Old Wives Tales

 

The house trembled as the storms clouds amassed in the horizon. Soon the doors and windows would creak and swing and the bricks and mortar would loosen a bit more giving it a lopsided grin. The plaster had cracked in several places leaving the walls with a patchwork of paint. It feared that one day it would crumble to dust and then what would happen to those who wandered in the empty rooms and balconies. Generations had lived under its roof and they hadn’t totally broken the ties that had bound them here.

In the last few years there had been people who had come to look, wandered through the corridors, stood at the balconies that overlooked the river but for some reason hadn’t returned. The house was abandoned but what about those who still thought it was their home.

At last there was news, there were buyers but nobody could be seen in and around. Would there be wrecking crews that would demolish and build again?  Would it arise from the rubble ? Waiting was never easy and more so when age had left it decrepit and deserted.

They were all sitting around the table, sights trained on the door. She had tried everybody’s patience and they could only hope that there wouldn’t be the usual last minute change of heart. Selling estates that were jointly owned could be a nightmare. Differences had been ironed out and the men were ready to ink the deal except for the lady who was totally against the sale. Fortunately Mallika had come around and there was an audible sigh of relief from the lawyers and the representatives of the hospitality company as she scrawled her signature.

Mallika choked on her tears, “This sale has meant the irreplaceable loss of a home.  In the name of progress I hope that a modernistic steel and glass structure won’t replace its old world charm.” 

One of the buyers was quick to reassure her, “Give us some time and you will be able to see for yourself the wonders that we can work. It will be a small exclusive hotel, a week end retreat with well landscaped gardens.”

“Don’t worry ma’am we are attentive about every small detail. Our landscape expert was amazed that the jasmine plants have proved to be so hardy in spite of being long neglected.  Traditionally these country places are named after flowers. There are many jasmine bushes and we might feature it in the hotel’s name.”

True to the management’s promise the house had been transformed in to a popular hotel. It wasn’t too far from the city and catered to guests looking for a short break. Swayed by her friends’ gushing reports and reviewers’ articles, Mallika decided to book a weekend’s stay.

Keen to make the visit memorable, Mallika called the hotel personally.  She asked for a particular room that overlooked the river.  

“Ma’am that room is always in great demand and I’ll try my best to accommodate you.”

Mallika was insistent about the room that the family referred to as Chameli’s room.

Mallika’s husband was pleased that his wife was not only gifting him a short holiday but had also offered to drive them to their destination.

As they started leaving the city behind Manav looked out, “Isn’t this the way to Nayagunj? Didn’t you have some family property in that area?

“Have you been to Nayagunj before?”

“Been there before? I grew up there. My father worked in a factory nearby. Was yours the big house near the river? If so the building was already in disrepair and abandoned. Did you ever go there?”

Mallika kept quiet and Manav resumed his musings and chuckled to himself. “The house was in ruins and wilderness had reclaimed the gardens. We were teenagers and it was a safe spot to snatch some fun. It was a place to try our first smoke, a puff of weed and a swig of cheap rum. It was an ideal place for escapades. There was a floating population that lived in some of the rooms and cultivated marijuana. We were careful not to trespass on their territory.”

“Weren’t you scared to enter this broken down mansion?”

“Stories were spun to keep out others from claiming a stake in an unoccupied estate. Snakes were the invisible danger that could claim lives. There was an old gardener who was mostly high on the marijuana he cultivated. He believed that a wronged woman’s soul was trapped in the roots of a jasmine bush and its flowers were omens of doom. I wonder if that plant is still alive.

Amazing how people will believe in old wives tales of ghosts and revenge but not in venomous snakes. It was your ancestral property but you didn’t ever live there?”

“Yes I did but only for a night that changed my life forever.  My parents separated and I ended up as a boarder in a distant residential school. Much later my mother told me that it was one of the ancestral aunts who had warned her of my father’s infidelity. It was on that night that the room had been flooded with an overpowering fragrance of jasmine blooms.”

