Chapter 20

July’ 2002,
Downtown, Manhattan Borough (NY City), NY.

It was 6’o clock in the morning. Bonny and Couthy inside the rooms, Aryan could only hear the sounds of chirping birds perched on the bough in the garden. He went out into the veranda, and had happened to see scads of plants and saplings; the house was hemmed in by the greenery. A table encircled by four chairs arranged in order were seen in the patio. There was a way outstretched from the bedroom balcony into the patio giving access to the table and chairs. On to the right along the pathway, there is a swing two-hundred meters away and three-hundred meters to the left, there was a Grecian lazy-L swimming pool. As Aryan stood in the veranda gazing at the turf he was interrupted as he heard a voice fast approaching. He turned in the direction of sound of voice to see Jenny trudging towards him. “How’s the guest house?” he asked Jenny resting his both hands on his waist looking into the clear sky.

“I have no words”, Jenny replied, “completely different from the city life, an awesome stay out”.

“Yes it is. This is a special place to Nemo, he took a great deal before he designed this place for his repose. It’s all his brain work that panned out in the construction of a supreme house. He comes here every now and then to take rest whenever he feels like to have a break from the company aches and busy ambience”

“You are lucky to have him”, he buffed on Aryan’s chest, “oh yes. Sure I am,” he replied instantly. “Okay, we should be leaving to the industry by 09:00 hrs. We have to meet the automation head. It’s apparently one and half miles or so from here, and we will have to grab a bicycle. That’s how we take a delight and pleasure in the nature riding down the way to the company. I already feel exotic, you feel me?” he asked. Jenny smiled and they both wend their way back into the bedroom.

“Why is the industry established here in this area”, Jenny asked as they walked, “Manufacturing industries are usually established in the city outskirts, reasons are many maybe pollution, barren area, cheap prices for land likewise. Our industry is in the outer border of the city although the entrance gate is opened into the city. It’s an interesting view from a bird’s eye, that’s why we are here in midst of these dense trees” Aryan made it obvious to him.


“Good morning, Welcome Aryan,” an associate received the young men with a genuine smile, “didn’t expect millionaires to ride bikes”, he commented.

“Good morning,” Aryan smiled back and replied, “Cars can never be bikes dear friend, and ain’t a millionaire,”

The associate agreed and widened his cheeks to smile heart fully out, “Please make yourself comfortable, the head is on his way,” he said and took leave.

Aryan engaged himself reading The Times while Jenny embarked on studying the room to kill time. The head was sternly punctual and it saved the guys from waiting longer than usual. “Hello Aryan! I am Justin Amell, head of the automation department”, a tall guy in the age group of half of forty to early thirty with a height ostensibly six foot appeared in neatly dressed grey pinstripe suit jacket with a notch lapel and centre vent. There should be a six-pack in there Jenny was in soliloquy, girls would go aww looking at the physique. The man has got backcombed classy hairstyle and a trimmed long stubble beard. His face was longer than wide with the jaws narrower than the cheekbones making himself look like an absolute professional on his part. He introduced himself and continued, “It’s a great pleasure meeting a youngster like you. I have heard a lot good things about you, Aryan”.

“Pleasure is all mine, Mr. Justin”, Aryan sent out the positive vibes “I am excited to work with you. My mama kept telling me lately, how impeccable your research activities are here at JAPMI. Making the industry raise the bar in its standards”

“I am delighted to have it to hear as you say”, he continued, “I am looking forward to work with you as well”

They talked for a while. Justin tattled bunch of his stories from childhood. Aryan understood him as a whip-smart individual diligent in his vocation preserved in dignity and integrity, as Justin described him from early adolescence to mid young adulthood. One utterance which pleased Aryan the most was when he said, “I have done my Under Graduation from U. of Berkely and a Masters graduate from Stanford”. Aryan intervened him almost instantly, “that’s fantastic,” he paused, “Mr. Justin Amell, your alma mater can implicilty say a lot more than anything to be said explicitly”, he said and Jenny added, “Truth is, a few minutes ago I was wondering, how a man at your age has earned a head position. Now I get it clarified, vividly” he continued, “we are really excited to get trained under your supervision”

“Fair enough. Let’s get started with the piece of business. Would you like to tell me why you may want to have this training?” he asked.

