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‘Oh, wow!’ said Anju Aunty. ‘Maybe someday you can share the Konkani fish recipe?’
‘Of course, Aunty, of course,’ I said, gushing.
There was another coughing fit from Pitajee, whose mother had spent the better part of the morning cooking the food. Anu and Vikram both glared him into feeling healthier again.
‘You cooked all this?’ asked Anju Aunty again, not quite believing what she was seeing.
I nodded my head shyly, settling the pallu over my head. I noted that Anju Aunty still had her head covered as well.
‘You … you seem very different now,’ she said as she sat down. I flitted around her, fussing over the food and her plate.
This was it. My cue.
‘Aunty, I am different now. Let us just say…’ (pause, count till three, look far away, resume) ‘…being away from Purva taught me a big lesson. I am sorry for all the trouble I caused. Each day … each day … each day…’ I paused, panicking as my brain froze. The next few words that Pitajee and Vikram had written together for me refused to come to me. I stood still, not moving, and stared helplessly at Pitajee. I could not forget my words now! No!
‘When you pray,’ he said and then had another coughing fit.
Yes! Bless you, Pitajee!
‘Each day,’ I continued jubilantly, ‘when I pray, I ask God to forgive me. I don’t know if He will, or when He will, but till then … I am guilty…’
Then, most dramatically, I gave a little sniff and, covering my mouth with one end of the pallu, rushed out of the room.
‘I think she became a little emotional,’ said Anu in a sad voice.
‘Oh…’ said Anju Aunty, quite bewildered.
‘I will go get her,’ Anu said.
‘Yes, do that please,’ said Purva, covering his face as Vikram grinned.
‘Don’t grin like that, Vikram,’ said Anju Aunty angrily. ‘The girl is emotional. You have to be more considerate.’
Pitajee had yet another coughing fit. A little later, I came out, looking more composed and we all finally sat down to dinner.
‘Paranthas, Auntyji,’ I said, smiling at her.
‘Mughlai?’ she asked, laughing.
I nodded my head. The only thing at the table that I had made.
Pitajee and Anu exchanged a look as Anju Aunty laughed delightedly and picked two fluffy, round and soft paranthas for herself.
‘So Auntyji,’ I said chattily. ‘How is Lata Taiji?’
Anju Aunty looked at me, surprised. ‘You remember her?’
‘Of course!’ I said, indignantly. ‘You were telling me once how well her boutique was doing.’
‘Yes, yes, of course.’
‘The one that Betu Didi is helping out with these days,’ I said.
‘Is she?’ she asked me, her eyes growing bigger by the second. ‘I knew someone was helping her! Lata Didi is incapable of doing this on her own! How do you know?’
‘Betu Didi told me.’
‘When? How?’