 He shrugged his shoulders and wondered why Mallika had not told him about this childhood incident. In his opinion women tended to be more emotional and unforgiving about minor indiscretions.

The curtains fluttered in the strong night breeze and Manav decided to go out to the balcony to have a last smoke. Fleeting memories kept surfacing and he stayed out longer than expected.  A familiar fragrance filled the room as he entered the room only to find Mallika asleep. Next morning a bright sun splashed shadows and Manav turned to find that Mallika was no longer in bed. An envelope with the hotel’s logo lay next to him and an overpowering perfume escaped as he opened it.

“Manav”

Old wives tales are often true.  I was warned by the wronged wife of yesteryears.

 The room was booked in your name and so is the hotel bill.

Mallika

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sleeping Beauty

 

Tej rang the bell, waited for a few seconds before turning the key to the front door. As a rule, Lila should by now be having her morning cup of tea. Surprisingly neither the tea tray nor Lila were in sight. Thinking that his wife might be catching a few extra minutes of sleep, he made the tea and carried it to the balcony. It was only after he had finished his first cup that he was aware of Lila’s absence. He went to the bedroom to give her a wakeup call and noticed that she lay very still. Worried he touched her cold forehead only to find no sign of life.

Death no matter how abrupt or sudden is a part of life. The rush of visitors, calls and other trivia associated with the funerary rituals kept him busy. His son and daughter provided the needed support. Soon everybody was ready to resume their own schedules. The family wanted him to spend time with them to recover from their unexpected loss. His daughter Joey, lived in the same city, and insisted that it would be convenient for both of them as a short distance separated their homes.

Lila had been the constant in Tej’s life and he wasn’t too sure about the salvaging process. He finally gave in to Joey’s plan as he could stop over easily in what was once their home. Nothing much was achieved unless Joey came along and with a ruthless hand dumped stuff that had been useful until the last few days.

“Streamlining at regular intervals isn’t easy. Older people hate to throw away what looks and smells of the past.”  

“Where had your mother stowed all this? Lila kept a neat and tidy home. She could easily locate all that I misplaced. How was it possible to hide so much junk?”

“Both of you are to blame. Look at the magazines, albums and books that are no longer read.”   

Time and place made no sense as he held on to what were supposedly relics of a bygone life. Joey was always nudging him in to action.

“I know it isn’t easy but you need to be more proactive. Thankfully the children are on holiday and I can spare the time.”

It was no longer a home but a wasteland. Where had all the years of raising a family, being a couple vanished? It was easier to sit in his armchair while Joey worked with manic energy. It helped that some days Joey would bring along her children to distract her grieving father.

 It wasn’t until she put her hand to Lila’s cupboards that Joey sensed her mother’s absence. Lila’s clothes, half used perfume bottles, a mismatched pair of earrings were all that remained of a woman she loved and admired. Tears overflowed, grief swept away the present and she was back in the past.

 Lost in her thoughts Joey hadn’t noticed that her daughter Shoma had trailed behind her. The once forbidden dressing table with its array of bottles, phials and tubes were a temptation beyond imagination.  Within seconds with a swift turn of her stubby, little fingers lifted a tube of lipstick.

Joey’s attempts at retrieval were in vain. Smiling sweetly Shoma jumped in to Tej’s lap and promptly colored her lips.

 Joey started laughing when she saw the marks on his face and shirt.  “We will break off now as Shoma has painted you red.”

Tej glanced at the lists that Joey handed but they were meaningless. The rooms were now like a warehouse with boxes, trunks and bags overflowing with clothes, books, kitchenware and all the odds and ends that were a part of daily living. 

Joey was satisfied with her progress. If Tej wasn’t too fussy about what had been disposed then the house could be reorganized for a single person.

While getting ready to leave, Joey mentioned, “There are piles of paper and paintings that require to be sorted but I have been unsuccessful in finding the one book that I have been hunting.”

“You have been in a frenzy trying to clear out what has taken a life time to assemble.”

 Sensing an unjust accusation Joey burst out “If I don’t do it now it will never get done. Of course if it is upsetting then I’ll leave it to you.”

