She started sending sms to me regularly. Wo apne flight ke experiences mujhe batati thi kahan kaise gaye etc etc.one day she told me ki phufaji is baa... ham log char din mumbai ruke hotel taja main.maine poocha taja main kaise:she said hamari airlines ka partner hotel wahi hai.jab bhi mumbai jate hain wahi rukenge.achhi trip thi.wahan shahrukh khan ko bhi dekha.i asked phir kya hua?Shahrukh ne bhi tumko dekha?Kuch kaha?She replied arre phufaji meri aisi kismat kahan? Phir maine sms bheja ek din. “Do you really want me to, Nathan?”“Sure, honey. That’d be great. You could pass me off as a cousin. I meet him, have a few drinks, and I’d blow, see.”She gave him a funny stare. Sometimes he couldn’t get her at all. Little tear pockets formed, then she wiped them away and laughed. Or tried to laugh. It was a cross between a chuckle and a sob.“All right; darling. If you really want, I’ll do it for you.”“Know what that’l1. You might just want to check on whether Suziis intending to say anything to her mum, and if so what."That thought sobers me considerably, but it is clear that I mustentertain Suzi tomorrow, and I spend a wakeful night thinking about whatI?m going to say to her, and (just as important) what I?m going to wear.The following morning, my mother and Lisa ? who arrives at the house atbreakfast time ? roar off on their bikes, evidently having decided toleave the coast clear for Suzi and me. (Mother. Finally my cell phone rang and when I answered it Hal said:"By now you have noticed that I'm not there." You didn't miss much. Same old rubber chicken and steak like boot soles. The speeches sounded just like last years. In fact they probably just dusted off last years and reused them." I'm not going to make it tonight. The delay turned into a mechanical which turned into a cancellation. Soonest I can get out of here will be noon tomorrow. Sorry I got you down there for nothing." It got me out.