A Suitable Boy(489)

‘Is this how you have learned to bring water? I should send you back to the village.’ The steel platter contrasted dreadfully with the gold-and-white tea service. Meenakshi looked still more horrified at the public outburst of her hostess.

When Arun had recovered, and the drift of the conversation was about to change, Haresh, feeling that Arun might appreciate his interest in him, repeated his question: ‘When was the last time you were in England?’

Arun went red, then collected himself. There was no escape for him. He had to answer the question.

‘Well,’ he said with as much dignity as he could muster, ‘as it happens, it might surprise you to learn that I’ve never actually had the opportunity to go there – but of course we’re going in a few months’ time.’

Haresh was startled. He would never have dreamed of asking Arun whether he had ever been to England. He felt like laughing, but dared not do so. His eyes, however, disappeared in an expression of amusement. His host and hostess looked startled too.

Meenakshi began to talk quickly about bridge, and how they simply had to have the Khandelwals over some time. And after a few minutes of polite conversation the Mehras looked at their watches, exchanged glances, thanked their hosts, got up, and left.





13.32


MEENAKSHI was right. Billy Irani was at the second of the two cocktail parties they went to that evening. Shireen was with him, but Meenakshi managed with some light flirtatious banter to draw him aside in an amusingly public way.

‘Do you know, Billy,’ she said, softly and laughingly, in a voice that did not carry, and with an expression that indicated that they were making small talk, ‘do you know that I’m expecting?’ Billy Irani looked nervous. ‘Yes, Arun mentioned it to me.’

‘Well?’

‘Well – should I congratulate you?’

Meenakshi laughed tinklingly, her eyes cold.

‘No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You might be congratulating yourself in a few months.’

Poor Billy looked rather haunted.

‘But we were careful.’ (Except that once, he thought.) ‘I’ve been careful with everyone,’ countered Meenakshi.

‘Everyone?’ Billy looked shocked.

‘I mean, with you, and with Arun. All right, let’s change the subject, here he comes.’

But Arun, who had spied Patricia Cox and was determined to be gallant to her, walked past them with a nod. Meenakshi was saying: ‘– and of course, I understand nothing about these handicaps and so on, but I do like the names, eagles and birdies and so on. They sound so – so – it’s all right, he’s gone. Now, Billy, when should we meet?’

‘We can’t meet. Not after this!’ Billy sounded horrified. He was moreover, transfixed by Meenakshi’s little pear-like earrings, which he found curiously disconcerting.

‘I can’t get pregnant twice,’ said Meenakshi. ‘It’s perfectly safe now.’

Billy was looking ill. He glanced quickly across the room at Shireen.

‘Really, Meenakshi!’

‘Don’t “really Meenakshi” me,’ said Meenakshi with a sharp edge to her voice. ‘We are going to continue as before, Billy, or I won’t answer for the consequences.’

‘You wouldn’t tell him –’ gasped Billy.

Meenakshi drew her elegant neck upward and smiled at Billy. She looked tired, perhaps even a little worried. She did not answer his question.

‘And the – well – the baby?’ said Billy.

‘I’ll have to think of what to do about that,’ said Meenakshi. ‘I’d go mad wondering about it otherwise. Not knowing. That’s something I might need a little help with too. So, let’s say Friday afternoon?’

Billy nodded his head helplessly.

‘Friday afternoon, then, that’s fixed,’ said Meenakshi. ‘It really is lovely to see you again. But you’re looking a little under the weather, Billy. Eat a raw egg before you come.’ And she moved away, blowing him a kiss when she was halfway across the room.





13.33


AFTER dinner and a little dancing (‘Don’t know how long you’ll be able to do this, darling,’ said Arun to her), they returned home. Meenakshi turned on the lights, and opened the fridge for a drink of cold water. Arun looked at the thick stack of gramophone records lying on the dining table and growled: ‘This is the third time Varun’s done this. If he wants to live in this house, he must learn that a house is not a sty. Where is he anyway?’

‘He said he’d be out late, darling.’

Arun headed for the bedroom, undoing his tie as he went. He put on the light, and stopped dead.