‘And I’m not an aunty to anyone,’ I protest.
Rabbani’s too absorbed in her rock to look up at me.
Daksh laughs. ‘This church is such a scam, right? There’s nothing here. I can get construction bricks from anywhere and call them historical ruins.’
‘But it’s all targeted to NRIs like you. They will sell you anything in the name of history and culture. And you guys will pay for it.’
He laughs. ‘Your parents are at the flea market?’
I nod.
‘Where’s Gaurav? Oh, there . . . GAURAV!’ he shouts and gestures to Gaurav to come over. He turns to me. ‘I got something for him. And don’t pluck his eyes out, okay?’
‘What?’ says Gaurav.
Daksh pulls out what looks like a gaming device from his pocket and gives it to Gaurav. ‘It’s the new Nintendo. You can play. Give it back when you’re done.’
Gaurav looks at me and then at him. ‘Is this a prank?’
‘Why would it be a prank?’
‘Why are you doing this?’ I ask Daksh.
‘Because he’s the only one who can help me. I challenged my friend back in Dubai I would beat his score at Mario Kart. Clearly, I can’t do that, but he’s good at this.’
‘No,’ I refuse. ‘He’s not playing any games.’
‘DIDI!’ protests Gaurav.
‘Gaurav, no,’ I refuse.
‘Didi, but this is so boring. I have nothing to do!’
‘Gaurav—’
‘Let him, it’s just for the vacation,’ Daksh interjects. ‘And it’s not for him, he’s just helping me out.’
‘Fine, whatever,’ I concede.
Gaurav takes the Nintendo from Daksh. ‘Thank you, Bhaiya!’
‘No, thank you. And beat the score, okay? Don’t waste time on the other games,’ Daksh warns him.
Gaurav runs and finds a corner. I have never seen him happier.
‘What?’
‘You’re strange, Daksh.’
‘I know. According to Sameeksha, I’m also clingy, a loser, someone who has no aim in life and doesn’t have anything figured out. Clearly, I don’t have anything figured out or I wouldn’t be giving a sixteen-year-old my video game so I beat my friend’s score.’
‘She broke up?’
Daksh looks at his feet, smiles sadly and nods. The grief that clouds his face doesn’t match the length of his relationship. He looks at me with his sad, droopy eyes and says, ‘How can a person’s ambition make a relationship better? Such a strange thing to say. I don’t love you any more because your career is not important to you. It’s so fucked up.’
After measuring whether I should say it or not, I decide he deserves the truth. ‘It’s not, Daksh. I’m sorry about the break-up but maybe she wants someone with whom she can imagine a definite future.’
Rabbani shows him another rock. He smiles at her.
