It Happened on Scrabble Sunday

by Vas, Mahita;

Ashwin took his sister’s hands and said, “Rohit called it off because he wanted to spite Dad for handing the reins to Aditya. Shows what a spoilt, vengeful brat he is. Lavi, you deserve better.”

  Lavinia grabbed the cushion behind her, held it on her lap and leant back on the large armchair. She stared at the cushion, tracing the random patterns with her finger. Everyone remained silent. Uday’s back was beginning to ache. He kissed her before going back to his seat. Lavinia took a deep breath. “Just before the engagement, I spoke to … I dreamt Mama and I were talking to each other. He’s not the one for you, she said. I told Mama that people don’t like him because they don’t know him. She said it was I who didn’t know him. I should’ve listened to Mama.” Lavinia wept softly. Priyanka handed her a handkerchief and hugged her. “I … I had half a mind to call it off but all I could think of was how much I loved Rohit, how much I wanted to be with him and … that Mama didn’t really know him.”

  Ashwin said, “Frankly, Lavi, no one liked him. We all tried to talk you out of it—not very hard, admittedly—but you were beyond reason.”

  Lavina wiped her face. “Mama is probably waving her finger at me, saying, ‘I told you so!’”

  Uday shook his head. “Mama’s not doing that, Lavi. She’s feeling your sadness.”

  Lavinia hugged the cushion before placing it behind her. “I need to be alone. I’ll see you at dinner.”

  As Lavinia walked towards the door, Priyanka sprinted to her side and grabbed her hand.

  “We’re all here for you. Always.”

  “Pity not your sister-in-law, Pri. I’ve been dumped but not destroyed.”

  Priyanka held Lavinia’s face in both her hands and said, “You have not been dumped. You have been released. The greatest gift from that scoundrel is your freedom.”

  Angela yelled, “And that ring. Let’s not kid ourselves. A hundred thousand-dollar ring from Tiffany.”

  Uday said, “We’ll return it. It’s not hers to keep.”

  Lavinia removed her ring as she walked towards her father. “You’re right, Daddy. I don’t even want to keep it.”

  “You get to keep your dignity. You’ll see that soon enough.” Uday held his daughter for a long time before she pulled away and left.

  8

  A Few Days Later

  The family sat down to a lavish Thai meal prepared by Conchita, even though her responsibility was mainly to clean the flat.

  “Eight dishes! Quite a feat, Conchita,” said Angela, serving Uday the red curry before dishing some on to Ashwin’s plate.

  “Used to it, Ma’am. Also, Wati help me do all the chopping and cleaning. Miss Lavi say the family like Thai food. But Ma’am Tamara and Mr Aaron don’t like so I make all this when Ma’am Tamara go away. For Mr Aaron, I make chicken adobo. He say he like very much.”

  Sayana snorted, “Who cares what he likes? He’s lucky he gets three square meals a day.”

  Priyanka placed her hand on his arm and said, “Hush! He’ll hear you.”

  Conchita chirped, “He go out, Ma’am. He say he come home around ten. Wati and I help to check on Charlie. Today he little bit sick but now alright. Sleeping well.”

  “Aaron should go out more often. Every evening would be nice,” mumbled Sayana.

  Ashwin raised his hand towards his brother. “High five!” Uday smiled. It warmed his heart to see his sons agree on something, anything, even if it was only over their intense dislike for a despicable creature in their midst.

  Every time Aaron was mentioned, there was a strange reaction at the table, alternating between a hush and visible discomfort. There was something going on with Aaron, but no one was telling him. Uday decided he would ask Sayana later. He was glad to see that Lavinia was reticent, but less sullen. He was hopeful that she would soon return to her chirpy, vivacious self. Rohit Gupta did not deserve Lavinia’s despair.

  Sitting at the round ten-seater table with his sons and their wives, and with Lavinia by his side, Uday was keen to provide the third instalment of events during his Mumbai visit. The news about Aditya taking over was well-received. The one about Rohit had been the most difficult news to break, but Lavinia seemed to have found a silver lining. Watching the family in good spirits again, and trying to whip up much needed mirth for Lavinia, Uday decided to save that piece of news for another day. Let them believe their assumption that he had simply returned to his previous position.

