I clutch my heart again. “I feel attacked.”
“You should,” Ishika replies lightly.
My mother laughs and then, without missing a beat, pulls her phone out. “Give me your number.”
Ishika blinks. “Ma’am?”
“In case he acts up. I need updates.”
“Ma!” I exclaim.
Ishika hesitates for only a second before she dictates her number calmly. I stare at both of them like I’ve been outplayed in my own office. What is happening?
“This is not how this was supposed to go,” I mutter.
Ishika finishes and steps back slightly. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a site meeting.” She gives my mother a polite smile and nods at me before walking out. “I will come back later for the signature.” She gives me a nod. I follow her with my eyes for a second longer than I should. The door closes.
There’s silence for just a beat and I groan knowing fully well what’s going to happen now. “So,” my mother says slowly.
I grunt. “Please don’t.”
“She’s nice.”
“There is nothing going on there,” I say immediately.
“Sure,” she replies, the word stretched out with a knowing smile.
“I swear, Ma—”
She raises a brow, clearly enjoying this. And that’s when I realize she’s fishing. She wants a reaction. I roll my eyes and gently push her toward the chair. “Sit down Ma.” I give her light nudge and direct her to my chair, “You’re here to inspect the office or interrogate me?”
“I brought lunch,” she says, suddenly softening.
That catches me off guard. “You didn’t have to,” I murmur.
“I know,” she says simply.
She opens the tiffin, and the familiar smell hits me instantly. I sit across from her and watch her serve it like she used to when I was younger.
“You’re losing weight,” she comments casually.
“I’m not.”
“You are.” I shake my head, smiling despite myself.
“You work too much,” she adds.
“So do you,” I reply.
She pauses for a second. We don’t talk about Papa much. Not directly. But sometimes it lingers in the spaces between sentences.
“I worry about you,” she says quietly.
I look up at her. Not teasing now. Not matchmaking. Just…my mother.
“I’m fine,” I say, softer.
She studies my face for a second, like she’s trying to read what I don’t say. “And she makes you laugh,” she says after a moment.
