'In case you are thinking how much I will spend.' 'You silly or what? It will be a
nice break. We'll go together.' 'Fine. Let's do the rest of the sums. We have taken
a fifteen-minute break.'
I finished a set of exercises and gave her ten problems as homework. Her phone
beeped as I stood up to leave. She rushed to grab it. 'Garima,' she said and I shut
the door behind me.
I was walking out when Ish came home.
'Hey, good class? She is a duffer, must be tough,' said Ish, his body covered in
sweat after practice.
'Not bad, she is a quick learner,' I said. I didn't know why, but looking at Ish
right then made my heart beat fast. I wondered if I should tell him about my plan
to go to Law Garden with Vidya to buy books. But that would be stupid, I
thought. I didn't have to explain everything to him.
'I figured out a way to rein in Ali,' Ish said.
'How?'
'I let him hit his four sixes first. Then he is like any of us.' I nodded.
'The other boys get pissed though. They think I have a special place for this
student.' Ish added.
'They are kids. Don't worry,' I said and wondered how much longer I had to be
with him and why the hell did I feel so
guilty?
'Yeah. Some students are special, right?' Ish chuckled. For a nanosecond I felt
he was making a dig at me. No, this was about Ali. I didn't have a special student.
'You bet. Listen, have to go. Mom needs help with a big wedding order.'
With that, I took rapid strides and was out of his sight. My head buzzed like
those electrons inside the marble statue in Omi's temple.
★
She was dressed in a white chikan salwar kameez on the day of our Law
Garden trip. Her bandhini orange and red dupatta had tiny brass bells at the
end. They made a sound everytime she moved her hand. There was a hint of extra
make-up. Her lips shone and I couldn't help staring at them.
'It's lip gloss. Is it too much?' she said self-consciously, rubbing her lips with
her fingers. Her upper lip had a near invisible mole on the right. I pulled my gaze
away and looked for autos on the street. Never, ever look at her face, I scolded
myself.
'That's the bookshop,' I said as we reached the store.
The University Bookstore in Navrangpura was a temple for all muggers in the
city. Nearly all customers were sleep deprived, overzealous students who'd never
have enough of quantum physics or calculus. They don't provide statistics, but I
am sure anyone who clears the engineering and medical entrance exams in the
city has visited the bookstore.
The middle-aged shopkeeper looked at Vidya through his glasses. She was
probably the best looking customer to visit that month. Students who prepared
for medical entrance don't exactly wear coloured lip gloss.
'Ahem, excuse me,' I said as the shopkeeper scanned Vidya up and down.
'Govind beta, so nice to see you,' he said. One good way old people get away
with leching is by branding you their son or daughter. He knew my name ever
since I scored a hundred in the board exam. In the newspaper interview I had
avery
(avery)
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