Shona asked after Shameela’s role in Henna’s amateur theatre production, and was surprised to hear the older lady giggle in delight. ‘Me? An actress? At my age? We are not all blessed with your mother’s looks. I think she keeps a picture in an attic that does her ageing for her. No, I used to be a dancer, many years ago, and I am the choreographer of the dance routines. Your mother puts the others to shame. She should have been a dancer.’

‘You dance, Nanu?’ Omar said, impressed. ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’

‘And I’m very good,’ said Henna proudly. ‘You’ll see me tomorrow, during the production. You can come to the dress rehearsal too, if you want. It’s in the morning.’ She threw a significant look at Shameela and Parvine.

Up until this point, Parvine had been rather quiet, sitting very straight in her chair during tea, making polite comments about the pooris and lemonade, but otherwise contenting herself with following the others’ conversations. Despite her glasses, she had been myopically observing Omar quite a bit, perhaps trying to make out the slogan on his T-shirt. However, at the mention of the dress rehearsal, as though jabbed into action on cue, she leaned forward earnestly, and in the breathy, quick voice of someone who might expect rejection, said to Omar, ‘Yes, my daughter will be at the dress rehearsal. She has been helping me with the costumes. She said she could show you around town later, she knows Dhaka very well, and she’s about the same age as you.’

‘Sure,’ said Omar distractedly, trying to prevent his burfi crumbling into his tea, ‘that’s really nice of her to offer. If Amma doesn’t mind.’ He turned towards Shona with an obvious lack of suspicion. ‘Amma, did we have plans for tomorrow?’

Before Shona could prevent the obvious set-up and claim they did already have plans, Henna smiled and said, ‘How nice, that’s all settled then.’ Shameela and Parvine smiled just as broadly, and Parvine visibly relaxed back into her wicker seat. Despite her nervousness, her mission had been accomplished, and she glanced to her mother for approval.