Page 150 - Half Girlfriend

He shook his head and took out the shade card.

*
I entered the Chamkva lobby at 7.47 a.m. I mention the exact time
because it changed my life. A minute earlier or later and things would

have been different. Samantha and her colleagues entered the hotel

lobby at 7.51.
‘This is Chris and that’s Rachel,’ Samantha '.aid. I shook hands

with the neb. who wanted to help the poor.
'Breakfast?’ Samantha said.

We entered the hotel coffee shop at 7.55. The breakfast buffet
consisted of over twenty dishes. I loaded my plate with toast, porridge,

fruit, paranthas, poha and idlis. I ordered a masala dosa at the live
cooking counter.

‘Madhav here runs a village school,’ Samantha said. She nibbled at
her jam and butter toast.

‘You look really young,’ Chris said, opening a bottle of mineral

water.
‘It’s my mother’s school. I help out,’ I said.
I told them about the Dumraon Royal School.

‘Seven hundred children, negligible fee, no state support.

Amazing,’ Chris said.
‘I saw the school. The staff and owners are really dedicated. It’s

sad they don’t have basic facilities or the funds to grow,’ Samantha
said.

My American friends ate little; the buffet was wasted on them.
I refilled my plate thrice. I wanted to eat enough so I didn’t need

food the entire day. We finished breakfast at 8.27 a.m.
‘We better get going. Our project is in Monger. Four hours away,’

Samantha said ‘You mean Munger?’ I said.
‘Hey, sorry, I murder the names of places here,’ Samantha giggled.

I have murdered English all my life, I wanted to say.
We stood up to leave, Samantha and Rachel collected their

handbags. Chris called the driver.