The movie finally ended, and Kamila tried to herd her guests out so she could clean and wallow in her newly reemerged inadequacies, but her friends were feeling chatty. Well, at least some of them. Most left, but Asha, Nicole, and Rohan stuck around to “help clean up.” And Jana. Jana stayed. Jana should really have gone home.

“It must feel weird to be back after so long. If you need anything to help settle in, let me know,” Asha said warmly. Because of course. Asha was warm. It was her thing. Even when her best friend was mid existential crisis.

“It will take time for me to reacclimate, but I’ll be fine. I’m used to traveling.” Jana still spoke with that posh accent. Everyone assumed it was from years of studying in the UK, but Kamila could swear that Jana talked fancy like that before Oxford. Jana started collecting glasses scattered throughout the living room.

“Please, Jana,” Kamila said, laying it on probably too thick. “You’re a guest—you don’t need to clean. You must be exhausted. Here, let me get you some spring rolls. Food always helps me with jet lag.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t. My mother made samosas today and I ate much too many. And actually…” She paused, looking down. “I only arrived in Toronto today, but I’ve been at my former employer’s head office in Washington, D.C., for the last week. My jet-lag has long passed.”

Kamila squeezed the glass in her hand. Rohan saw homemade samosas at Rashida’s—today. He had gone there before Kamila’s.

“D.C.? Really?” Asha said. “What—”

“Rohan,” Kamila interrupted. “What do you want me to do with the rest of the biryani? I’ll put it in a container. Hey, Asha, tell them about that massive Tupperware store we found down by the waterfront. So weird!”

The front door opened. Dad was home.

“Oh good, you’re all still here!” He passed around hugs and kisses on cheeks before smiling at Jana. “Your mother is waiting up, Jana. Kamila, were you surprised to see her? I didn’t expect it! And when Rohan came with the pakoras, he convinced her to join you for the movie!”

Kamila smiled blandly and resumed spooning biryani into a container while everyone talked.

“It’s been a long night,” Dad said. “I saw Anil Malek in Jamatkhana, and we went over some of the plans for his incubator project.”

Rohan turned to Jana. “I heard you know Anil?”

Jana made a snooty face. “Yes, a little. Our paths crossed in Washington a few times. I was required to be there every few months as part of my position. I believe Anil was looking for American donors for his project then, but I was also meeting with investors for my own initiative.”

“Oooh, you have an initiative?” Tim asked. “Anything you can tell us about?”