The Reading List(79)

After practically demolishing his plate, Mr P spoke first. ‘Nilakshiben, this is delicious. Thank you.’

‘That is quite okay. Get your strength up. Be well,’ was all Nilakshiben said.

‘What happened?’ Aleisha asked, concerned.

‘Technically, I took a fall. But that is not not not true. The fall took me.’ Mr P smiled at his joke, but no one smiled back. Nilakshiben patted him on the shoulder with the ball of her hand, her eyebrows puckered in a semi-frown.

‘We missed you at the library,’ Aleisha said.

Mr P looked up at her, smiling – spinach between his teeth.

‘I wanted to bring you your next book. Have you finished Pride and Prejudice yet? I know you read quickly.’

‘I read quickly so I can get to the library and get the next book you recommend me! But Miss Aleisha, this one has taken me longer to finish. I, er, had a few family dramas of my own to contend with,’ he chuckled, glancing at Nilakshiben who smiled back warmly. ‘I couldn’t take on the Bennets’ soap operas too, but now all is better. And this home service is lovely.’ He pronounced it ‘lubly’ and Aleisha’s heart ached a little bit.

‘What do you do, my son?’ Mr P said, turning to Zac, swiftly changing the subject.

Zac stiffened slightly at being addressed. ‘I am at university. Well, on my university holidays.’

‘Ah, very good, very good. What you study?’

‘I study law,’ he said, almost mimicking Mr Patel’s way of speaking. They were both nervous, and Aleisha wished the ground would swallow her up. It felt as though her boyfriend was meeting her parents for the first time.

‘That is good! Very very good! I always wanted one of my many many daughters to study the law, but instead business, which is good too. Very very good.’

‘I really enjoy it, Mr Patel.’

‘You know, Miss Aleisha is going to be a lawyer too. I remember when we met, and you were so rude and grumpy,’ he said, turning to Aleisha, pride written all over his face. ‘Like a proper barrister!’ Mr P laughed, Nilakshiben tutted.

‘Mukeshbhai, why do you say that? I cannot imagine this young lady being rude at all.’

‘I was. I didn’t mean to be, and I’m very sorry. We’re okay now though, right, Mr P? You’ve forgiven me.’

‘Of course! You recommend me top-notch books.’

‘Ah, of course. It is you, the librarian I have heard so much about!’ Nilakshiben said.

‘I suppose so,’ Aleisha didn’t want to say and I’ve heard so much about you because she hadn’t heard anything at all. ‘Have you been … erm … friends a long time?’

‘Not really. We are friends now. I was very best friends with his wife, Naina. But Mukeshbhai and I keep each other company. I watch TV; he reads your books.’

Aleisha could feel Zac’s eyes on her, but she didn’t want to look back in case it made her laugh. ‘That’s really lovely.’

‘Some people think we must be more than friends. At the mandir,’ Mr P chipped in. The tips of his ears were a little pink.

‘The temple,’ Aleisha clarified, when he saw Zac’s confused face.

‘As well as my interfering daughters,’ Mr P continued. ‘They cannot understand that a man and a woman can just be friends. It’s all forgiven now though – family is family. But you two, you are also just friends?’ He raised an eyebrow, mischievously.

Aleisha and Zac both looked at their plates.

‘Oh no! I am so silly, silly!’ His eyes were glinting. ‘You youngsters don’t like the “labels”! You never want to say that you are a couple until you are walking down the aisle, if people still do that these days?’

Zac burst into laughter. ‘This is really awkward,’ he said. ‘I wanted to take her out on a date this evening, so I have no idea what is going on.’

Aleisha put her face in her hands. Mukesh, Nilakshiben, and Zac giggled.

‘That is a good choice. She is a very good, lovely girl,’ Mr P said. Nilakshiben nodded too. Aleisha wanted to die.

After their first course, there was another meal of rice, mung beans (which Mr P said he made himself) and some greenish-yellow sauce, apparently made of yoghurt. Zac and Aleisha ate with spoons, but Nilakshiben and Mukesh ate with their hands. Aleisha was mesmerized. They managed to do it so effectively, without once looking sloppy or gross.

After dinner, they sat down in the living room. Nilakshiben turned the TV on to one of the Indian channels, but the volume was low and they just sat for a little while letting their food go down. Mukesh had one foot propped up on a chair, and he kept making ‘oof’ noises every so often.

There was even one tiny toot, but no one owned up to it. Aleisha noticed that Mr P didn’t look embarrassed at all. Zac, on the other hand, certainly did, probably worried that Aleisha might think it was him.

‘Usually we sit here in our own little worlds, don’t we, Mukeshbhai?’ Nilakshiben said.

‘Ha, we do!’ Mukesh smiled widely. ‘She gave me some noise-cancelling earmuffs so I can read while she watches Zee TV!’ He looked so proud of himself. ‘No more watching documentaries for me!’

‘That’s dedication to the cause, Mr P,’ Aleisha smiled at Zac, who finally seemed less uncomfortable about it all. ‘Nilakshiben, what do you normally watch on Zee TV?’