Page 69 of You Had Me At Annyeong!
In hushed tones, he enquires if everything’s all right. But Haneul presses his lips with his index finger and with a mischievous glint in his eyes, gestures to him to keep quiet as he scans the darkness for Timira.
* * *
As the director yells ‘cut’ and signals to break for lunch, Timira skips out, her phone glued to her ear. Haneul tries to follow her out, but is besieged by the production team that wants to show off and show him the rushes.
‘Hyan, Ma,bolo[tell],’ Timira speaks hurriedly into the phone.
She fishes a pack of her hemp smokes out of her back pocket and proceeds to light a cigarette. Her brows, that had been bunched together to form a frown until now, relax and return to their original neat arch. Stomach still rumbling, she is in a hurry to finish the conversation.
‘Timmy, Timmy, can you hear me?Shuntey pachchish[Can you hear me]?’
‘Yes, Ma. I can hear you clearly.Bolo!’
‘Oh, okay, okay.Shon na[Listen, dear], you recall meeting Apa’s friend, from the Assam cadre, Singh uncle? When Apa was posted in Guwahati,mone ache[do you recall]? They—he and his wife—used to visit us often.’
Good grief, what is this woman going on about? Why do I have to recall Singh uncle from Guwahati in the middle of a shoot on Jeju Island in South Korea?
‘Ma, I’m really hungry and I only have a few minutes to grab a bite …’
Timira tries to cut in but her mum brushes aside her feeble attempt.
‘They have a son, Sameer. I think he’s your age or maybe a year or two younger. You both were such good friends and loved playing board games together!’
The only board game that Timira has ever been good at is Ludo. She has often punned about board games leaving her bored.
‘This boy, Sameer, he cleared the UPSC exam a few years back and has joined the Foreign Service. He was posted in DC but is back in India now, for exactly what Mrs Singh didn’t elaborate—I wonder why he’s suddenly moved here.’
Maybe he’s a spy and he’s been thrown out of his job and is being grilled by the IB as we speak.Timira doesn’t speak her mind while her mother prattles on.
‘Well, anyway, he is in Delhi right now. I bumped into his mother quite accidentally at Patel last evening. I was picking up paranthas and she was getting sprouts. They, Mrs and Mr Singh, are now living in Bombay. We got talking, naturally. She showed me her son’s photo on her phone. Baba,ki shundor!Kotto lomba!’
Timira has not paid much attention to most of what her mother has said, but the last bit reaches her ears.Why should I care if he’s handsome and tall?
‘Ma, how can you tell he is lomba by just looking at his photo? Even you look tall in photos. You are 5’1”.’
By now, Timira is ravenously hungry and contemplating whether she should hang up on her mum and get lunch. Right then, she spots Hanee stepping out of the set. Waving frantically, she gestures for her to grab her something to eat.
‘Mrs Singh towers over me. And don’t even get me started on Mr Singh. Not puny like your father.’
Puny? Apa? He’s 5’9” for chrissakes! I mean, look at yourself, woman! YOU are puny!
‘Ma, if this is about the son, I’m not interested. I don’t even like board games. Never have, never will.’
‘Don’t sass me, young lady! I’m only looking out for you!’
‘Ma, listen to me. I’m not interested,thik ache[all right]?’
‘Of course, why would abhodro, bhalo chhele[decent, nice guy] interest you? You like all the flunkies, flirts, fools in the world!’
Timira knows her mother isn’t entirely wrong. She does have a penchant for picking gems! But she isn’t about to admit to it and let her mother win.
‘Ma, I really don’t have the time f—hang on! Holdkoro.’
Hanee is back with a sarnie. Timira stubs her cigarette out as Hanee carefully places the plate in Timira’s hands. Timira smiles and wordlessly thanks Hanee.
‘Yes, Ma, hi. Sorry, I was grabbing something to eat. Yeah, so like I was saying, I don’t have the time for this. Do you realize that I’m in a foreign country trying to make things work even as nothing seems to be going right?’
Shoot! I shouldn’t have said that. Ma is not going to let this go.
