Half Girlfriend

‘Tourists spend a day with our kids.They teach them a class, share
pictures or talk about their country. They say it is one of the most
meaningful things they have ever done in their life.’
‘That’s innovative.’
‘Students love it. They get an exposure to the world. Many tourists
send regular grants or gifts to the school later on.’
‘Where’s your mother?’
‘She’ll come soon. She spends less time at the school now. Riya
and I run it. Shyam keeps Rani Sahiba busy.’ Madhav laughed.
‘She is okay about Riya?’ I said.
‘You forget that she saw how I had become without her. She says
she is happy to have her son back. Not to mention grandson. Her new
darling.’
‘How old is your son now?’
‘Will turn two soon,’ Madhav said. ‘Here they come.’
I saw an elderly lady walk towards us holding a little boy’s hand in
one hand and a large tiffin box in another.
The school bell rang. Hordes of kids ran out. Riya joined us.
‘Everyone’s here,’ she said.
Shyam extracted his hand from his grandmothers and came
running up to his parents. He looked like a chubby baby version of
Riya.
‘Shyam is too tall and too naughty for his age,’ Rani Sahiba said
when Madhav had introduced us.
We sat in the amphitheatre seats of the basketball court. Riya
served everyone a lunch of chapats, daal and carrot-and-peas subzi
from the tiffin box.
Shyam saw a basketball on court. He ran down the amphitheatre
steps for the ball.
‘Careful,’Rani Sahiba said.
‘He’s your daredevil grandson,’ Riya said.
Shyam took the ball in his hand.
‘Shoot,’ Riya said.