Drunk, and with no bearings as to where our tent was, he went back to the main stage, eventually falling asleep at the back of the grounds. When he woke, he made his way back to the tent, and as my luck would have it, just in time to see me saying goodbye to Sakshi. From that moment on, he did not stop asking me very personal questions I was not comfortable answering. Eventually, I told him she gave me her number and that we would see each other when we were both back in Mumbai. He celebrated, probably more than me, teasing me that I now had a girlfriend. I didn’t want to get ahead of myself; I wanted to talk to Maa about the weekend and about how I should progress further.

Eventually, Rishi quietened down. I thought I would be able to get some sleep, but my mind was preoccupied with Sakshi. At Mumbai airport, Rishi and I parted ways; I hopped onto the train and sent Maa a message letting her know I was on my way home. The commute on a Sunday was a lot quicker, and finding a place on the bus was a lot easier than usual. I opened my phone and sent a message to Sakshi.

‘I had a nice time this weekend. I’m safely back in Mumbai and looking forward to some coffee.’

Three dots appeared on my screen instantly, and her reply appeared.

‘Ever the gentleman. I look forward to you asking me for coffee.’

I smiled at my phone. At my stop, I hopped off and
walked to the shop on the corner, picking up a newspaper for Maa and a couple of freshly made samosas. I walked the stairs up to our apartment with a bounce in my step. Inside, I called for Maa, who replied that she was in the kitchen. As I walked in, I found her sitting at the kitchen table, looking tired but welcoming. I put the newspaper down in front of her, kissing her on the forehead, and grabbed two plates from the cupboard.

‘And what happened to you,’ she said eyeing me, a knowing glint in her eye. I smiled, feigning innocence, and put the plate down in front of her with two samosas before turning back to the counter to put the kettle on.

‘Am I to presume you met a girl?’

I turned around; my cheeks hurt from smiling, and I caught myself holding my breath.

‘I did, Maa. You remember the girl from the train, the one I told you about? It was her! Her, Maa. She was there this weekend. Rishi says it is serendipity!’ I stopped short, embarrassed that I was rambling in the same way that Rishi was on the trip back to Mumbai.