anything else at this point,” Uzma says. “Why were you on the plane?”
“I was coming back from New York. I’d gone there with my mother, and she stayed on with an old friend of hers.”
“It would have been fun if she’d been on the plane,” Tia says.
“Yeah, I would have been married by now,” Aman says. “She’s supposed to come back in a couple of weeks, actually. I’ve been trying to persuade her to hang out there for a while. Anyway, this has nothing to do with my powers, Tia’s story has a more direct connection.”
Uzma looks at Tia, eyebrows raised.
“I have a family,” Tia says. “I have a three-year-old son. He and I are sleeping next to each other right now, at home. At least I hope we are. I grew up in Assam —”
“I know that.”
“Oh, she told you. Sorry, I was here. I don’t know how muchshe told you, but if she told you anything you probably know I was very unhappy. My in-laws were horrible, and I used to dream about having many other lives, going to an office instead of sitting at home all day, being a teacher, being a dancer, an actress, a cricketer — anything else. I talked my husband’s family into letting me go to work, but it was so difficult to manage the house, the work, the baby — and then I found out my husband was having an affair. I ran away — I had this online friend, a Brazilian journalist in London who said he was in love with me, so I went. But then it turns out he wasn’t really serious, and I missed my son so much — I came back. On that flight.”
“And they took you back?”
Tia nods. “Yes, but things were really difficult, of course. And I wasn’t really mad at my husband — I just wanted a life of my own, you know? I’ve often wished I could be several people. Travel, live several lives, learn so many things. This power is amazing. Your power is lovely too. I can’t imagine how it must feel, knowing everyone likes you.”
“I’m still not convinced that’s because I have superpowers. It’s not a very nice thing to think,” Uzma says. She turns to Aman again. “Well, now that you’ve told me this, what do you want? What’s the plan?”
“We want to form a real-world Justice League — of India,” Aman says.
“I’m British. My parents are Pakistani,” Uzma replies.
“I know. I was kidding.”
“Well, stop. Why did you bring me here? How did you find me?”
“Finding you was easy enough. Powers.”
“I don’t get it.”
“My powers are more than a free internet connection. The whole cyber-security thing — it doesn’t really apply to me. I can go backstage on any site. Nobody asks me for passwords. If your computer or phone is on, and connected, I can see everything on it. I just have to ask nicely.”
“You have really creepy powers, don’t you?”
“I haven’t been reading your email, if that’s what you’re worrying about. But, yes, when I found out what was going on I went to the British Airways system and took out the list of people who were on that flight. Wiped information from credit card records, visa agencies, everything I could think of. And then I poked around in a lot of other places. And I wasn’t the only one. The police didn’t just come after us. They were sent after everyone on that flight. Someone found out what happened. I’m just — faster at getting numbers, jumping from system to system. I’ve been learning.”
“You messed with my records?”
“Don’t get mad at him,” Tia says. “The truth is, we’re all in danger. A lot of the people on that flight are dead or missing. He’s been trying to get in touch with everyone. I know we seem like a bunch of clowns, but people like us are disappearing. Or dying, like the Iyers we just saw on TV. It makes sense to get together, then, doesn’t it?”
Aman and Tia wait as Uzma digests this.
“Plainclothes policemen went to my parents’ house,” she says finally, her hands shaking slightly. “Are they in danger?”
“I
“I was coming back from New York. I’d gone there with my mother, and she stayed on with an old friend of hers.”
“It would have been fun if she’d been on the plane,” Tia says.
“Yeah, I would have been married by now,” Aman says. “She’s supposed to come back in a couple of weeks, actually. I’ve been trying to persuade her to hang out there for a while. Anyway, this has nothing to do with my powers, Tia’s story has a more direct connection.”
Uzma looks at Tia, eyebrows raised.
“I have a family,” Tia says. “I have a three-year-old son. He and I are sleeping next to each other right now, at home. At least I hope we are. I grew up in Assam —”
“I know that.”
“Oh, she told you. Sorry, I was here. I don’t know how muchshe told you, but if she told you anything you probably know I was very unhappy. My in-laws were horrible, and I used to dream about having many other lives, going to an office instead of sitting at home all day, being a teacher, being a dancer, an actress, a cricketer — anything else. I talked my husband’s family into letting me go to work, but it was so difficult to manage the house, the work, the baby — and then I found out my husband was having an affair. I ran away — I had this online friend, a Brazilian journalist in London who said he was in love with me, so I went. But then it turns out he wasn’t really serious, and I missed my son so much — I came back. On that flight.”
“And they took you back?”
Tia nods. “Yes, but things were really difficult, of course. And I wasn’t really mad at my husband — I just wanted a life of my own, you know? I’ve often wished I could be several people. Travel, live several lives, learn so many things. This power is amazing. Your power is lovely too. I can’t imagine how it must feel, knowing everyone likes you.”
“I’m still not convinced that’s because I have superpowers. It’s not a very nice thing to think,” Uzma says. She turns to Aman again. “Well, now that you’ve told me this, what do you want? What’s the plan?”
“We want to form a real-world Justice League — of India,” Aman says.
“I’m British. My parents are Pakistani,” Uzma replies.
“I know. I was kidding.”
“Well, stop. Why did you bring me here? How did you find me?”
“Finding you was easy enough. Powers.”
“I don’t get it.”
“My powers are more than a free internet connection. The whole cyber-security thing — it doesn’t really apply to me. I can go backstage on any site. Nobody asks me for passwords. If your computer or phone is on, and connected, I can see everything on it. I just have to ask nicely.”
“You have really creepy powers, don’t you?”
“I haven’t been reading your email, if that’s what you’re worrying about. But, yes, when I found out what was going on I went to the British Airways system and took out the list of people who were on that flight. Wiped information from credit card records, visa agencies, everything I could think of. And then I poked around in a lot of other places. And I wasn’t the only one. The police didn’t just come after us. They were sent after everyone on that flight. Someone found out what happened. I’m just — faster at getting numbers, jumping from system to system. I’ve been learning.”
“You messed with my records?”
“Don’t get mad at him,” Tia says. “The truth is, we’re all in danger. A lot of the people on that flight are dead or missing. He’s been trying to get in touch with everyone. I know we seem like a bunch of clowns, but people like us are disappearing. Or dying, like the Iyers we just saw on TV. It makes sense to get together, then, doesn’t it?”
Aman and Tia wait as Uzma digests this.
“Plainclothes policemen went to my parents’ house,” she says finally, her hands shaking slightly. “Are they in danger?”
“I
Similar Books
