When Dimple Met Rishi(104)

Dimple looked up at him then. "Thank you," she said quietly. "That was . . . an incredible gift. Making the video, contacting her, all of it."

Rishi nodded, though everything seemed to be happening from a great distance, like he was viewing his own life through a telescope. "You deserve it."

"She wants to partner with me to finish and market the app, so . . ." She smiled and bit her lip, as if to contain it.

He grinned. "That's great. I knew it. How could she have any other reaction?"

"I have a confession," Dimple said in a rush.

Rishi's heart thundered. "What sort of confession?"

"I . . ." She pulled the hood of her hoodie up, as if to ward off the fog. "I did something similar for you. Or, I tried to."

He frowned, not understanding.

Dimple scratched at the paint on the wood table with a fingernail, sending green flecks flying. "I sent your sketches to Leo Tilden."

Rishi stared at her, not fully able to grasp her meaning. "Sent him my sketches?" He shook his head, like that would make this congeal a bit more. "How? When?"

"The day Ashish came. You stepped out of your room to talk to him, and I took pictures of your sketch pad. And then I e-mailed him." She met his eye, looking equal parts defensive and nervous, disappointed and defiant. "He . . . he hasn't e-mailed you yet, I'm guessing. But he will. I know he will."

Rishi shook his head, trying to dislodge his feelings. Anger at her. Disappointment at the silence from Leo Tilden. Embarrassment. Betrayal. He set his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. "Why . . . how could you do that?" he said softly, afraid that if he raised his voice, he'd never stop shouting. "After I told you. After I explained why I couldn't do this."



       
         
       
        

"Because!" Dimple said, and her voice did echo around them before getting swallowed by the unforgiving fog. "Because you're being . . ."

Rishi looked up sharply. "Being what?"

"Cowardly," she finished, her chin thrust out. "You're being cowardly. You have a real gift , Rishi. You can't let your parents or anyone else dictate what you do with it."

Rishi swallowed, willing his heart to stop pounding, his blood to stop boiling. "Cowardly. Right." He jumped up and began to pace, running a shaking hand through his hair. He didn't know if he was more hurt or more angry. "And I guess talking to you about obligations and duties would do no good. Just as it did no good the first few times." He stopped pacing and glared at her. "Speaking of cowardly . . . you sneaked into my bag and pulled out my sketch pad. You e-mailed Leo without my permission! How's that for cowardly?"

"I was doing you a favor!" she said, her hands forming fists on the table.

"A favor!" he thundered, throwing his hands up. "Do you know how condescending you sound right now? So you were just doing the cowardly idiot who doesn't know what's good for him a favor, right?"

"That's not what I said!" Dimple glared at him, eyes sparking behind her glasses. "How is what you did for me with Jenny Lindt any different?"

"Because you've been telling me for six weeks now how much she means to you and how much you want to meet her! Because you came out to Insomnia Con specifically to have her see your work! That's the difference-you wanted this and I didn't! I specifically told you I didn't!"

"And I specifically told you I didn't want a relationship! I don't want this!" Dimple yelled, her voice crashing into him, reaching into his chest, and pulverizing his heart.




She sat there, panting, unable to believe she'd just yelled it out at him like that. "I'm sorry," she said immediately, her voice shaking. "I'm sorry. But I . . . this isn't working for me anymore."

Rishi stared at her like she'd just told him a giant meteor was headed for the Earth and there was nothing to be done about it. He walked forward on shaky legs and fell onto the bench. He stared down at his hands and then looked up at her. "How long have you known you wanted to break up?" The fog curled around his words.

"I didn't know," Dimple said. "I mean, I was having all these doubts weeks ago . . . but . . ." She took a deep breath. "I wasn't really sure till a couple of days ago. When they announced the winners." 

Rishi was quiet for a long time. Then he said, "Why?"

She thought about telling him the truth for a split second: How he was too right for her, how she was afraid they'd just met too early, how she was terrified she was giving up an essential part of herself or forgetting the reasons she hadn't wanted a relationship in the first place. But Dimple knew he'd talk her down, that he'd have a good counterargument for every one of hers. She'd end up wanting to be with Rishi again, and she didn't want that. A clean break, that's what she was after. "We're too different," she said finally, choosing a half-truth. "I can't . . . I can't be with someone who cares so much about what his parents want from him. You lack courage, Rishi. And I can't be with someone like that." She was being so cruel. But she couldn't pull any punches. "I want so much more from my life than what you seem to want."