“I don’t think Jeeta told us his name. He does have a name, doesn’t he?” Sarina asked.

I hesitated a moment before saying, “Neel.” It was the first time I had said his name out loud.

“That’s a nice name,” Yamini said.

Sarina was quiet, as if I’d said something that made her think of something or someone. “Neel who?” she asked.

“Neel. Just Neel. I don’t know his last name.”

“Where does he go to school? Or is he in college?” Yamini asked.

I remembered the time Neel asked me if I was in college. “I think he’s in college, but I don’t know which one.”

“You liked this guy from the first day of summer, saw him every day at the pool, and you still don’t know his name beyond Neel? You don’t know which college he goes to?” Yamini said, shaking her head.

“Well, I’m sorry. I should have asked him for his bio-data so I could pass on all the information to my nosy friends.”

Later that day, when it was just the two of us, Sarina asked me, “Did you meet Neel at the Mafatlal Bath this summer?”

“Yes.”

“What does he look like? Did you talk to him at all?”

I told her about his thick brown hair and dimpled smile, and the two conversations I had with him. I didn’t tell her about his midnight-dark eyes. I wanted to keep that for myself.

After listening to me, Sarina asked, “Have you seen him since the summer?”

“Oh, no, I haven’t.”

“Why?”

“Because I haven’t gone to the pool since then. Anyway, if Mummy found out about it she would—she doesn’t want me to talk to boys.

Her eyes narrowed. “Gappa! You’re lying!”

“No gappa. I’m telling you the truth. Mummy absolutely forbids us to talk to boys.”

I didn’t know if Sarina believed me or not, but she didn’t ask me any more questions about Neel.

Two days later Yamini invited Sarina and me to her house. I wanted to go, but I knew Mummy wouldn’t allow it, so I told Yamini I had to visit Foi and Fua.

The day after Sarina went to Yamini’s house I asked, “Sarina, did you meet your dream?”

“Yamini lied. She promised me that I’d see Kiran, but he wasn’t home.”

“I didn’t know he had a biology lab to make up. He came home late,” Yamini protested.

“If I’m supposed to meet him, someday I will.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“If Kiran and my karmas are connected, we’ll meet. Otherwise, no matter how hard we try, it won’t happen.”

I thought about this and wondered if my karma was connected with Neel’s—or with any other boy’s, for that matter.