“Sixty, for my first sale of the day. I’ll have good luck all day.”

“Fifty.” Pappa reached in his pocket and pulled out his wallet. She took the money and let me pick out a fan.

When we got home, Vivek kept turning the fan around and stroking the feathers.” Is this your fan, Jeeta?”

“It’s ours. We’ll keep it here on the table in the living room and we’ll all enjoy it.”

“But is it yours? Do you get to take it with you when you get married?”

Ever since Nimita’s wedding, Vivek talked about Mohini and me getting married and leaving home. He knew that it was inevitable. Bit by bit we were all going to peel away from his life, taking apart our family. He was the youngest and all he could do was watch it happen.

“I’m not getting married for a long time, and even when I do, I won’t take the fan with me. I’ll keep it right here for you,” I said.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

five

IT WAS THE LAST WEEK of our swimming, and on Thursday, while we were waiting for Chiraj and Vivek, Mohini realized she had left her towel in the shower and went back to get it. I didn’t see any need to drag behind like a tail, and waited in the lobby by myself. Neel’s two friends passed by me, but he wasn’t with them. I could taste my sour mood in my mouth. Finally, when I’d gathered enough courage to talk to him and had a perfect opportunity to do so, he wasn’t here! Now there was only one day left.

I was absorbed in my thoughts when I heard someone saying, “Neel, we’ll see you tomorrow.”

I looked around and realized Neel was walking toward me. Say something, talk, I urged myself. But what? It was hard to think while my heart raced away. I took a step forward. He stopped.

It took all my courage to say, “I thought you hadn’t come today.”

“I come every day.”

“Do you live around here?”

“Yes, a five-minute walk.”

“That’s nice.” I realized it was easy to talk to him once I had gotten past the first sentence. I glanced over my shoulder, hoping Mohini and the boys weren’t back yet.

“Will you come to the pool when summer vacation is over?”

“I don’t think so.”

He was quiet. Maybe it wasn’t the answer he expected or wanted to hear.

“Are you in college?” he finally asked.

“No, I still have one more year of school. What about you?”

Just then Mohini, Chiraj, and Vivek walked out. Neel must have seen something on my face, because he said, “I’ll talk to you some other time.”

Chiraj asked, “Who was that boy?”

“Just someone Jeeta knows,” Mohini said.

“From where?”

“From somewhere, maybe she met him at Nimita’s wedding.”