Without waiting for an answer, she left, smile still tugging at her lips even as she tried to pry her mind away from things she could not be thinking when she opened the door for her mother.

“You all wet!” It was the first thing her mother said, and Naina almost burst out laughing. Oh, Mummy! If only you knew.

“I just got home after getting caught in the rain.”

Her mother tut-tutted. “You should take umbrella!” She shook her own floral-print umbrella out and left it by the door. “You can keep.”

“I have an umbrella, Mummy. You don’t need to leave yours behind.”

Her mother didn’t argue, but Naina knew the umbrella wasn’t leaving her apartment today. Mummy was also carrying a giant canvas bag that smelled like heaven. A food delivery. Naina wondered what she’d done to warrant a food delivery. She took it from her.

“I want you to stop eating all those unhealthy type things. So, I brought all healthy type food. Best diet. One-week supply. Next week, I bring again. Then in one month. Down to healthy weight. Slim and trim. Like Naina Kohli of before.”

Everything made sense now. An intervention for Naina’s “weight problem.”

Naina wanted to groan, but the food did smell really, really good, and maybe eating healthy Mummy-made food instead of pizza and takeout was exactly what she needed. She put the bag on her kitchen counter and thanked her mother.

“Are you on your way somewhere?”

Mummy was wearing one of her silk zardozi kurtis. This one was printed with large purple and gold paisleys and embroidered in gold thread.

Her mother spun around to display her outfit. “Very beautiful, no? I can have made for you also. Maybe in less bright color for darker skin tone than Mummy.”

Naina smiled, her mind sliding to the mind-bending orgasm she’d just had. That was the answer. That was what she needed to keep her mind on. A distraction from everything. Why had she not tried that before?

Because there was no Vansh before.

“Oh, and one more thing before I go to do lunch with Mina.” She put an envelope on the countertop and patted it. “I did printouts.”

“You’re having lunch with Mina Auntie?”

“We’re doing lunches always once in while.” For the first time that day her mother’s hand fluttered near her chest. “Mina is worrying, I think.”

Worried about what? But Naina didn’t say it. She wasn’t sure she wanted to open this particular Pandora’s box her mother had taken to bringing to all their conversations. Especially not today.

“Any mummy will worry, no? If young boy is like that way.”

Still not taking the bait.

Not that her mother needed responses to keep going.

“Yash and Vansh. So much difference in stress. One all settled. So stable. Governor. Can you believe?” Her voice crescendoed.