let’s go and choose a sari for Bela Mashi and let Shefali get on with selecting something.’
He knew he looked far more irritated than the occasion warranted. Unbidden, he was remembering the little bead necklace Nina had given Reema on her last visit to Mumbai. Reema had laughed, and thanked Nina prettily, but she hadn’t worn the necklace, and after she’d left he’d found it lying on the sofa where she’d been sitting. The half-possessive, half-imploring look on Nina’s little face now was exactly the same as the one she’d worn when she’d spoken to Reema, and it made Neil tense as if in response to a hidden threat.
‘Come on, Nina,’ he said again.
Nina stood her ground, however, and Shefali intervened quickly before Neil lost his temper. ‘Nina, I’ll buy the kameez , and a white churidaar and dupatta— what do you think? We’ll still match, but I won’t be fully in green, so no one will think I’m a tree.’
‘Will they think I’m a tree, then?’ Nina asked, evidently worried.
‘Maybe a little plant,’ Shefali said. ‘Or a big parrot.’
‘Or a tall frog,’ Nina said, wrinkling her tiny nose.
‘Or a green fairy,’ Shefali offered.
Nina brightened up. ‘Can I have green fairy wings?’
‘We can make some,’ Shefali promised, giving Neil a quick look. He looked more relaxed now—less as if he was about to swoop down on them and carry Nina away.
‘You’re good with kids,’ he said in an undertone as Nina veered off towards the toy section.
Shefali shrugged. ‘I’ve worked with kids for years,’ she said, partly pleased by the compliment, but partly annoyed at the tone of surprise in his voice. In spite of the days she’d spent looking after Nina, he still seemed to think that Nina needed protecting from her.
‘Don’t we need to get some stuff for you as well?’ she asked as Neil collected Nina and the shopping trolley and moved towards the checkout counter. Neil grabbed two XXL kurtas from a stack without breaking stride.
‘Shopping done,’ he announced, and she had to laugh.
‘You obviously haven’t turned into a self-obsessed TV star yet,’ she teased. ‘Aren’t you going to even try those on?’
Neil dumped the clothes onto the counter. ‘Nope,’ he said, handing his credit card to the sales clerk. ‘If they don’t fit I’ll give them away.’
‘If they don’t fit Bela Mashi’s going to send you all the way back to pick up more clothes,’ Shefali warned. ‘Isn’t it the eighth day of the festival tomorrow? She said everyone needs to be in new clothes for that.’
‘You have a point,’ Neil said, and took one of the kurtas from the counter. ‘Here—hold it up against me and see if it fits.’
Shefali took the long-sleeved tunic and brought it up to his shoulders. In an instant the atmosphere between them changed, as if they were back in his house with the door shutting out the rest of the world. A faint whiff of his aftershave teased at her nostrils, and she had to physically restrain herself from pressing closer to his hard torso. Fully aware of the effect he was having on her, Neil stood absolutely still, and Shefali slid her hands slowly over his chest as she smoothed the kurta against his shoulders.
‘It fits,’ Nina said impatiently, breaking the spell between them with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. ‘Can we pay and go now? I’m hungry, and it’s almost night.’
Feeling pretty much the way she had last week, when she’d accidentally switched TV channels from a steamy chick-flick to a Disney cartoon, Shefali hastily put the shirt down.
‘Almost done—let’s go,’ she reassured Nina, jumping several inches into the air when Neil’s arm snaked around her waist, giving her a very suggestive little squeeze.
‘Yes, let’s,’ he said huskily into her ear. ‘I’m looking forward to tonight too...’
* * *
Shefali could barely swallow her dinner. They were alone at the table, Nina having eaten early and gone to bed.
He knew he looked far more irritated than the occasion warranted. Unbidden, he was remembering the little bead necklace Nina had given Reema on her last visit to Mumbai. Reema had laughed, and thanked Nina prettily, but she hadn’t worn the necklace, and after she’d left he’d found it lying on the sofa where she’d been sitting. The half-possessive, half-imploring look on Nina’s little face now was exactly the same as the one she’d worn when she’d spoken to Reema, and it made Neil tense as if in response to a hidden threat.
‘Come on, Nina,’ he said again.
Nina stood her ground, however, and Shefali intervened quickly before Neil lost his temper. ‘Nina, I’ll buy the kameez , and a white churidaar and dupatta— what do you think? We’ll still match, but I won’t be fully in green, so no one will think I’m a tree.’
‘Will they think I’m a tree, then?’ Nina asked, evidently worried.
‘Maybe a little plant,’ Shefali said. ‘Or a big parrot.’
‘Or a tall frog,’ Nina said, wrinkling her tiny nose.
‘Or a green fairy,’ Shefali offered.
Nina brightened up. ‘Can I have green fairy wings?’
‘We can make some,’ Shefali promised, giving Neil a quick look. He looked more relaxed now—less as if he was about to swoop down on them and carry Nina away.
‘You’re good with kids,’ he said in an undertone as Nina veered off towards the toy section.
Shefali shrugged. ‘I’ve worked with kids for years,’ she said, partly pleased by the compliment, but partly annoyed at the tone of surprise in his voice. In spite of the days she’d spent looking after Nina, he still seemed to think that Nina needed protecting from her.
‘Don’t we need to get some stuff for you as well?’ she asked as Neil collected Nina and the shopping trolley and moved towards the checkout counter. Neil grabbed two XXL kurtas from a stack without breaking stride.
‘Shopping done,’ he announced, and she had to laugh.
‘You obviously haven’t turned into a self-obsessed TV star yet,’ she teased. ‘Aren’t you going to even try those on?’
Neil dumped the clothes onto the counter. ‘Nope,’ he said, handing his credit card to the sales clerk. ‘If they don’t fit I’ll give them away.’
‘If they don’t fit Bela Mashi’s going to send you all the way back to pick up more clothes,’ Shefali warned. ‘Isn’t it the eighth day of the festival tomorrow? She said everyone needs to be in new clothes for that.’
‘You have a point,’ Neil said, and took one of the kurtas from the counter. ‘Here—hold it up against me and see if it fits.’
Shefali took the long-sleeved tunic and brought it up to his shoulders. In an instant the atmosphere between them changed, as if they were back in his house with the door shutting out the rest of the world. A faint whiff of his aftershave teased at her nostrils, and she had to physically restrain herself from pressing closer to his hard torso. Fully aware of the effect he was having on her, Neil stood absolutely still, and Shefali slid her hands slowly over his chest as she smoothed the kurta against his shoulders.
‘It fits,’ Nina said impatiently, breaking the spell between them with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. ‘Can we pay and go now? I’m hungry, and it’s almost night.’
Feeling pretty much the way she had last week, when she’d accidentally switched TV channels from a steamy chick-flick to a Disney cartoon, Shefali hastily put the shirt down.
‘Almost done—let’s go,’ she reassured Nina, jumping several inches into the air when Neil’s arm snaked around her waist, giving her a very suggestive little squeeze.
‘Yes, let’s,’ he said huskily into her ear. ‘I’m looking forward to tonight too...’
* * *
Shefali could barely swallow her dinner. They were alone at the table, Nina having eaten early and gone to bed.
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