‘I understand you must be on a diet. Trust me, I go through the same,’ Kusum said and smiled at
me.
So now what? Were we bonding together? Wife and mistress? Fuck, did I just call myself
mistress? I am not a mistress. I am a vice president, for God’s sake.
I followed Neel’s family out of IKEA and to the food court in a daze. I saw taxis out on the
road. I had the urge to jump into one and scoot away or maybe just jump under one of them and die.
‘Mom, I want French fries with my noodles,’ Siya said.
‘No, I will get you some veggies instead,’ Kusum said. Siya made a face. Kusum glared at her
daughter. Siya got the message and began to eat her lunch. Aryan had home food. Neel ordered a
chicken wrap, Kusum a quinoa salad. I went for fried rice, though I ate it like a little bird, one grain at
a time.
‘Liking Hong Kong?’ Kusum said.
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘Compact, convenient. Work is good.’
‘Made some friends?’ she said.
‘Well, work people, mostly,’ I said.
‘That’s Goldman for you. They make you work so much, you don’t have a life outside.’
‘That’s not true,’ Neel said. ‘I come home on time.’
‘You are a partner. These poor associates and VPs have to do the grunt work.’
Neel shrugged.
‘You have to pay your dues,’ he said.
‘I couldn’t handle it. JP Morgan for eight years. I just quit.’
‘Oh, you were in banking?’ I said. Neel never told me that. Well, he never told me anything
about her.
‘Yeah, equity sales. I had enough. Although busier now with these two little ones. Sometimes I
do wish I could escape to the office.’
‘We don’t escape, we work,’ Neel said.
‘Yeah, whatever. You at least get weekends. Mothers don’t. The errands never stop. That
reminds me, I had to call.. .’ Kusum opened her Louis Vuitton handbag.
‘Siya, where is my phone?’
‘Mommy, I stopped using it when you told me to,’ Siya said, slurping up a noodle.
‘Oh no. I left it in IKEA. On the sofa.’ Kusum jumped up. ‘I will just go to the store and
check.’
‘You want me to come?’ Neel said.
‘How? Kids and food are all here. No, you stay. I will be back in ten minutes.’
‘Do you want me to go and check?’ I said. I’d do anything to get away from this sweet
domestic scene.
‘How kind of you to offer.’ Kusum smiled. ‘Don’t worry. I will be back in a minute. Neel will
handle the kids.’
She left Neel, Siya, Aryan and me at the food court. I had the most awkward meal of my entire
life. I couldn’t talk freely to Neel. Siya might understand, after all.