‘Anu, wait.’ Sanju stopped her with a hand on the shoulder, turned her around and stared into her eyes. He cocked an eyebrow and gave a half-smile. A smile that said he was amused. ‘What is the middle?’ He took out the note she had left for him. Meet me in the middle.

Anu smiled despite her eyes beginning to well up. Then she pointed at the living room. ‘This right here is the middle.’

Sanju laughed. His hearty, happy laugh that made his nose crinkle. ‘Really? Looks to me that this is your end.’

Anu shook her head. ‘Nope. This is the middle.’

Sanju sat on the sofa and stretched his legs on to the centre table. He pulled her next to him and rested his head on her shoulder. ‘You are the most stubborn human I have ever met, Miss Anu.’

Anu felt all jelly inside. So Sanju had come back to her! She felt relief like never before. Vicky was back to playing with his Hot Wheels. Anu snuggled closer to Sanju. Sitting up straight, Sanju put an arm around her. Anu breathed his scent deeply. She had given up on ever being this close to him. ‘Fine. If you don’t think this is the middle, let us find a place within five kilometres from here.’

‘Ten,’ said Sanju.

‘Six.’ She countered.

‘Seven,’ said Sanju.

‘Sold,’ Anu smiled. ‘I don’t see what is wrong with this place. But a deal is a deal. We will move.’ She had so much to ask him but at that moment, nothing seemed important. Sanju was back. They were a unit again.

She turned on the TV and switched to Romedy Now. You Got Mail was playing. Perfect romantic movie for a make-up night.

Sanju snatched the remote and changed it to a News channel where people were screaming.

Anu snatched it back and changed it to Star World where The Big Bang Theory was playing.

Sanju nodded and smiled. ‘Now, that is more like it, babe.’

After a pause, Anu asked. ‘Sanju, why did you ask me to leave you?’

Sanju groaned. ‘I hoped you wouldn’t start this line of inquiry now. It is not important. I was angry, you were angry. Leave it at that, Anu.’

Another ten minutes passed. ‘Sanju,’ Anu had to know. ‘Would you have come back if I hadn’t called you today?’

Sanju yawned. ‘Maybe not tonight. But sometime this week.’

Another ten minutes passed. ‘Sanju, how much money are we going to lose on the house?’

Sanju turned off the TV and faced her. ‘Three questions, Anu. I will answer only three tonight.’

Anu nodded solemnly. ‘For tonight, I will take that. Now tell me.’

Sanju smiled. ‘Not much, actually. A new guy came from the US office, and he returned the deposit I had paid. He will take up the house next week.’

‘The BMW?’