‘Yes, and since my mother is the youngest, she needs validation from all of
them to do anything in life,’ I said.
‘Fine, let me understand first. Minti and Rohan are Rajji mama’s children,’
Ananya said and took out a notepad. ‘And who is the girl you gave the vodka to?’
‘That’s Tinki, and she has a younger sister Nikki, both in college. They are
Lappa mama’s children. And Shipra masi has a son and a daughter, Bittu and
Kittu. That’s it, my mom only has me.’
‘OK, OK,’ Ananya said as she finished taking notes.
‘Krish, come here,’ my mother screamed. She stood next to the stage.
‘Let’s go,’ I said and pulled Ananya’s hand.
Ananya hesitated at first, but came along. My mother sat with an eighty-year-
old lady who wore a gold necklace. It had a pendant bigger than the Olympic gold
medal.
‘She is Swaran aunty, my masi,’ my mother said.
My grandmother had died a couple of years ago. Swaran aunty was the senior-
most family member who was brought out at weddings and other auspicious
occasions to bless everyone.
I bent forward to touch her feet. I signaled and Ananya followed.
‘Kavita, teri noo hai?’ Swaran aunty said in Punjabi, asking if Ananya was my
mother’s daughter-in-law.
My mother explained she was a friend.
‘What is friend?’ Swaran aunty asked me.
‘Aunty, you need chaat?’ I countered.
‘Yes, nobody is getting me anything,’ she complained.
I returned with a plate of chaat. Ananya sat next to Swaran aunty and my
mother.
‘She is Madrasi?’ Swaran aunty said in a voice loud enough to belie her age.
‘Tamilian,’ Ananya said.
nora
(Nora)
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