BooksBarbecue
Back Side by Side Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Half Title Page
  3. SIDE by SIDE
  4. Dedication Page
  5. Epigraph
  6. Part I: Fall
  7. 1.
  8. 2.
  9. 3.
  10. 4.
  11. 5.
  12. Part II: Crawl
  13. 6.
  14. 7.
  15. 8.
  16. 9.
  17. 10.
  18. 11.
  19. 12.
  20. 13.
  21. 14.
  22. 15.
  23. 16.
  24. 17.
  25. 18.
  26. 19.
  27. 20.
  28. 21.
  29. 22.
  30. 23.
  31. 24.
  32. 25.
  33. 26.
  34. 27.
  35. 28.
  36. 29.
  37. 30.
  38. 31.
  39. Part III: Rise
  40. 32.
  41. 33.
  42. 34.
  43. 35.
  44. 36.
  45. 37.
  46. 38.
  47. 39.
  48. 40.
  49. Acknowledgements
  50. About the Author

The rims of her eyes shiver. She wants to see beyond the ashen prairie of clouds, straight into Heaven, if it exists. See Sunil’s pleasing half smile. Know what he thinks of them now, the people who have splintered so unutterably without him. Soft snow begins to fall, thick and wet, icy fairy footsteps tapping across her face.

29.

A week later, while she is scrolling through the library’s DVD catalogue online, the phone rings. Her heart leaps in her chest, the way it always does whenever she is surprised by an unexpected sound. Maybe it is one of her parents calling to check on her, she thinks. Hopes.

“Hello?”

“Is that Kavita?”

Something inside her sinks. Not her mother’s voice, or her father’s.

“Mrs. Stone?” she says. “Nirav’s not home at the moment. He won’t be back from work for another couple of hours.”

“I know,” Mrs. Stone replies, curtly. “That’s why I’m calling. I wanted to speak with you.”

“Oh?”

“Listen, Kavita. Nirav called me the other day in quite a state. He said you were upset with me. Do we have anything to talk about?”

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m asking you, Kavita: Do you have anything you want to say to me?”

The bluntness of the question catches Kavita off guard. Nirav didn’t mention he had spoken to his mother, or warn her that she might call. Now, the moment of confrontation Kavita has been awaiting is right in front of her, but thrust upon her in such a way, she can’t think of what to say, as if Mrs. Stone has wiped her mind clean with her thumb, before pinning Kavita firmly under it.

“Because if you do,” Mrs. Stone continues, “now is the time. Or I don’t want to hear about it again.”

Kavita doesn’t know how to respond to this ultimatum, this limited time offer. This: speak now or forever hold your peace, or else.

“Well?” Mrs. Stone presses. “Was it our last conversation about the two of you having a child? That’s the only thing I can think of.”

Kavita opens her mouth, pulls in a tiny breath, and holds it.

“No? I didn’t think so. No one can blame us for wanting to be grandparents, regardless.” Mrs. Stone releases a frustrated breath into the phone. “Well, that settles it then. I’ve done my part. Tell Nirav I called, will you? And Kavita, that’s the last I want to hear about it.”

With the drone of the dial tone burrowing into her ear like confusion, Kavita blinks at the wall, wondering what just happened.

30.

That evening, Kavita breaks the silence of their dinner. “Your mother called today.”

Nirav’s eyes shine, alert. “She did?”

“You didn’t know she was going to?”

“I never know what she’s going to do.”

“So, you spoke to her?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted me to do?”

“Yes, but—”