Ananya’s father spoke to Harish’s father in Tamil. ‘Something something
Citibank Chennai posted something. Something something Punjabi fellow.’
Everyone nodded and felt relieved after my credentials of being a Punjabi
made me a safe outsider.
‘Talk, Ananya,’ Ananya’s mother whispered to her.
‘How long are you here for?’ Ananya asked as her bangles jingled. She really
didn’t have to wear the bangles.
‘Two weeks. Then I have to go for our annual conference to Bali,’ he said.
‘Bali?’ one of Ananya’s aunts said.
‘Bali is an island in Indonesia, an archipelago. It is eight hours flying time from
here via Singapore,’ Harish’s mother said.
Everyone nodded as they absorbed the little nugget of knowledge before
breakfast. Ananya’s family loved knowledge, irrespective of whether they ever
used it.
We moved to the dining table, or rather the dining floor. Ananya’s mother had
already kept the banana leaves. I found them a little greener than usual, perhaps
my jealousy reflected in them.
Aunties loaded up Harish’s leaf.
‘This is too much,’ Harish said, pointing to the six idlis on his leaf. ‘Does
anyone want one?’ He picked up an idli and placed it in Ananya’s leaf.
‘Wow!’ all the aunties screamed in unison.
‘See, how much care he is taking of her already. You are so lucky, Ananya,’ an
aunt said as I almost tore a piece of banana leaf and ate it.
I saw the bowl of sambhar in the middle. I wondered if I should pick it up and
upturn it on Harish’s head. She can take her own idlis, idiot, why don’t you go drown
in Bali, I thought.
Harish thought it really funny to shift everything he was served to Ananya. He
transferred parts of upma, pongal, chutney and banana chips from his leaf to
hers. Really Harish, did anybody teach you not to stretch a bad joke too far? And all you
aunts, can you please stop sniggering so as to no encourage this moron?
nora
(Nora)
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