The Astral Alibi

by Manjiri Prabhu

  “Come on! I’m sure she must be an ideal Boss!”

  “What do you know about it?” Jatin frowned.

  “It’s not too difficult to deduce. Which Boss would allow her assistant to go off on dates in the middle of working hours?”

  Jatin was silent.

  “And who would give her assistant a mobile for Christmas?” Naina asked. “And she’s given you these ten festival days to do as you please, while you both stay off cases, giving you—”

  “Plenty of time to get to know you!” he completed with a twinkle in his eyes. “I admit it. Sonia Samarth is the best Boss anyone could ever have! Now, let’s talk about us. You’re looking like an angel tonight,” he continued.

  Naina blushed. “You pay me far too many compliments.”

  “Every one of which you deserve,” he replied gallantly.

  They turned onto F.C.Road, holding hands. Crowds jostled, even at that late hour. It seemed as if half of Pune was out on the streets enjoying the Ganapti dekhave set up by the community groups called Mandals. Some of the Mandals ranged back almost a hundred years, in keeping with the age-old tradition of celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesh.

  “Do you like Masala Dosas?” Naina asked suddenly.

  “I love them! It’s my favourite South Indian dish,” Jatin declared. Then he stopped. “Why don’t we have one right now? There’s my usual haunt.”

  He pointed out a cart, on which a stove heated up a huge flat-iron tava. A man dressed in white overalls was busy laying out dosas, while his customers hung around patiently. Plastic chairs were set on the pavement for the tired and the old.

  “Only if the treat is on me,” Naina remarked.

  “No problem. It’s very cheap anyway.” Jatin led her to the cart. “Hello, Shettychacha, sagale theek aahey na—everything okay?”

  “Uttam! Excellent!” Shettychacha acknowledged, wiping a kerchief over his dark, sweaty face. His oiled hair was well plastered in a side parting. “What will you have?”

  “Two crisp dosas, please!”

  “Give me five minutes.” Shettychacha nodded, indicating the chairs with his hand.

  Jatin watched as Shettychacha quickly sprinkled water over the heated tava. He put semi-liquid, pasty rice dough into a vati—a small steel bowl—and dropped the rice platter on the tava. Then, using the back of the vati, he deftly flattened the dough on the tava. The thin layer of dough set and sizzled, browning in seconds. A blob of potato subji was placed in the centre of the platter and both the ends of the dosa were curved into a roll. The smell of the dish filled the night rain-laden air. Jatin loved the whole process. He knew it was an art. He could never take his eyes off the quick expert movements. The timing, the circular hand movements—everything had to be perfect.

  Naina watched Jatin in amusement.

  “Do you know what I like about you?” she asked softly.

  Jatin raised an eyebrow as Shettychacha’s assistant handed them two dosa plates served with chutney.

  “Did you actually say you like something about me?” he prompted.

  “Actually I like lots of things about you!” Naina laughed. “One of them being your interest in life. You are so interested in everything. I’ve never seen anyone look at a dosa preparation with so much rapt attention!”

  “It’s fascinating,” Jatin said, a trifle defensively.

  “Yes, but only when you sit down and think about it. And there are loads of other fascinating things, too, which not a soul may have given a thought to. But I’m sure you would. And that’s what I really like about you. Your eye for detail.”

  His pleasure at her words was overcome by a very strong feeling of surprise and disbelief. “You really feel that way about me?”

  She nodded.

  “Thank you! No one has ever paid me such a sincere compliment before. Not even Boss!” He felt as if he were treading on air.

  For a moment, they stared at each other, the dosas forgotten. The night chatter swirled around them; so did the bustling crowds, the clinking of the tava, and the scraping of chairs. Someone nudged Naina’s chair in the passing and she snapped out of her gazing and blushed.

  “It’s getting late. We better eat fast and leave,” she murmured.

  Jatin nodded and the next few minutes were busy, as they polished off the mouthwatering dosas. But his heart was thumping so loudly, he was certain Naina would hear it. He was finally making definite headway with her and the thrill of the thought made his stomach clench.

  Naina finished first. She dug into her purse and took out a fifty rupee note, handing it to Jatin.