Tej realized that he hadn’t considered the toll it had taken on Joey’s feelings. If he had lost his wife, she too had lost her mother.

“All of us need a break. Why don’t you take tomorrow off and the children can spend the morning with me?”

“You are right. May be I need to step away and remember Ma rather than fix her household.”

Tej put an arm around Joey,”We need time. Tell me the name of the book you couldn’t find. I’ll see if it is in one of the drawers of her writing table.”

“You will recognize it the moment you see it. It is actually a notebook. The binding had worked loose; it was forever in danger of disintegrating and was held together by sheer will power. It was her constant companion in times of sickness and health, in kitchen catastrophes and a ready reckoner for all life’s problems. Recipes, household tips, family remedies, and lists of birthdays, weddings and deaths were all dutifully entered. Ma always maintained that the repository of all her housekeeping experiences was safely preserved between the covers. She had promised that one day it would be mine.”

Tej with his grandchildren in tow, arrived at what he believed was once his domain. The rooms were in disarray and the children were happy to spend time playing among the boxes and piled up furniture. Tej didn’t want to waste any time in the search for Lila’s household compendium.  Rummaging through the drawers he eventually laid his hands on a battered book that was overflowing with all kinds of scrap paper. He opened it tentatively; unsure if this was what Joey wanted. Old cards, magazine clippings, faded photographs separated pages written in Lila’s neat feminine hand.  Some of the leaves had almost come apart and Tej hastened to put them together while some of them fell to the floor.

An envelope with the logo of an expensive hotel caught his eye.  His fingers slid to find a letter written in a stylized hand.    

Lali,

 I saw you at the exhibition and was tempted to break my resolve. Your attention was focused on the watercolors of the canal and the ruined fort. I was more than surprised to see the full set displayed as I had gifted two of those to you. Now the quartet is in a private collection.  Observing my puzzled countenance Rao told me that you had approached him about handling the sale. Apparently there was an emergency and if he could help raise the funds. I have let you down often but at least on some occasion I was of help.

On that fateful morning I glimpsed your face and in repose it was the quintessential you. I did a quick sketch as a farewell gift. Did you also give it away?

 Promises aren’t easy to keep.

Tej read the letter a few times. The letter wasn’t dated and the signature a stylized logo left him clueless about the writer’s identity. Lila was an artist herself, she held art classes and displayed her own as well as her students’ works. Should he have been more aware about what was put up on the walls of his own house?

More than the art what intrigued him was the need for money. And then there was that searing flash, the memory of going down a financial sinkhole. It was the combination of the hospital bills for his mother’s illness and the hefty tuition fees for their son’s education. No more loans or overdrafts were possible.

He heard the echo of Lila’s voice, “We have time and you have met deadlines before. We need to explore all possibilities.”

Lila had used her sources to make good the shortfall.

“How did you manage to get the cash?”

Lila shrugged off the query, “I sold some old gifts.”

 The need of the hour was managing the situation and finding respite from the looming financial disaster. Tej had surmised that Lila had sold her jewelry. Such sales were an acceptable household practice.  In this case had the paintings provided the money? If so, who was this artist? Also he had addressed her as Lali, a childhood name known to very few.

Repeated tugs at his trousers, jerked Tej instantly back to the present. His grandchildren were squabbling over a few pieces of paper that lay on the floor.

“I found it. It is the picture of the Sleeping Beauty. Ma reads that story at bedtime,” said Shoma while trying to grab it from her brother.

Tej managed to persuade Shoma to part with a sketch that she had found. The artist had used minimal lines, to draw a young woman asleep with her head resting on her arm. Her lips were parted in a half smile and there was the familiar mole near her lip.

Managing the children was his first priority though the discovery of the letter and then the drawing was befuddling. He could ask Joey but it might prove to be awkward.  He would figure it out at a later date.

Shoma had begun whining and fortunately Tej remembered, “Let us leave this on the table and look at it afterwards. Now it is time to have the snacks your mother packed.”

