‘Your Dada is right,’ echoed Brahmi.
‘I’m sorry.’
‘You don’t have to apologize,’ said Zubeida. ‘Is anyone of you hungry? Do you want a milkshake? I have heard they have the best milkshakes here!’
‘I don’t want a milkshake.’
‘You can keep asking me questions, Raghu. I’m here for you,’ she said, smiling softly at me.
I tried refusing the milkshake, I tried hard not to drink it, and I wanted to hate it when it swished around in my mouth. I failed on all three counts. I failed at hating Zubeida Quaze.
‘What should I call you?’
‘Call her Didi,’ said Dada.
‘I will think about it.’
‘You can call me anything,’ said Zubeida.
‘I can’t call you Didi because what if you two get married.’
‘Raghu!’ interrupted Dada.
‘Dada, I’m not talking to you. I just remembered I had one more question. Sorry? Can I ask that too?’
‘Please go ahead, Raghu.’
‘Are you getting married to Dada? And don’t tell me you haven’t decided on that because why would you be in love if you don’t intend to get married? Am I right, Brahmi?’
‘Absolutely!’ said Brahmi.
‘You are so cute,’ she said to both of us.
‘That’s not the answer to my question.’
‘I might but your Dada has to agree to it,’ said Zubeida and looked at Dada lovingly.
‘Dada? Do you agree?’ I asked.
Dada nodded half-heartedly, still leaning to hear the commentary of the ongoing match.
Later, Brahmi told me on our way back to school, ‘She’s so sweet.’
‘Is she sweet enough for Maa–Baba not to notice the burqa?’
Baba came back home early for India’s first match in the World Cup. Imagine the gloom in the Ganguly household when despite Ganguly’s valiant 97, India lost its first World Cup match. Dada and Baba refused to eat the malai prawn curry Maa had made in anticipation of an Indian win.
‘It’s because of you we lost,’ said Baba. ‘You celebrated too early. Next time I will lock the kitchen till the time India wins!’
‘But—’
‘Baba is right. You jinxed our win,’ Dada concurred.
‘That’s unfair!’ I protested.
Dada and Baba left the dinner table and walked to the balcony. They closed the door behind them. Dada was first invited to stand outside with Baba when he cleared IIT. He had smoked his first cigarette that day and had vomited promptly. Maa–Baba had a huge shouting match while Maa cleaned up the half-digested Chinese food we had eaten earlier that day. I peeped in through the window and found the two of them lighting their cigarettes. Mina nipped at my toes. I ate their portion too. The results of the board exams will be announced next week and I have better things to do than mourn our cricket team’s losses.
P.S. Saw many tall buildings today. That’s why Connaught Place is my favourite place. Right there on Barakhamba Road, there are two buildings, each quite tall but each quite hard to get into. Two watchmen outside each building but I’m guessing they must go off to sleep late at night.