  By the time Wati cleared the table for dessert, Lavinia seemed more light-hearted. The family’s confessions of how they really felt about Rohit, and the warning in her dream by her mother, must have weighed heavily on her during her few hours of contemplation holed up in her room.

  Ashwin raised his glass. “To Dad, welcome back to where you were before Suresh Uncle passed away. You were so much happier then.”

  Sayana laughed. “Of course! Tamara was still living in Shanghai at that time!”

  Uday raised his hand. “Sayana, Please. I know you loathe her and I respect your loyalty to your mother, but please, young man, have the decency to keep those feelings to yourself. You have a beautiful wife and a future full of promise and delight. Let me enjoy what’s left of my years.”

  No one spoke. The sound of spoons gathering the last of the pudding smeared around their bone china plates pierced the air.

  “Sorry, Dad.”

  Lavinia, her straightened hair drooping over the sides of her face, stroked the handle of her spoon and spoke to no one in particular. “I think she’s having an affair with that creep.”

  Uday roared. “Aaron?” He looked towards the kitchen and lowered his voice. “What a thing to say, Lavi! If you lot think I’ll change my mind about marrying Tamara just because of your unfavourable opinion, then be prepared for a huge disappointment.” Uday paused and gulp-emptied his recently filled glass of wine. “Besides, Aaron is a card-carrying, flag- bearing member of Pink Dot. Like your good friend, that dog groomer.”

  “Aaron is not gay, Daddy! I think it’s all an act,” insisted Lavinia. “My friend is very real, though. Love him to bits. But Aaron is devious, Daddy! And he is Tamara’s lover. I’ve caught them looking at each other that way.”

  Uday did not expect his children to readily enfold Tamara in their love and warmth, but neither did he expect such loathing. Lavinia was letting her imagination get the better of her. He needed to be patient and more tolerant of his children’s views, especially Lavinia’s. She had suffered the most from her mother’s death and remained fiercely loyal.

  Uday took a sip of wine. “I’ll keep a close watch on Aaron.”

  “And Tamara!”

  “Yes, Princess. And Tamara.” There was no point in challenging Lavinia when she was convinced her perception was the truth.

  After a long pause, Sayana, who was sitting directly across the table from Uday, spoke. “Dad, does this mean you’ve been demoted and have to take a pay cut now that you’re no longer CEO?” Curiosity was bursting through his eyes.

  So much for saving the news for another day. A direct question deserved a direct answer.

  “Much more than a demotion and even much more than a pay cut. I’ve resigned.”

  The gasp was audible even in the kitchen. “What happened? Everything okay?” asked Wati, as she popped her head through the door.

  “Yes, Wati,” said Uday. “We’re done. You may clear the table.” As Wati went back into the kitchen for the tray, Uday said, “Aaron will probably be back soon, and I don’t want him eavesdropping. Let’s go to Ashwin’s.”

  Sayana glared at Ashwin as he addressed his father. “Why not my place? We’re always going to Ashwin’s.”

  “Because Angela is pregnant, and she has the option to go and lie down in her room if she so pleases. And no, we’re not always going to Ashwin’s. It’s not a competition, Sayana.”

  Uday grabbed his keys and led the family out of the apartment and to Ashwin’s, a five-minute walk away. He could not remember when Sayana had begun to feel compelled to outdo Ashw
in in everything, from sports to academics. He watched his sons as they held their wives’ hands. As Sayana quickened his pace to be in front of Ashwin, Uday could not help but believe that Ashwin had held himself back at school just so Sayana could feel he did better.

  Even during Ashwin’s attempts to grow a beard or moustache—it was sparse, at best—and even when he got himself a bad haircut, Ashwin was the better looking of the two. Although his skin was as dark as Uday’s, Ashwin had inherited his mother’s fine features—a straight, sharp nose, thin lips and light brown eyes, while Sayana, with much fairer skin, fuller features, and an overbite that was not fixed due to his rejecting braces in his teens, looked more like Uday’s father. For all his roughness at times, Ashwin was the most loving, obliging and loyal person Uday knew.

