*That's the Citi advantage,' I said.

*Exactly.' Bala patted my back.

*So, dad's happy, huh?' I quizzed Ananya inside the auto.

*You bet. Dad only talks about the presentation at dinner every day. And now he's in Delhi, to make the same presentation in head office. Can you believe it?'

Ananya said.

*Wow!' I said as we reached our destination.

We had come to Ratna Stores in T. Nagar to buy steel plates for my chummery.

I needed four, this place had four million of them. Seriously, every wall, roof, corner, shelf and rack over two floors was covered with shiny steel utensils. If direct sunlight fell in the store, you could burn like an ant under a magnifying glass. I wondered how the store kept track of its inventory.

*How do you ever choose?' I said to Ananya as we neared the plates section.

Ananya demonstrated the desired width with her hands to one of the attendants.

*Seriously, thanks for helping dad. I think he likes you now,' she said.

*Not as much as he likes Harish. I drank his whisky though.'

*What?' Ananya said.

I told Ananya about our drinks session.

*You wore his what to bed?' she said, shocked at the end of my story.

*Lungi,' I said as I paid at the cashier's counter. *What's so surprising? It is quite comfortable.'

Ananya raised her eyebrows.

*I did it for you.' I looked into her eyes.

She moved forward and even though one could see our reflection in five hundred frying pans around us, she kissed me. All the Tamilian housewives in the store turned to us in shock.

*Ananya,' a lady's voice came from behind us.

Ananya turned around. *Fuck, Chitra aunty,' Ananya said, lifting a large steel tray to hide her face. It was too late as the woman had started to come towards us.

*Chitra who?' I said.

*Chitra aunty lives in my lane. She sings Carnatic music, with my mother,'

Ananya said from behind the tray.

*I bought Carnatic music CDs, too,' I said.

*What?' she said.

*Never mind, hello aunty,' I said as Chitra aunty came next to us.

*Krish,' Ananya said. *Colleague.'

*Really, what kind of colleague?' Chitra aunty asked bossily.

*I have to go,' I said and lifted my plates. *We need these before dinner.'

Ananya called me late at night, after I had eaten in the new steel plates.

*All OK?' I said.

*Sort of,' Ananya said. *She is going to tell my mother. They have this rivalry anyway. Guruji accepted her but not my mother.'

*And then?'

*Nothing, I'll tell my mother she is exaggerating. Am I mad enough to smooch someone in Ratna Stores?' she said.

*You are,' I laughed.

*Yes, but only you know that.'

*I don't want to ruin what I've built with your dad,' I said.

*It's mom you have to worry about now. Manju and Dad are OK.'

*How?'

*I don't know. I told her you are coming over for dinner tomorrow.'

*Why?'

*The stated reason is to thank you for helping dad. We can tell her about our visit to Ratna Stores before Chitra aunty. Of course, we'll skip a few bits.'

*You shouldn't have kissed me there. Why did you do it?'

*Because I couldn't help it, you are irresistible sometimes,' Ananya said.

My heart stopped for a second at Ananya's response. Alright Mrs Swaminathan, if your daughter can't resist me, there is no way you can either.

30.

*Excellent presentation, that is what the board told Dad in Delhi. Now they've asked all zonal offices to make similar ones,' Ananya said in an excited voice.

We sat on the floor for dinner. Ananya's mom kept quiet as she stirred a bowl of rasam. She offered it to me without a word.

*You OK, mom?' Ananya said.

*Did you go to Ratna Stores with him?' Ananya's mother said, pointing to me.

*Oh shit, Chitra aunty had to tell you the next morning,' Ananya said, her hand busy mixing the rice and daal.

*Akka, don't use bad words at the dinner table,' Manju said.

*Manju, you eat. I am talking to mom here,' Ananya said.

*He's right. We don't talk like that in this house. We don't do the things you do either,' Ananya's mother said as she vented some of the anger on the rice in her leaf. She mashed and smashed it with all the vegetables extra hard.

*What have I done, mom? Krish wanted steel plates. How would he know where to go? I took him to Ratna Stores.'

*And you do cheap things in the store?' Ananya's mother said.

*What cheap things, mom?' Manju said.

*Manju, can you leave the room? Go read you physics book,' Ananya bade.

*But I've already revised physics today,' Manju said.

*Then study maths or chemistry, for God's sake. Go.' Ananya's stern glance did the trick. Manju picked up his banana leaf and took it to his room.

*Something something cheap something....' Ananya's mother said as Ananya interrupted her.

*Mom, Krish doesn't understand Tamil. Please, speak in English,' Ananya said.

Ananya's mother gathered herself and spoke again. *Why are you sending your brother away, when you are ready to be cheap in public?'

*I didn't do anything cheap.'

*Chitra is lying?'

*I gave him a little kiss.'

*Kissing!' Ananya's mother said as if Ananya had mentioned us snorting drugs.

*Mom, stop hyperventilating. He is my boyfriend. You understand?'

*You are my daughter, do you understand? You are spoiling our name in the community, do you understand? I brought you up, educated you, made sacrifices for you, do you understand?'

I don't know if mother and daughter understood anything, but I understood it was time for me to go. I stood up.

*Where are you going?' Ananya demanded of me.

*To wash my hands,' I said, showing her my curd-filled hands as proof.

*Even my hands are messy. Stay with me,' Ananya ordered.

*You don't know what I have to bear because of you,' Ananya's mother said. In one movement she stood up, gathered her leaf and composure and left the room.

Ananya let out a huge sigh.

*I liked the rasam, nice and tangy,' I said.

*You said you owe me big time,' I said. I sat in Bala's office. He kept both his elbows on the desk and ran all ten fingers through his oily hair.

*But how can i?' Bala said.

*You said you are over budget. I have a singer for you, free.'

I played with the paperweight in his office. Alone with him, I behaved his equal.

*Who?' he said.

*Radha Swaminathan, upcoming singer.'

*Really? Never heard of her,' Bala said.

*She is still in the underground scene. She has trained in Carnatic music.'

*But this is a popular concert. We'll have dancers to complement the singers.'

*Bala, popular music is cakewalk for Carnatic singers. You know that.'

*Is she good? Have you heard her sing?'

*Sort of.'

*Sort of?'

*Yes, I have. It'll be fine. Plus you have Hariharan and S.P., can't go too wrong.'

Bala stood up and walked towards his window.