His first indiscretion happened in front of me. Admittedly, his statement that he was drinking heavily was true. We went out for a club opening; all expenses paid, of course. I made it a rule not to drink when I was on the job. Sure, I would pose with a glass of champagne or whatever was offered, but I never actually drank what was given to me. That particular appearance was Puneet’s first introduction to a big event where everything was paid for. The alcohol flowed freely in the VIP area, and it wasn’t long before the usual crowd of hangers-on made their way over to try and integrate themselves into the ‘influencer’ crowd. Puneet, who was already slightly intoxicated at that stage, welcomed in a group of girls who quickly made themselves more comfortable than they should have.

I busied myself with photos of the great time I was having. Selfies and group shots with club-goers were put into swipe stories which featured videos of the DJ playing music—all to show how grand the party was. I could not include Puneet in these stories, though; he was too drunk. Instead, I tasked him with staying in the VIP area to socialise with the groupies.

I was dancing on the main stage when I caught sight of what was happening. Being careful not to draw negative attention to myself, I made my way through the crowded main dance area and up the stairs to the VIP section. As I reached the landing, one of the two groupie girls I had seen from the stage swung her leg over Puneet’s lap and mounted him, before kissing him deeply. I was in total shock; I couldn’t move for a few seconds. My feet were glued to the floor like I was standing in thick mud, unable to move forward or choose to step away.

‘He will push her off,’ I told myself, but it never happened. Instead, he seemed to pull the girl closer to him. Feelings of humiliation from Gaurav’s betrayals flooded through my brain as I launched myself out of my frozen state. By the time I reached my boyfriend and the girl, a friend had pulled her off Puneet’s lap. I remained composed.

‘It’s time for you ladies to go,’ I said, my gaze never leaving Puneet. Dignity and grace were essential to avoid any further online gossip about my love life. Even though what I really wanted to do was explode in rage. Puneet stood up to try and defend himself, but he was so drunk that he staggered and swayed before sitting down again.

‘You are drunk and embarrassing. Please don’t leave the VIP area until I’m back,’ I managed to say calmly, before requesting a nearby waitress to bring sweet black coffee and water for him. I also asked that the bouncer not allow any more groupies into the VIP area. I was able to keep my composure as I walked through the crowd and into the ladies’ room, even stopping to pose with a group of men who wanted a picture.