The Reluctant Matchmaker by Shobhan Bantwal Read Free Book Online

for a few minutes before my cell phone rang. I eagerly snatched it up.
    â€œHi, Meena,” said a familiar voice.
    â€œPinky!”
    â€œYou sound kind of ... hyper,” she said. “Is it the medication?”
    â€œNo, I’m just happy to hear from you. I was feeling a bit sorry for myself.”
    â€œHow are you feeling? I mean physically.”
    â€œMuch better, thanks.”
    â€œI’m so relieved. You had us worried, you know—especially when you slept through the entire ride to your house.”
    â€œDid ... did Paul haul me from the ninth floor to his car?”
    â€œNo, Prajay did. He held you like you were an eight-pound baby instead of a grown woman.”
    â€œOh?” So Prajay had played the gallant knight again. That pleased me. Immensely.
    Pinky kept talking. “Imagine my shock this morning, when Paul called me from the ninth floor and said you were flat on your back and the doctor had been called. The whole office has been talking about it since.”
    â€œI bet. So, does everyone know what size panties I wear?”
    â€œInstead of worrying about your foot, you’re obsessing over what people think of your underwear?”
    â€œHey, didn’t Paul tell you I was lying there with my skirt pushed all the way up to my butt?”
    â€œPaul would never say something like that. He’s worried about you.” Pinky was quiet for a moment. “But Gargi told me about how your bottom was showing.”
    â€œI don’t believe she was even there.” I thought about it. Gargi wasn’t management and wouldn’t have been included in that particular meeting. “One of her gossip buddies must have told her.”
    â€œMaybe. But she seemed to know details.”
    â€œShe’s probably telling her exaggerated version to everyone.” I should have known that woman would pounce on bad news like a bee on pollen.
    â€œDon’t worry. Most of the people were worried that something serious had happened to you.”
    â€œThanks, Pinky. It’s sweet of you to try to spare my feelings. And thanks for taking such good care of me.”
    â€œAnytime, my dear. And you know what? Prajay stopped by this afternoon to ask me if I’d heard from you.”
    A delicious little thrill zigzagged through my veins. “What’d you tell him?”
    â€œI told him I’d called your mother and that you were sleeping like a baby.”
    â€œWhat did he say?”
    â€œWhat is this, an inquisition?” Pinky mocked. “First you tell me you’re not all dressed up to impress him, and now you want to know every word he said.”
    I grinned to myself. “He did go out of his way to be nice.”
    â€œYes, despite the drool you left on his couch.”
    â€œI drooled on his couch?”
    â€œJust a little. When I went upstairs to wake you up, your mouth was open and drool was sliding out one side and onto the couch.”
    â€œOh, no! This is sounding worse and worse.” I could be a guaranteed winner on America’s Most Embarrassing Videos .
    â€œDon’t worry,” clucked Pinky. “I managed to clean it up before anyone could notice, so you’re safe. No stains on the couch, either. But no matter what I did, you refused to wake up. You murmured something incoherent and went back to sleep. So I just went through your purse and found your car keys myself.”
    â€œI see you even remembered to deliver my purse and shoes to my house. I owe you one, Pinky.”
    â€œDon’t be silly.”
    â€œSo what else did Prajay say?”
    â€œNothing. He seemed relieved that you were okay.”
    â€œAre you sure? When I send him a thank-you note, I want to remember every detail of what he did for me.”
    â€œI’m sure. All he did was transport you to Paul’s car.”
    â€œOh.” So he’d packed me into Paul’s car and thought good riddance. I couldn’t admit to