Half Girlfriend

‘Can I help you, sir?’ a young hotel staff member at the concierge
desk asked me.
‘The lady who left just now. You saw her? Mustard salwar-
kameez?’
‘Yes.’
‘Where did she go?’
'We don’t know, sir. It’s a private taxi.’
‘Will she be back?’
‘Not sure, sir. Sorry. Is there a problem, sir?’
I shook my head. I walked back into the hotel, wondering what to
do next.
I went to the coffee shop again and found the waiter.
‘You just gave a bill to a lady.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘She might be an old friend of mine. Can I see it?’
The waiter looked at me with suspicion.
‘I was just here with the foreigners. We sat there,’ I said, pointing
to our table. If you are seen hanging out with white guys, people
assume you are not a bad person.
The waiter went to the cash counter. He brought back the bill. I
saw her signature. Yes, I had bumped into Riya Somani, after all.
‘231,’ the waiter said.‘She signed the bill to her room.’
‘She is staying here?’ I said.
‘Of course,’ the waiter said. He looked at me as if I was a certified
idiot.
I heaved a sigh of relief. I came to the reception and enquired
about a guest named Riya in 231.
‘Yes, it is a company booking. She is here for a week.’
‘When will she come back?’
‘Can’t say, sir. If you leave your name and number we can ask her
to contact you.’
I wasn’t sure if Riya would do that. If I had to meet her, I had no
choice but to wait. I decided to skip my English classes. I sat in the