Where the Secret Lies Read Online Free Page B

Hey, have you emailed Jai yet?’
    ‘Oh my God, I totally forgot!’
    Arianna remembered their
conversation at the airport. She felt guilty to not have emailed him, how could
she forget? She must email him. She will email him tomorrow.  

FIVE

 
    Arianna found the cyber café. The Lounge, a popular hang out
for college kids was pretty busy. Khushboo warned her beforehand the
possibility of not obtaining access to a PC could be high. Arianna hoped she
was wrong on the last part.
    Arianna noticed the warm welcome
as she entered the café. The interior boasted of soft, plush seats, booths in
various corners and a lively and relaxing atmosphere; a gentle hum danced over
the airways.
    College girls and boys chatted,
some with full plates of food before them whilst others sipped coffee or ate
ice-cream. The kids dressed in anything but traditional; t-shirts, shorts or
trousers for the boys and the girls paraded in t-shirts or cotton long tops,
known as kurtis with jeans and sandals. Waiters dressed in sharp pressed uniforms
served the young crowd, rejoicing as generous tips were left behind. Arianna
looked towards the computer section and was relieved to see unoccupied
computers.
    ‘Excuse Ma’am, can I help you?’
    Ma’am? No one had ever called
her that.
      ‘I need access to a computer,’ Arianna said.
    ‘Yes ma’am. This way please,’ he
took Arianna to a booth in a far corner. ‘Would you like some refreshments?’
    ‘Refreshments? Oh, er yes please.
A coffee would be fine.’
    ‘We have many varieties, Ma’am. Take
your time. I will give you a few moments.’ The attendant left her with a
two-sided menu and went to attend others. Arianna scanned the list and chose a
diet cola. Something tried and tested. When the boy came back, she gave him her
order.
    The cafe’s logo and name ran along the screen when Arianna
turned the machine on. It reminded her of a news channel where ‘breaking news’
would run along the bottom of the screen. She thought of London; a twinge of homesickness
overwhelmed her for a second, images of her house in London, her bed, her
friends and of Jai crowded her mind.
    Jai – what did she think of him
as? A friend or something more? Did she feel the same attraction as he did for
her? Unsure and confused, she took a moment to clear her thoughts. She could
not let him think she loved him, as a lover. He was only a friend.
      Arianna logged onto her email site and typed
in her username and password. The waiting seemed to take forever as the page
took its sweet time to load. The inbox page popped up and Arianna groaned – the
list of emails totalled to over a hundred. Arianna scanned the list, looking
for an email from Jai but she found none.   She resented the fact that Jai did not have
the decency to email her, especially after what he said. How dare he!
    She logged out, angry and upset.
A stinging under her eyelids let a few tears escape. Embarrassed, she wiped
them away and picked up her bag.
    ‘Arianna? Hey, are you alright?’
    ‘Nikhil, hello,’ Arianna was
taken aback. What was he doing here?
      ‘Is everything alright?’ Nikhil showed concern
but Arianna didn’t want to tell a stranger her silly moment of disappointment.
    ‘Everything’s okay. I need to get
back home, the others will be wondering where I am.’
    ‘I can give you a lift in my
car,’ he offered.
    ‘No, I will be fine. Anyway, are
you not meeting someone here?’ she asked.
    ‘I come here to pass the time. I
like the busy atmosphere.’
    Reluctant but also glad, Arianna
let Nikhil drive her home. His car was not a show off, she was happy to see.
    ‘This may sound strange but if
you need someone to talk to, if you need a friend, I will listen,’ Nikhil
turned into the main road.
    The skies shone a beautiful blue
and Arianna revelled in the heat. Rickshaws or Autos as the locals preferred,
zigzagged their way in between cyclists, cars, and Lorries. Everyone seemed to
be in a hurry, tooting