Kabir was never interested in Vaishali's show. The clip from the TV show when Vaishali said she loved the guy in the picture was now circulating on social media. Kabir's friend Manish shared it with him.
Vaishali has said those words to Kabir on many occasions. But this time, it hits different. Her expression seems exotic to him like she's thinking of a lover rather than a son. Does she like the fact that people are considering them as a couple? Kabir contemplates.
Manish and Umesh were into MILFs and often chatted about Vaishali among the triad. They were close friends with Kabir but didn't know anything about his parents. When the pictures surfaced on the internet, they had recognized Kabir from the first time they saw it. They have been nagging Kabir during lectures or in the hostel to accept the truth and arrange a meeting with Vaishali.
Kabir loved the fact that he got treated as a slumdog millionaire. Finally, he agrees to arrange a meeting with Vaishali for them without considering what Vaishali would've to say about it. They make him call her the same night and ask to have the conversation on speaker. Kabir was apprehensive about the call, but he had the contact saved as "Big Boss." That's cause Vaishali participated in the reality show once, and it'd boosted her carrier just when she was considering quitting the industry.
Kabir started the conversation by saying Vaishali's name, and she understood that something was fishy. Kabir convincingly managed to converse with Vaishali as a romantic partner. He tells her how his friends know their secret and now want to meet her. The climax of the call was the most unexpected. Vaishali broke up with Kabir. Manish and Umesh meeting Vaishali was now unattainable. They felt guilty about the whole situation and blamed each other for destroying Kabir's relationship. Kabir did his best to act like he was hurt. He was a better actor than his Mom. They throw him a break-up party as compensation.
A few weeks later, Kabir met his mother. This time Vaishali decided to opt for a safer option, to meet at a hotel in private. She reprimanded Kabir for the stupid call he made to be a stud in front of his friends but forgives him sooner than Kabir expected.
When Kabir goes to the bathroom, a WhatsApp group chat message pops up on his phone screen. It was from Manish and contained Vaishali's name and a few double entendre emojis followed by a devil emoji. It was a shock to her that she was still a topic of conversation among them. She ponders if Kabir disgusted it or if he relished it.
When Kabir comes back, Vaishali interrogates how he felt unable to keep the promise to his friend about the meeting. He expressed that he felt stupid and embarrassed, but there was nothing he could do about it. Vaishali tells him about a fashion event; to be held at the same hotel the upcoming weekend. She had a few passes to the event. The fashion designer was a good friend of hers. She offered the passes to him for his friends as compensation for the meeting she nullified.
Kabir accepted the six passes. He didn't have a girlfriend or a plus one, but Manish and Umesh had. None of the triad or their girlfriends have been to a fashion event before. Everyone agreed to the event.
During the event, Kabir received a call from Vaishali.
"Are you enjoying it, baby?" Vaishali asked.
"Kind of," Kabir said droopily.
"Are you feeling lonely that you don't have a plus one?"
"Yeah, why do you ask?"
"Your friends have brought up their girlfriends, but you don't have one. Right?" Vaishali said, stifling her giggle.
Kabir wonders how she knew that. Maybe it was just a hunch cause she had offered him six passes.
"Mmhm," Kabir responds.
"Would you like to introduce one of the models as your girlfriend to your friends?" Vaishali spoke unexpectedly.
"You know how stupid this sounds, right?" Kabir expressed his concern.
"Well, it won't sound stupid if your friends think that model is your ex-girlfriend," Vaishali said with a chirpy voice.
Kabir didn't know about the presence of Vaishali at the event.
"You're kidding, right?" Kabir doesn't know what to feel about this surprise.
"Nope, but we can meet only in private," She said.
"Why wouldn't you tell me you were going to walk the ramp earlier," Kabir complained, ensnared between numerous emotions.
"It was not planned." She said softly.
"You don't have to do it if you don't want..." Kabir spoke up, wondering if she was doing it because of a guilty conscience.
"Shut up," Vaishali interrupted, "I don't have much time. I'm in the middle of makeup. Just tell your friends to be ready for a surprise, and wait for the showstopper. Got it?" She added.
"Showstopper, whoa... really. But, Mom..." Kabir was shocked to learn that his mother was the showstopper. He knew that she had tried modeling for a while, but never had she been a showstopper.
"Kabir," Vaishali fumes.
"Fine, Mom," Kabir said.
"Stick around after the event. Ok. I'll call." Vaishali said curtly and disconnected the call.
"I love you, Mom," Kabir whispered and realized that she had hung up.
Kabir puts the phone in his pocket. He stares at the ramp and feels delighted and proud. There's locomotion in his pants, a smug smile on his face; he struts in the direction of his friends.
To be continued in private...