For the past two years, Mummy and Pappa’s sister—my foi—had been searching for a suitable husband for Nimita. Now Mummy was desperate. Even though Nimita had gone to SNDT Women’s College and had a degree in home science, she couldn’t see very well out of her gray-green eyes, and she was almost blind if the light was dim. There was a name for her eye condition, but I couldn’t remember what it was called. What mattered most was that the doctor had told us that as time went by Nimita’s vision could get worse, and eventually she could go blind. There was no cure for it. Not yet.

Today, the boy who was coming to meet Nimita had not finished college, but he owned his own business, a bangle shop in Bhuleshwar.

“If I were Nimita I would tell Pappa to stop the parade of potential grooms,” I said.

“You would, but she is not you. I don’t know what I’d do if I were in her place. It would be nice if I liked the first or the second person I met, and he liked me.”

“For you,” I said, snapping my fingers, “it’ll be chut mangani, putt shadi—quick engagement, instant wedding.”

“You think so?” Mohini said.

“Besides being smart, you’re pretty and you have light skin. You have nothing to worry about.”

“But you do?”

“Of course I do. All the boys want a pretty wife with a perfect set of teeth, who is about three inches shorter and three years younger than him and comes from a rich family. And has a whitish, or at least a wheatish, complexion.”

“That’s not true.”

“Really? Find me one boy that doesn’t want a perfect girl. Remember Rita living in the next building? Three boys rejected her because she has a slightly crooked smile.”

“Jeeta, do you really believe that?”

“I do. And don’t tell me you don’t.”

Mohini smiled. “You can charm any boy.”

“I suppose I could, but he would have to be extra special not to care about my cinnamon-colored skin.”

I wondered why the girl always had to be perfect. A boy could be dark and handsome, so why couldn’t a girl be dark and beautiful?

“Let’s catch a bus and go to the Chowpatty Beach before sunset,” Mohini suggested.

I nodded absently. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn’t hear what else she said. Before I realized what was happening, I’d tripped on a handcart and scraped my elbow. Blood oozed out of me.

“You need to wash your elbow and put some medicine on it. Let’s go home,” Mohini said.

“We’ve only been gone for ten minutes. If we go back, Mummy will be upset.”

Mohini wrapped her arm around my waist. “I’m taking you home.”