‘I’m in college for five more days. Why so many sweets?’ I asked in the auto
back to campus.
‘We will eat them, no? And we might meet people. They will say her son is
graduating and she has nothing to offer us. I almost brought packed meals. I
don’t want to eat the Gujarati daal with sugar. Is it really sweet?’
‘It’s not that sweet. Anyway, I want you to meet someone, mom,’ I said as the
auto struggled to penetrate the narrow lanes near the railway station.
‘Who?’
‘There’s this girl,’ I said.
‘You have a Girlfriend? Girlfriend?’ she asked as if I had contacted AIDS.
‘A good friend,’ I said to calm her down.
‘Good friend? What, you have bad friends also?’
‘No, mom. We used to study together. We did a lot of projects together.’
‘OK. Did she get a job?’
‘Yes, in HLL. It’s a good job.’
‘HLL?’
‘The company that makes Surf. And Rin and Lifebuoy and Kissan Sauce.’ I
named products, hoping that one of them would impress her.
‘Kissan Jams also?’ she asked after thinking for thirty seconds.
‘Yes. She is in marketing. It’s the most prestigious marketing job.’
‘She will get free jams then?’
‘I guess,’ I said, wondering how to bring the conversation back on track. ‘But
that’s not the point.’
‘Yes, it’s not. So, should we stop for lunch before we go to your college or do
we eat in college? Bhaiya, any good restaurants here?’ she addressed the auto
driver.
‘Mom, stop. I am talking about something important.’
But my mother said, ‘These auto drivers always know good places.’
nora
(Nora)
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