Page 77 of Can This Be Love?

10.00 p.m.

Anu, Pitajee and I were sitting at the dining table. The food lay in front of us, cold and untouched. I was exchanging another miserable blank stare with Anu, when our cells beeped simultaneously.

Vikram.

Vikram – ‘Bhai is home and I have placed that sheet in the newspaper.’

Pitajee – ‘Why the newspaper?’

Vikram – ‘Bhai always reads the newspaper before going to bed.’

Pitajee made a face and said, ‘Kas, are you sure you want this guy? He reads the newspaper before going to bed. I mean, really, he needs to get a life, you know.’

I managed a weak grin.

10.05 p.m.

Vikram – ‘I have told Bhai that I want to spend some time in his room while he reads the newspaper.’

Anu – ‘What did he say?’

Vikram – ‘He never says no to me ?.’

10.06 p.m.

Vikram – ‘The sheet fell out of the newspaper.’

A collective gasp at the dining table as Anu dramatically brings her hands to her mouth.

10.07 p.m.

Vikram – ‘He has picked up the paper.’

Me – ‘What is he doing now?’

Vikram – ‘He is staring at it.’

10.08 p.m.

Vikram – ‘Bhai is looking very restless and has just grabbed a pencil. He is scribbling something on the paper, thinking and then scribbling some more.’

I crossed my fingers and smiled in spite of myself, when I saw Anu do the same and Pitajee follow suit.

10.09 p.m.

Vikram – ‘OMG! Is he solving a crossword puzzle?’

Yes, he is. The sheet of paper that I asked Vikram to put in front of Purva looked like this.

PURVA’S CROSSWORD

Kasturi learnt to make these for Purva’s Mum (8)

Purva loves Kasturi’s ____ (5)

Doodh is actually known as ____ (4)

Your smile fills my heart with ____ (3)