‘That’s, um, good,’ Harris says as she releases him. ‘Ma’am, I’m sorry to impose on your hospitality. You’ve been really kind.’
Nanitsks. ‘Kindness and generosity repay themselves.’
‘Thank you for the clothes. I’ll make sure to bring everything back.’
‘Old clothes of Deepan’s.’ Nani waves a hand. ‘This is no trouble. Nothing is too much trouble for my granddaughter’s fiancé!’
I yelp. ‘Nani!’
Harris’s mouth drops open.
Nani turns to me, smiling as if all her birthdays have come at once. ‘For so long I have wanted to see you matched! And now you bring home this handsome boy…’
My face warms up like a space heater. ‘Nani, Harrisisn’tmy –’
‘He wears his trousers like Shah Rukh Khan, hm?’ She gives me a twinkling grin.
‘Ah,’ Harris says. ‘Well, um, me and Amie, we’re just –’
‘Nani, we’re not –’ I start.
‘Oh, you have made me a very happy Nani!’ She grabs me and Harris and pulls us by the hands. Harris and I make matching goggle-eyed expressions at each other over the top of her head as we’re towed towards the kitchen.
‘Now,’ Nani says to Harris, ‘you have not told me your family name. And what is it that you do? Are you a student? Or perhaps you are working at the hospital, yes? Did you meet Amita there?’ She pushes us both onto kitchen stools, slides glasses of mango cup in our direction.
‘Uh…’ Harris’s eyes are round as goose eggs.
‘Yes,’ I choke out. Sweat is running down the small of my back. ‘Harris met me at the hospital.’ I give him a panicked glare.
‘Um, yeah,’ Harris says, nodding. ‘But I don’t work there. I came in…uh…’
I pick up where he falters. ‘Harris is training to be a police officer.’ I glance at him quickly. ‘He had an accident during training and came in as a patient.’
‘A police officer!’ Nani exclaims. ‘Such dangerous work! You must be a brave young man.’
‘Harris is very brave,’ I agree. I catch Harris’s look. He’s putting a brave face on this situation, that’s for sure.
Nani swivels back to Harris, owl-eyed behind her glasses. ‘Amita’s father is a police officer, you know.’
Harris nods his head gravely. ‘Yes, ma’am, I’m aware of that.’
‘You are? Very good,’ Nani says, and she leans forward to rub his cheek, smiling. ‘Ah, then you are a good match for my bebe. How lucky I am, to see two granddaughters find husbands!’
I stand up. ‘Nani, it’s been lovely to have Harris visit but he really has to go now.’
‘But you have not eaten!’ Nani says. She turns as if she’s about to head for the stove.
‘Nani.’
Harris rises too, taking my cue. ‘Yeah, I really do have to go.’ He sees Nani’s crestfallen expression. ‘I’ll come for a meal another time though. I promise. Sorry to be rude, but I gotta –’
‘Harris has a – a – training class to attend,’ I say. ‘Yes.’
‘Absolutely,’ Harris says. ‘Yeah, I better not miss that.’
Nani sighs, then nods. ‘Ah, you must not miss your class, I understand. Amita will invite you to our house again, won’t you, Amita? For a proper Punjabi dinner?’
‘I – Yes,’ I say. ‘Harris will come another night for dinner. I’ll make sure of it. Now I’m going to walk Harris out to his car, Nani, all right? I’ll be right back.’
