“Well, in any case, it’s nice to see a familiar face. I feel like I must’ve known some of these people growing up here, but it’s been a while, so I might as well be in a room of strangers.”

“Some of them you must remember from Diwali? But I can introduce you around.”

“Yeah?” He looked a bit too excited at that prospect.

“Sure. Let’s eat first. These samosas won’t last long.” She handed him one and grinned. “They were hot-hot.” She giggled, but Sajan just looked at her for a moment, confused.

“Ah—I get it.” His face lit up with understanding, but not necessarily amusement. “Garam-garam.”

Annika waved it off. The moment had passed. They both ate a few samosas while Annika pointed out people that Sajan may have known when he lived here.

“What happened to your hand?” Sajan nodded at her injury.

Annika shrugged and willed herself not to flush. Like that ever worked. “A few stitches. Broken glass. Happened right after Diwali.” She had hoped it was less noticeable without the full dressing, but clearly even a small bandage didn’t escape a surgeon’s eye. True to Daniel’s word, her hand was almost healed.

“So the stitches should be almost out.”

Annika bit into a samosa and nodded.

A few of Sajan’s friends came over and joined them in their snack. Among them was Reena, a girl who had been a year ahead of Annika at school. Reena had been one of the dancers in the group she was in with Sajan back in high school, and Annika remembered her as being quite shy. She must have come out of her shell in college, because there was nothing shy about her now—or about her interest in Sajan, to which Sajan seemed oblivious.

Annika held a beer in her right hand and popped the last bit of samosa into her mouth with her left.

“Ooh! What happened?” Reena nodded at Annika’s injury.

Annika waved her hand. “Oh, nothing. Just cut myself on some glass.”

Reena’s eye’s widened. “Enough for stitches? That must have been painful.”

Annika shrugged. “Yes, it was.” But she had been well taken care of by a certain nurse practitioner.

Reena giggled. “Was it painful or not? From the way you’re smiling, it almost seems like you enjoyed it.”

Annika curbed the smile that had crept across her face. “No. I mean yes, it did hurt.” She held up her beer. “I should probably cut myself off.”

Reena shook her head but seemed to accept that Annika’s grin was due to too much alcohol and, thankfully, dropped the subject.