The offer was enough to divert the children and they readily followed their grandfather out of the room. Peace reigned after the last bit of snacks had been eaten. The children had forgotten their tiff and were busy with their own games.

Tej confused by the contents of the letter and the sketch had fallen in to a fitful doze. He had uneasy dreams filled with fragmented images of Lila, painters and disjointed events.  Shoma’s shrill cries pierced through his disturbed sleep and left him disoriented.

 “Open your eyes,” squeaked Shoma. “I painted the Sleeping Beauty.”

Half asleep, Tej extended his palm to receive a picture randomly smeared with lipstick that Shoma had appropriated earlier.

A gust of wind blew it out of his hand and it floated out of the open window. In the passing Tej noticed a signature he had perhaps seen somewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Escaped

 

 Reluctant to get out of bed and start the day, Riya snuggled under the covers.  Nothing should make her mother suspicious until at least the school hours were over.

Riya rushed for the school bus so that she didn’t have to answer her mother’s question about not wearing the school uniform. Leaving her bag behind in the bus, she looked for the opportunity to walk out of the school gates.  At this time of the day there were always students running late and trying to enter before the gates were closed. Not wearing a uniform helped her to remain anonymous. Walking away Riya realized that she hadn’t given much thought to details as she had been too preoccupied with making a safe exit. Avoiding attention she boarded the first bus that came her way. It would terminate at the railway station and by default seemed a good choice. It would be easier to disappear in the busy station and decide her next move.

The station was a constant flux of humanity. If she stood around for too long she would arouse curiosity and so she looked for a crowded spot. Previous discussions with Vir as well as the general talk that rose and ebbed around was a reminder that trains would be packed for a major religious festival. Such events drew pilgrims as well as others in great numbers. It would be best to tag along with one of these groups and hope to remain undetected.

 As a school girl Riya hadn’t ever travelled by herself but she confidently bought a ticket and was told to look at the notice boards for detailed information regarding timings and availability of trains. Extra trains had been introduced to cope with the rush of pilgrims going to the temple festival. A bit confused with the railway clerk’s brusqueness she gravitated towards a large group of women who were clapping and singing hymns. Safety in numbers would provide her protection from inquisitive eyes.  Whether it was the singing or the excitement but soon Riya was dozing soundly with her head leaning on one of her fellow passenger’s shoulder.  She was jolted out of her peaceful sleep by women scrambling and gathering their bags and bundles while calling out to their children as they hastened towards a train that was chugging towards the platform. She decided to throw in her lot with them and looked hurriedly for a place to sit. The women made themselves comfortable, did a head count of their group, opened their bags and distributed food to the children. Since Riya was sitting next to them she was also apportioned some rotis and sweets. Riya’s first reaction was to refuse but hunger got the better of her and she wolfed down her share.

After a few hours the train stopped at a big station and Riya followed the women. The station was spilling over with people, sweaty, unwashed and noisy and it became too much for Riya to configure a way out. She waited for the crowds to thin and tried to glean information from fellow passengers.   Currently there was a scramble to board the buses that would transport the devotees to the big temple on the hill. But there was another temple and river that many visited before taking the road uphill. Riya couldn’t bear being squashed again in a  overcrowded bus. She stepped out of the station and hired a rickshaw to take her to the riverside.

A bit aimless and definitely lost Riya was figuring out how her absence would impact her parents. Would they be angry or would they try to understand her problems too? Having run away she might as well make the best of the day.  Riya was unaware that though there were so many people in transit she hadn’t been completely unnoticed.

There were men, who roamed in public places, and kept an interested eye on people especially the young who for known and unknown reasons were free from the watchful eyes of guardians.  Riya was noticed and earmarked though she was clueless. Sarjju followed her but kept a safe distance. He had noted that she wasn’t local, unescorted and a prime catch.

