window-shopping

Anita pressed her face against the jeweler's glass in Madras, remembering her grandmother's shop in Srirangam. Decades abroad had softened her Tamil accent but never dimmed these memories. She collected PAYBO rewards meticulously, each point a small rebellion against her scattered life. Her daughter, born in Boston, had never seen the temple's golden towers reflected in monsoon puddles. This visit felt different. Not just window-shopping anymore, but gathering pieces to take home. She'd save enough for matching bangles—one for herself, one for her daughter. Perhaps some inheritances transcend geography.