  Rising, Jatin commented on the excellent dosas, handed Shettychacha the money, and bid him goodbye. Then, completely satiated, they walked down the street again.

  “Jatin, I want to thank you for taking me to Soniaji’s house today. I shall never forget the experience.”

  “She insisted that I bring you along.”

  “She’s so different from Priyadidi. I wish my sister were more like Soniaji. Understanding, caring.” Suddenly Naina glanced at her watch. “Ten! Oh God! What will Priyadidi say!”

  She looked so panicked that Jatin took her by the shoulders. “Hey, relax! You’re a big girl now. And I’m here to take care of you!”

  “It’s not that! You don’t know Priya. My sister’s…well, she’s different. Irritable, easily excited. Let’s get home!”

  Naina quickened her steps and Jatin watched helplessly as she raised a hand to hail an auto.

  “Where have you been!” Priya’s lined face was distorted with anger. Dressed in a brown wraparound, her hair piled on her head with a butterfly clasp, she looked towering and dominating. “Do you know what time it is? It’s the first day of Ganapati and you couldn’t care less! You know there’s no maid in the house and I have to do all the housework. But you don’t care, do you?”

  “Priyadidi, please…” Naina began.

  “Don’t say a word! You ought to be here helping me out, instead—”

  “Look, let me explain,” Jatin cut in hastily. He was partly annoyed and partly taken aback by Priya’s reaction. She was being most melodramatic, throwing her weight around needlessly.

  “You!” Priya turned on him and pointed an accusing finger. “Don’t you know better than to be out with a girl this late in the night? What will the neighbours say? Our parents may be dead, but we have been raised in a decent, respectable family! Don’t you dare spoil that reputation!” Priya’s bony body shook with fury.

  “Priyadidi, don’t say a word to Jatin! It’s not his fault!” Naina exclaimed.

  “Of course not!” Priya lashed out. “It’s your fault, Naina. You are a selfish, insensitive girl, who cannot think beyond a few good dates!”

  Naina looked stunned, as if she were slapped. Hot tears sprang up in her eyes. Suddenly she clutched her chest and then her throat. Her breathing seemed to halt. She turned desperately to Jatin.

  “Oh God! She’s got an asthma attack!” Priya screamed. Immediately her anger dissolved as she rushed to open her sister’s purse for the inhaler. She fumbled with it. “It’s not working!”

  Jatin watched, shocked, as Naina fell on the sofa, her breathing laboured. Priya thrust some money into his hand.

  “Please, please—there’s a medical store next door. Run and get an inhaler!”

  Jatin nodded and sped out. His heart beat frantically. Naina had warned him that she got these asthma attacks when she was excited or hurt. But this was the first time he had witnessed one. And what a horrifying experience it was! Poor Naina. What a terrible thing to happen to her. He found the pharmacy, quickly bought the inhaler, and raced back to the house. Priya grabbed the inhaler and thrust it into her sister’s hand, who clutched it gratefully. Jatin watched, the feeling of helplessness easing, as her breathing returned to normal. Only then did he realise that he had been holding his own breath. He slumped into a seat, shaken to the core.

  “Boss, I need your help.”

  Sonia was in the
outer office, putting flowers on the small Ganesh idol which had a permanent home on a brown glass shelf. Nidhi was chasing a marigold blossom round the room, tossing it high with her front paw and then running after it. Sonia clasped her palms together in reverence, then turned to face her assistant.

  “Help? But you’ve already found the girl of your dreams!” She smiled as she moved to the inner office. Nidhi instantly lost interest in the flower and meowed after her. The moment Sonia settled in her chair, the cat jumped onto the table, sniffing the air. Sonia extracted a modak wrapped in a newspaper from her handbag and placed it before the cat. Within seconds, the sweet had been gulped down. Then, purring in contentment, Nidhi jumped into her mistress’s lap and curled up.

  “I’m serious, Boss, I need advice.” Jatin spoke gravely.

  “What’s up?” Sonia asked, instantly concerned.

  “It’s Naina. She’s a wonderful girl. Sweet-natured and intelligent. But she has a sister, Priya, who is a nightmare!”

  Jatin briefly narrated the previous night’s episode. The horror of his girl-friend’s asthma attack still made the goose pimples rise on his arm.

