‘I didn’t do anything cheap.’
‘Chitra is lying?’
‘I gave him a little kiss.’
‘Kissing!’ Ananya’s mother said as if Ananya had mentioned us snorting
drugs.
‘Mom, stop hyperventilating. He is my boyfriend. You understand?’
‘You are my daughter, do you understand? You are spoiling our name in the
community, do you understand? I brought you up, educated you, made sacrifices
for you, do you understand?’
I don’t know if mother and daughter understood anything, but I understood it
was time for me to go. I stood up.
‘Where are you going?’ Ananya demanded of me.
‘To wash my hands,’ I said, showing her my curd-filled hands as proof.
‘Even my hands are messy. Stay with me,’ Ananya ordered.
‘You don’t know what I have to bear because of you,’ Ananya’s mother said. In
one movement she stood up, gathered her leaf and composure and left the room.
Ananya let out a huge sigh.
‘I liked the rasam, nice and tangy,’ I said.
‘You said you owe me big time,’ I said. I sat in Bala’s office. He kept both his
elbows on the desk and ran all ten fingers through his oily hair.
‘But how can i?’ Bala said.
‘You said you are over budget. I have a singer for you, free.’
I played with the paperweight in his office. Alone with him, I behaved his equal.
‘Who?’ he said.