“Take the next exit. I need to go to washroom," she said. "Sure, but you know we're already late for the meeting." His usual condescending tone. Then a bored silence as the BMW cut past ribbons of asphalt. Five more words than the starched yes’s and no’s they’d shared in all of the last week.

Arpita bit her lip and watched Nikhil from the corner of her eye. Clenched jaw. So he was irritated. Good. After thirty years, she should know. The great Mr Nikhil Mehra, old money industrialist, and his utter predictability. Today his tie was a trifle too loud, not quite old school, getting sloppy at the edges, wasn’t he. But she knew him all right. Every black mood. “A business meeting in Singapore” meant a cosy with yet another short skirted filly. Like that scheming bitch. From “ yes sir, the project papers.” To a dulcet voiced “oh dahling” How effortlessly she’d clawed into him, fawning over every word.

“ You stay clean till this is over and done with”, she’d turned at him, furious at the latest weekend escapade that threatened to spill over to the party pages. “You arrogant smart ass! Middle class slob! Shut up!” he’d roared, and then the fur flew. Followed by a week of silence.

She hid a smile, touching the stones at her ears. It hadn’t been easy for her, all these years of keeping up appearances. A cosy twosome, but everyone knew. Saturday soirees. Dinner at the Chambers. Galas. Air kisses. Staying stoic past the gossip, the knowing glances. One more society hag who couldn’t keep her man. How she hated it.

But it wouldn’t be for too long now.
Once Chandni was settled… Now that Chandni was back from finishing school in Lausanne. Now that Chandni was almost slated to marry into the Malhotras, new money, construction money. More money than a few generations of the Mehras put together. A little raw at the edges perhaps, well whoever heard of filmstars dancing at engagements! But she’d put up with floozies and arm candy till the wedding, not too long to go now.

Once Chandni was settled. The wire transfers that she’d long begun into a going away account. Security, nest egg, how entirely middle class, she looked out of the window and hid a smile.

No one needed to know about Chandni’s parentage then.
(396 words for sub)