‘No. Please Polly. I don’t know how to be …’ Comma hesitates for a second, ‘Did I tell you my father ran off with another woman? Did I tell you she was my mother’s best friend? Mum was doubly betrayed. The only thing that kept her sane was her work. Remember that Polly. Remember—’

A kissing couple crash into the terrace door and I’m saved from whatever madness seems to have gripped Comma. She lets go of my wrist and we both stare at the couple.

Virat and one of the twins, Nisha or Rajni, step out onto the terrace—still entwined, groping each other. They rub against each other, she grabs his butt and squeezes it, he puts his hand up her skirt, she moans—

There’s a clatter of heels coming up the stairs and they separate hastily.

‘Come out, come out, wherever you are,’ another voice calls out and shortly Rajni/Nisha steps out on to the terrace as well. She sees the other two and walks up to them, swaying slightly.

‘How could you leave without me?’ she says and grabs her twin’s breast—while Nisha/Rajni grabs Virat’s crotch. They resume kissing each other.

Comma stands with her mouth open. I’ve had enough. I sidle up to the door as quietly as possible—and the moment I reach the door, I make a dash for it.

I see Neelima coming up the stairs silently—she’s holding her stilettos in her hands—but I don’t wait for her. I walk into the room closest to the terrace. I don’t even bother to shut the door and rush straight for the bathroom. I can see the door slightly ajar with the light on inside.

I push open the bathroom door and freeze—I’m staring at a man’s very hairy bum.

A moaning woman is bent over the washbasin—using it for support—while the hairy-bum man is grunting and pumping into her from behind. Her salwar and his trousers are bunched up around their respective ankles.

The man looks up into the mirror above the sink and sees me.

‘Polly,’ Sinha says with a grunt and goes very still.

The woman turns her head around with a jerk.

‘GET OUT! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!’ Ragini screams.

I turn around and run.

10

The Object of My Ire

It took me a long while to go to bed last night and when eventually I did, I kept seeing—I splash cold water on my face to shake off that image. The cold water also helps my burning eyes, they don’t respond well to lack of sleep.