Page 55 of Better Catch Up, Krishna Kumar

Priti was mentioning this fashion internship she did in Powai last year so I was wondering if by any chance your family knew her.

@amrit_ka_achar

I mean could be possible but only Soumyaroop bhaiya still lives in Powai. He’s the groom. I’ve mentioned him to you before. I could ask him if you want.

And the plot thickens!

I sit up straight in my seat, my hands shaking as they clutch the phone. I still have some digging to do before I can say anything for sure, but at least I know I’m headed in the right direction.

@notkrishnakumar

No omg no! It’s not that big a deal.

@amrit_ka_achar

Gotcha! I’ll be back in a min, tho. I’m needed. There are damsels in distress here.

@notkrishnakumar

You mean ladies with mehndi all over their hands who need to be fed?

@amrit_ka_achar

Yep

@notkrishnakumar

Not sure if I like the idea of you feeding other women.

I reread the text after I’ve hit send and cringe inwardly. Oh god, why do I sound so possessive? Andminutesafter I imagined kissing Rudra. The hypocrisy is staggering.

@amrit_ka_achar

Oh don’t worry about it. These hands would be all for you if you were here.

This guy.

I smile stupidly at my phone, grinning from ear to ear.

But back to the pressing matter at hand: I need to do some stalking.

I head to Amrit’s Instagram and typeSoumyaroopinto the search bar above his following list.

The first name that pops up is Soumyaroop Maheshwari, @soum_papdi. The handle is witty, because it’s a spin on the wording for soan papdi, one of my favorite desi sweets. I click on his profile, frowning at the screen. His page is public, and the topmost picture on his feed is one where he has his arm around a pretty girl, underscored by a cheesy caption:Finding you was the best thing that happened to me this year, Mansi @_mxnsijoshi_

I tap on the bride’s profile, check what’s written underneath, and double back to Soumyaroop’s page to find the same thing:Followed by amrit_ka_achar and pritigirlmantra.

Boththe bride and the groom are followed by Amrit... andPriti.

Digha’s words replay in my head, and the nerves in my brain nearly frazzle. It feels like I’ve made the next big discovery. Like I’ve found a cure for the common cold.

You’re still following each other, and it wasn’t even you who sent the re-follow request.

My heart speeds up in my chest as the realization washes over me, slowly at first, a gentle tide, before submerging me like a tsunami. The reason why Priti was so easy to convince and is so desperate to get to Goa on time is because she wants to stop the wedding.

Because the groom, Soumyaroop Maheshwari, is her ex-boyfriend.

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