London, May 2017
Seema was not picking up the call and Pari realised that her new number was not saved on Seema's phone. There was no shoot today. She felt low on days like this. At Seema di's she was always surrounded by work, by people, by noise.
How long back was that? Six months? Seemed like always, thought Pari. The shame, the pain and the fear were inconveniences she had ignored, when she held the crisp, coloured notes every Friday. She doubled the money that she was sending to abbu. Thrilled and proud, they told relatives and neighbours about her job in an office.
Khalu had asked questions. "Khalu I am doing a professional course and working part-time at Ashok da's friends office," was how she had explained the situation.
