Mayank felt embarrassed. He apologized profusely. He tried to defend himself. ‘Swati, please don’t get me wrong. I really appreciate you asking me out for a drink. Otherwise I would have been in the PPE reading room, trying to figure out Kant’s transcendental deduction and not getting anywhere. You know things are not easy . . .’ Mayank felt the words drying up. He stopped speaking.

‘What’s not easy?’ asked Swati, a little puzzled, ‘Kant or ...’

‘Look,’ said Mayank haltingly, searching for the right words, ‘nothing’s easy. One works hard to get here only to find that . . . I don’t know . . . one’s day to day life might be simpler than back home . . . I miss my girlfriend, Swati, I really do. We split up before I left India but I still miss her. I didn’t want to separate. She was the one who kept insisting. She said I didn’t know how big the world was, that long-distance things never work. I hate it here without her. I hate the weather. I could sleep all day. And I can’t concentrate on my readings. I read the same passage again and again without getting anywhere. I find the people here sullen unless they are drunk. Not like back home where you could knock on anyone’s door at any time. I really don’t know, I’m sorry I’m rambling.’

‘Hey,’ said Swati, lightly touching his forearm, ‘relax, yaar. You don’t need to be so uncomfortable with me. I understand. It happened to me too. Took me almost two years before I got my bearings. And then, just when things looked like settling down, Altaf got a teaching offer from Harvard. It’s been tough ever since he left. I miss him. I miss a man’s touch.’

Mayank nodded in sympathy and looked into her eyes. They stared back at him warmly, expectantly. ‘You know what, Mayank?’ began Swati. It was her turn now to let her gaze wander, ‘Altaf’s an old man. Well, he’s middle-aged but sometimes he seems so frigging old to me. I need to be touched by a younger person, someone who will explore me like a foreign country, surprise me, surprise himself. I am tired of Altaf’s experienced hands, always touching the right spots at the right time.’

When she finished she returned her gaze to Mayank. The pub had become fairly noisy by now. Some Indian students from Mayank’s college walked in; one of them winked at him when he saw him sitting with a girl. But Mayank did not notice. He was too busy looking at Swati. ‘I think I know what you mean,’ he said shyly.