‘Nothing is stopping me, I want to get married but not just yet,’ Smrithi replied. ‘I want to study more. I’ve been accepted into a Masters programme in London. I could travel and work before marriage. That’s not too much to ask, is it?’

‘Perhaps not. Your Amma would be happy for you to do those things, from within the safety of marriage,’ she replied, trying to sound casual.

‘Women don’t need the safety of marriage anymore, Ammamma. It’s not like when you were young, or even when Amma was young. Is she disappointed in me?’

Her granddaughter was hurt. ‘Not disappointed, Smrithi, she’s afraid for you, but she doesn’t do a good job of explaining that.’

‘Ammamma, when you chose Appa for Amma, were you ever afraid that he wasn’t the right one for her?’ Smrithi asked.

‘The right one? There are many “right ones”, darling. Look at your Appappa and me: we are always boxing each other, but we love each other. That love took time to come. First there was respect, then affection, then sex and then love.’

‘Ammamma!’ Smrithi blushed.

‘Ah Smrithi, there was a time when your grandfather was very amorous, you know.’

‘Ammamma, please!’

‘On our wedding night, even I was shy. I was a young girl, you know, but I had read novels so I knew what to expect. I was waiting for your grandfather to begin—that is the man’s job,’ Nala continued. ‘But when Appappa came to our room, he got into bed, turned over and went to sleep.’

‘He went to sleep?’ Smrithi was relieved.

‘Yes, he went to sleep. Most disappointing, but he learned what to do later. As you can imagine with your grandfather, he worked hard to ensure he excelled.’

‘Ammamma!’

Rajan walked in to find Smrithi covering her ears and Nala grinning wickedly, her wrinkles jostling for space with the lines of laughter across her face. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked nervously.

‘I’m just talking to her about love, marriage, and wedding nights,’ she explained.

Rajan looked like he wanted to cover his ears too.

She shook her head at her husband, who was blushing under his dark skin.

‘My point is that all the important things will happen over time. Listen to your grandmother, Smrithi, I know these things. Your deepest feelings will come after you marry.’

Rajan blushed even deeper, but nodded his agreement before he fled the room.

•

Early morning light filtered into the room, soft strands settling on Dhara’s bed. She wedged the phone between her ear and shoulder and stretched her body. Lately her back had started to ache at night. The alarm in Priya’s voice was becoming a regular wake-up call.

‘She’ll be twenty-four by the time she returns from London. She should have been married by then. What on earth is she going to do with a Masters in international relations?’