Secrets & Saris by Shoma Narayanan

corner until your mother mentioned it.’
    Durga Puja was a big festival in the part of the country Bela came from, and she’d made a point of keeping up the Mitra family tradition by celebrating it with Nina wherever they were. Before she’d broken her ankle she’d already found out that there was a large Bengali community in the city—she’d even identified the two big pandals she wanted to take Nina to.
    Neil’s brow puckered with worry. ‘Maybe we should let it go this year?’ he suggested. ‘I have my hands full anyway, and I don’t know the first thing about Pujo shopping.’
    ‘Shefali will help you,’ Bela Mashi said firmly. ‘You can’t not celebrate the festival. It’s just not done. It’ll bring bad luck to the family.’
    Neil groaned. The most rational of people normally, Bela tended to go off at the deep end whenever he questioned any of her pet traditions. Also, she was quite capable of trying to get up and go to the shops herself if he didn’t agree to go. Risking permanent disability was small stuff compared to bringing bad luck to the family.
    ‘I’ll leave you to discuss it,’ Shefali said, standing up hastily. ‘I’ll just say goodbye to Nina and let myself out.’
    As she left the room she heard the conversation switch to Bengali—whenever Bela was in fighting mode her English deserted her.
    Nina was tucking her favourite doll into bed, carefully smoothing down its matted nylon hair.
    ‘Dora needs a haircut, doesn’t she?’ Shefali asked, kneeling down next to Nina.
    Nina was shaking her head, however. ‘She’s a jungli Dora,’ she explained. ‘My other dolls have proper hair—I don’t play with them much.’
    ‘Won’t Dora feel bad, then, if the other dolls have better hair?’
    Nina looked at her as if she was mad. ‘Dora isn’t real ,’ she explained patiently. ‘She doesn’t feel things.’
    ‘Right,’ Shefali said. ‘Lucky Dora.’ Lucky in many ways, actually—think of the amount of money she would be saving on product and conditioner. And not being able to feel things—that was a pretty handy trait to have too. ‘I’ll see you around, Nina,’ Shefali said. ‘I’m going back home now.’
    Nina looked up immediately, her eyes registering dismay. ‘Don’t go so soon!’ she said. ‘I thought you’d stay for dinner with us.’
    Shefali shook her head. Nina’s eyes were like Neil’s. Not in size and colour, maybe, but the expression in them was so like Neil’s it was uncanny. There was no way Neil would look so upset at the thought of her leaving for home, though—he was probably dying to see her on her way.
    Or maybe not.
    Getting the distinct feeling that she was being watched, she swung around to see Neil leaning against the doorjamb. He was smiling at her, and this time the smile reached his eyes fully.
    ‘How d’you feel about helping us with a spot of Pujo shopping?’ he asked.
    Shefali found herself feeling so ridiculously pleased that he wanted to spend more time with her that she had to fight to keep a goofy grin off her face.
    ‘Lost the argument, I see,’ she said.
    He shrugged. ‘Bela Mashi has known me since I was born. When she’s serious about getting her way I don’t stand a chance.’ He looked across at Nina. ‘Go and get ready, munchkin, we leave in ten minutes.’
    Nina sprang up with a little squeal and rushed off in the direction of her room, and Neil came in further to stand next to Shefali. Still kneeling on the ground, Shefali found herself at a distinct disadvantage—he towered over her, and close-up the aura of raw masculinity he exuded was overpowering. A second later, however, he had hunkered down next to her to look at the doll she was mechanically patting.
    Neil stretched out a hand and touched the doll lightly. ‘I see you’ve met my granddaughter,’ he said wryly. ‘I hope she’s been saying good things about me.’
    ‘She’s not real,’ Shefali informed him. ‘She can’t feel things,