Sumitra aunty had been her usual warm self. She was never Anu’s boss. She was always Sumitra aunty whom she knew since she was an infant.

‘Anu, how good to see you! Thought you forgot all about me in your new life.’

‘Well, aunty, about that—’ Anu had faltered at first but then had managed to tell her about what happened to that new life. To her credit, her eyes only moistened and she did not bawl.

‘Aunty, please take Vicky and me back.’ She had asked in earnest. Well, it was more begging than asking.

‘Anu, you can have your old job back any day. Vicky is of course more than welcome to study here. But—’ she had looked at Anu doubtfully. ‘Are you sure you want to uproot yourself from your current life and Sanjay?’

‘Not from Sanju. Only from Verdant Green, aunty.’ Anu had tried to sound confident but ended up sounding like a shivering wet dog. The fear that Sanju and Verdant Green might be a package deal was her worst nightmare.

When Anu had asked her not to tell her parents yet, Sumitra aunty had smiled. ‘Your mother will be angry with me. But I am giving the job back to one of my best teachers. Not to my friend’s daughter.’

That was when Anu had to fight back her tears. That was the nicest thing someone had said to her in a long time!

Now back in her empty house, Anu tried to break away from thoughts and fought hard not to feel depressed and lonely. She was too restless to focus on a book or a show or even to take a nap. That was when she decided to text Sanju. She would do anything to hear from him at that moment. ‘Have you told your parents anything about us? Can I visit them and not be bombarded by questions?’

Even after three hours, with Anu checking the phone a thousand times, there was no reply from Sanju. Was he going to come back ever? Or in a very filmy manner, was she going to receive a courier with divorce papers? Oh god! Divorce! Anu started to panic. Did she make a mistake? She tried to imagine moving back to Verdant Green. That thought was as depressing as getting the divorce papers in the courier.

Deciding to visit her parents, Anu picked up her handbag. That was when the phone rang, giving her a near heart attack. Could it be Sanju? She began to rummage through her bag furiously to dish out the phone. She peered at it all hopeful but immediately felt like someone had punched her in the gut. It was not Sanju. It was some nameless person.

‘Madam, we have a delivery for you. Can we send it to your flat?’ That was the security at the gate.

‘Sure. Please do.’