Secret Daughter (2010) by Gowda Shilpi Somaya

Author:Gowda, Shilpi Somaya [Somaya, Gowda, Shilpi]
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2011-01-14T19:17:18.718000+00:00

34

BROTHER AND SISTER

Mumbai, India—2004

ASHA

ON HER FIRST MORNING IN MUMBAI, ASHA WAKES EARLIER than she would prefer to the sounds of the household coming to life. She pulls on her yoga pants from the plane and shuffles out to the main room she passed through briefly the night before. An old woman dressed in a crisp green sari sits at the dining table, drinking from a teacup.

“Good morning,” Asha says.

“Ah, Asha beti! Good morning.” The old woman stands up to greet her. “Look at you,” she says, taking both of Asha’s hands in hers. “I hardly recognize you, you’ve grown so much. Do you know me, beti? Your father’s mother. Your grandmother. Dadima.”

Dadima is taller than she expected, with impeccable posture. Her face is soft and lined, and her gray hair is pulled into a large bun at the nape of her neck. She wears several thin gold bangles on each wrist, which jangle whenever she moves. Asha is a little unsure how to greet her, but before she can think about it, Dadima pulls her into her arms. Her embrace is warm and comforting and lasts for several moments.

“Come, sit, have some tea. What will you take for breakfast?” Dadima leads Asha by the arm over to the table.

Asha appreciates the bowl of fresh cut mango in front of her. It feels as if she hasn’t eaten anything but airplane food in days. As she sips her hot sweet tea, they talk. She’s surprised at how good Dadima’s English is, though she does occasionally lapse into Gujarati.

“Dadaji, your grandfather, is at the hospital just now, but he will be back for lunch. Oh beti, the whole family is so excited to see you. I’ve called them all for lunch this Saturday. I wanted to give you a few days to get settled and adjusted to the time change and whatnot.”

“That sounds good. They’re not expecting me at the Times office until next Monday morning,” Asha says. Just speaking these words gives her a thrill, the idea of working at a major international newspaper. After breakfast, Asha retrieves the envelope of photos given to her by her father, and asks Dadima to help name everyone again. Dadima looks through the pictures, laughing periodically at how outdated they are. “Oh, your cousin Jeevan has not been that thin in a long time, though she thinks she still looks just like this!”

Dadima shows Asha how to use the primitive shower in the bathroom, first turning on the hot water tank for ten minutes. Bathing takes more effort than Asha is accustomed to, with the weak water pressure and the ever-shifting temperature. By the time she’s dressed, she is exhausted again and falls asleep on her bed, sleeping right through Dadaji’s visit home for lunch. When she does finally meet her grandfather at dinner, she is taken aback to find him so serene. She expected someone more like her own father, ambitious and assertive. It is her grandmother who appears to have the bigger personality, telling stories, laughing and ordering the servants around with a snap of her fingers.

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