Her body was changing. Her life was changing. Everything would be different once she became a mother and it frightened her badly sometimes. Motherhood. A road trip to Goa was the polar opposite of motherhood. A brief escape from what was coming.

There was a third truth too, and that was the one she chose to share with Eram.

‘I thought we’d get to spend some time together. Alone.’ Gehna hopped off the desk and stood close to him. She ran a fingernail softly down his forearm. ‘Just you and me. Warm sand in the day, cool sheets at night.’

Eram was still frowning, but it was mostly from the effort of fighting a smile. ‘Is this you being all smooth and seductive and shit?’

‘I don’t know,’ Gehna purred. ‘Is it working?’

‘Not so much.’

‘C’monnn,’ Gehna said, dropping her sex-kitten act. ‘Let me come along. It’ll be mad fun, I promise. Have I ever asked you for anything, ever?’

‘Well, yes, actually—’

‘Okay, have I ever asked you for anything on my birthday though? This can be my birthday present.’

She noticed that Eram was scratching the back of his head. He glanced at his cupboard, the one where he kept all his childhood stuff locked away.

‘What?’ she asked.

‘See, the thing is, I already have a present for you. But I’m having second thoughts about even . . .’

Gehna was already across the room and halfway inside his cupboard. ‘Ooh. I love birthday presents. What is it, what is it?’

‘No, don’t.’ He made a grab for the book-sized parcel she was holding. ‘It’s really corny and, and it’s not even midnight. Stop it, G.’

Gehna dodged him all around the room, tearing at the wrapping paper. ‘Is it a book of lurrve poetry? Because that would . . .’

Eram finally caught a shrieking Gehna from behind and tackled her to the bed. His half-packed suitcase went tumbling to the floor, spilling clothes everywhere. The parcel was knocked from Gehna’s hand. While Eram tried to get his breath back, she took a closer look.

It was a box, the kind that opens from only one long edge like a book, and typically came packed with assorted chocolates. Instead of chocolates, the box contained a thick booklet. Gehna picked it up. They were coupons, eighteen of them, punched and tied together with a black silk ribbon. The first one said:

This love coupon entitles Gehna Rai to ONE

Food Porn Nite

Featuring a buffet of sexy treats

Oysters, figs, strawberries, chocolate melt and more

Fed to you with fingers or mouth

Expires: 14 September 2020

. . . and the second:

This love coupon entitles Gehna Rai to ONE

Movie Buddy

Unless someone is dying, all other plans will be canned

You may steal up to half my popcorn

Expires: Never

. . . and so on, some naughty and some nice. The coupons were printed on premium cream-coloured card stock. Each was designed with background images, fake barcodes, a tear-away portion and a variety of fonts. Gehna shuffled through them again and again in wonder.