  “Sounds like she’s one stressed-out sister what with no maid and a pile of housework to dig through. Maybe there’s some sense in her argument,” Sonia suggested.

  “Perhaps. But it’s the manner in which she speaks. Harsh words, uncaring and insensitive. As if she doesn’t give a damn about her sister. And it brings on Naina’s asthma attacks. That’s not a good thing to happen.”

  “I agree with you. Did you say that their parents died early?”

  “Naina barely remembers them. They died in a plane crash when she was only seven. Priya, who is almost eight years older, raised her on her own. They are very rich, I believe, and they have a huge house on Mumbai-Pune highway. But it’s a dilapidated structure now. Priya has done nothing to maintain it. Naina keeps telling her to do some repairs, but she has a tight hold over the family income, which is all tied up in trusts. She has a tight hold over Naina, too. In fact, Naina is positively terrified of her and I don’t like it at all!”

  “With such a big age gap, I wouldn’t be surprised if Priya treated her younger sister more like a daughter. Isn’t she married?”

  “No. And I don’t think that she ever will marry!” Jatin spoke in dismay.

  “But Naina will,” Sonia pointed out.

  “If she is allowed to,” he retorted glumly.

  “Come on! Priya is not Naina’s enemy. She wouldn’t want her sister to remain a spinster like her!”

  “I hope not.”

  “Cheer up, Jatin. Those two do get along, don’t they? I mean, have you not seen them on friendly terms at all?”

  Jatin nodded, a little reluctantly. “But I don’t trust Priya. I just have this gut instinct about her. She’s like a volcano ready to erupt. And I hate the fact that Naina has to put up with her temper tantrums. Especially since they make Naina so ill.”

  Jatin began pacing the floor. Nidhi peered at him from Sonia’s lap, then, disinterested, resumed her beauty nap.

  “You’re really worried, aren’t you?”

  “Boss, you should’ve seen what I saw yesterday. It was frightening. It was a good thing that chemist was open…. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened otherwise.”

  “She’s taking treatment for her asthma, I hope.”

  Jatin nodded.

  “Tell me something, Jatin, does Priya approve of you?”

  “I guess so. I mean, she hasn’t really objected to my dropping over, and generally she’s quite polite. But the two of them argue a lot and I don’t think it’s healthy. In fact, it is downright risky for Naina, if last night was anything to go by. What do I do, Boss?” He stopped pacing, dismay and frustration stamped on his face.

  “I don’t think there’s much you can do about it, Jatin. You cannot protect Naina twenty-four hours a day and, anyway, she wouldn’t want you to.”

  “Boss, can’t you go over their horoscopes and tell me if this situation will persist? I mean, you can forecast if the two sisters will get along, can’t you? And predict when Naina will get married…” He blushed.

  “Oh-oh.” Sonia smiled, amused. “Now I can see where you’re going.”

  Jatin shrugged, abashed, tongue-tied for the first time in his life.

  In a more grave tone, Sonia asked, “You seem very serious about her, Jatin. Are you serious enough to consider marriage?”

  “Not right away, of course. I need more time, but ultimately, yes.”

  Sonia studied her young Assistant, looking so boyish and eager. And yet she could see the growing maturity in him.

  “Get their horoscopes. I’ll see what I can read in them. But be prepared to hear the worst along with the good!”

  “Thank you, Boss!” Jatin almost jumped in joy. “And now I’m going to serve you hot chai!”

  He sailed out of the room, whistling merrily, and Sonia smiled. Love certainly did change people.

  “I really do have to apologise for my behaviour the other night.” Priya spoke with genuine guilt in her voice.

  Jatin sat opposite her in the minimally furnished hall. The paint was peeling and cobwebs hung from the high ceiling. The dark corners of the house seemed to echo the neglect it had suffered over the years.

  “You don’t need to apologise,” he replied, feeling embarrassed.

  “Oh sure, I do. I had no right to accuse you and Naina of being selfish and irresponsible. I’ve already apologised to my sister.”

  Jatin glanced at Naina, who smiled reassuringly at him. She looked dainty in an ice-cream pink Salwar Kameez, with faint rosy cheeks and lips and beautiful dark eyes.

