Chapter 1
Susanna woke up groggily to the shrill sound of the blaring alarm clock. She woke up realising she was late for college. Sussana was a student of BA commerce studying in Ganpat Rao College Thane , Mumbai. She was from Panjim, Goa where her only living relative her grandmother Carol ran a small bed and breakfast called Peach Roses. A petit girl with raven curls and devilish dimples she has a curvaceous body which she hid beneath baggy and shapeless clothes. Her eyes were an unusual pearly grey reminiscent of the January fog mystical and ambiguous, which she kept hidden beneath horn rimmed glasses. An ambivert, she was quiet yet vivacious with an infectious laughter that sounded like a brook gurgling in the deep hilly forests. She had only one friend Shristi Damle a short and plump girl with a pretty porridge face and a penchant for incessant scandalous gossip.
Susanna was late for Miss Briganza's lecture and she was destined to be subjected to not just her evil eye but a scathing piece of her mind. She got ready as fast as humanly possible tying her curls in chignon and hurriedly stuffed some note books and pens in her sling bag. Just then the squeal of the doorbell being tortured by Shristi resounded and together the duo walked to college from Mrs Ayyar's studio apartment where Susanna lived. They talked about this and that on the way as Shristi shared the lastest gossip on the campus with a disinterested Susanna.
When they reached the college premises much to Shristi 's delight condolence was announced and classes were cancelled as an old Peon Giridhari had died the night before. Susanna wanted to go to the library but her friend had other plans and refused to take no for an answer. So together they went to Juhu Chaupati with three other girls Riya, Rashmi and Shipra. Despite her half hearted attitude Susanna had a wonderful time at the beach . They tasted misil pao and pao bhaji and drank coconut water together.
Shipra was having a party on the weekend at Resort Salted Dreams. She invited both Shristi and Susanna.
'Please come guys it will be a blast. Everyone is coming. There will be booze and boys.' she begged.
Susanna refused initially but agreed reluctantly at the persistent pleading of Shristi and Shipra. She planned to sneak away at the earliest opportunity. She was not a party person and was a teetotaler as well.
But despite her reservations she found it hard to refuse her friends especially Shristi who was dying to go.
The party was on Saturday night. The girls went on an impulsive shopping spree and bought dresses for the evening. Susanna too bought a scarlet bodycon dress that flared at the hips and fit her like a glove with matching heels to go with it. She could ill afford it but somehow was mesmerized by the beauty and elegance of the dress. So egged on by her pals she decided to go for it. It was on sale so she could just about afford it. The heels too were not very expensive so she managed to buy them. Shristi bought a black sequined gown with matching silver sandals. She used her mother's credit card and hoped not to be reprimanded for the same.
They decided to get ready at the reosrt itself as Shipra aggreed benevolently to share her expensive make up with them. Their eagerness was infective and Susanna found herself looking forward to the evening despite herself. After all the road to hell was indeed paved by good intentions.
Together they discussed their plans, with enthusiasm, thrilled to be going to a party at such a posh resort. Finally they bid each other goodbye and went home, delighted with their weekend party plans.
