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“Why didn’t you tell us?” asked Sita, as Reeva shot her a look. “That he kept tabs on us?”
Satya Auntie hesitated. “I... didn’t want to interfere.”
“We are more than happy with you interfering if it means we get to find out the truth, right, guys?” Sita turned to her sisters.
“Chill out,” hissed Reeva, before facing her aunt. “I know you’d never lie to us, Satya Auntie, don’t worry.”
“It’s okay,” said Satya Auntie, running a hand through her dark hair. “You’re allowed to be upset, Sita. I’m sorry. And I really wouldn’t lie to you, ever. But I didn’t want to talk about how your dad felt about you—it felt like it wasn’t my place.”
Sita nodded. “Thanks, Satya Auntie. It’s all cool. But if you do know anything else, please let us know. The quicker we can find everything out, the quicker we can start to move on.”
“Totally,” said Jaya. “Like, can you even tell us if you think Dad was capable of having an affair?”
“I... don’t know,” said Satya Auntie helplessly. “Aren’t we all capable? On some level?”
Reeva forced herself to breathe deeply. This wasn’t about her. “There’s no point trying to guess when we don’t know. We’re going to end up making things up otherwise. It’s better to just... focus on what we do have.”
All four women’s eyes turned to the box in the middle of the table, with wads of cash and bank statements spilling out of it.
“Financial freedom,” said Sita. “Thanks, Dad.”
“The deluxe wedding package,” said Jaya. “I can afford it now.”
“Proof,” said Reeva. “That our dad loved us.”
—
Reeva stood atthe door at 6:50 p.m., dressed in jeans and a kurta top (borrowed from Sita). She was ready for the prayers this time. Now that she knew more about who her father was, she felt like less of an imposter grieving him. And more importantly, she was ready to find out more about who he was. The real him—not the cheating husband her sisters had made him out to be.
The doorbell rang, and Reeva rushed over to answer it with her “Jai Shree Krishna” at the ready.
Dhilip Bhai and Kalpana Ben stood on the doorstep, offering namastes to her. “Thank you for coming, come in,” cried Reeva. The bhajan singer was already setting up, but she’d been hoping her dad’s best friend would be next. As the couple took off their coats she got straight to the point. “Dhilip Bhai. Kalpana Ben. I was wondering if you could tell me a bit more about my dad. I mean, obviously Iknewhim. But I’d love to know what, um...” They were both staring at her like she was mad. It was throwingher off. “Sorry. I’d love to know what he was like as a man, not just a dad. You know?”
This time, Dhilip Bhai nodded heartily. “Of course, Reeva. You want to know who your dad was when he wasn’t being a responsible father. You want to hear about when we’d all go and watch the cricket together!”
His wife slapped his arm. “No, Reeva doesn’t care about cricket, do you?” She carried on talking before Reeva could respond. “You want to know if your dad was lonely, don’t you, beta? But you don’t need to feel bad for being so busy in London. He was very proud of you and your wonderful job.”
Reeva felt a pang of misplaced guilt—she would have loved to make time for her dad if anyone had bothered to let her know he was alive.
“And we never got up to too much trouble, don’t worry,” said Dhilip Bhai, winking at her. “Especially your dad—he wasn’t like us, drinking too much whiskey.”
“Whiskey, cricket, all you ever think about,” complained his wife. “But don’t worry, beta. He wasn’t lonely. He liked to spend time alone; you know what he was like. You all were his priority. And he had his friends, and you know...”
“Who?” asked Sita, sidling up alongside them.
Kalpana Ben hesitated. “His friend.”
“Oh my god, Dad had a girlfriend?” asked Jaya, joining them. “Who?!”
Dhilip Bhai laughed awkwardly. “No, no. He wasn’t like that—he was always talking about you girls and your mother.”
“Leela is just his friend,” said Kalpana Ben firmly. “Come, Dhilip, the guests are arriving. Let’s go inside.”
Sita crossed her arms smugly. “That’s the proof we needed. Dad had a girlfriend.”
“A friend,” corrected Reeva.
“Oh, come on,” cried Jaya. “He and Leela were totally shagging.”
