Page 42 of The Escape

Krish looked at Trisha. “So you saw that and thought, let’s torture our husbands?”

“Let’s make a memory,” Trisha corrected.

“That is a very convenient definition of torture.”

The women laughed again. Ayaan looked around the table.

“So this was planned between all four of you?”

“Yes,” Meher admitted.

“You mean Raghav is going to be in one of these shirts too?” Krish asked immediately.

The three men exchanged a look. Vishnu actually looked relieved.

“He’s never going to wear it.” Ayaan shook his head.

Meher grinned. “Don’t worry. Siya will handle him.”

Krish laughed. “You know Raghav considers black, white, and grey sufficient for an entire lifetime.”

“And now imagine him in this,” Ayaan said, pointing towards his own shirt.

All three men burst out laughing again.

Simran folded her arms, amused. “Well, if Siya manages to get him into one, I think we deserve some credit.”

Trisha smiled. “More than credit. We deserve a photograph.”

There was no point arguing with them anymore. The three couples finally settled around the large table, and somehow, the embarrassment began to fade the longer they sat together. With three of them now dressed alike, the shirts no longer seemed quite as outrageous. In fact, the men had already started comparing them.

Krish pulled at the fabric near his shoulder. “I have to admit, mine is actually quite comfortable.”

Ayaan looked at him. “You would say that. You actually like wearing things like this.”

“Exactly. Which makes me the most qualified person here to judge all of you.”

Vishnu gave him a flat look. “Nobody asked you to.”

Krish ignored him and looked at their shirts. “The fabric is pretty good, though.”

Ayaan nodded reluctantly. “I’ll give you that.”

Vishnu glanced down at his own shirt again. “I still don’t understand how I agreed to this.”

Simran squeezed his hand beneath the table. “Because you love me.”

Vishnu looked at her. “That is exactly why.”

The women immediately broke into smiles. Even Meher leaned closer to Ayaan and whispered, “See? They all look good.”

Ayaan glanced towards Vishnu and then Krish. “Fine. But I’m still not admitting that I like mine.”

Trisha looked towards Vishnu and added innocently, “Although I have to admit, Vishnu is carrying it rather well.”

“Isn’t he?” Simran’s face lit up. “I told him that.”

Vishnu sighed. “Please don’t encourage them.”