Probably Asrar still did not know that the entire story of love lay in a moment of love. Sometimes that moment of love covered years, sometimes months, days or just a few hours, but that moment was free from the passage of time and was a complete moment in itself. In fact, Asrar had entered the circle of forgetfulness of love that very moment when he had spread his umbrella over Hina at Haji Ali dargah’s veranda without any hesitation. The circle was growing bigger. It was an enlarging shadow over the heads of Hina and Asrar, cutting the wings of fear and distance.

He kept looking at the silent waves of the sea. A few questions occurred to him. He asked the waves about love, body and nakedness. The sea replied to each of his questions. He told the sea about Jamila Miss and Shanti. He said that they were the safe havens of his sexual desires. They were worthy of his respect, but he did not love them. He told the sea that for the emotion of love you do not require the intensity of sex. The sea added to his knowledge by saying, ‘And sexual desires are also not dependent upon love. Sex is as self-dependent as love is self-sufficient.’

He smiled and proceeded towards the bus stop with the smile still on his face. The taste of the paan was still fresh in his mouth.

When he reached the kholi, he found Mohammad Ali waiting for him impatiently.

In those days, dinner was cooked very late in the kholi. The boys whose turn it was to cook dinner reached the kholi around 9 p.m. from work, hence dinner was served after ten. Before Mohammad Ali could ask him questions, Asrar said, ‘I’m really hungry right now, let’s go out and have ragda patties or something.’ Mohammad Ali proposed to have kebabs instead while changing his clothes. Saleem Ghare and Mukhtar Thakur asked them to get some kebabs and tilli packed for them. Asrar asked Saleem Ghare, ‘If you want to eat anything else, do tell me. I’ll get that too.’

‘Why? Have you won a lottery,’ Saleem asked.

‘No. But there’s a party. Will tell you when we return. Okay?’ Mohammad Ali jumped in.