“All we give her is space!” Bina lowers her voice in case any more random people happen to learn about the inner workings of their family.

“By space, I mean a little understanding,” Suhani says. “Maybe we should let her be and, I don’t know, you can go talk to Mira Auntie and Kavita Auntie?”

“I will be talking to them,” Bina says. “We’re at the same table, with Anita.”

“Wait, Mom.” A look of recognition passes over Suhani’s face. “Did you not ever have your Chats Over Chai meeting?”

“No. I’m letting that go.” Bina shakes her head. “It’s not going to work out.”

“Why not?”

“Because it just isn’t.” Bina sighs.

“So that’s it? You’re just giving up?” Suhani raises her eyebrows, sounding more like the mother questioning her daughter.

Bina nods. “It was silly anyway, to think of starting something new when I’m so old. That type of thing is for you youngsters. I don’t even know why I got so carried away with it in the first place.”

“I completely disagree,” Suhani says as she drains her champagne. “You’re in a way better position to start something like this compared to any of us.”

“Why is that?”

“Because you’ve been through more. You have more perspective, more experience, more everything. I think you just need to see that about yourself, too.”

“Oh, please.” Bina waves her hand. “You make me seem so capable. I’m just a wife and mother. Nothing special.”

Bina hopes that Suhani can’t sense her dismay. She had waited for this period of her life, when her kids were grown up, and she could pursue other things. But that plan wasn’t meant for her. And sooner or later, she needs to accept her life’s limits. Disappointment is like any other chronic condition; after a point, you learn to live with it.

“That’s not true at all,” Suhani says. Bina waits for her to argue but Suhani gives her a quick hug and says, “Just think about what I said, okay? I’m going to go find Natasha.”

A minute later, Bina sees Suhani and Natasha hunched over their phones, then laughing with Kavita’s daughter, Sonam, and her boyfriend, Sanjay. Mira’s daughter, Pooja, is behind them uploading a selfie. Anuj and Zack join them a few seconds later.

Bina’s about to look away, but then she sees it again. Suhani reaching for Zack, but this time, Zack brushing her hand, then stepping away from her.

Just as she’s about to text Suhani to ask if everything is okay, the deejay announces that cocktail hour is over and it’s time for everyone to sit down. Anita, Kavita, and Mira are already at the table with their husbands. She can fake a happy smile when she sits next to them. She can fake so many things.