Page 51 of The Henna Artist

It was partially true. He did buy my hair tonic for the Maharani Indira once a month. Just not today. In my harried state, I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

I had to meet my builder in half an hour. I couldn’t afford to lose my house! Flustered, I rushed past her to flag down a rickshaw.

The day after, Parvati sent a note canceling her next appointment.

PART THREE

TEN

Jaipur, State of Rajasthan, India

March 15, 1956

By March, our henna business had grown so much that I had to put new clients on a waiting list. The three of us were busy around the clock. Radha mixed henna paste before she left for the Maharani School. Malik and I packed the tiffins and traveled across Jaipur to our appointments. After school, Radha went to Kanta’s. When she returned to Mrs. Iyengar’s in the evening, she helped me cook delicacies for the ladies. All of us were so exhausted by day’s end that we only spoke when necessary.

Did you get the limes we needed for the hair tonic?

How is your math homework coming?

Did we get reimbursed for the stalebawchioil?

I was also finishing up the Rajnagar house. Using Samir’s loan, I had paid off Narayan and hired another builder to complete the privy. There was still no electricity, but we could manage with lanterns. We were almost ready to move in.

One fine morning, when the temperature had not yet begun to rise, I was bringing a few tiffins down the stairs for our first appointment of the day. Radha and Malik had gone down before me. When I got to the courtyard doors, I heard them talking outside.

“No, itwasyou. I saw you as clearly as I see you now in front of me.” Malik sounded as if he were talking to someone much younger, who needed explaining.

“What if itwereme? I don’t owe you any explanations, Malik.”

“Who said you did? Just be careful,accha?”

Lately, they had been bickering like tetchy siblings. I put it down to too much work and not enough sleep.

I stepped through the gates. “Careful about what?”

Radha shot a hot glance at Malik before she walked away, headed for school.

He wouldn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he said, “Be right back. I forgot thekhus-khusfans.”

I attended to Maharani Latika once a week now, more as a way for her to relax than recuperate. The young queen’s mourning period was all but over. She was becoming more involved in the day-to-day workings of her school.

One day as Malik and I arrived at the palace, a sleek black Bentley was just coming out of the gates.

Maharani Latika leaned out of the driver’s window. She was wearing dark sunglasses and a white chiffon scarf. Her lady-in-waiting sat in the passenger seat.

“I was hoping to catch you!” Her lips widened in a brilliant smile. “I regret I must cancel today, but the bursar will pay you. I’ve decided to teach the young ladies the fox trot. Why not come along and watch your sister?”

I was torn. I would love to see Radha dance like a fine lady, but would Radha want me to see her? Or would she think I was spying on her?

I politely declined. I decided to go see Kanta instead. I wanted to see how her pregnancy was progressing, and to be honest, I wanted to talk to her about Radha. As much as I told myself my sister would outgrow her sullenness with me, I wasn’t convinced. Kanta, who was closer in age to Radha, would know better how I should deal with it.

I found Kanta relaxing on her living room couch, listening to the radio. She was happy to see me and called for tea. She told me she’d been spotting blood, and her doctor had advised her to lie prone for the remainder of her pregnancy. She pulled her sari off her shoulder, revealing her belly, proudly displaying the small swelling there.

“Don’t laugh at me, Lakshmi, but I’ve taken to doingpujawith Saasuji!” Kanta chuckled when she saw the look on my face. “I’ll do anything to bring good luck on my baby.”

I smiled and held up my hands in surrender.

Her servant, Baju, entered with the tray, his mustache twitching. Manu’s mother, Kanta’s mother-in-law, was right behind him, complaining that he had made herlassitoo thick. Baju handed me a cup of tea and Kanta a glass of rose milk and a plate of black-eyed peas.

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