Aryan replied, “We both are planning to design a car for the SAE competition. We haven’t got any team yet but I am confident that we will be acquiring solid support from the university. It has commendable statistics. We just wanted to learn the basics, may be for a month from now and eventually by the start of the junior year we will push ourselves to work in materializing the competencies from the training. That’s our plan for now”

Justin never let the smile go away on his visage, “If you have ordered a sports car to be ready for your competition. Our engineers would have worked on it for a month and you’ll have it delivered with no effort from your side. Despite your affluent authorities the passion you carry towards your domain demonstrates your accrued interest in learning from the scratch. It shows what an individual you are. Great of you Aryan, I am happy to see you as who you are”, he said. “Thank you so much for your kind words Justin. It’s so modest of you to say” Aryan replied.

Flapping his suit jacket, “When do you think we should start?” Justin enquired and buttoned it up.

Before Aryan has voiced out Jenny finished answering the question, “Tomorrow 09:00 hrs, sharp. We would like to hang in here, inside the industry for today to acclimate ourselves with the ambience”.

“Sounds right! Jenny” Justin widened his lips, “you guys carry on”, he shook his hands with the young men, “my assistant will walk you through hereafter. I will be available for couple of more hours at the office just in case if you need me” he said and left the chamber dialling a number on his cell phone.

Chapter 19

June’ 2002,
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin, Travis County, Texas.

“So… we are finally here for a bidding adieu”, Jenny Said as they all came to a halt at the entrance of the departures.

“Don’t remind me of it Jenny,” Pooja said “I already started to miss you guys”

The airport looked busy on a week day, few of them strolled and a few others gone hell-for-leather. It appeared there were more number of people inside the premises than the airport could have accommodated. Saryu kept herself engaged in running after a toddler wandering in the area not so far away from the earshot of the conversations of her friends.

“upsy-daisy,” Saryu exclaimed as the toddler fell on to his knees and kept attempting to rise up.

“Cutie pie,” Mruna said as the toddler tickled her fancy with his little footsteps, “So what are you guys planning after this”, she asked casting her eyes back on Aryan and Jenny.

“I am going back home,” Aryan answered her, “Nemo isn’t well. I would be taking the training at JAPMI R&D.”

“Well that sounds really good, working for your own firm” Mruna said.

“Not really. Seem like I am utilizing them and the resources,” Aryan uttered.

“When are you leaving?” Saryu joined the conversation after the little toddler went away with his mommy, “and Jenny, you?” She asked.

“I am leaving tomorrow morning,” Aryan said and Jenny followed, “Haven’t planned anything yet but It occurs to me that I might have to go with Aryan to his hometown ” Jenny said, “What say?” he enquired with Aryan.

Aryan spanked him, “will go by the evening flight,” he said, “Pooja seems to brood over something she may not want to share it. Are you here with us?” he asked and strode a step forward towards to her.

“Hush,” she puffed out, “I am just being attentive at your talking” she said coyly.

“Just kidding, take good care of yourself, okay?” he said. “Keep in touch Poo,” Jenny added. “I am really wanting to see you next time, hope it will not be too late”, said Mruna and brushed her lips on her cheeks, “Good luck with everything,” Saryu stirred within earshot and whispered, “thank you for all that you had done. You know what I mean. Love you dear”

Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 737 to Frankfurt. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately in a minute time. Thank you.

All of them hugged her at once as the lady announcer voiced her words out, “All the very best dear,” was the last word they exchanged before they all bid the first bye in the home country.


Good afternoon passengers. This is your captain speaking. I welcome everyone on board. We are currently cruising at an altitude of twenty-three-thousand feet at an airspeed of four-hundred miles per hour. The local time is 15:25 hrs. The weather looks good and with the tailwind on…

Hearing to the captain, Pooja slipped her hand inside the knapsack on the cabin cabbage and drew out the daily record book. She placed the bag back in where it belonged and uncapped the fountain pen.

I felt sorry for Mruna. My guess was correct though, Aryan wouldn’t have accepted her. Now I understand the whys and that clears my mind. I would have stopped her but I shackled up on my instincts because she was and is more than a friend. When she withheld the conviction and lay her trust in me to help her, there were no grounds on asking her to step back. Why should I ask her to refrain when she wants to give it a try? I wouldn’t want to stop her freedom of joy, after all we have just one life. I had made up my mind to help her through the journey maybe a sojourn, as I conceived, and I will be forever on my mark to save if anything absurd abutted on her, during or after the course of the action.

