I smiled at them sweetly and brought the laden spoon, not to my mouth but to Raghu’s. He looked surprised but he smiled as he leaned forward to close his mouth around the spoon.

And then, he did the same for me.

The cold dessert slid into my stomach and churned uneasily. I tried to not count the calories I was consuming or think of the amount of exercise I would have to do to get rid of the fat that would end up on my thighs.

When we were finished, Raghu had this strange heated look in his eyes that made me blush.

I wanted to stay here longer, talking to him freely without worrying about being overheard. But I also knew that it was time to go. Ma would be wondering what I was doing and with Nani at home, one never knew what to expect.

‘Do you have to go back to the restaurant?’ I asked him. He nodded. I hadn’t even left and I was already missing him.

‘I’ll see you tonight,’ he said as we walked outside the café. The afternoon was warm and I was happy.

‘I can’t wait,’ I blurted out and his face broke into a smile.

‘Come here,’ he said in that low voice which did all sorts of things to me.

I shook my head and stepped back. ‘Not here.’

‘Um, I wasn’t planning on doing anything,’ he said, looking all too innocent as he stepped near me.

‘Yeah, right. I know that grin on your face.’

‘I swear no one is even going to notice,’ he insisted as he drew me closer to him.

‘I’d rather have you kiss me somewhere where I’ll notice it,’ I said to him and that stopped him in his tracks. I grinned at the expression on his face.

‘Fine. Your house. The garden. Tonight. Don’t give me excuses about your Nani,’ he bit out.

‘I won’t,’ I told him and touched his cheek lightly. His gaze softened as he kissed the tips of my fingers.

37

Ma looked at me strangely when I walked back into the house. I wondered if she could read my face. She and Nani were both reading in the living room, Ma on her Kindle and Nani some magazine.

Nani frowned. ‘Where were you?’ she asked me.

‘Out,’ I replied, hoping she wouldn’t persist.

‘Out where?’ she insisted.

I took a deep breath.

‘She had gone to meet Raghu,’ Ma said suddenly.

I looked at her surprised. I had not expected her to speak for me.

‘I don’t like this, boys and girls meeting alone,’ Nani said, still frowning.

My face flushed. I went to my room and I could hear Ma and Nani arguing behind me.