Who ripples hospitably

out of her halwa-pink blouse

       and sari (‘Synthetics are so practical

       to wear on trains, na?’). Who invokes

the protocol of Indian railways to ask

for your phone number even before

       the journey begins. Who unwinds

       her life story, well-oiled,

without a single split end.

       She’s Hindu,

       a doctor, like her husband.

The Matron warned her

about inter-faith unions,

       but she had no doubts,

not even in ’93 when others did.

Her ancestors supplied butter

       to Queen Victoria,

       His grandfather, better still,

was court dewan of Kolhapur.

       ‘I’ve been lucky.’

‘The gods have been good.’

‘I eat and cook non-veg.’

       ‘Many of my friends are pure brahmin,’

       ‘My sons are circumcised.’

‘My heart is pure.’

‘I practise no religion,

       only homeopathy.’