off her car to her friend and grab breakfast from their favorite restaurant. Her day was busy and full of plans. She had to head out to Atlanta soon after breakfast to meet her long-distance boyfriend, Dhruv, for the winter break.

"Ta-da!" She exclaimed, gesturing to the car. Isn't she a beauty? 300 horsepower, fully loaded, all-wheel drive." 

Lisa emerged from her house, a statuesque redhead with emerald eyes that widened at the sight of the car. "Wow, Ruhi, that's amazing! Totally suits your fiery personality."

Ruhi grinned. "Right? I only went in for a test drive, but then they had this one in this incredible metallic red. I couldn't resist." Her gaze lingered on the car. "Two days later, and I'm still head over heels. Ready to roll?"

"Yep, gimme a second. I'll give some dry treats to Romeo and be back. He has been giving me the stink eye all day today." She disappeared inside, leaving Ruhi with a chuckle.

Romeo was Lisa's handsome little cat. Ruhi had known Lisa ever since she moved to the US, which was some four years ago. Ruhi is twenty-five and Lisa is only two years older, but Ruhi considers her very level-headed and pragmatic.

Despite their opposite personalities, they had become good friends. Lisa kept Ruhi's whimsical acts and shenanigans in check. This was precisely why Ruhi hadn't brought Lisa along when she bought the car. Lisa, with her practical streak, would've advised against the splurge.

'After all, we only live once,' was the motto Ruhi wanted to live by.

Born and brought up in India, she comes from a very frugal family. Her mom thinks twice before putting cilantro in any dish because every penny counts and 'why spend on cilantro when food can be cooked without it' is her logic. The bulk of Ruhi's clothes, toys, and books were hand-me-downs from her older sister, Adira. There was no way she was going to buy a used car.

Her dad's not-so-profitable diamond business became successful some ten years ago, but her parents' lifestyle and mindset haven't changed even then.

"Wow, the interior's even nicer than I expected," Lisa said, running her fingers over the dashboard and marveling at the fancy leather padded steering wheel cover. "Didn't expect so much leg space. Not that you will need much." She winked.

Ruhi playfully swatted at her arm. "Hey! I'm not short. You are the Amazonian woman here!" Lisa towered over her at 5'11", a stark contrast to Ruhi's petite frame. Ruhi, with her sunkissed skin and dark hair with wispy bangs, was a whirlwind of impulsive energy. Lisa with her perfect porcelain skin, on the other hand, was the voice of reason. Their friendship thrived on their differences.

Ruhi envied Lisa's tall slender figure and pencil straight hair while Lisa complained about how all men seemed to be interested in short and cute women who looked 'exotic'. 

"Always wanting what we don't have, I guess," Ruhi mused, thinking about the endless arguments with Dhruv about his wandering eyes ogling at all long-legged women while Ruhi wished to kick him in the nuts. 

Whatever happened to all those dreamy-eyed romantic men from the movies who would die to make their woman feel special? Ruhi longed for a love that mirrored the movies, a love that didn't require constant vigilance. Settling for Dhruv after a string of disappointments felt...uninspiring. Although not her first choice, she had grown to love a lot of things about him over time.

"You're being awfully quiet. What happened? Having second thoughts about your flashy car?" Lisa asked, still exploring the glove box and floor mats.

"No way!! I love it. Actually, I had this crazy dream this morning when I woke up early to pack my bags. It felt so real that it's been on the back of my mind all morning."

"What dream? That Dhruv proposed to you?"

"No silly, I told you he asked me a long time ago."

"But he didn't get on his knee and present you with a ring. So that asking and all don't count." 

"Things work a little differently back in the motherland. The minute I tell my parents about him, they will want the wedding and babies right away. Dhruv and I want to wait a couple more years before tying the knot because I don't want to pop babies left and right and be the mother of two in the next few years. There's still so much to live, explore, and experience."

"Fair enough. So what's the crazy dream about then?"

"That I got married to some stranger. That's my worst nightmare."

"Oooh!! Who was this guy? Did he look hot?"

"I don't know. I didn't realize for a while that it was the wedding I was dreaming about. The moment I knew, I got nervous and woke up sweating before he touched my hand to put the ring on." 

