Page 12 of Knot So Romantic

Kavita warmly hugs Elena goodbye after we’re done. When she turns to me, there’s a momentary hesitation before she opens the door. Her lips part slightly. “See you again,” she murmurs, her eyes resting on mine.

I give a small nod, unsure of how to respond, as a myriad of emotions swirls within me.

“Is anything the matter?” Elena asks as we step outside.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re so quiet!”

I stay silent, not trusting myself to speak.

Elena links her arm through mine as we stroll down the street, gushing over our selections and her excitement about the wedding. “What did you think of Kavita?” she asks.

“You mean her work? It’s brilliant. I’m really glad you found her.”

“No, no, I mean Kavita herself. As a person.” Elena gives my arm a little squeeze.

I furrow my brow. “What about Kavita?”

Elena pauses for a moment, as if choosing her words carefully. “Well...I’ve been wondering if she might really hit it off with Dilip’s colleague. You know, if they met.”

I tug at my collar, suddenly feeling awkward. “You’re asking my opinion on setting Kavita up with someone?” My voice is completely serious. “After the mess I made of my own marriage? I don’t think my judgment on that kind of thing will be any good.”

She stops walking and looks me in the eye. “Neel, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up anything painful. But it’s been a long time since...well, since Ramya.” Her voice is gentle. “Don’t you think you should stop dwelling on the past?”

The mention of my ex-wife’s name hits me. It’s true. She has been on my mind more than usual lately.

But not in the way Elena thinks.

It took a few years, but I’ve finally accepted that I’m better off without her. We did well for the first few years of our arranged marriage. Just not enough to be okay when I told her I couldn’t accept her parents’ constant demands for money—one that involved the games her parents were playing to use her to fleece me. I didn’t expect it to end things. I thought she’d support me not wanting to play along to their tunes. Instead, she ended the marriage and left me for her parents.

Her choice still hurts—a thick, slimy serpent coiled deep in my gut, rearing its ugly head whenever I think about her. Whenever I realize how naïve I was, how trusting and giving.

My shoulders tense instinctively, but I force myself to relax and loosen some of the familiar tension. It’s over and done with. And I realize that I’m better for it now.

A moment later, Elena gasps, her hands flying to her mouth, snapping me out of my reverie. “Oh no! I left my shopping bag at the boutique.”

“Shopping bag?”

“Yes, I picked up a few things on my way to meet Kavita. I must have left the bag there, and now I’m already running late for my salon appointment.” She looks at me pleadingly. “Neel, would you please go back later and get it for me? Please, please, please!”

Something stirs inside me at the thought of seeing Kavita again. But I push it down. “I’m too busy,” I tell her, ignoring the tug deep within.

CHAPTER 5

Kavita

When I walk into my parents’ house, Dad is sitting in his rocking chair, listening to classical music. “Hello, dear,” he calls out and switches off the music, picking up his walking stick to rise from his favorite armchair. Ever since his stroke three years ago, there have been traces of slurring in his voice and a little slowness in his movements. But otherwise, he looks fine, and nobody can tell.

“Your mother is making aam ras,” he says as he makes his way to the dining table.

My mother freezes mango chunks so she can make this delicious mango pulpy dish all year round. Aam ras and puris are Dad’s favorites.

“Let me help Mom set the table quickly,” I say, drooling at the aroma wafting from the kitchen.

I enter the kitchen to see my mom making mouth-watering chole to go along with the puris as well. There’s the aam ras dish glistening on the counter. “Best mangoes from last summer,” Mom says. “You’re both going to love it.”

I pop a piece of fried poppadom into my mouth. “Did you talk to Venkat?” I ask her.