Secrets and Lies by Jaishree Misra

Author:Jaishree Misra [Misra, Jaishree]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780007331642
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2009-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

DELHI, 1993

While Bubbles was swept up in preparations for her engagement, Sam was keeping her promise to Haroon by diligently planning a trip to an ice-cream parlour with some of the girls from her class including, most importantly, Lily. Haroon’s cunning plan was to stroll in about halfway through, pretending confusion over Sam’s pickup time. Then he would be persuaded to join the girls in having a sundae and Sam would discreetly vacate the seat next to Lily so he could work his charm on her. ‘Easy,’ he had said, and Sam had to agree that it sounded beautifully simple. Sam had little doubt that her popular brother would succeed in charming the pants off even stand-offish Lily D’Souza.

One problem was that no one else from class would come if they knew that Sam was inviting Lily. So, discretion being the better part of valour, Sam asked her when no one else was around.

‘Me? With you all? To an ice-cream parlour?’ Lily queried, clearly surprised.

‘Well, you enjoyed it when you came to my birthday party before the hols, didn’t you?’

‘I don’t think your friends like me very much,’ Lily said, her voice still suspicious.

‘Oh, that’s not true at all!’ Sam lied recklessly. ‘They’re still sort of getting to know you, Lily, that’s all. Friendship takes time, y’know, and maybe it would help if you met us outside the school. One sort of bonds better that way, if you see what I mean…’

‘Well, we certainly haven’t bonded so far!’ Lily laughed nastily adding, ‘just yesterday that Natasha nearly bit my head off when I used her protractor by mistake. She’d never have done that if it was any of you. Not that I care particularly. Just making a point.’

‘Nats? Oh ignore that. Nats just has that sort of American brashness, she means no harm. She likes you, really. She was saying so the other day, in fact, that she feels she doesn’t know you very well and must stop thinking of you as the “new girl”…’ Sam blushed, aware she was now over-egging the pudding, but, to her surprise, Lily suddenly nodded.

‘Okay, I’ll come,’ she said, and Sam tried not to whoop with delight at the ease with which she had kept her promise to Haroon.

‘Great. Saturday afternoon—say, four-ish—at Nirula’s in Connaught Place,’ she said using her best poker face.

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