‘It’s urgent,’ Neel said.
I couldn’t respond. I did not have any hand free.
He called. I used my pinkie finger to disconnect the call.
He sent another message, ‘Listen, please talk to me for two minutes.’
I couldn’t. How do I tell him? He continued to send me messages, one after the other.
‘Don’t move, Radhikaji,’ Puran said.
Neel continued with his messages.
‘I have a lot to tell you.’
‘Been meaning to reach you sooner.’
‘Are you going to reply at least?’
I can’t, I screamed in my head as Puran Singh drew an intricate circle on my right palm with
henna paste. The messages kept popping up.
‘You know what. This can’t be done on chat.’
‘Or even on a call.’
‘Some things are just better discussed face-to-face.’
‘So maybe I should do that.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Okay then. You are reading my messages but not responding.’
‘So yeah. Face-to-face.’
I sat there, exasperated and helpless.
‘Bhaiya, can you hurry up?’ I said to Puran.
‘It is shaadi ki mehndi. How can you hurry it up? You saw your left hand? I have to make this
equally beautiful.’
I saw my phone flicker every few seconds.
‘Damn,’ I mumbled to myself. I had to respond before he did anything crazy. I had enough on
my plate already.
‘There you go,’ Puran said after two hours.
‘Thank you. Thank you so much. Can I go now?’
‘Yes. But you won’t give me any special gift?’
I gestured to my sister. She gave the mehndi guy a 2,000-rupee tip. He smiled and folded his
hands to say thanks.
‘Don’t wash your hands for four hours. Will make the colour last beyond the honeymoon,’
Puran said.
‘Did you say four hours?’ I said.
I told my cousins I needed to use the restroom. I ran up to my room. Aditi didi followed me there.
‘How will you use the restroom with your hands like this? Come here,’ she said.
Aditi didi unfastened my salwar drawstrings.
‘I will come in with you?’ she said, pointing to the bathroom.
‘Fuck it. I am washing my hands,’ I said.
‘No, wait.. .’