Sadly, she reflected this was going to have to be true. It was too big a risk to take, after all. Besides, the way Krishnan had reacted to him had changed her feelings about the movie star. The idea of Krish thinking ill of her for any reason made her feel so
tired and weepy that she could sink down on the gum-spattered pavement and wail. If she were going to win this contest, it had to be fair and square. No insider dealing. No casting couch.
Anjali sniffed and said goodnight to Krishnan, who nodded curtly back.
It isn’t the world’s biggest romance, is it?
The thought cheered Jas a little, even though she dreaded the full-bore interrogation that was going to be unleashed upon her as soon as Anjali shut the door.
“I’ll see you at the semi-finals,” said Anjali, then she went inside, hot pink and gold trailing in her wake from beneath the hem of her coat.
Immediately, Krishnan took hold of Jasmine’s upper arm and began striding swiftly down the street, weaving in and out of knots of people clutching balloons and cartons of chips in curry sauce on their way back from the fair.
He didn’t speak a word until they arrived back at the car park and he opened the door for Jas, waiting until she was in and belted before saying, “You’d better be very sure that you aren’t involved with that man.”
She looked up at his figure, looming over her with one hand on top of the open car door, and pursed her lips.
“What’s it to you, anyway?”
“What’s it to me?” He slammed the car door, making Jas jump.
She watched him through the window as he straightened up and took a few breaths of the smoky, engine-smelling, city night air before he came around to get in his side of the car.
“Of course it’s nothing to me,” he muttered, turning the key in the ignition. “Nothing at all to me if you go and get yourself seduced by some creep who’s using you for sex.”
“Krish! I am capable of making my own decisions. I’m not completely passive.”
“And who’ll ruin your chances of making it through this contest if you get found out,” he continued, steering the car through the dark field, avoiding the revellers who staggered in front of them every so often.
“There’s nothing to…” Jas trailed off, unable to sustain the lie in the face of Krishnan’s obvious anger.
“You think he’ll get serious about you? What did he do, offer you a part in some movie or other?”
“I’m not having this conversation,” said Jas, but her stomach was in turmoil. Yes. Yes he did offer me a part in some movie. How did you know?
“For crying out loud, Jas. You’re a sitting duck for a player like him. I want to find him and…” Krishnan’s knuckles whitened as he gripped the steering wheel far too hard.
“Chill out, man,” said Jasmine hostilely. “What’s going on with you and Anjali?”
“Don’t you dare change the subject on me.”
“Why not? I’m bored with the stupid subject. It’s a non-subject. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“That man will never be more than a fling for you. What about when he finds out you’re white? What then, eh? Do you think he’ll marry a white girl from the back streets of Leicester? When that man marries, it’ll be to a Punjabi princess with a millionaire background, nothing else.”
“Well, then, he’s not so different from you, is he?”
“What do you mean? He’s nothing like me.”
“You’d never want a white girl.”
Krishnan turned and stared.
“When have I ever said that?”
Jasmine thought hard.
“I’m sure you’ve said it…sometime or other…haven’t you?”