One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat

Craig raised his glass and touched it to mine. I took another sip of my champagne.
‘I never mentioned him,’ I said.
‘Well, today we’ll get to see him,’ Craig said, ‘the boyfriend of our superstar associate.’
‘I am still a lowly minion,’ I said.
‘You are good. I hate to admit it, but you are better than me. They will make you VP in six
months. You wait and see.’
‘I don’t know.. .’
‘Amanda is here,’ Craig said in a higher pitch.
A gorgeous blonde with grey eyes entered the bar. Everyone in the group, men and women,
paused their conversations to look at her. She had curly golden hair, and her make-up was
impeccable, oxblood lipstick and smoky eyes.
She came and hugged Craig. For a few seconds, despite being an associate, Craig became a
superstar in the room.
I checked my phone.
‘Still stuck at work. Sorry,’ Debu had messaged.
‘Come soon. Everyone is here,’ I replied.
Craig introduced me to Amanda. The waiter gave us another champagne glass each.
‘I have heard so much about you,’ Amanda said.
‘You have?’ I said.
‘Craig mentions his deals, and how you are a tough negotiator. And that you are really good,’
she said.
I laughed.
‘I am not. I get lucky sometimes,’ I said. Well, that is how I take compliments. I don’t say thank
you. I just deny the compliment.
‘I love the colour of your skin,’ Amanda said.
‘Really? I wish I had yours,’ I said. She laughed. All the men around us noticed her laugh.
‘So I hear you are an actor?’ I said.
‘Yeah. Doing a small theatre part right now. Auditioning for television and movies. It’s hard,
though. So I also work as a part-time piano teacher.’
‘You are so pretty. I am sure it will work out,’ I said.
‘Too many pretty women in New York,’ Amanda said.
‘But you are the prettiest,’ Craig said and kissed her on top of her head. She giggled. Craig
introduced her to Jonathan and a couple of other VPs. All the men listened to every word Amanda had
to say.
I wanted to be Amanda. I don’t know why. I scolded myself for thinking that way. Amanda
didn’t have a real job. Amanda didn’t know how to make financial models. Amanda couldn’t close a
financial deal. Amanda didn’t make 270,000 dollars a year. But Amanda is so hot. Amanda also has
men hovering around her, hoping to get her a drink. Where is my one and only man?
‘Debu, where are you?’ I sent a message again.
He didn’t reply for an hour. Meanwhile, I met the better halves of everyone in the distressed
debt team. I finished three glasses of champagne. The wooziness in my head told me I needed to slow
down a bit.
Debu called me at 9.30.
‘Where are you, Debu? Everyone is leaving. Did you get my message?’ I said.
‘Yeah. Shit happening at work. I will tell you about it later.’