‘I worried that you needed someone to take care of you after Mummy died, but I didn’t give you the credit that you could take care of yourself, and when I tried to look after you, I forgot how to keep you company. I’m sorry.’
Mukesh smiled gently and squeezed his daughter’s hand.
‘I’m going to nip out and help Deepali escape Indira, but I hope we can see each other, spend actual time together, more often. Mummy would want that. I know that now.’
Before Mukesh could say anything in response, Rohini had gone. There was nothing but a croak brewing in his throat – he tried to swallow the lump away before he had to speak to someone else.
He looked out of the window at the crowd of people, holding paper plates, stuffing food in their mouths and chatting. He was so pleased to see the people from the temple weren’t just talking to others from the temple, they were talking to anyone and everyone. The people he assumed Aleisha had invited – her friends, Aidan’s friends – were even mingling with the oldies, and Mukesh’s heart sang.
Then another car pulled up and out hopped Zac.
He smiled. Aleisha would be pleased.
And then Mukesh spotted a figure in the front seat, peering out of the window. Could it really be? He had to find Aleisha, to tell her. Leilah had come!
Chapter 40
MUKESH AND ALEISHA
ALEISHA WAS FILLING THE punch bowl. The ice cubes had melted quickly in the heat, and she worried that they hadn’t got enough in the library’s freezer.
‘Do you know that punch comes from the Hindi word “panch”？’ one old lady, dressed in a heavily embellished sari, said to her. She’d seen her around the library, she was always chatting away to someone in a corner, whispering in hushed tones. She’d had to tell her off once or twice.
‘I didn’t know that,’ Aleisha said, smiling at the lady. Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun with a net wrapped around it.
‘Panch means five, and five is how many ingredients are in punch. How many did you put in?’
Aleisha shrugged, she didn’t have a clue – Deepali had made it. At that moment, a young woman wearing a beret and a Breton top cut in. Aleisha knew she’d seen her around the library before.
‘Indira!’ the young woman said. ‘How are you? I’ve not seen you in ages.’
‘Oh, Izzy,’ the old lady grinned from ear to ear. ‘I know, my sciatica has been playing up so I’ve been on bed rest for a bit, but I’m back for the big day! Did you ever find out from that man at the library about your book list? Just like the one I found. I have been thinking about it for such a long time, beti.’
Aleisha watched as the woman spoke at a hundred miles an hour. Book list? Aleisha listened in more closely.
‘No, nothing yet. It’s a complete mystery. I mean, we might never find out – but look how much we’ve gained from it. I might never have met you, Indira!’ Izzy said, with an over-the-top smile. ‘Would you like to try some of my kombucha? It’s homemade. Sweetened with honey.’
Aleisha smelt the kombucha, which stank in the heat, and took the opportunity to duck out. She filed away what she’d just heard about the list, reminding herself to investigate, when from behind the young woman’s head, she caught sight of Zac’s car.
‘Aleisha!’ Mukesh said breathlessly by her shoulder, pointing towards Zac. ‘Someone is here for you!’
She held her breath as Zac walked towards her, holding a casserole dish, and she tried to get a glimpse of the person accompanying him, her heart in her mouth.
‘This all looks great!’ he called. ‘Hey, come meet my mum.’
Aleisha’s stomach dropped – out of the car, carrying another dish, was a woman. A woman she wanted to be her mother. She hadn’t expected Leilah to come. But she’d been hoping.
‘Hi,’ Aleisha said as Zac’s mum caught up with her. She was young and trendy with elegant blonde hair. She was wearing heeled sandals and a sheer blouse that looked as if it was the wrong choice for a stand-up buffet. ‘Lovely to meet you.’
‘You too, my love, I’m just so sorry to hear about your brother. Zac told me. But this is such a beautiful idea. I hope my vegetarian tagine is all right for your grandfather,’ she nodded her head towards Mukesh, who was waving frantically at Zac.
‘Oh, he’s not my grandfather,’ she smiled. ‘Just my friend, and a regular at the library. But thank you, thanks for coming. It means a lot.’ Aleisha was happy to meet her, but she had to swallow down her disappointment. She wanted to go home, she wanted to drag Leilah out kicking and screaming.