  While Uday helped himself to a Scotch and soda, the rest of the family made themselves comfortable in Ashwin’s modest home. It was not quite half the size of Uday’s, but spacious enough for a small family and a live-in nanny, if Angela decided to return to work after giving birth. The apartment, built in the mid-eighties, had had some cosmetic updates but was never fully renovated, making it look worn and dated. Sayana’s flat was in a similar condition. But after Uday made the down payment on the flats for both his sons, the mortgage was all that Ashwin and Sayana could afford, while wishing to live close to the family. Uday was glad that both his sons inherited their mother’s good taste when it came to decorating their homes.

  Uday pulled out a chair from the dining table and placed it so he could face all five of his close family members.

  “I’ve decided to retire.”

  Sayana leant forward. “But Dad, you’re only fifty-five! Even in the civil service, retirement age is now sixty-two.”

  “I’m not going to stop working. I’ll start a consultancy. The hospitality industry is in overdrive, and with all the connections I have, there’ll be enough to keep me busy.”

  Ashwin seemed more receptive to the news. “And sufficiently compensated, I’m sure! You’ll be making more while working less.” Everyone laughed.

  Angela chuckled as she pinched Lavinia. “Someone’s got to pay for Lavi’s shoes, right?”

  “Well, yes, that’s true. But seriously, an income will help while our investments aren’t doing that well. Besides, I’d like to travel a little more, go away for a lot longer. Consulting lets me travel while paying for the expenses. Two months in Italy, for a start.”

  “Long honeymoon, then?” Angela winked.

  “Delayed honeymoon. The six-month notice started on Monday. Won’t be going until July.”

  Sayana grimaced. “So hot! The worst possible time to visit Italy. An antipodean holiday might be better. New Zealand … or South Africa!”

  Uday nodded as he pictured a map of the Southern Hemisphere he had drawn as a secondary school student who hated geography. “Argentina. It takes forever and a day to get there, plus time to recover from such a long journey. Time is all I’ll have to discover Buenos Aires, the Pampas and Patagonia.” Uday cocked his head. “Come to think of it, Tamara would hate that. She’d love the city but not the countryside … Maybe I’ll just have to wait until September to spend those two months in Italy.”

  “Or take me to Argentina in July!” Lavinia seemed more cheerful as the night wore on.

  While everyone laughed, Uday noticed Ashwin staring at a book on the coffee table. It had been there for months. Ashwin certainly wasn’t contemplating the typography or choice of imagery on the cover. “What’s wrong, Ashwin?”

  Angela nudged her husband. “Dad’s talking to you.”

  Shaken from his stupor, Ashwin mumbled, “I’ve been thinking … You’re not going to like this, Dad, but you should get a pre-nup.”

  “Singapore courts don’t recognise pre-nups,” said Sayana.

  “Not true. They have enforced a few in recent years. The problem with some pre-nups is that they short-change the wife, and that’s when the Women’s Charter comes in. I agree, Daddy, you should get one done,” said Lavinia.

  Uday shook his head. “It’s such a mercenary concept—”

  Ashwin shot back. “Tamara is a mercenary woman.”

  Uday raised his hand. “Enough! Please stop seeing Tamara like she’s a gold digger who only wants me for my money. It’s quite insulting. Hurtful, too. Do you really think a beautiful, highly educated woman cannot love a man like me? Sure, I’m no looker … balding, terrible eye bags, middle-aged …” Uday patted his belly. “A girth—yes, small for many Indian men my age, I’m told—created by alcohol and Indian food. I’m quite sure if your mother were to meet me for the first time today, she might not be quite so keen. But Tamara and I have each been given a second chance, and we’re good for each other. I know I’d feel the tug if she were wrapping me around her finger.” Uday wished his children would give Tamara a sporting chance.

  Lavinia nodded slowly. “Fine. No pre-nup then. At least get a will—”

  “I always had one. It was last updated when your mother passed away. It’ll need to be updated after I get married.”

  “Dad, get it updated soon, and to take effect immediately upon your marriage. If, a great big if, something were to happen to you right after you got married, half of everything you have—that’s right, half—goes to Tamara. We could fight it in court on the basis of her being married for less than a day, saying she should not get anything, but that’s just the extreme. The reality is that without a will, she’ll become the biggest shareholder of our family home.”

