Sindhutai Joshi lies before them on a bed covered in a spotless white sheet. Her face is as white as the sheet. Ashesh’s hands turn to ice. He moves quickly to her side, sits on the edge of the bed and takes her hand in his. It is warm.

‘Close that door, Sandhya,’ she calls out feebly.

The young girl goes to the door.

‘Please go out and close it,’ Anima says. Sandhya stays where she is, stone-faced.

Ashesh gets up and bounds downstairs. ‘Will you take your flunkey off our back?’ he says coldly to Dr Bhaskar. ‘We want to be by ourselves with our mother.’

‘But of course. Certainly. I only thought in case you needed something . . .’

‘We’ll help ourselves, thank you. It’s our house.’

Sandhya is instructed to leave the room. Anima and Ashesh sit on either side of their mother.

‘I can’t bear this sound, Ashesh dear. I close the door, plug my ears but it won’t stop. Another two days he says.’ Sindhutai’s voice sounds as if it’s floating up from a deep well.

‘But why are you in bed?’ Ashesh asks.

‘Look at my sleeves,’ she says absently. ‘So loose. I was walking around fine. Used to get a little tired. Nothing to worry about. But after Rakshabandhan . . . did you tie him a rakhi, Nima? I can’t count the number of people I tied rakhis to. I was wearing one of my nine-yards. I’ve kept them from the old days. I’m going to wear my mother-in-law’s nath for the inauguration.’

‘Ai, you are ill.’

‘Just a little tired. Bhaskar has prescribed a herbal tonic. He gives it to me himself. I’ll be fit as a fiddle by then.’

‘Do you have an appetite?’ Anima asks anxiously.

‘Of course I do,’ Sindhutai says, but looks away quickly, avoiding Anima’s eyes.

‘Will you come and stay with me for a few days?’ Ashesh asks.

‘With you?’ For a moment Sindhutai’s face lights up, then crumples. ‘How can I, in this state?’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll take you by car. A comfortable car.’

‘Oh dear. I wish I could. But it’s too late now. I can’t live for a moment without Bhaskar.’

‘Ai?’ Anima’s eyes widen.

‘He cares for me.’ Sindhutai casts a bitter glance at Ashesh. ‘The world thought no end of your father. But he didn’t touch me after your birth.’

‘You weren’t well, Ai,’ Anima says quickly. ‘He was only being considerate.’

‘And after I recovered?’

Anima is silent. The thought that their mother was a woman, is still a woman, shocks her and Ashesh.

There is a long pause. Then Ashesh pulls himself together and says, ‘Dr Bhaskar can come with you. I have space.’

‘Leave his work and come?’ She shakes her head.