Riya paid off the rickshaw and walked down to the steps leading to the river. It was almost noon and it was quite deserted. She dipped her feet in the water, looked around and wondered what she should do next. It took her a few minutes to realize that somebody was staring at her and she was on her guard. It would be wiser to go towards the temple or even go to the station and see about getting back home. She was hesitant when she saw the man coming in her direction and decided to move on. The sound of footsteps catching up unnerved her. Instead of going towards the temple she swung blindly in to a street. The street branched off in to a narrow lane and Riya rushed in to a house that opened on to an empty courtyard. Too scared to run any more, she crouched restlessly behind a pile of thorny firewood that scratched her arms and legs. Thirsty, frightened and out of breath she no longer had the courage to think or act. She was nudged out of her hiding place by a foraging goat. The unexpected appearance of the animal bleating and edging towards her threw her in to a fresh paroxysm of panic.   

The combination of Riya’s shrieks and the goat’s plaintive cries drew an old woman from inside the house.

Her voice rose to a crescendo, “What are you doing in my yard? Torturing the poor creature.”

The sudden appearance and the accusations made Riya tremble and unable to speak she burst in to tears and croaked, “I am lost and a man is chasing me.”

“Silly girl, how did you get separated from your parents. The temple is further down the road and isn’t difficult to find. “

The woman looked out of the gate as Riya made no effort to move. “I can’t see any man. You better make a move. Next time stay close to your parents instead of gawking around.”

Riya walked towards the temple hoping that she would soon be able to get help. Sarjju had lost track of Riya but he guessed that she would try to find her way to the temple or to the station. He was an experienced hand at picking up young girls from public places. Riya had looked an easy prey but she had proved wily enough to temporarily avoid his clutches.

 The temple doors were closed until the evening prayers but devotees and folks from all around the country were swarming around the shops and eateries. Sarjju’s practiced glance took in the scene and he hadn’t failed to pick out Riya in front of a stall selling water. Their eyes met as he was about to step in her direction.  Riya didn’t waste a moment. She raced towards the flower sellers and darted in and out hoping to throw him off. The shifting crowds, the heat and an unknown fear drove her to find a hiding place among the shops and the continuous clamor of demanding customers.

Sarjju was in no hurry as he knew the rules better than Riya who was no longer able to act logically. He would speed up and suddenly slow down but not let Riya out of sight. The cat and mouse game continued with Sarjju steadily leading her towards a lonely lane. He aimed to nab her after she was cornered. His ploy was working well, Riya was within arm’s reach when she suddenly tripped and fell flat on her face. A strong pair of arms helped Riya to her feet before Sarjju could make his claim.

Riya shivered and sobbed but was grateful that her fall had been broken by a policewoman who was patrolling the area. Sarjju wasn’t keen to give up his quarry but better sense prevailed. He didn’t wish to take on the police and land in trouble. He would follow from a safe distance and see if the stars would favor him.

  Anxiety and apprehension had silenced Riya as she followed the police woman, “Why are you crying? Who have you come with? Did you run away from home?  The best solution will be to take you to the Missing Persons Office and they will try to help you get home.”

Riya was taken aback by the number of bewildered and confused adults and children jostling in the makeshift office. She kept hoping that her parents would make a miraculous appearance. As she neared the help desk she heard a familiar stammer, “RRiya my guess was right.”

 Totally disconcerted by Vir’s presence, Riya blurted out, “What are you doing here? Did you come looking for me?”

“You asked me umpteen questions about my mother’s disappearance and I suspected that you might choose this place. Against all odds your father decided to go along with my suggestion. He wanted me to accompany him.”

Vir was embarrassed by Riya’s hug, “I am glad that you are my friend.”

She had seen Sarjju for a brief moment in the office before he slunk out

Tears, explanations, accusations and more would follow but for now Riya was home. It mattered that her family and friend had been fortunate in reaching out to rescue her.

 

 

  

 

Disappeared

 

Riya stood silently and watched Shreya staring at the containers stacked in the kitchen cabinet and guessed the reason for this total absorption.                       

 “We are moving? I’m right.”

Swiveling around Shreya faced her daughter, “Yes we are. But you must have overheard some of the conversations between your dad and me. It shouldn’t be that big a surprise.”