  “You were partly right, didi,” Naina told her sister. “I should’ve informed you that I had been invited to Jatin’s Boss’s house for Ganapati.”

  “No, you have every right to go wherever you please. I was just a trifle overwrought with worry and work.” Priya passed her sister a fond smile.

  Watching the exchange, Jatin felt a wave of relief wash over him. Things were finally being sorted out between the sisters!

  “Here, take this!” Priya thrust a white envelope into his hands.

  “What is it?”

  “Buy yourself a Ganapati festival gift. It’s just a small amount.”

  “Oh no!” Jatin exclaimed. “I can’t accept money from you!”

  “Why not? You’re Naina’s good friend, aren’t you? I would’ve bought you a gift myself, but I didn’t know your choice, so I thought it better to give you the money. That way you can buy whatever you want. You have to accept the present, because if you don’t, I shall feel that you haven’t forgiven me for my rude behaviour!”

  Jatin looked at Naina helplessly.

  “Take it,” she suggested, seeming thrilled by her sister’s gesture. “Priyadidi means it!”

  Jatin hesitated, then shrugged, resigned. “All right. Thank you very much, but you really didn’t have to.”

  “Oh yes, I had to. I wanted to give you something.” Priya smiled and once again Jatin marvelled at the change in the woman.

  “Oh, that reminds me, do you two have your horoscopes with you?” he asked. “I’d like to show them to my Boss. She’s an excellent Astrologer!”

  “I would love to get my horoscope read by Soniaji!” Naina exclaimed. “But…” The two sisters glanced at each other. “I’m afraid we don’t have our horoscopes,” the younger girl continued. “My parents may have got them made, but we’ve no idea where they are. Do you, Priyadidi?”

  The older sister shook her head. “No. Though I would love to know my future, too!”

  “In that case, why don’t you two write down your birth date, time, and place for me? You know those, don’t you? Good. Just the time, date, and place would do.”

  “Oh great!” Naina suddenly seemed excited like a child, Jatin observed, pleased, as she ran to fetch a pad and jotted down the details. She passed the pad to her sister, who wrote down her b
irth particulars, then tore the page from the pad and handed it to Jatin.

  “Thanks!” He smiled at them and rose to leave.

  “Don’t forget to buy your gift,” Priya reminded lightly as he departed.

  The rain had lifted but the sky was overcast and a cool breeze blew in through the Stellar Investigations’ window. Nidhi lay curled on the red pillow, fast asleep. Sonia looked down at her fondly. The cat seemed to choose a different coloured cushion every day! The blue velvet collar round her neck, her golden fur, and the red cushion made a beautiful contrast. Sonia wished she had her digital camera. She must remember to bring it to the office and keep it in the cupboard.

  Sonia glanced at the horoscopes she had charted out from the information Jatin had handed her earlier that morning.

  “What are you thinking, Boss?” her Assistant asked as he entered with two cups of chai.

  “I hope you aren’t in a tearing hurry for me to read these horoscopes,” she said as she accepted her cup.

  “No, of course not,” Jatin lied. “But sooner the better…Oh, and I’m rich by two thousand rupees! A gift from Priyadidi!”

  “Wow! And I thought you said she was a nightmare!”

  “Did I?” Jatin grinned, feigning ignorance.

  “What do you plan to buy with it?”

  “I don’t know. Something for Naina, I think. I surely don’t mean to use the money for myself. And right now I’m going to keep this envelope in your drawer. I’ll take it when I need it.”

  They sipped their tea in companionable silence.

  “Boss, do you need me this afternoon? I mean, we aren’t working on anything and…”

  “As usual, you have a date with Naina,” Sonia completed.

  Jatin grinned sheepishly. “Actually, I was planning to take Naina for a movie. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge!”

  “How romantic. But Jatin, you’ve already seen DDLJ thrice!” she reminded lightly.

  “Boss, so have you!” he retaliated. “And so what! It’s a great film with loads of lovely songs. And I’ll be seeing it for the first time with Naina! And then we have to go shopping. She wants to go to Wadekar Jewellers and buy some silver for a friend’s wedding. It’s her favourite shop and Mr. Wadekar knows me personally, so I’m going to help her choose the gift. And then I’m going to take her home. I want to introduce her to my parents.”