Half Girlfriend

28 'I have a confession to make,’ Riya said. We were sitting on a jute charpoy on the haveli’s roof, looking up at the millions ...

her hand was wrong, she only mentioned my mother. ‘She’s asleep,’ I said. I entwined my fingers with hers. She didn’t protest. I ...

‘Can we please not do all this other stuff?’ ‘Not now,’ I agreed,‘But maybe later?’ ‘Madhav,’ she said, I don’t want to get your ...

‘How does that work?’ ‘I don’t know. I can’t get that one kiss out of my head. I need to know I mean something to you. I underst ...

the quality of the kiss, or what did the kiss mean, or can we do this again or let’s get carried away. I did it for you. So you ...

'You don't have fever,' I said, 'I'm exhausted, l guess.' ‘Did I stress you out?’ I said. I felt guilty about kissing her. ‘No. ...

29 'So this is the famous Dumraon Royal School,’ Riya said, her eyes widening at the sight of hundreds of kids buzzing around li ...

‘It’s fine,’ my mother said. ‘Or I could help with the books?’ Riya said. My mother looked up and lowered her reading glasses. ' ...

I moved to class IV and then to class V. Forty minutes into the class, I sat down for a break. I had finally managed to keep all ...

Riya tweaked Shabnam's nose. ‘So are you,’ she said. Shabnam blushed. Riya spoke to the girl next to Shabnam.‘What do you want t ...

‘You are so sweet. There is no need. It’s just an allergy.’ ‘I should come with you,’ I said. She held my shoulders and flipped ...

30 'Louder, Madhav. You’re speaking like a mouse,’ Riya shouted, in contrast to my meek voice. She was grouchy, perhaps because ...

Riya had not reacted much to her father’s death. She had come back from Delhi and hugged me as if she would never let go. She mu ...

We went to her kitchen. She cooked dinner and I made a salad of tomatoes and cucumber with salt, pepper and lemon juice. I set t ...

‘You want to sleep here?’ No answer. I got a sheet and pillow from her bedroom. I placed the pillow under her head and the sheet ...

arms around them with no other idea in their heads. I didn’t have courage to do anything else. Maybe she is getting comfortable ...

indignant. Samantha had called me on Monday morning, a day before Gates’s visit. ‘I’m sorry, Madhav. It’s a really tight schedul ...

31 At 10.15 on Tuesday morning, my phone rang. ‘We are entering Dumraon. Ten more minutes,’ Samantha said. I rushed to the schoo ...

the royal family,’ Samantha said. ‘Madhav, Mr Gates.’ I shook hands with the richest man in the world. They say Mr Gates is so r ...

right to left. The crowd had stopped clapping and were now waiting for me to speak. I took the mic in my hand. It slipped a litt ...