Dumping the plates on the countertop, Anu bit her nails. It was a holiday and Vicky was with her parents, so she had the day to herself. Should she waste that time cleaning the house? Sanju was coming back in three days and that was more than enough time to clean her tiny apartment. Now, shouldn’t she enjoy the day eating, sleeping and being sloppy?

The hot October sun was blaring down. Even that small effort to clean up the house had made sweat trickle down Anu’s back. A cold beer with Shwetha would clear up the head. Though Anu came across as an extrovert, she only had two good friends. Sameer and Shwetha. Somehow they were not fond of each other at all.

‘SOS’ Anu messaged Shwetha. That was their code for a quick drink.

‘2 O’clock, Jake’s Club.’ Shwetha pinged back after an hour. With Sameer, Anu’s go-to place was Drink and Dine, and with Shwetha it was Jake’s club. Shwetha was now a fund manager, but she still managed to meet Anu the way they did a decade back.

Shwetha lived alone but had a fiancé tucked away in London. Your engagement is longer than Pam and Roy’s in The Office—Anu often teased Shwetha. Not many would get that reference, but Shwetha did. She watched everything Anu suggested and complained that Anu never returned the gesture. But Shwetha suggested financial thrillers which put Anu to sleep just like her math classes from high school.

When Anu contemplated what to do for the next couple of hours before lunch, her phone rang. Yashoda aunty. Maybe she was calling for a tutorial on online grocery shopping. Anu picked up the phone only to hear a panic-stricken voice.

‘Anu, can you come to the gate?’ Anu could hear Yashoda aunty gasping. ‘I tried to book a cab and—’ The phone got cut off. Anu rushed, locking the door behind her. What could possibly go wrong while booking a cab?

When she neared the gate, Anu saw a haggard-looking Yashoda aunty with a mobile in hand and two cabs and an auto in front of her.

‘Anu, see, I booked a cab but they have sent three of these!’

‘What! Let me see.’ Anu’s suspicion was right. Aunty had booked three vehicles. Two of the drivers glared at them angrily, while the third started his cab. ‘These old people just ruin our rides.’ He muttered.

‘Hey! She is learning to book, okay? Be patient.’ Anu glared harder at the insolent driver.

‘Where are you going, aunty? You have booked one cab to Mahalakshmi Layout, the second one to Lakshmi temple, and the third to some place named Lakshmi’s Villa. These places are in three different corners of Bangalore!’

The drivers began to laugh and luckily Yashoda aunty had a sense of humour. She joined in the laughter and mumbled that she was going to her sister Lakshmi’s house.