Now the question comes, how are they going to see and talk to each other hereafter? How would they be going at carrying forward their amity? Will there be any disparity be seen in the deportments towards each other? Well, I could write them as many as I can. Be that as it may, I would be never worried for an answer to all those questions not because I am not the one who was in the tracks of Mruna but because of my acquaintance with her and the comradeship we maintained thus far.

Aryan, Jenny, Mruna, Saryu. The four personalities were to the hilt disparate from every other that I met in my life up and till this point in time. Fortunately, we shared the stereotype like two peas in a pod. Each of them understands each other perceptions and respect them as well. Leaving me behind, when I talk of those four dazzling stars, each of them has the vivid vision of the things they take charge over. They tend to be intelligent and practical rather than being intense in emotions and feelings, well they have the threshold. They knew how much to carry and there’s nothing negative remark in here.

Mruna didn’t feel bad for what had happened to her with Aryan. She was sad for losing at something that she believed she could get but not all your tries are wins. She knew this tactically and thus she recovered herself in a matter of time. In fact, we all of them had drowned swigging seven different kinds of spirits. Mruna started her first drink the same night. Not because she had left with the clinker after she fired the first love in her blossoms but she did it for the word I gave to others that day afternoon. She cheered Aryan, well, crazy woman! They both tripped the light fantastic and at times the others bopped as well. We squeezed the late dusk of the day, one darn hell of a night. They gifted me with the most memorable day of my life.

I feel so strange right now as I remember on one incident about that night. It explicitly proved that the same path is not always a success route to everybody. While it depends on several other factors, one factor from the night could be is it depends on how one would plan their journey. The best lesson I learned, don’t chase the same path for success looking at the succeeded. Sometimes it might just not suit you and you may end up heavy-hearted. It is much better to follow your heart than to chase people; you are the king/queen for your kingdom of life; don’t settle in the kingdom, go on to build an empire.”

Mruna capped on her pen and breathed out. She then lay her back in the seat with her eyes closed, “Good God,” she said to herself.

Chapter 18

Volente Beach Water Park, 11:00 Hrs

“Yes, what is it?” Pooja asked Jenny.

“It’s Saryu. I love her and it timely seems that I should be able to cease the window of opportunity tonight” Jenny finally disclosed his premeditation to Pooja, “and for it to happen, I need your help”

Although Pooja has got time with her to make a manoeuvre for Mruna, after Jenny made the request, on a cruise control she found herself a licence to Jenny’s and Mruna’s requests out of the blue, “Okay boy, I know what to be done. You get the surprise to her on its feet, I will look into the proceedings and will inform you at the right time” Pooja gave a manly look to Jenny.

As they walked into the room, Pooja voiced out in the midway, “So, it occurs to me that you too want me to stow away the matter at hand from the others, isn’t it?”

“You are too good,” Jenny said followed by a low-five, “but wait… why did you just say also?” Jenny tried to cross-question, “you know what; never mind. Let’s get this done” he said before Pooja answered his dubiosity.


When Jenny and Pooja arrived back into the suite, unlike Mruna Jenny dealt the subject in erelong. In advance of others had any questions to Jenny, he misdirected them to the thread of Mruna’s interest on Spirits. Everyone took it as gospel in the same.

“So, let’s get back for lunch after an hour and then we go out for a ride on the yacht to Starnes Island,” Aryan informed the girls and they nodded their heads to sign yes. Jenny disappeared in a puff of smoke and Aryan followed after taking a gander over Pooja’s countenance.

“You look unrelaxed, have you got any worry?” Aryan asked Jenny.

“Not really,” he replied instantly and he asked, “the poker chips?”

“I’ve got them. It’s in the knapsack” Aryan pointed at the bag lying on the couch inside the suite “so it is that receptionist woman, eh?” he questioned back.

“Woah! Stop you there my friend. No digressions, It’s literally nothing. I’m just famished,” Jenny replied and hotfooted to the cloakroom.


