I ran to the kitchen and then realized I had no clue about baking supplies anymore. I don’t even know if we had any. The last time I had baked was when I had made those brownies for Esha. Not going there, not right now, I told my brain firmly.

I ran back to Ma and told her that I needed to get baking supplies. She was flipping channels on TV and looked absolutely fine. No sign of tears or sniffles. I rounded the sofa to see her.

‘Ma, will you be okay if I go and get the things I need to bake the cookies?’ I asked her.

‘Of course,’ she said, her eyes not moving from the TV.

‘Ma? Are you okay now? Do you really need the cookies?’ I persisted.

She looked at me squarely. ‘You’re asking me that? After what you just said to me?’ I winced. ‘Your brother needs the cookies, Ananya!’ she said dramatically.

Aargh.

My baby brother (or sister) wasn’t even born. And he (or she) was pure evil already.

12

I was heading to the store when the bell rang. I opened the door and felt my stomach swoop right down to the ground.

Standing before me was a much taller and leaner version of Raghu. What was he doing here? I stared at him, momentarily forgetting how to talk.

‘Um, hi!’ he said.

‘Hi,’ I replied weakly. That was when I saw the duffel bag resting near his feet.

Aunty V came huffing to the door and nearly walked into Raghu’s back.

‘Arrey! Why are you still at the door?’ she asked him and looked at me. He stepped aside and she walked inside with a smile. ‘Raghu, suitcase,’ she reminded him.

Rolling his eyes, he walked out to the Uber idling outside the gate and lifted the suitcase that was in the boot.

Raghu was staying here? Had Ma known about this all along? Aunty V wouldn’t just drop in with another person unannounced.

The problem was that they had no idea why I no longer talked to Raghu because they didn’t know he and I weren’t talking to each other any longer. She wouldn’t have thought to tell me.

‘Oh, you’re still here,’ Ma said, with a disappointed look on her face when I walked back inside the house. I had almost forgotten why I was heading outside in such a hurry.

‘I . . .’

‘Come, sit,’ Aunty V beckoned.

I wanted to run away. I wanted to be anywhere but here. At the same time, I found my feet moving of their own volition towards the sofa where she was seated. I kept my gaze averted from Raghu, who was sitting near Ma.

I sat down next to her but before I could ask her about the ‘surprise’ visit, Ma sighed. ‘My chocolate chip cookies, Ananya,’ she reminded me.

I looked at her unhappily.