They are seated across from each other at the island. Kavita rolls a pea around her plate through a smear of mushroom gravy. She has already swallowed a few mouthfuls of shepherd’s pie. Nirav is on his second portion.

“Want any more gravy?”

“No, no,” he mumbles with his mouth full. “This is lovely, darling. Really, really nice.”

“I’m glad you like it.” She reaches for her glass of water and sips. They have already talked about their days. He had back-to-back meetings, tedious and over-long, but otherwise it was an ordinary workday in accounting. She lied about trekking through the snow and spending the afternoon at the library, and also about the chef’s knife slipping as she was cubing potatoes for the shepherd’s pie, when he had asked about her fresh bandage.

Soon the meal will be over, the mollifying powers of shepherd’s pie all but gone, and she still hasn’t found the courage or opportunity to raise the topic. Her legs starts to bounce on the footrest of her stool. She can’t delay any longer. Purposeful, she clears her throat.

“Niru?”

“Hm?” he says, focused on his dinner.

“I was wondering if we could talk about something.”

“Oh?” lifting his gaze.

“It’s important.”

He lowers his fork.

“I wanted to talk to you about what happened in London.” She veils her eyes, partially. “I know I haven’t brought it up since we got back, but it’s been on my mind. I know you didn’t want to talk about it before. And I understand why. It was a hard time for you, and I’m sorry. But some time has passed, and you seem like you’re doing better, so I thought I should bring it up, before it festers any longer. I was hoping we could talk and figure out what we’re going to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“At the very least people need to be told Sunil that passed away. But equally, we need to know why they’ve kept it a secret. I have a million reasons spinning through my head. I just want to know the truth.”

The corners of his mouth droop into a subtle frown. “Look,” he says. “It’s in the past. What’s the sense in dredging it up again? ”

“It isn’t in the past for me, Niru.”

“I don’t want to row, Kavita.”