“We only get to hear when the packers are about to move in and of course the school has to be notified.”

 It wasn’t that Riya’s complaints weren’t reasonable but a family moved with the bread earner and as usual Shreya knew that she would have to cushion the falls.  Riya was upset and hit out “I’ve been changing schools for as long as I can remember but what about your catering business? Are you going to take a loss?”

It was better to keep her own counsel and not get in to a useless argument so she let Riya slam the door and cool down.  Shreya knew that closing down her business just when it was becoming profitable wasn’t a choice. Her husband had mentioned that he had been promised that after this move the situation would improve. Corporates often made seemingly random moves and families had to adjust. If Riya was cross she had little idea of Shreya’s feelings on having to give up her successful enterprise.

For once Riya put her anger on the back burner and thought of plans to teach her parents a lesson. Just now she would fall in line and then act. Why hadn’t it occurred to them to ask for the children’s opinions? 

 The thought crossed her mind that parents didn’t even consider that children needed to be heard. She would of course have to try and fit in not only quickly but without much ado.

It was a biggish school but to make friends wasn’t easy for a new comer. Groups were already established and some went way back in time. It wasn’t that Riya hadn’t experienced this in previous schools. But she was tired of going through what seemed an oft repeated exercise. She wasn’t snubbed but neither was she included. Who knew how long she would have to hang around in the sidelines before gaining acceptance?  

Riya now wore a veneer of disinterest and found a place in the back row along with another boy who was so quiet as to be almost nonexistent. It took a few days for VIr to disclose his name. He was shy, stammered and reserved. Riya found him the ideal classmate as neither of them expressed any curiosity about each other. Gradually a tentative friendship began and Riya noticed that Vir’s stammer was barely discernible while talking to her.

“Have you always stammered?” asked Riya.

Vir looked away and his voice dropped, “No.”

“Did something happen?”

“Some years ago my mother was lost and hasn’t been found again. I was ill and wouldn’t speak for several months. Since then I become easily nervous and stammer.”

“It is children who get lost more often than their mothers. How did your mother lose herself?”

“My mother along with some family friends went on a pilgrimage. There was a stampede and many people were dead and injured and some were lost.”

“Nobody went looking for her?”

Vir was upset, “What made you say that? My father goes every year to that town during the pilgrimage hoping to find my mother.”

“Do you think your mother planned to get lost?”

“You are being silly. My mother loved us and she wouldn’t abandon us.

School, books or clothes nothing mattered any longer in Riya’s life. She felt a growing distance from her family and school had become a shadowy world. Conversations with Vir were the few interactions in school. It was Vir’s mother’s disappearance that became the main topic of discussion.

“I’m thinking of skipping school,” said Riya.

“What will you do? Your parents won’t allow it.”

Riya responded promptly, “My mother is trying to find friendly neighbours and my father is navigating his career. Who has time for me?”

“You aren’t behaving like the girl who I met a few weeks ago.  I get noticed for the wrong reasons but you aren’t even allowing yourself to get involved.”

“Look who is advising? Just leave me alone.”

Vir didn’t know who could help Riya get out of this depression. His mother’s absence had caused a hole in his life but Riya had a mother. Surely the parents could help her handle this crisis.

Riya hardly spoke, her grades were going down and it wouldn’t take long for the teachers to mark her as a poor achiever.

 No matter how often she had cribbed earlier Riya hadn’t stopped attending classes. Vir looked forward to Riya’s presence though they no longer had any meaningful conversation.

Entering the classroom Vir hoped that unlike the day before Riya was coming to school.  A tap on his shoulder made him turn around to find his class teacher Mrs. Biswas signaling to meet her out of the room. He had little to do with his teachers and was apprehensive.

“The headmaster wants to see you immediately.” 

Vir could feel a lump in his throat though neither Mrs. Biswas’s voice nor body language suggested any major trouble.

Vir knocked on the door hoping that there was an error and he wasn’t the right person.

“Come in. Meet Riya’s parents Mr. and Mrs. Gupta.  They would like to ask you some questions.”