"That's probably nothing. I guess you are just desperate to get Dhruv to commit to you because he's got such a wandering eye. Mmm... they are still doing breakfast tacos!"

Lisa skimmed through the menu excitedly while Ruhi asked for unlimited coffee, which she very much needed. Atlanta was almost five hours away, and this was the first time she was going to drive alone that far.    

While eating, Lisa told her about her work and complained about how this town was such a wretched place for anyone who was not a student. Dating life sucked big time because everyone was either too young or too old.

"Maybe I should also be willing to drive five hours to meet my man," she teased Ruhi.

"I wish he remained in Atlanta. He got a new job in San Francisco and will be leaving in a week."

"Say what?"

Ruhi's phone went off, but she put it away. It was her mom. She has made it a habit to call Ruhi every Saturday morning and express her displeasure about some random guy Ruhi rejected for some silly reason.

"Are you willing to fly across the continent for him? East to West flights suck and with the time difference between Florida and California, it will mess you up, besides burning a hole in your wallet."

"We will figure something out. He won't get time off now, and I have been working for twenty months to accumulate enough vacation time and savings. I think it's expected of me to fly to San Francisco more often than he flies down here." 

"That's not your problem, Ruhi. Make the man earn your time and company. You don't want him to take you for granted and dump you when he finds someone else in the bay area."

They finished eating and walked back to the car. Ruhi beamed at the phone when she saw Dhruv's name flash on the screen. She dropped Lisa off and called him back as she headed to the grocery store to pick up some snacks for the road.

"Hey!"

"How far did you reach?"

"Zero miles. I'm still hunting for some sea salt chips."

"Forget chips and come soon. I'm making your favorite lamb biryani."

"Oh, my God! I love you! Hold on a second. My mom is calling me over and over for some reason."

She dumped the grocery bags in the back of her car and connected her mom's call to the Bluetooth."

"Is the lazy bum still sleeping? I called you half a dozen times."

"Yeah, I was preparing for a presentation all night."

"When is this presentation?"

"Monday, why?"

"Adira already told us your winter holidays have started. Who are you trying to fool--"

"Not this Monday, Mamma. I meant the following Monday after the week long break." She muttered under her breath for getting caught. 'Dang it, Adira. When will she learn to keep a secret?'

"Your dad and I have some good news for you. All your dreams have come true, Ruhi."

Ruhi braced herself for the information about the next guy her parents would want her to meet. 'They must have told him to book the flight tickets already and shared my contact number,' she grimaced.

Ruhi's dad took the phone from her mom, which was not at all a good sign from her experience.

"Congratulations, my dear! God has found you the best partner you have ever asked for."

"What? Who?"

"Rafael Fernando Carvalho. He is Antonio Castelo Carvalho's son. They have multibillion dollar businesses all over the world. I told you about his diamond business many times."

'A Latino? Have my parents gone crazy or what? They wanted a guy from my religion, caste, community, and whatnot. Dhruv was everything they would approve of. Where did this Rafael come from?' She was confused.

"Papa, what are you both saying? This guy isn't even Indian. There are tons of Americans I would have happily--"

"Who said Rafael's not Indian? He's a Portuguese Indian and lives in San Francisco. His dad will ask him to call you today. He's currently in Greece and must be busy with some work meetings. Don't leave your phone in the bag and wander off to nameless beaches."

"But papa--"

Ruhi's mom took over. 

"We have already said yes because we knew you won't be able to refuse.

"You guys know nothing about me! I found a man for myself and I'm not interested in this rich jerk Rafael."

Ruhi was furious and hung up. She called Dhruv and told him everything. The entire drive was crazy with her over-caffeinated hot blood and Dhruv's calls asking her to calm down and not get a speeding ticket.

"Look up his name and find out if he has a girlfriend or some weak point, Dhruv." 

"I'm already on it. What are your parents smoking? This guy would never marry an ordinary Indian woman. He's currently dating another billionaire, Lucas de Mello's daughter, Alisha. He had a string of girlfriends in the past and they all look like supermodels." 

"You fucker, are you calling me ugly? Stop staring at them and tell me more about him."

"You just stop biting your nails and think about the biryani."