Cover

Priyanka

Hedon

PENGUIN BOOKS

HEDON

Priyanka Mookerjee is engaged in what appears to be a lifelong battle to understand modern technology. She has learnt how to use a computer and google things, but the finer points of smartphones and Wi-Fi still elude her. She copes with all the stress by reading, eating too much cake and writing. This is her first novel.

Dedication

For my grandfather, who told me to learn the rules before breaking them

Button & the Small Fry

4 January 2008

Tars, can you please stop grinning at the blackboard? Basu’s going to think we’re up to something.

Yeah and it’s creeping me out.

I read the note dropped on to my desk and gave Button and Cookie a discreet finger, holding up the glossy cover of Macbeth as a shield.

My ponytail took a dive backwards, taking my head with it, and I yelped loudly.

‘Nayantara and Atreyi, please leave the room.’ Rina Basu, our stolid English teacher, dismissed us without any fuss, returning unruffl ed to her discourse on the complex conflation of the male and female within Lady Macbeth and the three witches.

It was interesting stuff, sure, but I had more important things to discuss.

Cookie shot us a reproachful glare as we exited the classroom, shaking with the effort of holding in our laughter and glee till we were safely outside. The first day back in school after the winter holidays, and we had already got ourselves kicked out of class. Cookie didn’t approve at all, but really, we had been perfectly sensible about it and chosen the least hysterical teacher to piss off, even if it was the only class that was actually tolerable to sit through.

‘Okay, so.’ Button turned to me as we walked down the corridor, heading towards our favourite library. ‘What was all that grinning about?’

I told her. She held her stride and shook her head.

‘Why didn’t you call me right after it happened? Moron.’

‘I did! Thrice! Your mom told me you were studying each time.’

Button sighed. ‘She’s gone nuts with these stupid board exams coming up.’

‘She hates me, I think.’

‘She hates all my distractions. Whatever. Tell me what the deal is, then? You met this guy—’

‘Man.’

‘Okay fine, you met this man—’

‘Actually, gentleman—’

‘I’ll kill you.’

I sniggered. ‘All right, all right. Go on—’

‘So you meet him at the wedding, you talk, you dance, and then what? What about the other parties? Did you see him again?’