All of them met an hour later for lunch. They indulged consummately in merrymaking. Mightily scoffing, shackling in mirth through and through till they reached the nth degree in jollification that Pooja would remember for whole of her lifetime. Aryan ate Scallop Piccata. It reminded him Shalini’s absence. He wallowed in every ounce of it casting his mind back in time. Jenny’s humor touch added up as a complementary dessert to the luncheon.

“Mruna is a shopaholic,” Jenny said “the guy who’s gonna marry you should be a millionaire”

Mruna appeared skeptical, she casted an eye on Pooja to learn if Jenny’s comment had anything to do with her. In little time she dispelled her dubiety, she said to herself that Jenny might have spurred it out of the moment and to which she replied “Oh yeah I do a lot shopping. Guess what,” Mruna sipped her chicken soup and continued “I shop with my money, I never went around looking on for a helping hand to get the new duds”

“True that, I just realized that you have a credit card,” Jenny mocked Mruna.

“Saryu, do you know something,” Jenny tried his first shot without a trial, “I just read this, a lot can happen over a cup of coffee, why don’t we try it in the evening and see?”

“Oh dear! Forget, it will never happen with me,” Saryu replied.

“Buy why?” Jenny asked in uncertainty.

“I always prefer tea over coffee,” Saryu mocked Jenny and in fact, Mruna had bust a gut as it evened out Jenny’s mock.

They finished the lunch by 13:00 hrs. It nearly took over an hour to reach the harbour. The day travel plan was to go on for a round trip from the harbour to Starnes island by the yacht and then drive back to the hotel by early-mid night.

From the resorts restaurant to the boarding point of the yacht it was full of fun filled roller coaster period of travelling for the group. They reserved a yacht for the sojourn.


The group was all set for the cruise. While other were in recce Aryan was setting up the platform for the poker. Pooja signed Jenny to follow her to the rear end of the yacht. Jenny concurred with her and they both met.

“Jenny, here is how we do it. First, give me your suite keys,” Pooja stretched her hand out.

“Alright, here you go, what’s next.” Jenny handed over the keys to Pooja.

“This is the key to ours,” she handed over it to Jenny and continued “its 15:00 hrs. It would be around 21:30 by the time we reach our resort. Soon after you get down, hurry up and lurk in the balcony; rest is all for you to decide on how you wanted to go”

Jenny showed thumbs up as he lucidly envisaged his discernment and squinched up himself on what he is going to do, “alright, this looks perfect and by the by why do you need the keys?” Jenny asked.

“Mr. Intelligent where should Mruna and I have to stay?” Pooja slapped a comment on Jenny inane question which left him with no other skeptics.

“Oh Sorry! I am vacillating and so pretty much dumbfounded,” He shrugged, “How should I take the lead? Please baby, I am tensed,” Jenny solicited for the first time ever in their comradeship. When you love, you have to be audacious on these ramifications. Not just a tweak but you should be prepared for a drastic revamp Jenny uttered in a low tone while Pooja was digging for more thoughts.

“Alright!,” She pinched her fingers in the air and said, “Go get your hands on her feet and impetrate to love you,” Pooja gave it a burl to let her soul cavort for a minute with the hoax on him but then she ceased immediately tumbling to that Jenny’s being serious about his ask. Ruffling his hair, she gracefully poured in suggestions.

“Great, I will be on it,” Jenny said in a delirium and left the spot.

Pooja signed Mruna asking to see her at the rear end, the place where she guided Jenny. Mruna arrived in no time as much excited as Jenny. After all both of them were running in the same phase of life at that present.

“Your requested private hour is at the delivery miss,” Pooja galvanized and fired the imagination of Mruna, “The keys to Aryan’s room” and she made the same plan, the one she briefed Jenny, intelligible to Mruna. Bingo! Kill two birds with one stone. One plan works out for both the excited one sided lovers, as of now She appreciated herself for the way she chipped in dispensing the proposition. Unlike Jenny, there were no other questions from Mruna. She kept her patience alive and prepared herself for the show. They both headed back to their seats.

They sat down at the table for the Poker game. Aryan was sitting opposite to Jenny and with Saryu on his right, Pooja and Mruna on his left respectively.

Sitting with his legs crossed, ankle-on-knee, “So maidens, get ready to bow down to the prince of poker,” Jenny said buoying up his hands in the air with his chin up.