  Sayana sucked in deeply through his teeth. “Imagine that!”

  9

  Early February

  Tamara had just returned from a fitting for her bridal dress. It was less than six weeks before their civil marriage. She placed some large paper bags on the coffee table and began opening the boxes hidden under sheaves of fine paper.

  “Look, Uday! I found the perfect shoes and handbag to match my dress.” She held out the bag in front of her and posed in front of Uday. “Nice?”

  Uday smiled. “Everything looks nice on you, Tamara. In fact, you make everything look nicer.”

  “At a price! You are so generous, Uday. My friends are jealous that I’m having a Reem Acra gown. I think a few of them wore Elie Saab or Marchesa at their wedding. So common. Most of them had theirs made by tailors. Poor things couldn’t afford a designer gown—”

  “That sounds rather unkind. I honestly don’t see why you need to spend fifteen thousand dollars on something you’ll wear just once, but if it’s that important to you …”

  Tamara twirled, before kneeling by his feet. “Oh, Uday, it is! Besides, I’ll sell it in Shanghai for about the same price, maybe even more, once I’m done. I have contacts.” Tamara’s eyes were twinkling. She was extremely pleased with herself. Uday could not bear to remind her that she had fallen from grace in the Shanghai social scene.

  “You’re obviously a lot more than just a very pretty face.”

  Tamara sank into the sofa and wrapped her arms around Uday. “You always know what to say, Uday.” She leant back and placed her dainty feet on the coffee table. The beautiful elm wood table, made from an old Chinese door, which Tamara had bought with the money he had given her soon after she arrived. The one which Lavinia saw as a betrayal of her beloved late mother’s memory. Tamara wriggled her toes, painted in a red so bright they looked like freshly pounded red chillies smeared at the tips of her feet. “Very soon I will be your wife, mistress of this luxury flat. It needs a lot of work. I will redecorate it and put it on the list of Singapore’s most beautiful homes.”

  Uday peeled Tamara’s long arms from himself and moved away from her. “No, Tamara. Please don’t do anything to this place. It has been our family home for years and has grown with us. We’d like to keep it that way.”

  “We? You and your children? Won’t I be part of your family? Won’t this be my home? Won’t I be part of ‘we’?”

  Uday stared at his clasped hands. “Let’s just
give the children some time to adjust to you being part of the family. It’s only fair.”

  “How much time do you expect me to give? A year? Ten years?”

  Uday inhaled deeply and took her hand. “I don’t know, Tamara. But we can all make it easier on ourselves with a little understanding.”

  This was probably not a good time to raise a matter as delicate as a pre-nuptial agreement. Uday had agreed with Lavinia’s suggestion to proceed with an updated will, which would take effect on the day of his marriage at the Marriage Registry. It was Ashwin’s idea to just test Tamara’s response to a pre-nuptial agreement. Uday wasn’t sure he wanted to go that far. At that moment, raising the matter would be setting himself up for disappointment, and would only prove Ashwin’s point, yet he was tempted to try it. Uday looked at his future wife. She was beautiful even when she was angry. He had never seen such poise in a woman.

  “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Uday smiled and gently slid strands of her long hair from her face, tucking them behind her ears. The diamond earrings he had given her for her fortieth birthday sparkled under the halogen lights. Tamara pulled away.

  “Can’t a man admire the woman he is about to marry?” Uday moved closer to her. He felt his shoulders tense, as if they had a mind of their own and felt a sweat breaking at the back of his neck. How does anyone raise the subject of a document that pre- supposes a marriage is not going to last?

  “Tamara, we need to talk about a pre-nuptial agreement.” It was too late to revoke those words and start again with a preamble in a gentler tone.

  Tamara jumped off the sofa and started screaming. “Pre- nuptial agreement? Why? You don’t trust me?” She was pacing the living room, one arm on her hip. “Lavinia! I know she put you up to this. Just out of law school and thinks she’s an expert on relationships! Ha!”

  She was waving her finger at Uday. “She doesn’t want us to get married! I’ve always felt that about her. She hates me. It’s obvious. That’s what this is all about. And don’t even talk to me about a pre-nup. I won’t sign it. That is the sort of thing only Western people do. Especially in Hollywood.”