One day Dadoo told me that I had to go to Solan alone in a bus; the journey was about eight to nine hours long. I became nervous. ‘Why do I have to go alone? Why can’t you come along?’ ‘It is a good thing, you should go alone,’ he says. ‘I do not want to go, Dadoo.’ ‘You will like it I promise you. And you will learn so many things. Travel is the best education.’ ‘But I don’t understand why,’ I murmur back, anxiety written all over me. ‘Have faith in me, it will help you to build confidence.’ ‘I am already confident.’ He shrugs his shoulders, we all are sitting on the bed, Vikram is also there. He is reading a novel and I get irritated, ‘Why don’t you send him?’ I spit out. Dadoo laughs, ‘Next will be his turn.’ Vikram smiles at me, infuriating me further. ‘First him and then me,’ I say adamantly. Just as Vikram gets ready to argue, Dadoo replies, ‘You are the youngest and you always say, pehle chota phir bada [first opportunity should be given to the one who is younger].’ I am stumped.
