‘Happy to chauffeur you every time, Rai,’ Andrew said. We had paused and were looking at each other.
My neck felt warm.
‘I don’t think I’m going to do the next one in a hurry. We have three or four pieces in the bank.’
‘Whenever you plan to do it.’
‘Why?’
We had stopped walking; we were in front of Chhaya’s office building, facing each other. Andrew was smiling.
‘It’s not because you’re a woman and you need protection in an environment like what we were in the other day. No one, man or woman, should do this alone.’
My mouth was salty again. I bit my teeth and stopped the tears.
‘Unless the adopted grandson has already offered?’
I smiled. I hadn’t told Andrew about Ravi yet. ‘You are better than that,’ I said.
He nodded. His gaze dropped to my lips before turning away hastily.
‘This is too dark a line for a reporter to pursue on their own in the regularity with which you do it. It’s literally your column now. Editor Uncle doesn’t want anyone else to contribute, which is fair. You own it. But don’t go on these assignments alone. I’ll go with you every time I can. Let’s try and work the meetings at a time when it is convenient for me, too, to accompany you. Let me know what you’re pursuing, how and when, and I’ll try and keep myself free around that time.’
This was the Andrew I knew. Once my pillar.
‘And nobody needs to know about this arrangement, Myraah. It’s just between you and me.’
I shut my eyes, and for the first time that evening, I felt calm.
‘I’m sorry to interrupt this.’
I heard Chhaya’s voice from behind me; she was laughing. Andrew, who was generally alert in public spaces, had completely missed my friend, whom he was facing.
I hugged Chhaya and told her we had just picked up coffee.
‘Buy me tea,’ she asked Andrew.
Chhaya motioned to the security officer of her building and told him she’d be back for her car in 10 minutes. I corrected her and told him it would be an hour at least. She laughed and fell in step with us. This was the first time Chhaya was seeing Andrew since after school.
‘You’re looking wonderful,’ she said.
Andrew smiled. ‘You, too,’ he replied.
‘I don’t know how you guys haven’t run into each other all these months, given that our offices are so close.’
‘I think I saw you at a distance once. It was a little after I returned to Bengaluru,’ Andrew said. ‘You both were having coffee.’
His eyes shifted from Chhaya to me.
Like old friends, which they were not, Chhaya and Andrew quickly lost me, updating each other on their lives. I interrupted only because they were dismissive of their respective successes. I spelt them out. They returned to schooldays every now and then, recalling an incident or a teacher, but steered clear of Meena Iyer.
They were enjoying each other’s company so much that I asked them to sit down and went to collect Chhaya’s drink.
‘You, too?’ Andrew asked as I sat down.
I had no idea what they were talking about. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said, looking at Chhaya and then at Andrew.
‘Apparently, everyone in school thought I was a snob.’
