Ricky avoided her direct question deliberately. He was aware that his heart rate was rising incrementally, and breathed slowly, so that they wouldn’t be interrupted by the nursing staff. ‘Shona, there’s something I’ve learned, and which I think you know, too. There are some things that we’re not meant to see, that we’re better off not seeing. We might look at each other, but we don’t always need to see each other, if you know what I mean. All I want, and all I’ve ever wanted, is for you to be happy.’

Shona said nothing. She wasn’t sure whether this was blackmail on the part of her father, or pure kindness. She remembered the first tacit deal they had made in his Paddington apartment all that time ago: you keep my secret, and I’ll keep yours. Before, her silence had been easily bought - what was the harm in his having an inconsequential dalliance when away from home, while her mother had been flirting outrageously in Dhaka? But there had been consequences, dire consequences of her silence, because this was no affair to be hushed up. There seemed to be a marriage, a wife, a daughter who was presumably his. A sister that she had never even known. Could he really expect her to pretend that she had seen nothing? But then, the consequences of her own adultery were unwittingly as bad, if not worse. She had almost killed her own father. She owed her father something; she had seen how unhappy he had always been in Dhaka, and how the years in England had transformed his life. She knew that her father was watching her now, awaiting her verdict. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Sharif barging in.

‘Sorry, Ma. Visiting hours are almost over, so I thought I better pop in and see how you’re both doing. Nana, do you feel as bad as you look?’

Ricky smiled weakly. Sharif wasn’t his favourite grand-son; so brash and handsome, he reminded him too much of the Pakistani. He had only the paleness of his Karim genes to recommend him.

‘Quite as bad, son, thank you for asking. They say I shouldn’t be in here too long though …’ Firm steps at the door heralded the appearance of a nurse, who told them that visiting hours were over. Shona drew herself up resignedly.

‘Well, considering how long it took them to get us up here, they seem pretty efficient about kicking us out.’ She got out of her chair by Ricky’s bedside and kissed him. ‘I’ll come back tomorrow. Is there anything you want?’

‘No, thank you, Jaan. I’m sure I’ll be well looked after. Company health plan and all that,’ Ricky replied. He paused, before asking hopefully, ‘It would be better if you came in the afternoon though, rather than the morning, if that would be OK.’