Mr. Gupta sounded a bit loud and harsh,”Riya has been missing from yesterday. Her schoolbag was found in the bus and as you might be aware she didn’t attend school. Do you know her whereabouts?”

The adults looked at Vir while his tongue went dry as sandpaper and he knew from experience that his stammer would be back in full force.  He could feel the blood rushing to his face but he couldn’t utter a word.

Thankfully the headmaster intervened on his behalf, “Vir has a speech impediment. Kindly allow him a few seconds.”

Vir sweated and stuttered and finally said,”Nnnno.”

“We were told that Riya has been sitting next to you since she joined school. Apparently she didn’t have other friends so did she confide in you.”

Mrs. Gupta’s voice was gentler and Vir allowed himself to relax a bit.

“Riya was very unhappy and didn’t like being here.”

 There was a note of disbelief in the headmaster’s voice “Unhappy in school?”

 Vir was at a loss to answer. After all he would still have to be in this school no matter where Riya had gone or would go. “She didn’t like moving so frequently.”

The parents were puzzled and asked if that was her only complaint. The police had been searching around the town but they had found no signs.

Vir wasn’t going to mention his mother but he added. “Riya was interested in the annual pilgrimage to the nearby temple town that takes place at this time. “

 Mr. Gupta was incredulous, “Pilgrimage? Riya wasn’t religious. I hope you aren’t making up stories.”

 Vir blurted out, “No sir but the police could find out from the Missing Persons office at the temple site. It wouldn’t do any harm as none of us really know what Riya wanted.”

 None of them knew what was going on in Riya’s mind. Depression they thought happened to others. They believed that once Riya was rescued they would be able to find the answers. As they walked out of the school office, each parent wondered why they had failed to notice that Riya wasn’t her usual self.

They decided to ask the police to investigate around the temple and perhaps they would make the pilgrimage too. Who knew they might find their daughter while on the trail. After all miracles did happen.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sleeping Dogs

 As a rule, motorists turn a blind eye on pedestrians when the sun drills holes in skulls or rain blisters skins. But it was a balmy evening, nothing was amiss until a car came soundlessly to a standstill and a woman’s voice said, “Can I give you a lift?”  

And of all the weirdest things before any response could be made, to be yanked inside a car without the slightest warning. The doors were locked, the windows were up and except for the driver the only other occupant was a silent young woman. Tina craned her neck to sneak a look but the tinted windows gave no clue to the direction in which they were headed.

The ride ended in a narrow, lonely lane with houses choking the hum of traffic and the business of daily life. Tina was swiftly escorted in to a room where a middle aged man was seated on an armchair. He pointed towards a chair placed across from him and said, “Sit down.”

 There had been no underlying reason behind this strange chain of events. Tina sweated profusely, her throat was parched as she tried to speak but only a hoarse cackle escaped from her cracked lips. She breathed deeply, her tongue grazing the roof of her mouth, “I need a drink of water.”

The man spoke firmly but quietly,” Answer me correctly and I shall listen to your requests. Do you know Kalo?”

Tina shook her head to show ignorance.

“If you can speak all of you have to do is say yes or no.”

“No. I don’t know anybody by that name.”

As the minutes crawled the man’s voice sounded softer and more menacing while Tina’s voice was hardly audible. The question didn’t change nor cease.

She blurted out, “You are mistaken if you think you can demand ransom by threatening me. I have an ordinary job that keeps me at survival level.”

“Have I asked for your bank balance or money? All I need is a simple answer to a simple question.”

 A hard lump was constricting her throat and she was lost for words that would release her from this mindless grilling.

“If you are not convinced of my innocence you can kill me. My parents are dead and I have no family to mourn my loss or file a complaint with the police. Do what you please but give me a drink of water.”

“I have no desire to kill you or demand ransom. You know what I want.”

The man’s gaze remained unwavering while Tina’s limbs were becoming numb and she feared that she would just tumble on to the floor. She looked at him beseechingly and whispered, “Water.”

The questions changed a bit.

