‘To Chitta’s house.’

‘All of a sudden?’

Mei Lin’s face turned red. ‘Pulok asked me to go there.’

‘When will you return?’ Siu asked.

‘She may not,’ Mei Hang teased.

‘Dhet,’ Mei Lin smiled shyly.

‘Okay, then come to our house after you’re done.’

‘Is this a New Year tradition – this snack-making?’ Kaushalya asked.

‘I don’t really know. Many Chinese people here don’t know how to make traditional Chinese snacks. So we help each other and also learn from those who know how to make them,’ Alan said. ‘You better go now, Mei Lin. Remind Pulok of our names. He might have forgotten.’ Mei Hang laughed.

Mei Lin left her friends and went down the lane. On the right, in the front of the school courtyard, some students of different age groups were playing.

‘Mei Lin ache …’ A little girl came running out of the compound to meet Mei Lin. ‘Where are you going, ache?’ asked nine-year-old Yiu Yi; her face was red and shining from exertion.

‘Why have you come out? Sir will be angry,’ Mei Lin said, stroking Yiu Yi’s hair.

‘No, he won’t. School is closed today. We are just playing.’

‘Do you know that your Sipahi dada is here?’

‘Really? Who told you, ache?’ Yiu Yi asked excitedly.

‘I met him yesterday at Narayan’s sister’s wedding. He came just after you left.’

‘Will Sipahi dada come to Makum today, ache?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘I’ll ask Chitta dada then. Oh, but if I go to Chitta dada’s shop he will give me toffees and Maa will scold me if I take them.’

‘Why?’

‘She says I should pay for them. It’s such a small shop, she says. It will close down if I keep on taking free toffees. Can a shop close down if I take a couple of small toffees? Maa doesn’t understand. Chitta dada feels bad if I pay and Maa gets angry if I don’t. Bohut tiktali,’ she said, unable to pronounce the Assamese ‘digdari’.

Mei Lin laughed too, as Yiu Yi went back to the school. In a bright mood, she crossed the railway track to reach the road.

Pulok was talking to Jhuma. Hearing the creak of the bamboo gate, Jhuma got up. It was Chitta. Asking Jhuma to make tea for three, Chitta sat down. After a while, Mei Lin walked in.

Mei Lin was wearing a mekhela-chador today. She let her straight, jet-black, plaited hair fall over her shoulders. Walking in the sun, the shyness and the excitement made her blush deeply. Pulok looked at her enchanting face with fascination.

Their eyes met for a brief moment. Mei Lin smiled and lowered her head. After chatting for a while over tea, Chitta left the room. Immediately shyness overcame Mei Lin.

‘I’m seeing you after a long time,’ Pulok said gently.

‘Eighteen days!’

‘You counted?’