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‘Excellent presentation, that is what the board told Dad in Delhi. Now they’ve
asked all zonal offices to make similar ones,’ Ananya said in an excited voice.
We sat on the floor for dinner. Ananya’s mom kept quiet as she stirred a bowl
of rasam. She offered it to me without a word.
‘You OK, mom?’ Ananya said.
‘Did you go to Ratna Stores with him?’ Ananya’s mother said, pointing to me.
‘Oh shit, Chitra aunty had to tell you the next morning,’ Ananya said, her hand
busy mixing the rice and daal.
‘Akka, don’t use bad words at the dinner table,’ Manju said.
‘Manju, you eat. I am talking to mom here,’ Ananya said.
‘He’s right. We don’t talk like that in this house. We don’t do the things you do
either,’ Ananya’s mother said as she vented some of the anger on the rice in her
leaf. She mashed and smashed it with all the vegetables extra hard.
‘What have I done, mom? Krish wanted steel plates. How would he know
where to go? I took him to Ratna Stores.’
‘And you do cheap things in the store?’ Ananya’s mother said.
‘What cheap things, mom?’ Manju said.
‘Manju, can you leave the room? Go read you physics book,’ Ananya bade.
‘But I’ve already revised physics today,’ Manju said.
‘Then study maths or chemistry, for God’s sake. Go.’ Ananya’s stern glance
did the trick. Manju picked up his banana leaf and took it to his room.
‘Something something cheap something....’ Ananya’s mother said as Ananya
interrupted her.
‘Mom, Krish doesn’t understand Tamil. Please, speak in English,’ Ananya said.
Ananya’s mother gathered herself and spoke again. ‘Why are you sending
your brother away, when you are ready to be cheap in public?’