‘Do you really think that’s a good idea, Jhanvi?’

‘I don’t know, Mom! Is it?’ I mocked. She looked back at me, wounded.

‘Look, Kavya, I’m not going to get drunk, but my head is pounding from the flight, and at least this will keep me relaxed enough to not argue with Gaurav.’ She nodded, and I hugged her as an apology. I took another cooler out and offered it to her. Kavya accepted it reluctantly. We clinked our bottles together and smiled for another selfie.

The trip down to Vagator Beach was a blur. Kavya, still annoyed with me, stood up to speak to the other influencers on the bus. I sat sulking in my seat, occasionally shooting glares at Gaurav and his girlfriend. The gin coolers were working to keep my emotions under control though, and by the fourth one, I was up and dancing with the others. I should have been talking to those who had a higher follower count about their strategies, but my ego was too bruised to care at that stage. I took short videos of us dancing and the interior of the bus, and I took a photo of Gaurav and his girlfriend arguing because he was dancing with another girl. I thought about posting it to my stories and hashtagging it with something witty, but I decided it wasn’t worth the drama I would have to endure over the weekend.

Disembarking, we were led to our accommodation, not too far from the main stage. Luxurious hotel rooms with an itinerary waited for us.

Kavya flopped down onto her bed. ‘You should probably have a shower to sober up,’ she commented. I couldn’t argue, I was feeling lightheaded; I hadn’t eaten, and I needed to make a good impression.

I switched the shower to as cold as it would go. Standing under the stream of water, I tried to wash all thoughts of Gaurav and Puneet away. Once I felt sufficiently sober, I hopped out of the shower and wrapped a big white fluffy towel around me. Looking at myself in the mirror, I smiled; surely this trip would be the start of something new. I walked back into the room. Kavya was sitting on the bed, scrolling through her phone. She looked up at me, staring hard, probably trying to ascertain if I was sober.

‘Your post is doing well,’ she said. I dived across the room onto her bed. She burst out laughing. I put my head on her lap while she showed me the photo. Twenty-three thousand likes in two-and-a-half hours. I reached out and tapped the heart button on her phone; twenty-three thousand and one.

‘I’m sorry,’ I whispered.

‘I know,’ she said, smoothing my hair away from my eyes. ‘Come, get up now. It’s time to play dress up.’ I sat up sluggishly. Kavya eyed me. ‘You need to eat something, Jhanvi; I’ll order room service. You get our outfits together okay?’

I nodded and began unpacking our bags. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew that fighting her would be pointless and not worth it so soon after our last fight. I selected a black lace mini dress for Kavya, and a tan suede leather jacket that I would tie around her waist. The look would be finished with a black bowler hat that I would match with my own. For myself, I chose a loose-fitting mini dress; it was black, and mandala patterns in pinks, yellows and greens broke the solid colour. Black boots for both of us, I thought.