Chapter 3

As soon as Tara rung the bell, she could hear hurried footsteps inside, coming towards her. Her mother Naomi opened the door and frowned at Tara. Tara could not help but sigh openly because she knew before coming here that the whole week was screwed, but she knew the day was ruined too. Her mother hated latecomers and she despised people who break their promises; and Tara had done both. She was supposed to be here two hours earlier, and she had not even able to contact her Mom and say that she would be late. Her old cellphone betrayed her again.

With her lips thin, Naomi tried to stare down Tara, but Tara being as stubborn as her mother refused to look away. Knowing really well that she would not win a battle against Tara, Naomi exhaled air and opened the door wide. As soon as the front door closed, Naomi turned to Tara and asked "Why haven't you yet bought a new phone?"

Tara turned to look at her mother in surprise, where as Naomi just shrugged and said " I remember you telling me in April that your phone was broken. You still haven't repaired it or bought another one in all these months?"

Tara just scowled and said "I did not have the time."

Naomi opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it and closed her mouth. After a second she regained her composure and said "Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes. Go and shower up."

Tara just nodded and went towards the guest bedroom which served as her room whenever she came here. The room was very impersonal in its look that Tara immediately longed for her own cozy bedroom. Her Mom had decided to color the walls in the room a pale yellow, which Tara found to be depressing. On the walls hung a few paintings, which Tara knew would be better suited at a museum and there were red carpets on the floor and ceiling to floor length curtains of pastel shades. The room showed her Mom's forceful personality which Tara was always uncomfortable with. The only thing she liked in the room was an old ottoman. It looked almost out of place amidst all other pieces of furniture in the room that she could not help but go near it and examine it closely.

Tara couldn't help but say to herself, "Maybe you and Naomi do have some common interest." But as soon as she said these words, Tara shook her head and said "That is not possible. Most probably this was something a dear friend friend of hers gave her, and she has no other way but to keep it."

Fifteen minutes later she had showered and changed and was sitting opposite her Mom for dinner. Even before she started eating, she had a premonition that the dinner would be eventful. And it certainly was!