“Will you be coming home this weekend” Amma asked
“No Amma, I have so much to study” I replied.
“But you can come home and study Nina” Amma spoke
I looked at Amma to see what she was talking about. My mother wanted me to come home?
“Huh?” I asked her
“It is the same right? If you sit here and study or at the hostel?”
“Why do you want me to come home Amma?”
Amma didn’t answer that.
“Don’t come if you don’t want to” She got up and went to the kitchen. I knew she was angry, because I heard her dumping the coffee cup with all her energy in to the kitchen sink.
I quickly glanced through all the pages of Deccan Herald paper. I had to take the paper downstairs before my landlord and his wife woke up. I hated to borrow anything and now even the newspaper was borrowed. I folded the paper properly and tiptoed down the stairs and kept the paper in front of the door step and walked back home. I could have asked the land lord for the paper later in the day, but Amma didn’t want them to know that we are financially broke. So like a thief I go downstairs each morning and take the paper and read it quickly and put it back.

Arjun was late. He was supposed to pick me up at 7 and it was already 7.30. now even if I take the bus, I would be late for the morning rounds. I should have never waited for Arjun. I was annoyed and angry and to make things worst, I remembered it was my first day of Surgical posting under Dr.V.D.N Head of the Department of Surgery. Only a student who wanted to spend few more years at the college would skip a posting under H.O.D.
The H.O.D’s have the power to pass or fail any student and skipping a round was akin to digging one’s own grave.
I quickly tried to think of an excuse for today’s absence. My grandfather had died many times since the beginning of my medical education, so I couldn’t use that excuse. My grandmother is still alive and I really couldn’t bring myself to say that she died. What about saying that my mother was ill? I looked at Amma who was sitting on my bed and trying to knit a scarf. What if she really fell ill because Karma decided to pay me back for lying? I knew Karma can’t touch me if i say my grandfather died, because he actually died few days before my birth
Aiyyah, now what was I going to do?
Another aspirin? Oh Gosh, Only I knew how much my body itched the last time I took Aspirin. And I remembered when I took it.
No I don’t want to think about it.
“Who are you knitting the scarf for?” I asked Amma quickly.
“no one in particular” Amma shrugged her shoulder
“But why are you using grey colour wool?’
“because I like grey colour”
“You like grey colour?”
That was something new. I never knew Amma liked grey colour. Actually come to think of it I had no idea what was Amma’s favourite colour.
Amma was knitting so quickly and I wondered why was she in so much hurry. It was only end of August and we only use scarf in Nov-December. Something didn’t make sense and I tried to figure out what was going on. Amma must have seen me staring at her.
“What are you looking at me for?”
“oh, I was just seeing how easy you do the stitches”
“hmm” Amma mumbled.
I thought perhaps Amma would ask me if I wanted to learn to knit.
Then I remembered Artaban.
It felt like someone was sitting on my lungs, because I just couldn’t breath. I got up, opened the living room door and walked out. And in the next moment I saw Arjun parking his bike in front of our gate.
“Where were you dumb head? You were supposed to be here 45 mints ago and I waited for you like an idiot. Did you know that today is my first day of surgical posting under Dr. V.D.N?”
Arjun looked stunned. I was beginning to feel guilty for yelling at him and I didn’t want to feel guilty. I wanted to be angry with him. He was late and he made me miss my rounds.
I went inside the house and quickly grabbed my bag and screamed
“bye Amma”
My voice echoed in the room. I wasn’t planning to scream so loud. I wanted to say proper goodbye to Amma, but I was still angry. I wasn’t sure why I was angry with Amma. but as I climbed down the stairs I found a reason to be angry with Amma.
George’s birthday was in a couple of weeks and his favourite colour was grey.