‘Probably.’ He laughed lightly.
I looked at him. Even though I’d never reciprocated his feelings, Parth was a kind person. He was sweet and always had been. ‘I hope you find someone who deserves you. You’re a good man. You’d make some girl very happy one day.’
‘Good-guy-zoned, hm?’ He clicked his tongue. ‘Guess I’m doomed. No girl’s going to want me.’
For the first time in days, a real smile tugged at my lips. ‘Not true. Good guysdoget the girl.’
Jai’s face appeared in my mind’s eye. He was a good man. But I ruined it – I ruinedus.
‘Hey.’ He frowned softly, his thumb lingering on my cheek. My gaze lowered to his touch. ‘What happened?’
‘I … um … I recently got out of a relationship. I’ve had a rough few days.’
‘Wow. The guy must either be the stupidest or the worst person in the whole world to lose someone like you.’
I exhaled. ‘No. It was my fault.’
‘Ananya Tripathi doing something wrong? That’s a little hard to believe,’ he said. ‘We haven’t spoken in years, but I know you have a good heart. That doesn’t just change. If he has half a brain, he’ll realise that and come crawling back to you.’
I could tell that he really did want me to be happy. But that wasn’t going to happen, not with Jai. I didn’t have the heart to say it to him. ‘Thanks. That’s … nice of you to say.’
He pointed at himself. ‘Good guy,’ he grinned.
Later that evening, right as I was getting into bed, Maa came in with a familiar steel bowl in her hand. ‘I heated some oil. Thought you would appreciate a goodchampi.’
As she had done all my childhood, she sat on the edge of the bed, and I took a seat on the floor right between her legs.
‘I’ve missed this,’ I said as I took my hair out of a bun.
She sectioned my hair and began massaging my scalp, the oil’s coconutty scent thickening in the air. ‘I did too,’ she replied gently, then laughed. ‘Do you remember you used to hate it and make me chase you around the house?’
‘Yeah. Because I didn’t want to go to school like that.’ Even though oiled and braided hair was a rule, the cool girls ignored it. I wanted to be like them.
‘And look at your thick, long hair now. It’s all because you followed my advice,’ she said, moving on to a different section of hair.
My eyes lowered. Of course, Maa didn’t come here to give me a champi out of the goodness of her heart.
‘Parth is a nice boy, Maa. But I don’t like him,’
I whispered.
‘Okay.’
Wait. Was it really that easy? ‘Okay?’
‘Banaras has always been small for your big dreams. We know you need someone who loves you and understands you. And frankly, you living with in-laws will be a nightmare for you, themandus,’ she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. ‘Parth just fit perfectly in what we thought would make you the happiest. It’s all we want for you. But if your heart is not with him, then that’s that.’
A prickling ache built behind my eyes.
All my life, I thought that my parents didn’t understand me. They probably still didn’t. But they knew me. And in this moment, Maa’s words felt enough.
Maybe … I should be more honest with her. ‘Maa?’
‘Yes?’
‘I … got fired from my job. Ten months ago. I’d been working at House of Advani as an assistant. But …’ I swallowed. ‘That’s over now, too.’
‘What?’Her fingers stilled. ‘Why didn’t you tell us?’
