Charbak,’ says Priya.
I look from one to the other in total amazement. I have never seen two people look more alike, except that one of them is wearing a stud earring in his right ear. He sees me looking at it.
‘Just remember, Charbak is the one wearing the earring! He’s the only boy in our school that the teachers actually thanked for having his ear pierced, as long as Chand doesn’t
do the same. Then they’re both in trouble!’ says Priya, hugging me to her. ‘Everyone, this is my cousin Mira!’
‘Priya has told us all about you. It’s great to finally meet you,’ says Charbak, smiling and gesturing for me to sit down.
‘And these are my friends Paddy and Priti.’ Priya continues with the introductions, waving in the direction of two girls perched on the seat opposite me. ‘Cappuccino?’
Priya asks me.
‘Yes, please!’
Priya goes off with Charbak to queue at the counter. They’re chatting away happily in fluent English, which makes me feel sort of inadequate. I still only know a tiny bit of Bengali.
‘Bad luck about your case. How did the shopping go?’ asks the girl sitting on my left, with the crazy, wavy hair.
I nod and lift up the bags to show her, suddenly feeling a bit shy without Priya around. She introduced everyone so quickly I can’t remember who’s who, which I think the girl senses
because she smiles warmly at me. ‘I’m Paddy – short for Padma!’
‘It’s not shortened if it’s the same number of letters.’ Chand says in a deadpan voice.
‘Well, no, it’s not technically shorter. Chand takes everything literally!’ Paddy laughs, rolling her eyes.
‘So you’re Priti?’ I say turning to the incredibly beautiful girl on my right, who has the shiniest plait of hair falling down her back.
‘She’s the priti-est!’ bursts out Chand.
Priya and Charbak stroll back over with the drinks.
‘That’s a matter of opinion!’ laughs Charbak, winking at Paddy.
Paddy shrugs as if she couldn’t care less. In fact, I get the impression that she wouldn’t want to be called ‘pretty’. She’s wearing all black: black leggings,
black T-shirt (with some band name I’ve never heard of), black high-tops and a huge piece of skeleton costume jewellery around her neck.
‘I like what you’ve done with those,’ she says, inspecting my Converse.
But before I can thank her, Priya stands up.
‘Mind if I leave you with the Pod for a few minutes?’ She doesn’t wait for an answer before she dashes back into the shopping centre.
‘She’s always up to something!’ Paddy smiles at me.
‘What’s the Pod?’ I ask.
‘Us three! Priya, Priti and Paddy . . . three P s in a pod! It’s what our English teacher used to call us at school because we’ve always been so close!’
‘It’s a great name!’ I say. ‘Do you both dance with Priya?’
Priti smiles. ‘Strictly speaking, we dance in her shadow.’
‘And we’re just the musos!’ Charbak chips in. ‘What Priya calls the Rhythm and Blues section – Chand’s on sitar and I’m the rhythm!’ He
demonstrates by drumming out an impressive beat on the table. When he’s done he takes a huge glug of his coffee.
‘You’ve got a froth moustache!’ Paddy laughs, handing him a serviette to wipe it off. I get the feeling that Paddy and Charbak like each other.
Priya strides back with a shoebox under her arm, which she hands to me. I know what’s inside as soon as I see the slim brown cardboard box with the star logo.
‘They’re not actually for you!’ says Priya. ‘But would you personalize them for me, like yours? Don’t tell Ma though – she’ll go mad at me for buying
another pair. She doesn’t really get fashion.’ Priya places her foot next to mine. Even though I’m taller than her, our feet are more or less the same size.
‘Don’t worry. If Anjali finds them, I’ll say they’re mine,’ I tell her.
‘Thanks, cous!’ She grins and grabs my hand. ‘Come on. We should be heading back.
I look from one to the other in total amazement. I have never seen two people look more alike, except that one of them is wearing a stud earring in his right ear. He sees me looking at it.
‘Just remember, Charbak is the one wearing the earring! He’s the only boy in our school that the teachers actually thanked for having his ear pierced, as long as Chand doesn’t
do the same. Then they’re both in trouble!’ says Priya, hugging me to her. ‘Everyone, this is my cousin Mira!’
‘Priya has told us all about you. It’s great to finally meet you,’ says Charbak, smiling and gesturing for me to sit down.
‘And these are my friends Paddy and Priti.’ Priya continues with the introductions, waving in the direction of two girls perched on the seat opposite me. ‘Cappuccino?’
Priya asks me.
‘Yes, please!’
Priya goes off with Charbak to queue at the counter. They’re chatting away happily in fluent English, which makes me feel sort of inadequate. I still only know a tiny bit of Bengali.
‘Bad luck about your case. How did the shopping go?’ asks the girl sitting on my left, with the crazy, wavy hair.
I nod and lift up the bags to show her, suddenly feeling a bit shy without Priya around. She introduced everyone so quickly I can’t remember who’s who, which I think the girl senses
because she smiles warmly at me. ‘I’m Paddy – short for Padma!’
‘It’s not shortened if it’s the same number of letters.’ Chand says in a deadpan voice.
‘Well, no, it’s not technically shorter. Chand takes everything literally!’ Paddy laughs, rolling her eyes.
‘So you’re Priti?’ I say turning to the incredibly beautiful girl on my right, who has the shiniest plait of hair falling down her back.
‘She’s the priti-est!’ bursts out Chand.
Priya and Charbak stroll back over with the drinks.
‘That’s a matter of opinion!’ laughs Charbak, winking at Paddy.
Paddy shrugs as if she couldn’t care less. In fact, I get the impression that she wouldn’t want to be called ‘pretty’. She’s wearing all black: black leggings,
black T-shirt (with some band name I’ve never heard of), black high-tops and a huge piece of skeleton costume jewellery around her neck.
‘I like what you’ve done with those,’ she says, inspecting my Converse.
But before I can thank her, Priya stands up.
‘Mind if I leave you with the Pod for a few minutes?’ She doesn’t wait for an answer before she dashes back into the shopping centre.
‘She’s always up to something!’ Paddy smiles at me.
‘What’s the Pod?’ I ask.
‘Us three! Priya, Priti and Paddy . . . three P s in a pod! It’s what our English teacher used to call us at school because we’ve always been so close!’
‘It’s a great name!’ I say. ‘Do you both dance with Priya?’
Priti smiles. ‘Strictly speaking, we dance in her shadow.’
‘And we’re just the musos!’ Charbak chips in. ‘What Priya calls the Rhythm and Blues section – Chand’s on sitar and I’m the rhythm!’ He
demonstrates by drumming out an impressive beat on the table. When he’s done he takes a huge glug of his coffee.
‘You’ve got a froth moustache!’ Paddy laughs, handing him a serviette to wipe it off. I get the feeling that Paddy and Charbak like each other.
Priya strides back with a shoebox under her arm, which she hands to me. I know what’s inside as soon as I see the slim brown cardboard box with the star logo.
‘They’re not actually for you!’ says Priya. ‘But would you personalize them for me, like yours? Don’t tell Ma though – she’ll go mad at me for buying
another pair. She doesn’t really get fashion.’ Priya places her foot next to mine. Even though I’m taller than her, our feet are more or less the same size.
‘Don’t worry. If Anjali finds them, I’ll say they’re mine,’ I tell her.
‘Thanks, cous!’ She grins and grabs my hand. ‘Come on. We should be heading back.
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