They did a quick and easy ten minutes of Asanas and then five minutes of Pranayama. In twenty minutes, they were done and had rolled up the mats.

‘Is what we did of any use?’ Pooja was doubtful. ‘The sessions elsewhere usually last for an hour-and-a-half.’

Anu grinned. ‘Look, it will give us enough flexibility to scrub our own backs. That is enough, right?’

‘Yeah, whatever. My mom is off my case for now since I am doing yoga and tennis! So works for me.’

‘I have never done yoga. This more than works for me.’ Pete waved goodbye before taking off.

When Anu and Pooja got down the steps of the gazebo, Anu saw a familiar face staring at her. The Meanie Meena! Anu groaned inwardly. She had begun to forget about her existence.

‘Done with yoga?’ Meena asked.

‘Yeah. Done.’ Anu smiled as well as she could.

‘There is a proper studio, you know. But it is a little expensive.’ Meena attacked. Anu expected it though.

‘It is expensive! Why pay and suffer in that sweltering heat?’

‘So, would you be in the sweltering heat if it was free?’ Meena laughed at her own words.

‘I wouldn’t know because it is not free!’ Anu walked on.

Pooja started to laugh. ‘No, you wouldn’t get into that hell even if they paid you! But who was that woman?’

Anu sighed. ‘I call her Meena the Meanie in my head. You can call her that too.’

‘Totally a meanie! But you are not bothered by her.’

‘The one perk of getting older is you worry less about what others say. Now spill the beans about your outing yesterday.’

Pooja shrugged. ‘It was okay. They are a clique and it is too much effort to break into their group. I may not go again. When my results are out, who knows where I will be going to be.’

Anu nodded. ‘That makes sense. If you are not even going to be here, why invest energy in belonging to the clique.’

‘Aunty, was yours a love marriage?’ Pooja asked out of the blue.

‘It was.’ Anu smiled. ‘We were neighbours.’

‘That is nice,’ Pooja added after a pause. ‘I knew this guy in high school. We sort of went out for a couple of years. But it was too hot and cold.’

Anu nodded. Pooja talked only if the other person was quiet. ‘He called me yesterday. Asked me if we can meet sometime.’

‘Oh, okay.’ Anu gave a very noncommittal reply, though a hundred questions bubbled inside her.

‘We brought out the worst in each other and the best in each other too. Don’t know if I want to meet him now.’ Pooja chewed on her lower lip. ‘Should I meet him?’

‘Do you want to meet him?’

‘I don’t know. Would you meet him? I mean, if you were me?’