Mrs. Gupta as usual. Are you returning my call?’
‘Your call? Princess, I really need to talk to your mum…’
Oh no. Busted. What if Aunt Anita told Preeti she was returning her call? Her mother’s chagrin— ‘Do you know how expensive STD calls are? We trusted you, Rinu…’ Courage, Super Sleuth.
‘Could you get her for me? Tell her it’s urgent.’ Aunt Anita sniffed loudly. She really did sound odd, like she had a bad cold.
Ask her now. Reena sprinted to the front door, opened it wide, yelled, ‘Mum! Aunt Anita on the phone for you,’ and went back to her noodles, eating to drown the serpent. Chicken. Your one chance and you waste it.
‘Don’t you like Maggi anymore?’ Preeti asked as she picked up the receiver, eyeing Reena’s full plate.
‘This is my second helping,’ Reena mumbled, staring at her plate to avoid having to look at Preeti.
‘Oh, Rinu! Will you have any space left for dinner?’ And then, into the receiver, ‘Hello? Anu, what’s the matter? What ?’
Oh no. I’m in for it.
‘It’s okay, Anu. Really, it’s fine. You come here. Yes, I’ll talk to him.’
Her mum, ashen-faced, holding on to the arm of the sofa and lowering herself down like an old woman. Something’s wrong. ‘Mum, what’s happened?’ Reena asked, fork halfway to her mouth.
‘Shh...’ Preeti mouthed at her, and into the phone, ‘Don’t you worry about him. You come here, Anu. As soon as you can. Tomorrow? Yes. Book the ticket now. Take care. Yes, I’ll talk to him. He’ll be fine. We’ll see you tomorrow.’ Her voice soft, very gentle. The same tone she used when Reena had one of her nightmares and needed soothing.
Preeti stared at the receiver for a few moments and then gently laid it down on the table. Slowly, she walked across the living room to the front door, made sure it was closed and locked it for good measure. And before Reena could ask the question forming on her lips, she said, ‘I don’t want Mrs. Gupta getting wind of this.’
‘Getting wind of what?’ Reena asked.
‘Your Aunt Anita is coming tomorrow. She’s getting a divorce, Rinu.’
‘What?’ Aunt Anita actually coming here? Part 1 of Plan C—a success , she thought, and immediately felt guilty as she watched her mother collapse onto the sofa and cover her face with her hands, as her mother’s words sank in. Aunt Anita getting a divorce?
‘I should have called her. Can’t remember the last time I spoke to her,’ her mother said. ‘I need to talk to your dad.’
‘He’s not going to be pleased.’
‘Yes.’ Her mother sounded defeated. And then she squared her shoulders, stood and picked up the receiver, her fingers flying over the buttons as she dialled.
‘Hello, Deepak?’ she walked to the bedroom, mouthing ‘You eat’ to Reena. Reena stared at her plate of noodles, her appetite gone. In the bedroom, she heard her mother’s voice, soothing, as she talked Deepak into accepting his delinquent sister into his home: ‘I know, Deepak, but she’s very upset. She needs the comfort of family…’
What about your other sister? Who does she have?
Her mother walked back in, ‘Right. I have to get the guest bedroom sorted, wash the sheets, but first... You look as bad as I feel, Rinu. We need cheering up.’ She disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing with a box of mithai: soan papdi, laddoos, halwa and pedas. They flopped on the sofa, pigging out on the sweets and watching the local news.
‘Shh... Listen. Did they say Mangalore? Put the volume up, Rinu. Oh no, fights between the Hindus and Muslims in Mangalore. Ten people killed...’
Reena looked at her mother. Preeti’s hair was loose, in soft waves around her neck and shoulders. She looked worn out. There were lines around her eyes that Reena hadn’t noticed before.
‘This is near Taipur, Rinu.’ In a whisper.
‘Oh! Mai was saying there’s trouble brewing in Taipur as well, wasn’t she?’