Saryu looked at Jenny, “Aha! We will better bow down to the king who is at the poles apart” and she gesticulated with her brows at Aryan.

Jenny scoffed and said, “Texas Hold’em it is,” he shuffled the cards and floated two cards each.

Pre-flop Round:

Saryu plays small blind – $20, Aryan – big blind – $40, Pooja, Mruna, Jenny – called.

Saryu tried to bluff, she called $40 and raised $50. “Pot size is now $90,” Jenny voiced out.

Flop Round:

Aryan called $90. Pooja, Mruna and Jenny called. Pot size was still $90, “and let the three community cards show their faces,” Pooja drew the cards and fixed up the deck.

The game continued for over an hour. The cool breeze hitting you all over in the middle of the river; I am sitting comfortably on top of the yacht, playing my favourite game, drinking my favourite wine. I am much excited than any time before, I am loving it. Pooja was lost in her own thoughts.


They finally reached the hotel at 21:00 hrs as per the itinerary. Mruna tread like a scalded cat towards Aryan’s room. Pooja sagaciously changed her mind and asked Jenny to walk along with her in to their room so that Mruna shouldn’t have to raise any question about Jenny sneaking into their dig. Into the bargain, Pooja sent Saryu and Aryan to order dinner. Jenny was deployed in Saryu’s room while Pooja stealthily left the suite soon after she acknowledged that Mruna set herself in the Aryan’s room. By the time Aryan and Saryu had arrived both the one-sided psyched up lovers were hot to trot.

Aryan bid bye to Saryu and entered his room. He was knocked sideways on spotting Mruna lying in the bed, “Oh sorry! Never mind” he said as he thought he might have intruded into the girl’s suite.

“Aryan, you belong here,” Mruna hollered as she took a heed on Aryan egressing, “this is your room. She made it plain”

“So why am I seeing you here,” he asked with a bleach look in a perplexed voice.

Mruna unbuttoned her parka jacket, “Because you are going to meet the unexpected,” she said in Dionysia tone.

“Uh-huh, what’s up? Are you gonna go naked?” he asked playing it in his way.

“Not so fast dude,” Mruna ascended from the bed and cropped up moving towards Aryan, “It is something… something I can’t tell you but at the same time I can’t let my heart recede on the business anymore, I’d like to let it talk to you today and you’ll lend me your ears,” She said.

“What gentleman, what for are you here?” Saryu asked Jenny after finding him in her room.

“Nothing much, I just sneaked in looking for something intangible,” Jenny replied flexing minute by minute yet moving heaven and earth to hold onto his nerves.

“Oh darling, what is it?” Aryan asked while Mruna moved closer and closer as the seconds rolled on.

“Something intangible? What?” Saryu questioned back Jenny to which he replied, “I have to talk to you, tell you something about ….” he paused and took a deep breathe.

Mruna gently raised head to line up her eyes with Aryan’s at an obtuse contact angle, “I am in love with you; will you be my beau?” She asked.

Jenny hesitated to continue but he presided over to accrue enough courage and spouted, “… Saryu, do you love me?” Jenny asked with all the hope, “I would feel ashamed if I do perpetuate any further. I have told you how I felt for you, how I look at you, how I am when you are with me. I have been doing that since a long time now. I believe that it wouldn’t have been reached thus far if it was not you who subtly encouraged my undivided attention at you. I stand here right now with the revelations on my feelings for you, it is your choice to either invite me or let me go. What you’d like to say?”

“Tell me Aryan,” Mruna asked. She kept asking repeatedly until she heard him speak an answer to her proffer, “tell me what it is, I will be positive about anything you say”

“But Jenny,” Saryu was stuck in her tracks. She was on the blink impuissant to articulate her standpoint on the proposal. She said “but Jenny…” for one more time, “but Jenny… Jenny…” she kept saying the appellation.

Aryan lay his eyeballs off of her loosing focus and dropping the upper eyelids. He appeared withdrawn with a frown physiognomy. He volte-faced and plonked still for a minute. He suspired heavily and turned back grabbing her waist close to his body, Mruna could feel the puff of air. He locked his eyes with hers and said, “Darlene, I love you. Okay? But pardon, don’t mistake it for that love you want me to give you”

He was deeply skeptical whether if he had made any sense to her and he enquired, “Did I make it clear?” He took off himself from holding her waist and ensconced on the bed and continued, “I love you like I love Jenny but I can’t make love to you like I make it to my wife, when or if I get married. I would never ever look at you that way”

“What do you mean?” She exclaimed in her disappointment, “Don’t I look good as your girlfriend? What’s wrong with me?”

