‘Don’t dip into any of this! Especially the vada, we only have a few, and I made them extra hot so you will regret it!’ Deepali said to her father that night, as he approached the tray laid out on his kitchen table.
‘You expect me to take them and not to eat them?’
‘Yes, precisely that.’
As soon as Deepali had gone, he just had to have one. Lo and behold, Deepali had been right, it had burnt even his lips and he knew that was never a good sign for the rest of the vada’s journey. He chased it down with a glass of milk and several spoonfuls of yoghurt.
He was looking forward to seeing who might come today – new faces, old faces, friendly faces. And he hoped Aleisha’s mum would come today too, but it was unlikely. Leilah was struggling. He couldn’t imagine how he would feel, God forbid, if one of his daughters or grandchildren died. He couldn’t imagine waking up, leaving the bed, the house, ever again. The world would be so much darker without them.
He had ordered a new junior library card and pre-emptively taken out Life of Pi, Beloved and Pride and Prejudice to give to Priya before the event. Now he just had to wait for her to arrive.
Mukesh tried in vain to read while he waited – but in the excitement, he found he couldn’t pick up a new book. Instead, he read the first few pages of The Time Traveler’s Wife once more – and the words instantly transported him to Naina. He remembered the time he’d first read it. How heartbroken he had been. But how different he felt now – how alive. And Naina, she was here, in these words, in this love story. She was here in his heart, with him every step of the way.
When the doorbell rang, pulling him from the story, Mukesh jumped up too quickly, his head feeling light. For the briefest moment, he had a feeling that Naina was at the door.
‘Dada!’ Priya called, stepping into the house. ‘Have you eaten a vada?’
Rohini, a few steps behind her, stormed through to the kitchen, zipping around the room, checking in every corner, every fridge compartment, for any snacks that had been forgotten. ‘Papa, did you?’
‘No!’
‘Yes you did,’ Priya giggled. ‘Deepalimasi said there were twenty-one, and now I count only twenty!’ Priya stood over the tray of vadas, her finger raised accusingly.
Mukesh went pink.
‘Right, let me take that.’ Rohini grabbed the tray. ‘I’m going to Nilakshimasi’s now. Will you two be okay getting to the library on your own? How will you go?’
‘I think we’ll walk,’ Mukesh said firmly. Rohini nodded, formally, and trotted out of the door. A woman on a mission.
‘So, Priya,’ Mukesh said. ‘I’ve got a surprise!’
‘A surprise?’ Priya said, a little cautiously.
‘Yes,’ Mukesh pulled his canvas bag from the banister, and took out a little card and three books. He plonked them all in Priya’s hands.
The library card said Priya Langton, in Aleisha’s chubbiest handwriting.
‘Mine?’ Priya said, looking down at it. ‘For the library that Aleisha works at?’ She looked up at her dada, hopeful.
‘Yes, Aleisha wrote your name on it specially!’
‘The books, are they all for me to read?’ Priya laid them all out side by side on the stairs.
‘If you’d like to. Beloved is maybe one for your mummy to read instead, but I wanted to give it to you so you know that it’s a good one. Although it’s a little bit scary.’
‘I’ve read The Woman in Black, that was scary,’ Priya said proudly.
‘I don’t know that one.’
‘Ba told me she read it once; she said she jumped out of her skin.’ Priya brought her hand to her mouth to suppress a giggle, but Mukesh saw her eyes glisten with a soft sheet of tears.
‘Oh, beti,’ he said, embracing her. ‘Your ba would so love to see the wonderful young lady you are, Priya. You make her very proud.’ Mukesh’s words trembled. ‘You make me very proud too.’
They stayed in a hug for a moment, Mukesh resting his head on Priya’s. The whole house, which had felt silent for so long, suddenly felt like home again.
‘Dada,’ Priya eventually said. ‘Shall we get to the library?’
Mukesh looked at his watch, twenty past ten. ‘Oh Bhagwan!’ he said. ‘Yes we should! I’m meant to help set up!’
By the time they arrived at the library, twenty minutes before the start, Aleisha was already there with someone who looked very much like her.
‘Hello, Aleisha! Do you remember me? I’m Priya,’ she said, skipping up to her. There was no sign of nerves today.