‘It’s scary. I hope they don’t start on
‘Your call? Princess, I really need to talk to your mum…’
Oh no. Busted. What if Aunt Anita told Preeti she was returning her call? Her mother’s chagrin— ‘Do you know how expensive STD calls are? We trusted you, Rinu…’ Courage, Super Sleuth.
‘Could you get her for me? Tell her it’s urgent.’ Aunt Anita sniffed loudly. She really did sound odd, like she had a bad cold.
Ask her now. Reena sprinted to the front door, opened it wide, yelled, ‘Mum! Aunt Anita on the phone for you,’ and went back to her noodles, eating to drown the serpent. Chicken. Your one chance and you waste it.
‘Don’t you like Maggi anymore?’ Preeti asked as she picked up the receiver, eyeing Reena’s full plate.
‘This is my second helping,’ Reena mumbled, staring at her plate to avoid having to look at Preeti.
‘Oh, Rinu! Will you have any space left for dinner?’ And then, into the receiver, ‘Hello? Anu, what’s the matter? What ?’
Oh no. I’m in for it.
‘It’s okay, Anu. Really, it’s fine. You come here. Yes, I’ll talk to him.’
Her mum, ashen-faced, holding on to the arm of the sofa and lowering herself down like an old woman. Something’s wrong. ‘Mum, what’s happened?’ Reena asked, fork halfway to her mouth.
‘Shh...’ Preeti mouthed at her, and into the phone, ‘Don’t you worry about him. You come here, Anu. As soon as you can. Tomorrow? Yes. Book the ticket now. Take care. Yes, I’ll talk to him. He’ll be fine. We’ll see you tomorrow.’ Her voice soft, very gentle. The same tone she used when Reena had one of her nightmares and needed soothing.
Preeti stared at the receiver for a few moments and then gently laid it down on the table. Slowly, she walked across the living room to the front door, made sure it was closed and locked it for good measure. And before Reena could ask the question forming on her lips, she said, ‘I don’t want Mrs. Gupta getting wind of this.’
‘Getting wind of what?’ Reena asked.
‘Your Aunt Anita is coming tomorrow. She’s getting a divorce, Rinu.’
‘What?’ Aunt Anita actually coming here? Part 1 of Plan C—a success , she thought, and immediately felt guilty as she watched her mother collapse onto the sofa and cover her face with her hands, as her mother’s words sank in. Aunt Anita getting a divorce?
‘I should have called her. Can’t remember the last time I spoke to her,’ her mother said. ‘I need to talk to your dad.’
‘He’s not going to be pleased.’
‘Yes.’ Her mother sounded defeated. And then she squared her shoulders, stood and picked up the receiver, her fingers flying over the buttons as she dialled.
‘Hello, Deepak?’ she walked to the bedroom, mouthing ‘You eat’ to Reena. Reena stared at her plate of noodles, her appetite gone. In the bedroom, she heard her mother’s voice, soothing, as she talked Deepak into accepting his delinquent sister into his home: ‘I know, Deepak, but she’s very upset. She needs the comfort of family…’
What about your other sister? Who does she have?
Her mother walked back in, ‘Right. I have to get the guest bedroom sorted, wash the sheets, but first... You look as bad as I feel, Rinu. We need cheering up.’ She disappeared into the kitchen, reappearing with a box of mithai: soan papdi, laddoos, halwa and pedas. They flopped on the sofa, pigging out on the sweets and watching the local news.
‘Shh... Listen. Did they say Mangalore? Put the volume up, Rinu. Oh no, fights between the Hindus and Muslims in Mangalore. Ten people killed...’
Reena looked at her mother. Preeti’s hair was loose, in soft waves around her neck and shoulders. She looked worn out. There were lines around her eyes that Reena hadn’t noticed before.
‘This is near Taipur, Rinu.’ In a whisper.
‘Oh! Mai was saying there’s trouble brewing in Taipur as well, wasn’t she?’
‘It’s scary. I hope they don’t start on
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