“Paani? You want water?”
I stood and reached for the jug of water on the table at the same time as Nikos. The first time I set eyes on his miniature extra thumb, I’d been getting water for Naani.
“Here.” Nikos poured a glass. “Is she okay?”
My stomach lurched at the thought of losing her. I held the water to her lips, but she shook her head.
“Puh…” she said, attempting to get up this time.
“What is she trying to say?” Rachel Auntie cried. “You think she’s had a stroke?”
“What’s going on?” Isabelle joined the circle of chaos and clutched my arm. “What’s wrong with Naani?”
An elderly man nudged his way through the crowd, calling, “Rosa? Rosa Rodrigues?”
Isabelle and I exchanged a look. How did he know her name?
He tried to kneel beside her, but the creak of old bones got in the way.
“Puh…” Naani whispered.
“Yes, sweetheart. It’s me. I wanted to surprise you, but maybe it wasn’t such a good idea. I couldn’t put off seeing you any longer. Greece is closer to India than Chicago. So I thought, why not? I’m sorry if I startled you.”
Puh… Puh… Puh.
PPP.
Prem Prakash Pyarelal.
Naani’s first love. In the flesh.
We got her on a chair and let her catch her breath. “It reallyisyou,” she said. “I thought I was seeing things. You weren’t replying to my messages. I thought something was wrong.”
“You thought I’d croaked and my ghost had come to say goodbye?” He chuckled. “I was on the plane,jaanu.” He sat beside her and took her hand in his. “My God, it’s good to see you.”
Naani took in his bare, mottled scalp, the bright line of his dentures, his shiny suit. “It’s good to see you too,pyare.”
“There you are.” One of the hostesses caught up with Naani’s boyfriend. “So sorry,” she said to Isabelle. “He slipped through when we weren’t looking. Sir, please follow me out.” Her tone was more pleading than authoritative. I wouldn’t want to call security on a geriatric wedding crasher either. At least not without giving him some cake.
“It’s all right,” Isabelle said. “He can stay.”
“Thank God.” Dolly plopped on a chair after the hostess retreated. “You gave us such a scare,” she said to Naani.
“Saara drama kya tum pe hee chhod deh? Yeh to boori baat hain, na?” Can’t let you shoulder all the drama, can we? That would be unfair, right?
“Abh jao tum sab,”Naani went on. “Niklo yahaan se. Tamaasha khatm.”
Now leave us. All of you. Show is over.
We took the hint and dispersed, giving Naani some time alone with herpyare.
“You know, Moti,” Nikos said. “The best man hasn’t been fulfilling his duties tonight.”
“Oh?”
“He hasn’t asked the maid of honor to dance.” He held out his hand. “Would she do me the honor?”
I smiled. “She would.”
