The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi

Author:Alka Joshi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQ Fiction
Published: 2023-03-06T16:06:11+00:00

PART THREE

Used for thousands of years in India to calm the mind and soothe the skin, sandalwood was introduced to Europe only two hundred years ago.

Paris

December 1974

In the taxi from the de Gaulle airport to our apartment, I smooth my hand over the precious rosewood box of mitti and khus attars in my lap. Jiji wanted me to go back with her to Shimla and stay with Jay and the family for a few days. She refers to Malik, Nimmi and their kids as the family now. How odd that when I first arrived in Jaipur, Lakshmi was my only family, and now I have my own—a million miles from hers. But I needed to get back to Paris for Niki—and for Pierre and the girls. And for my work.

The overcast December sky in Paris makes me long for the bright white heat of India. On the coldest day in Agra, it was seventy degrees. Here, at six in the evening, it’s forty-seven degrees, and huddled in only a sweater, I’m shivering. I wish I’d kept the shawl Jiji offered me.

I called Florence’s house once while I was gone. I wanted to hear my daughters’ voices, their incessant chatter, where their grand-mère had been taking them. They said they’d played pétanque, and badminton, and eaten chocolates from their Advent calendars (Christmas is something we only celebrate at Florence’s house).

I didn’t call Pierre. I was afraid to know if Niki had shown up at our apartment or if he and Niki had already met. If they had, I figured Pierre would have phoned me right away. I imagined Niki showing up in the daytime; Pierre would have been at work. I doubt the concierge would have let Niki go upstairs, never having met him before. Even if she had, no one would have answered when he rang the bell to our apartment.

In the evenings, Pierre would have been at Florence’s having dinner with the girls, or else he would have been out with friends. I imagined Niki losing hope and, finally, deciding to go home. Perhaps I would be spared the awkwardness of introducing Niki to my husband and my daughters.

But, even then, I knew that this was wishful thinking.

And when Pierre does meet Niki, well...I’ll have to figure something out. Right now, I’m exhausted from my trip, and I don’t have a clue what to tell either of them.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.