Fashionably Yours. Swati Sharma

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СКАЧАТЬ a run for her money,” I mustered my brightest smile.

      “Thank God, at least you don’t think I am fat,” she gave a pinched smile. How could someone who weighed as little as a hundred pounds be fat? What was the world coming to?

      “Who said you are fat?”

      “Sameer,” she sighed. “He always asks me to lose a couple of pounds. Can you imagine?”

      Yes, I very well could.

      “A man with a brain that weighs less than a piece of popcorn could say such things. It’s not unusual.”

      “What?” she looked shocked.

      And I thought I was talking to myself. I usually never talked to her about Sameer because basically I hated him, but criticizing him openly could stain our friendship and I wasn’t ready to risk it so most of the times I keep my precious thoughts to myself. The things you do for friendship.

      “Nothing. Sorry for that. Anyway why are you here?” I asked, completely changing the subject.

      “Well I am here to tell you that we are going out for a party tonight,” she beamed.

      “You mean a real party with neon lights, loud music and delicious cocktails?”

      I couldn’t believe that we were actually talking about a party. Before meeting Sameer, Anu and I used to party like hopeless teenagers with no guardian in sight, but it felt like ages ago because when she met him, everything changed. He had practically replaced every other thing and every other person in her life. I personally thought he knew some kind of occult art. How could you explain her dating a man like him? I really missed those late nights and wild parties with Anu.

      “I knew you would forget. It’s Sameer’s birthday, you idiot, and he is throwing a party and you know that I don’t know half his friends. So, I don’t want to sit there and get bored to death while they laugh at their stupid, intimate jokes. I told him, if he wants me there, he has to invite you,” she grinned.

       Oh fuck!

      “So it’s you who is inviting me, not him,” I rolled my eyes.

      “Well technically it’s the same thing. Isn’t it?” she threw me don’t-you-even-think-of-bailing-out-from-this look.

      “But he doesn’t even like me,” I blurted out. It was true.

      “Oh come on. Don’t you give me that shit again,” she had made up her mind and since I knew I was going to lose this argument with her, I gave up protesting.

      “Anyways. Listen, you and I are going shopping after office and I don’t want to hear any stupid excuses,” she meant every word of it.

      “But my credit cards are over the limit and I can’t even afford to buy fake eyelashes, let alone splurge on some over-priced piece of clothing,” I played my trump card. Well it was true. I was way over my credit card limit.

      “Really?” she narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

      “I never lie about plastic money,” I confessed honestly.

      “OK. Then let me give you a loan,” she said in no-nonsense tone.

      “What?”

      “Yes. I will give you a loan to buy a dress for tonight and you can pay me back by coming to the party. Simple,” she smiled triumphantly.

       Bitch!

      “Nothing can stop you from coming to this party, darling,” she added and pushed back my chair, rose to her feet and walked back to her cabin.

      ***

      Walking through the large glass doors of Palledium Mall, we trotted along the shinning Italian marble floor and headed straight to GUESS. Once inside the store, betwixt all the gorgeous clothes, painfully beautiful shoes and enviously thin sales girls, I started to relax. What was it about stores that made you feel ecstatic as soon as you stepped inside the glittering world of clothes, shoes and accessories, rail after rail, rack after rack?

      After browsing through every single shelf and thoroughly examining all the clothes, I laid my eyes on beautiful baby pink silk shorts. As soon as I touched the butter smooth fabric, I felt the tiny hair on my hands stand fearing that I might stain its glossy texture.

      “Wow! They’re beautiful,” I jumped a good two feet in the air as Anu appeared by my side with her big, round eyes fixed on the shorts.

      “Aren’t they? Shall I try it on?”

      “Are you kidding me? How can you not try this beauty?” she frowned.

      Armed with possibly the most beautiful piece of fabric I could ever have found, I walked towards the trial room while Anu chose a sexy cream-black number and put it in the purchase basket without even bothering to try it, as always. Once inside the trial room, I stripped off my old Levi’s jeans and carefully tried to put on the feather-light shorts while thinking about which top I’d pair it with when suddenly I was jerked out of my thoughts.

      “Ohmygod! Ohmygod! OH.MY.GOD,” unable to breathe I screamed at the top of my lungs.

      “What happened? Are you alright? Maya?” I heard Anu banging on the trial room door. “Open the door.”

      “I can’t button it up,” I whispered as tears burst from my eyes.

      “What? I can’t hear you. Please open this damn door,” Anu shrieked from the other side of the door.

      “I can’t button it up,” I shouted.

      “What? Is that it? Don’t worry, I’ll get you the bigger size.” She dashed inside the store and before I could blink, she was back, “Open the door and take it. It will fit you.”

      Moved by her inhumanity and fueled by anger, I pulled open the door with as much force as possible.

      “Don’t you understand the seriousness of this situation?” I hissed while standing in the doorway in my plain white T-shirt and undone shorts.

      “You are overreacting. It’s not a big deal. It’s just a bit tight around the waist,” she said nonchalantly as if trying a size bigger than your regular size was no big deal. Listen to this girl.

      “It’s not just a bit tight and you still don’t get it,” I couldn’t believe that she couldn’t see the severity of the situation.

      I opened my mouth to say something but couldn’t find my voice. Before I could control the building lump in my throat, I broke into sobs which in no time became uncontrollable and utterly embarrassing for Anu. Her face went bright scarlet because of a fat, crying friend in the middle of the shop.

      “OK. Let’s get you changed into your jeans and get you out of here,” her voice softened as she led me inside the trial room and shut the door behind her.

      ***

      “I am sure you can find something in your closet,” Anu tried to cheer me up.

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