“Look, we’ve all been through shit with our kids, right?” Mona glances at Mira and Kavita. When they stay silent, she says, “Fine. I’ll start. When Arjun was in high school, he was caught for underage drinking and I had to pick him up from the police station. The police station.”

Mira inhales as if she’s preparing to perform a monologue on stage. “Pooja struggled a lot in graduate school. She almost failed out. We were so worried, and it turned out it didn’t even matter because she’s not working in business anyway.”

Mona and Mira turn toward Kavita. If they were all decades younger, this would turn into one of those drinking games their kids pretend not to play, where everyone shares something and takes a sip of some cheap alcohol.

“I know Sonam doesn’t want to get married because she’s scared about having the same type of marriage Bipin and I do.” Kavita’s voice is soft. “And I don’t blame her.”

“I’m so sorry,” Bina says, turning toward her. Every time Kavita mentioned Sonam not getting married, she never told them she knew exactly why. Bina wonders how much they’ve all kept tucked inside themselves.

Kavita shakes her head, indicating she doesn’t want to discuss it further. Bina clutches her shoulder. She wants to tell Kavita she understands. When Zack proposed to Suhani, Bina was relieved. Her daughter wouldn’t have to make herself smaller for the sake of others the way Bina had to.

Bina feels the discomfort of vulnerability dissolve and create space for something else. Is it possible that she was so scared of being judged that she never gave any of these women a chance to be there for her? Did she let shame push her into the folds of loneliness?

Then she has another thought. It’s better Anita isn’t here. This discussion would make her so uncomfortable. Maybe they’ve always been less compatible than she let herself believe.

She realizes that this is actually the first Chats Over Chai discussion. This is what she had been hoping for when they met previously.

“There. So we’ve all been in denial about our kids in some way. It’s all out,” Mona says, proud of herself for starting this. “Now, I’m getting some plates and cups. We brought banana bread and chai.”

“You shouldn’t have come here, so early, and with all of this food.” Bina is taken aback by their sheer thoughtfulness, the power and comfort that only women can give one another.

“Don’t cry,” Mira says.

“No, no, they’re happy tears,” Bina says. “For once.”

“Your idea for us to get together and honestly talk is what we all need,” Kavita says. “We should have started something like this years ago.”

The doorbell rings again. What is going on today? It’s the most eventful morning Bina’s had in years.