“Where were you going?”

“I was going shopping for tonight’s dinner?”

“Were you expecting Kalo?”

“I wasn’t expecting anybody.”

The man asked her several questions but always came back to the original one. He hadn’t been physically or verbally abusive but by now Tina was trembling as it was proving to be an increasingly absurd but scary session. At the same time she was trying hard to remember if there was a remote possibility of knowing somebody named Kalo.

Tina hadn’t realized that she was slumping, becoming unaware of her surroundings and that the man had actually left the room. Her legs were useless though she tried to stand up and noticed that unknowingly she had wet herself. There was nobody in the room and she should find a way to escape. But her body refused to budge and she crumpled and lay on the ground.

In the room next doors there was confusion and angry accusations as to who had given the orders for Tina to be picked up. They would now have to find out whether their informer had played a dirty trick or if there was a genuine error. Tina had been shaken out of her senses but she had consistently answered in the negative. It would be wiser not to inflict any injuries but just drop her closer home and not risk any follow up by the law or the rival gang.

Tina had no memory of being dropped at a bus shelter close to her home. It took her a few minutes to return to the present and she shuddered at what might be awaiting at home. The cobwebs in her mind needed to be swept out without wasting time.

It was unlikely that after so many years Tina would meet up with Ranu and they would be able to revive their childhood friendship. The day they met was also marked by their discovery of three abandoned puppies under a staircase. Ranu had kept on staring at the pups and then said, “They will die if somebody doesn’t look after them.”

Tina couldn’t remember how the animals came to be housed with her though in the initial stages it was Ranu who was the foster mother. Ranu had provided a half broken wooden box, layered it with rags and left it on the verandah. The young dogs had taken to it and would guard their home if anybody ventured near it. Ranu wasn’t a frequent visitor but some days she would take it upon herself to groom the dogs and clean out their box. As the puppies grew they assumed the mantle of caretakers and would bark and attack anybody who tried to cross the veranda.

Occasionally Tina wondered why it was Ranu who always came over and it was never the other way around There was no fixed schedule to their meetings and it was always Ranu who decided when and where they would meet.  Rani didn’t speak much about her personal life and had casually mentioned, “My marriage didn’t work so a divorce was the best solution. I run my own business and that requires quite a bit of travel.”

Tina was shy and didn’t make friends easily so Ranu’s presence made a difference. If Ranu was away for long she would bring expensive gifts that Tina couldn’t afford on her own. Tina’s awkwardness at being unable to reciprocate would be swept away by Ranu’s charming smile,” You don’t ask for anything and I feel relaxed in your company.”

 Tina’s anxiety heightened while she hurried homewards. The puzzle was close to being completed, the pieces had almost all fallen in place. As she neared home she saw Rani sitting on the steps with Karlo at her feet.

Rani was bewildered as she took in Tina’s disheveled panic stricken look, “What is wrong? Did you meet with an accident?”

Tina was trembling and breathed deeply to calm herself, “Karlo come here.”

As Karlo came and stood next to her she looked Ranu in the eye, “Did you imagine that the story would come to an end so soon?  It was a stroke of luck meeting up with me as well as finding the puppies. My ordinary, mundane life and the pets provided an almost perfect cover. Their kennel, with a hollow space at the bottom, became a good hideaway until somebody caught on. Somebody spilled the beans that the kennel contained hidden stuff but mispronounced Karlo’s name. So Karlo became Kalo and was transformed from being a dog to a man on the run. Fortunately the error saved Karlo’s life.

Of course I wasn’t aware that you had been using me as a decoy but the picture became clearer as soon as I could join the dots. My first thoughts were for Karlo’s safety. At this moment I am relieved that we are all safe and that includes you.

 Unlike you I am timid and diffident and trust people easily.  Did you stop to consider the value of losing a friend or was your personal gain of greater importance? Sadly you belittled our friendship. Just so that you can go in peace let me assure you that no names were dropped. Take the wooden box away for everybody’s safety as I don’t know what it contains and don’t come back again.”