*
Thankfully, by the time Suki had sounded the dinner gong, Olivia had managed to salvage an agenda for her only day in Agra. True, cuts had to be made, but overall she felt satisfied. Tomorrow was a new day, and maybe, at last, she could relax just a little bit for the evening.
As she descended the stairs, Olivia was instantly hit with the most delicious and intoxicating smell of food. It was potent and rich, with a kick of chilli that she could feel at the back of her throat. Her stomach growled in anticipation and her mouth began to water. As she approached the kitchen door, she could hear the same hum of chatter that had greeted her when she’d first arrived at the homestay.
How many people were staying here?
Suddenly the anxiety that had quietened to a low simmer reared up and gave an almighty kick. The thought of sitting in a room full of strangers with their questions and curiosityturned her stomach. Could she ask to eat in her room alone? She knew Suki would object, and besides, Olivia was many things but blatantly rude was not one of them.
With a deep inhale she pushed the door open to reveal an egg-yolk yellow room, filled with steam and laughter and the sound of very content and very full people.
‘Ah, Olivia!’ Suki stood in the centre of the kitchen, her bulky frame wrapped in a glittering sari that hung like a dark green snakeskin over her body. ‘Come, sit down here next to me.’ She beckoned her over to the other side of the table. Everywhere Olivia looked there were bowls of food, almost as vivid as the paint on the walls.
‘This looks incredible!’ she gasped.
‘And all of it must be eaten, so come.’ She grabbed Olivia’s hand and pulled her round to the empty chair next to hers. Olivia’s cheeks flushed as she noticed the eyes that were following her to her seat. There were two sets of couples, one old and one young, both rosy-faced and freckled from the sun. Sitting in between them was a ruddy-faced, short-haired woman who, despite being fifty plus, was wearing an ensemble fit for a toddler. The effect of the orange dungarees with the lime-green T-shirt and polka-dot socks pulled up to her knees, was quite something for the eyes.
‘Hey, why didn’t you put old Liv next to me, Sooks? Us solo travellers have to stick together, am I right?’ the woman barked across the table. Her voice was abrasive, like stones rubbing against the inside of Olivia’s ears.
‘Because she didn’t want her running for the hills on her first night,’ the elderly man whispered to his wife, just loud enough for everybody to hear.
‘Now, now, let Olivia sit down before we descend into total chaos,’ Suki artfully interrupted, piling food high on aplate and placing it in front of Olivia. ‘Shall I do introductions?’
The group nodded, mouths too full to object.
‘Right, well then. Everybody, this is Olivia.’
‘Hi, Olivia,’ they chorused cheerfully.
‘And we have Andrea and Alison.’ The two women sitting in the corner waved. ‘Betty and Peter.’ Suki gestured to the oldest pair of guests, who were seated to Olivia’s right-hand side. ‘And, last but not least—’
‘Tracey Warwick, a pleasure to meet you,’ the brash lady interrupted, reaching her thick hand across for Olivia to take. ‘I have to say, it’s nice to see a young woman braving it by herself out here. Single women travellers. We are a rare old breed, you and I!’
‘That’s because you’re both off your rockers.’ Peter snorted, stuffing a piece of roti into his mouth. ‘Who on earth would try and tackle this place by themselves?’
‘Peter.’ Betty swiped at his hand. ‘Don’t be so rude.’ She turned her wrinkled face to Olivia. ‘I’m sorry about him. He doesn’t know how to behave sometimes.’
‘Feels like all the bloody time with the amount you tell me off,’ he grumbled, reaching for a bowl of thick, red curry.
‘No!’ She moved the dish away from her husband’s reach. ‘Remember what the doctor said, less saucy stuff. It’s not good for your arteries.’ Ignoring Peter’s angry mumblings, Betty turned her attention back to Olivia, her blue eyes so light in colour they looked like they were made from glass. ‘So, how long have you been in India then, dear?’
‘This is my fourth day,’ Olivia replied, trying her best to resist the urge to shovel all the food into her mouth in one go.
‘Ooh, it all must still feel so new and exciting! Are you away for a long time?’
‘It’s about three months in total.’ To even say it out loud felt like a life sentence. ‘How about you?’
‘Well, this is our last stop before flying home. We’ve been here two weeks.’ A flicker of sadness rippled through the lines of her crepe-paper face. ‘And if I’m being honest, I’m rather jealous of your adventure. Oh, what it must be like to be young and have time on your side!’
‘You’re not dead in the grave yet,’ Peter grouched.
Olivia nearly choked on her spinach curry as she tried to stifle a laugh.
‘I think three months is a good amount of time.’ Alison tried to wrestle the conversation back on track. ‘Are you in between jobs or do you have an incredibly awesome boss letting you take that much holiday?’
Olivia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She hated the thought of lying, but at the same time, she wasn’t sure talking about her mental breakdown with this group of complete strangers on her first night was appropriate.
‘I had a lot of holiday saved up.’ She smiled falsely. ‘And yes, a very nice boss.’
