She knew she had to confront him. If not to make the decision to let the flowers of that weed blossom, to decide to kill it dead. Either way, she had to see him again.
CHAPTER 22
The bell on the door serenaded her entrance. Aria looked around to see if he was there, but he wasn’t. Instead, the man who was tending the counter at the Super Sun Market was an older man with a turban and fierce features that had been cushioned by age.
“Hello, welcome to the Super Sun Market, what are you looking for today?” the man asked.
“Um, is there a younger man who works here sometimes?” Aria asked him, stepping far outside her comfort zone by doing so.
“Yes, that is my son, Omkar, why? What has he done?” the man asked with the immediate assumption that his son had made a mistake or committed some offense against her.
“No, no, he didn’t do anything, he just promised to help me figure out some stuff about Indian cooking the other day, and …”
Neeraj cut her off before she finished her sentence with a condescending laugh. “Omkar doesn’t know what I know about Indian cooking. Come with me,” he said, expecting her to follow as he turned to take her straight over to a shelf lined with little packets of spice.
“One of the things that people find intimidating about cooking Indian food is the vast array of spices used. I find that as soon as people are able to identify and understand the spices we use, then suddenly this cuisine is not as hard to make after all. Most of the spices are dry-roasted to release their essential oils before being ground into spice mixes.”
He picked up a box filled with little sage-colored pods which Aria thought resembled immature green pea pods that had been set out to dry. Letting her examine it, Neeraj continued his sermon. “There are two kinds of cardamom used in Indian cooking: green and black. Green is the more common variety, used for everything from spice mixes to lassis to Indian desserts. The flavor is light and sweet. Green cardamom can be blended whole when making spice mixes, like garam masala. However, when using them in sweets or desserts, what you would do is to pop the pod open and lightly crush the fragrant black seeds before using. Black cardamom, on the other hand, is very powerful and smoky, and needs to be used with extreme carefulness. Normally only the seeds would be used, and if using the whole pod, it’s best to pull it out before serving the dish, or it won’t taste good to bite into.”
Aria allowed Neeraj to pull her from aisle to aisle, explaining the ins and outs of the ingredients used in Indian cooking and how to use them, until he had exhausted his medley of products to show her. Even if she had come to the store interested in information about Indian cooking, the speed at which he expected her to absorb the information was unreasonable. But she found enjoyment in his passion for it all. “What recipe is it that you are wanting to make?” he asked.
“Oh, I don’t actually know. I guess I was gonna make up my mind about that after I came in here,” Aria responded, proud of herself for a moment for having lied so seamlessly.
That moment was short-lived. “One minute, I have something,” Neeraj said, turning to search behind the checkout counter. He walked back across the store with a small, brightly colored flyer advertising the store. Holding up the reverse side for her to see, he said, “This here is a beginner’s recipe, very easy. You can try for yourself and maybe you will like it.”
He stepped back, folding his arms with satisfaction. Aria looked at the recipe for chicken tikka masala, which was printed on the page. It was one of the Agarwals’ small ways of introducing people to the superior taste of their country and culture. “Thanks,” she said, wondering whether she should just leave or work up the courage to ask him when Omkar would be back. Not able to let the opportunity pass, she trampled over her apprehension. “Um, do you know when the man, I mean Omkar, will be here again?” she asked.
Neeraj was taken aback, suddenly distrustful of her interest in his son. “He’s coming back tonight, but he is very busy with his schoolwork. Why do you want to know?” he said, hoping to deter her.
“No reason, never mind,” Aria said, wanting to get out from under the pressure of his distrust as fast as she possibly could. “Thanks again,” she added, walking backward a few steps and waving at him with a smile.
“You’re very welcome,” Neeraj answered her, wanting to leave her with a good impression before she left, despite his suspicion.
Aria walked briskly out the door and down the street. The bell on the door made a riot in response to her exit. She had already made up her mind to wait for Omkar to return the minute the man in the store had hinted that he would be back that night. Trying not to make herself conspicuous, she crossed the street and sat against the side of a building in an alleyway with a view of the store. She didn’t know how long she would have to wait, but she couldn’t let it deter her. So she let her mind wander, making sure to act nonchalant when anyone passed by and always keeping an eye on the store.
It was dinnertime in homes across the city. Aria could hear the buzz of the tail end
