One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat

‘That’s good. I think we have a sense of what is going on here,’ he said when I finished.
The flight attendant served us breakfast: fruit, cereal, milk and omelettes.
‘I could also build another scenario.. .’ I said as Neel interrupted me.
‘Enough. Do you only think about work?’
‘No, I just.. .’
‘Let us enjoy our meal. No more talking shop.’
‘Sure.’ I ate a strawberry with my fork.
‘How do you find Hong Kong?’ Neel said.
‘Efficient. Everything is close by.’
‘You found an apartment?’
‘Yes. On Old Peak Road. I am moving in next week.’
‘It is a good area,’ Neel said.
Old Peak Road passed through the Midlevels, an area midway to the Peak. A one-and-a-half
bedroom apartment in this expat area cost me 6,000 US dollars a month in rent.
‘Where do you stay?’ I said.
‘Repulse Bay. On the South side. You should visit. I do team dinners at my place sometimes.’
‘Sure,’ I said.
He applied jam on his toast. I noticed his slender fingers. I continued to gaze at them until he
spoke again, startling me.
‘Kusum would love to meet you,’ he said.
‘Kusum?’ I said.
‘My wife. We have two kids. Siya and Aryan. Seven and three.’
Of course, a man so amazing had to be married.
‘Oh, how nice,’ I said.
‘Yeah. How about you?’
‘Well, I am not married,’ I said and smiled.
‘Of course. But where’s your family?’
‘Delhi. Mom and dad. I have an elder sister.’
‘Great. You close to your parents?’
I paused for a few seconds to think before I answered.
‘In some ways I am close. Dad is really quiet. I am close to my mom. But we fight a lot,’ I
said.
Neel laughed.
‘Really? Over what?’ he said.
‘The stupidest things. Mostly it is about her obsession to get me married.’
‘Oh, you are young. Why marry so soon?’
‘Exactly. If only she would get that.’
‘Typical Indian parents, right?’ Neel said.
I nodded.
‘When did you leave India?’ I said.
‘When I was twelve. I grew up in London after that. Undergrad at Oxford. Harvard for my
MBA later. Met Kusum there, actually.’
‘Oh, college sweethearts,’ I said. I realized I should have shown more restraint. I was
speaking to a partner, my boss’s boss.
‘You could say that,’ he said and laughed.