Page 72 of Pillow Talk
‘I’ll be right back,’ he said.
Shona watched him walk away with his parents before she put a spoonful of rice into her mouth.
‘You’re a lot like your great-grandfather,’ his grandfather said.
Shona stopped eating; her attention fully on the elder MrAiyer.
‘He was somewhat of a pioneer too…starting out on his own. I was a little boy when I first met him. I needed a suit for my father’s youngest sister’s wedding. She was a shrewd one, that one. But she wanted me to be in the wedding party. I was about five, I think. My mother took me to a house across town.
‘You’ll remember it as your grandmother’s house but back then it belonged to your great-grandfather. In a back room, he did his tailoring,’ MrAiyer stopped for a few seconds. He was remembering and, judging by the smile tugging at corners of his lips, it was a good memory.
‘There was material – fabric – everywhere. As a little boy, I jumped into a heap of fabric and lay there until my poorembarrassed mother dragged me out of it.’ He laughed.
‘Your great-grandfather didn’t even mind that I was a handful during my fitting. He was so patient. He took my measurements and said he would deliver the suit in a couple of days,’ he recalled.
Shona listened attentively because it was the first time she was hearing about her family’s history. Her father didn’t talk much and he always steered away from information about his life or childhood. Ultimately, they spoke more about the shop than anything else.
‘Your great-grandfather brought the suit to our house. It was a work of wonder – navy blue, double-breasted…and shiny gold buttons. The fit was perfect. And on the inside, my name embroidered in gold thread,’ he said. He then opened his coat to reveal his name in gold embroidery.
‘Your father still does it. I’m sure Drake is responsible for it but whenever I put on a suit from Shah & Sons I remember that encounter with your great-grandfather. Of course, I spilled milk on the suit before the wedding and my aunt was furious but it was still a great suit,’ he said.
Shona didn’t want to be emotional. After all, she hadn’t known her great-grandfather so didn’t miss him, but something about hearing of his workmanship and even his kindness made her feel emotional. It was a sense of pride crushed by sadness and maybe even disappointment. Perhaps she was even disappointed in herself. She should have researched more about her family and their history, but here she was, hearing about it from an old man at a wedding of a couple she hadn’t met until today.
‘So you see, you are like him. He forged his own future. He started in a backroom and he left a legacy. Your grandfather opened the shop only after his father passed away. Your great-grandfather didn’t want to leave the backroom. You must though, dear. Your talent deserves to go beyond Rally.’
Shona was so touched by his words that she blinked away a tear.
‘I always thought you looked like your grandmother. Then Senthil set me straight,’ he said.
‘What do you mean?’
The old man sat back. ‘Senthil said that if you look closely, your eyes reveal kindness, passion and a hint of mischief. You’re always smiling, and your face has a soft, inviting warmth. It alters your features from your grandmother’s completely.’
Shona looked over to Sen. He was laughing at something the bridegroom had said to him.
‘Sen said all of that?’
His grandfather followed her gaze.
‘Yes, my grandson can be…what do you young people say…deep. Yes, he can be very deep,’ he remarked.
Then he looked back her.
‘He can be very deep when he’s talking about something he is very passionate about,’ he said. And then he winked.
First MrsAiyer and now the esteemed elder MrAiyer had winked at her…
When it was time to leave the wedding celebration, Shona was talking to Sen’s grandfather again, so his mother pulled him aside and hugged him.
‘What was that for?’ asked Sen.
She patted his cheek and replied, ‘Just to say I love you.’
Shona was quiet on the way home. She’d seen Sen’s mother hugging him and she missed her mother; she missed her parents.
When they entered her apartment, she kicked off her heels andreached to undo her hairstyle. But Sen grabbed her hand.
He stepped closer and without his eyes leaving hers, undid the knot at the nape of her neck.
