Just friends

Prashant finds that secrets shared over dessert are always special

- Shastri Akella

Prashant learned, over lunch, that Ammamma would soon be living with them. The assisted facility, her home for six years, was closing until the lockdown ended.

He'd be sharing his room with her.

Which meant no more privacy with his boyfriend.

Amma said, "Better if your friend stops visiting."

Naana said, "Why take chances with this Chinese virus?"

"Stop calling it that," Prashant exclaimed. "You both hate Kartik, now proper reason you have to ban him."

Amma said, "Hate aa? We allowed him to spend time in our house, no?"

Kartik had visited Prashant on Ugadi. When he leaned forward to touch Amma's feet, she curled her toes. He touched the floor instead and stood up straight. Prashant noticed the hurt his face fleetingly flickered with before he broke into a polite smile.

Prashant walked behind Kartik, separated from him by the length of the shopping cart that he pushed in front of him. They stopped at the produce aisle. Prashant gave Kartik the news about Ammamma as he dropped four bags of carrots into his cart.

"Welcome to my life," Kartik said. He'd always shared his room with his grandmother.

After adding more produce to their carts, they moved to the fruit aisle and then the sale aisle where Kartik picked up a bag of apples that were starting to brown. The fridge stocked with dairy products was empty, all the milk gone.

"It's a sign," Kartik joked. "Time you went vegan too."

Prashant pictured the smile under Kartik's mask that covered his most beautiful features: his jawline, dotted with stubble, his strong chin, his upper lip, shaped like a bow.

Vuda Park, where their favourite bench was surrounded by crotons, was closed.