CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Hindi words for new beginnings is nai shuruaat.
Once again time it was time for good-byes. Standing in a line outside the block of flats, Kishore's Dad, Sunil, Ranjini, Saras, and his Mum gathered - farewells were so hard!
Our luggage had been loaded in to a waiting taxi, I stood with the camera in my hand and took a few final snaps of my Indian family. This time, five rolls of film were stored in my handbag ready for processing once we were home. We were sure we would not be able to come back to India in the near future, although we had said that last time and here we were, unexpectedly, just ten months later.
Kishore led the way, and I followed, down the line like we were soldiers inspecting a parade but instead of salutes we hugged and kissed each person in turn. The last person in the line was Mummyji, and as we embraced I noticed she was looking at me rather strangely. With a secret smile on her face, she pulled me a little to one side away from the earshot of the others, she placed her hand on my stomach and patted it, she whispered one word and that word was… "Baby."
I screwed my face up, what had she just said? I chuckled a little and shook my head at my Mother-in-law… me? A baby? No way! She didn’t say anything else except to broaden her secret smile and nod.
Everyone else was oblivious to our exchange. Kishore managed to prise me away from them all and get into the waiting taxi, and as we waved goodbye to the family, Mummyji's words spun in my head. What was she talking about? A baby? Me? I wasn't even thinking about babies. The car turned a corner and as the family disappeared from view I thought, yes, eventually we wanted children but I wanted to complete my veterinary nursing degree first. We also wanted to buy our own home before we started a family.
As we ambled along the streets, my thoughts took a different turn. Was this why I’d been feeling so tired and emotional? Why I had over-reacted about the whole situation with Kishore and Priyanka? Maybe Mummyji was right. I didn't mention a word to Kishore about what I had just been told. I was a little bit shocked and very confused, and as we arrived at the airport, checked in, and boarded the plane for home, my mind was a whirlpool of questions.