As I was looking at people saying their goodbyes, my gaze kept getting drawn back to Raghu, who was keeping Papa company. I was embarrassed at what I had told him today, about my struggles with my body.

What had gotten into me? Why would he care about all that? But what about those looks we’d been sharing? What did that mean? I didn’t know how to define what had been going on between the two of us, except that I liked it a lot.

‘Raghu cleans up well,’ Ma commented and I looked away from him with a start. I knew what she meant. He wasn’t exactly a slob, but he’d made an effort to look nice today.

When everyone had left, Ma got up to go inside. ‘Shekhar, I need to talk to you,’ she called out to Papa.

Aunty V, Raghu and I cleared up the debris of the party as best as we could. I was tired. This had been a long day.

‘Veena!’ Papa called out, as I was going inside. Something in his voice made me run, anxious with worry.

In the hall, Ma was sitting on the sofa, clutching her lower stomach, her face pale and sweaty.

‘What happened?’

‘My stomach. It’s hurting,’ she gasped. ‘I think I’m bleeding.’

23

Raghu drove us to the hospital that night.

Papa had been drinking. He was mad at himself for being so irresponsible—having a pregnant woman in the house meant that anything could happen. I could see the self-recrimination on his face, but didn’t say anything to him. He sat in front with Raghu and held his head in his hands.

In the back seat, Aunty V held Ma’s hand while I held the other. Tears were streaming down her face.

I glanced at her stomach, my own tying up in knots. I used to be worried for Ma at first. But now . . . I was worried for the baby too. I put my palm on her stomach and was surprised when I felt a kick.

‘Ma! The baby’s kicking. It’s going to be fine,’ I said in a strangled voice, hoping I could convince her.

‘See? Relax. Just relax. Don’t let your BP shoot up,’ Aunty V said soothingly.

Raghu pulled up in front of the emergency ward. We had called ahead and the hospital staff was waiting for us with a stretcher. Nurses helped Ma on to the stretcher and wheeled her away. I followed as far as I could, holding her hand until they took her to a separate room.

The four of us sat outside in a sombre line. I was terrified. I had no idea that things could get like this.

‘She’s going to be fine. The baby is going to be fine,’ Aunty V said to no one in particular.