The Perfumist of Paris

By the time Radha gets home from the Paris airport, Niki is already at her apartment with Pierre. He has introduced himself as a cousin. Though Radha brusquely informs him in Hindi that his parents are worried and that he needs to leave, Pierre, Florence, and the girls encourage him to stay for dinner. Radha is overwhelmed by her emotions and jetlag, and the family takes her to bed. When she awakens the next day, the family has taken Niki sightseeing, leaving her to rest. Mathilde calls and they agree to meet for lunch, where Radha laments her inability to console her friend after her recent breakup or offer help with her mother’s dementia. Radha also feels guilty for never telling Mathilde about Niki. She flees to the museum afterward and does not realize she is crying in front of Olympia until Gérard comforts her. She tells him about Ravi taking advantage of her age and lack of experience and how it led to Niki’s birth, comparing her suppressed feelings of betrayal to Victorine’s masked expression in the painting. Though Gérard cannot imagine all Radha has been through, he tells her that when a disease took his right hand, he learned to use his left; however, in his dreams, he still paints right-handed.