“Darling, again, it has nothing to do with your physique,” He took the edge off and he signed her to sit by his side but Mruna brushed it away, “It is just that I don’t have feelings for you. I felt you as my friend, like a true friend and not an inch more than that,” he made himself unambiguous to her.

“Alright. So you whacked it up, end of story”, She said and started walking to the exit of the room, “I am sorry, I have expected more of you in my life”, she unlocked the doorknob, “how naïve I was, I shouldn’t have been,” she pulled the door open, turned back to look at him, “let’s just forget what happened these twenty minutes in our lives and let it perish right here, between us” She said and left the room shutting the door.

Mad as a hatter. It will evanesce after a little while. Take care Darlene. Aryan smiled.

“I understand Saryu,” Jenny said in an utterly low voice clearly conveying his loss of the last hope, “I understand, I don’t want to trouble you anymore”, Jenny said and started walking away from her before she uttered her answer.

“Jenny,” Saryu call stopped him at the exit of the door, “I am no good in elocution and to let open my love? Oops! Helpless. I am still stuck at figuring out to give words to my love and to tell you that I want to be yours”

Jenny looked back and couldn’t give credence to what Saryu had said. In a prompt and eagerness, he expeditiously approached her for a hug but he stopped momentarily standing an inch away from her, “I am having a special moment with you. I am gonna hug you, this time, as my lover,” he said and paused anticipating to glean over his memory lane to construct few more sentences to manifest his love but as he failed, “I have nothing more to say, just hug me” he said and hugged her airtight.

Knock on the door…

Jenny was in the swoon and heard not a thing, Saryu came to sentience and wellied Jenny’s foot, “One of those girls might have come,” she said, “there is a knock on the door.” Jenny was brought back into the present by her. He instantly flumped himself on the couch while Saryu left to open the door.

“Jenny, you are here?” Mruna sounded mysterious with his presence, Thank Pooja! I am happy that you are here. Otherwise, oh god… Mruna said to herself.

“Couple were busy in my room,” he voiced out. Jenny never knew of Mruna’s presence in his room as Pooja build a mammoth fortress between one another and yet the mocking was so accidentally coincidental that drove Mruna on tenterhooks, “So you know, I had to drop by here” Jenny finished.

Mruna blinked her eyes and brooded over her withheld perception. She simmered down and without an inkling of fret on her face she retired from the room and walked straight into the portico. Neither Jenny nor Saryu cared to ask Mruna if anything was wrong. They both indulged in staring at each other; reading each other minds and talking with their eyes, up until to the point in time where Pooja interjected their locked eyes. After a little contemplation, Pooja sensed that Saryu has fallen for Jenny. “Hello lovers, wake up,” Pooja said pinching her fingers in the thin air, “its dinner time,” She sounded out loud.

Saryu was baffled after hearing to Pooja calling them lovers, “What? How do you know?” Saryu questioned, “Were you peeping through the keyhole? Cheater” Jenny stepped up on the go and unravelled the setup of Pooja.

“You are a freak,” said Saryu, “Where is Mruna, did you guys see her?” Pooja asked, raising a doubt in Saryu and Jenny’s heads. An intelligent Pooja evened out the thoughts by saying, “She said she would be gone out to look at the pool”

“Oh yeah, she’s resting there in the portico”, Said Saryu pointing at Mruna who was standing still leaning on the side wall in the balcony with both her hands on the support rods.

“You may wanna get back to your business, if you know what I mean,” Pooja knocked over the romantic aroma to make them remain back in the room so that she could learn on how Mruna’s manifestation of her love had panned out.

“What’s it babes?” She asked approaching Mruna, “Did he sweep you off of your feet?” She solicited for answers.

“Probably a banana peel would have done the job,” Mruna recovered herself by then. Pooja perceived the upshot in the one liner from Mruna, “Babes, few things are just not for us” She consoled her. “True that. Let’s get drunk first” Mruna cheered her up. “I love you for this,” Pooja hugged her and they proceeded in pursuit of getting high.