While her mom issued directions to Druhi, Gehna sat in her favourite window seat with Munshi the cat. She scratched him behind the ears and watched the street life. A gaunt old garbage collector had parked his bicycle cart under a tree nearby and was sorting through the trash. Four stray dogs had trotted up and formed a semicircle around him. They sat on their haunches at a respectful distance from the cart. As the garbage man’s hands expertly found and set aside plastics or metal that he could sell, he periodically tossed the dogs any small bones he came across. Though he didn’t talk to them or even look at them the whole time, you could tell that the dogs were an important part of the garbage collector’s morning. The scene squeezed at Gehna’s heart muscles in a way that made her want to cry.

‘. . . in the first trimester, so it’ll be quick and painless.’

Wait, what? Gehna tuned in to catch the last few words of what her mother had said. ‘What?’

‘I wish you wouldn’t say “what” like that, it’s very unattractive. I was saying that I’ve found an ob-gyn clinic in Juhu where they medically terminate pregnancies. It’s perfectly safe and legal. Since you’re less than twelve weeks, you just take a few pills and we can all forget this . . .’ she waved a hand around to encompass the whole of Mumbai, ‘. . . this episode.’

Poor Nina. One kid a budding junkie and the other a slutbag. ‘Pass.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘Try not to freak out, Nina, but I’m doing this thing.’

‘“Doing this thing”? Doing this thing?’ Nina Rai fought for control, massaging her temples with both hands. After a minute or so of deep breathing, she walked across the room to sit next to Gehna. Munshi, sensing trouble, leapt off the cushion and made himself scarce. ‘Sweetheart, listen to me please. When you say you’re doing this thing, you don’t even know what the thing is. This is not like the time when you shaved your head. Hair grows back. This will affect your life permanently. There’ll be plenty of time for children when you’re older. Don’t you want to travel first? Or work? Or get married? All those nice young men who are so fond of you right now will run for the hills once you have a baby, I promise you.’ A solitary tear appeared on Nina Rai’s cheek. ‘I was twenty-five when I had Varun. I sometimes wish . . .’

Gehna had never seen her mother this vulnerable. She always seemed so self-assured, almost clinical, that it was difficult to see her as someone who might have regrets. Gehna reached out to give her an awkward pat on the arm.

‘It’s okay, Mom.’

‘No, it is most definitely not okay.’ And just like that the tears were gone. ‘Is this some misguided form of teenage rebellion? Why can’t you shave your hair off again? Colour it blue, for all I care. Get your belly button pierced, or a . . . a tattoo. Isn’t that what kids do these days? Having a child just to upset your parents is insane.’