* * *
“Hey, Malini, where are the extra sheets?” Roshan called down to his sister from the upstairs hall. He was staring into the empty linen closet where they usually kept extra sheets and towels.
“The what?”
“Extra sheets you know, for the guest bedroom. I can’t find them. And while we’re at it, your bedroom looks really empty. What did you do with all your stuff? Sell it on eBay?”
“Must be in the laundry. Did Mom and Dad tell you why they were coming?” Malini startled him by suddenly being behind him. She seemed to be trying very hard to sound nonchalant.
“No, they just said they were back from Europe, and they wanted to come and see us. Plus, Holi’s coming up soon, so they thought they would stay and celebrate.” He eyed his sister. “Why? What do you know?”
“Ohh, nothing.”
“Malini.” He narrowed his eyes at her
“Well. Maybe they’re coming to meet your girlfriend.”
Roshan studied his sister. Him having a girlfriend was not big enough news for his parents to make a visit, and Malini knew this. “Malini. What are you not telling me?”
“Don’t you have to go pick up Mom and Dad from the airport?” She started back toward the stairs.
“They are taking a cab.” He focused his gaze on her. Hard. “Malini, what’s going on?”
But she was out the door, muttering about the laundry.
Roshan shook his head. His sister was up to something.
An hour later, Malini was back when the doorbell rang. And when he opened the door, his father snapped, “How could you let your sister move out and live on her own?”
Roshan had no idea what he was talking about. He spun to look at Malini as his parents entered their home, his mother tutting at him.
His sister looked guilty.
Roshan stared at her. “Explain.”
She inhaled and then said, “So-I-found-this-apartment-and-I’m-pretty-much-moved-in-and-I’m-having-a-house-warming-party-with-a-puja-and-that’s-why-mom-and-dad-are-here.”
Roshan didn’t know what to say. His stomach hollowed out. How had he not been aware of this?
“Last week we called you, and you didn’t know where she was,” his father continued.
“She was at the gym. I walked over and saw her car in the lot.”
“You did what?” Malini spun around.
“I didn’t go in,” he said to her.
“You should have gone in to confirm,” his father said.
“No, he should not have!” Malini said.
Roshan stared from his sister, who was the picture of hot indignation, to his parents, whose pursed mouths screamed disappointment. He didn’t know what to do. He was in shock. “When did this happen? I’ve seen you here. Your furniture, your bed.”
“Well, I took stuff over when you were in Hawaii.”
“What about your bed?”
“I bought one for the apartment so this one could stay here.”
