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Authors: Shoma Narayanan
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school. I didn’t think she’d be his type.’
Priti shrugged. ‘It’s none of our business. And it’s a relief he’s getting mixed up with a normal girl his own age rather than those harpies he sleeps with in Mumbai.’
Twenty minutes later Neil was sitting next to Shefali on a bench in a public park in the middle of the city. She’d refused to meet at a coffee shop, and he didn’t want to go to her flat. The park seemed the most neutral place to meet, where they could talk without being overheard.
‘I don’t see what you’re so worked up about,’ Shefali was saying. Her tone was exasperated, but inside she was a bundle of nerves.
‘It feels like I took advantage of you on the rebound!’ he said. ‘I’ve had affairs before, but they were with women who—well, who knew their way around. You’re not like that.’
‘I’m the kind men take home to meet their mother? Is that it?’ Shefali asked, but he looked away, not replying.
Odd how something that she’d normally have taken as a compliment was making her heart sink into her shoes. She’d spent the morning agonising over Neil’s evident reluctance to take their relationship any further, and while she was no closer to figuring out her own feelings for him she knew she couldn’t let him go. Not yet.
‘I don’t want a serious relationship either,’ she said finally, thinking furiously. Perhaps that would make him stay—at least long enough for her to get over the worst of this infatuation that had her writhing helplessly in its grip. And it had the added advantage of being almost true.
Neil turned to look at her in surprise. ‘You don’t?’
She shrugged. ‘You’re right about the rebound thing,’ she said, trying to keep her voice light and casual. ‘I’m not ready for a new relationship yet. But I do think I deserve some fun.’
There—she’d said it. It hadn’t come out sounding quite right—‘fun’ seemed to put Neil on par with carnival rides and ice cream on a summer day—but his implacable expression was relaxing a little, so she continued.
‘I need to prove to myself that I can manage perfectly well on my own. I don’t want to be rid of one loser of a guy just to get shackled to another.’
‘Thanks,’ he said drily, but he was smiling.
Shefali felt her heart give a happy little skip inside her chest. She flapped a hand at him. ‘You know what I mean. You’re not a loser—if anything, you’re a bit of a role model for me.’
Neil did an almost visible double-take. ‘Role model in what way, exactly?’
Shefali leaned forward, taking his hand eagerly. ‘Don’t you see? Your life was a mess too, after Reema left, and your parents and sister wanted to take over, but you managed on your own. And you did brilliantly! Look at you now—you’re successful in your career and Nina’s perfect. She’s intelligent, and cute, and she adores you. So as far as I’m concerned you’re a role model.’ She pulled a face. ‘Though in my case it’s not a kid I need to bring up properly, it’s myself. To make up for all the years I was wafting around in training to be the perfect wife.’
She held her breath as she watched Neil absorb what she’d just said. He looked half convinced, and hopefully he wouldn’t enquire into her motives too closely. Being a diplomat’s daughter had its advantages—she knew exactly when to stop laying it on.
‘What’re you suggesting, then?’
She heaved a sigh of relief. The rest was going to be easy. At least she’d have him for a little while longer. And hopefully she’d manage to get over him afterwards. She touched his hand gently.
‘We keep on seeing each other. For as long as you’re in town. When you leave, we say goodbye—and we part with no regrets on either side.’
‘Why would you want something like that?’ Neil asked, his eyes troubled.
Shefali stifled a sigh of exasperation. That was the trouble with Neil, she thought. In spite of the sexy man-of-the-world
Priti shrugged. ‘It’s none of our business. And it’s a relief he’s getting mixed up with a normal girl his own age rather than those harpies he sleeps with in Mumbai.’
Twenty minutes later Neil was sitting next to Shefali on a bench in a public park in the middle of the city. She’d refused to meet at a coffee shop, and he didn’t want to go to her flat. The park seemed the most neutral place to meet, where they could talk without being overheard.
‘I don’t see what you’re so worked up about,’ Shefali was saying. Her tone was exasperated, but inside she was a bundle of nerves.
‘It feels like I took advantage of you on the rebound!’ he said. ‘I’ve had affairs before, but they were with women who—well, who knew their way around. You’re not like that.’
‘I’m the kind men take home to meet their mother? Is that it?’ Shefali asked, but he looked away, not replying.
Odd how something that she’d normally have taken as a compliment was making her heart sink into her shoes. She’d spent the morning agonising over Neil’s evident reluctance to take their relationship any further, and while she was no closer to figuring out her own feelings for him she knew she couldn’t let him go. Not yet.
‘I don’t want a serious relationship either,’ she said finally, thinking furiously. Perhaps that would make him stay—at least long enough for her to get over the worst of this infatuation that had her writhing helplessly in its grip. And it had the added advantage of being almost true.
Neil turned to look at her in surprise. ‘You don’t?’
She shrugged. ‘You’re right about the rebound thing,’ she said, trying to keep her voice light and casual. ‘I’m not ready for a new relationship yet. But I do think I deserve some fun.’
There—she’d said it. It hadn’t come out sounding quite right—‘fun’ seemed to put Neil on par with carnival rides and ice cream on a summer day—but his implacable expression was relaxing a little, so she continued.
‘I need to prove to myself that I can manage perfectly well on my own. I don’t want to be rid of one loser of a guy just to get shackled to another.’
‘Thanks,’ he said drily, but he was smiling.
Shefali felt her heart give a happy little skip inside her chest. She flapped a hand at him. ‘You know what I mean. You’re not a loser—if anything, you’re a bit of a role model for me.’
Neil did an almost visible double-take. ‘Role model in what way, exactly?’
Shefali leaned forward, taking his hand eagerly. ‘Don’t you see? Your life was a mess too, after Reema left, and your parents and sister wanted to take over, but you managed on your own. And you did brilliantly! Look at you now—you’re successful in your career and Nina’s perfect. She’s intelligent, and cute, and she adores you. So as far as I’m concerned you’re a role model.’ She pulled a face. ‘Though in my case it’s not a kid I need to bring up properly, it’s myself. To make up for all the years I was wafting around in training to be the perfect wife.’
She held her breath as she watched Neil absorb what she’d just said. He looked half convinced, and hopefully he wouldn’t enquire into her motives too closely. Being a diplomat’s daughter had its advantages—she knew exactly when to stop laying it on.
‘What’re you suggesting, then?’
She heaved a sigh of relief. The rest was going to be easy. At least she’d have him for a little while longer. And hopefully she’d manage to get over him afterwards. She touched his hand gently.
‘We keep on seeing each other. For as long as you’re in town. When you leave, we say goodbye—and we part with no regrets on either side.’
‘Why would you want something like that?’ Neil asked, his eyes troubled.
Shefali stifled a sigh of exasperation. That was the trouble with Neil, she thought. In spite of the sexy man-of-the-world
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