Shoving the painful memory aside, she tried the engine again as someone sounded the horn from behind.
“Toot!” sang Toby gleefully, wriggling in the confines of his seat belt, fisting his tiny hands in the air, and holding an imaginary steering. He tried to slip under the seatbelt without much success.
“Toby, sit down!” Giana held him back with a stern look, turning the ignition once more. The vehicle behind them drew up alongside. Giana looked apologetically at the driver to find Max’s face grinning at her.
“What’s up?” he called out, parking ahead and coming around to peer at her through the window.
“It won’t budge!” she replied in despair.
He checked the bonnet and came around once more. “Let’s push it to the kerb. Can you leave Toby strapped in?” He loosened his tie, discarded his jacket and rolled his sleeves up.
“Yes, Toby is safe although he is under the impression that he is driving it himself,” she said ruefully. “The maid took the day off, so I had to bring him along.”
She called and informed the car-servicing garage about the breakdown, giving them the directions to the place. With the help of Max, she pushed the van towards the kerb, away from the traffic. Then she unbuckled Toby who clambered all over a guffawing Max, as eager as a monkey on a mango tree. They hugged each other like long lost pals.
“I am getting used to the roadside rendezvous with you!” chuckled Max in jest.
“It’s a small town!” laughed Giana ruefully, checking the doors of the van.
“Where were you going?” asked Max as Toby examined the tiny patterns on his blue silk tie with avid interest.
“I have a catering order coming up. I was on my way to the wholesale market to buy some stuff.” She tried hard to resist looking at him, but as usual, Max simply took her breath away. “How come you are here?”
“I had a meeting with a client. I finished early today,” he said, glancing at his watch. He chuckled when Toby promptly put the tie in his mouth and sucked on it as though it were a delicacy. He turned to Giana and said, “I’ll take you to the market.”
“Thank you but...I don’t want to trouble you!”
“Giana,” he said softly with a knowing look in his eyes.
The soft rendition of her name flowed like honey in her veins, obliterating the jarring sounds of the traffic around her.
“We are not strangers anymore, are we?”
“No.” She smiled at him as the sudden realization washed over her. They were much more than strangers. It was a relationship she couldn’t define and yet she felt that Max was closer to her in more ways than anyone. Her experience with men was limited to Ricky and it hadn’t even been a relationship. Max had inexorably crept into her heart deeper than any man. “We are definitely not strangers.”
“Shall we go then?”
“I need to go to the Balamani Orphanage first.”
“The one in the next lane? Why the orphanage?” he probed curiously.
“My brother Michael used to help out here in his free time,” she said, her eyes clouding. “I save a bit every month for them.”
His eyes softened to melted chocolate. “Come along then.”
“I hope you won’t get bored with us. There’s a lot to do.”
“I am yours for the day, ma’am,” drawled Max, with a disarming smile.
Giana blushed a lovely shade of pink, clumsily turning away to collect her things from the van, hoping that Max wouldn’t see how deeply he affected her. Another thought hit her hard. She wished Max could be hers. Not just for the day as he had generously offered. She shook herself out of useless thoughts that would only lead to more heartache and disappointment. She already had her fair share of that. Fifteen minutes later, the man from the service garage arrived with a towing vehicle and took the van away.
Max waited for Giana to settle her things in the backseat. Preoccupied with Toby’s antics and his attempts to save his tie from being chewed further, Max kissed the toddler, elation etched on his face, thrilled that he had met them again. He removed his tie and hung it loosely around Toby’s neck. Toby responded with aplomb, slathering sloppy kisses on Max’s nose, expressing his own unfettered happiness in the way only a two year-old could.
“You will never get your tie back,” said Giana.
“Nah! Kids can be distracted quite effectively,” said Max with a confidence that came from experience. He took out a bar of nutty chocolate from the glove compartment and gave it to Toby who gurgled in pleasure. Completely absorbed in tugging at the wrapper, Toby forgot the tie that was gently removed without him being aware of it.
“Now he is your slave!” smiled Giana, shaking her head. “You will have to compete with Annabel though who plies him with sugary goodies all the time!”
“Hmm...It is all right to relax the rules sometime especially when you don’t have a choice.” He tore the chocolate wrapper open and handed it to Toby. “But I will remember to keep a healthy option the next time we go out with him.”
Out together? More delusions? She felt inundated with happiness and regret. Life couldn’t be this hopeful, could it? Spending time together with Max seemed like an impossible dream. She had deliberately avoided meeting him all these weeks in the hope of forgetting how important he had become in her life. But she couldn’t help thinking how right it felt to be with him.
Max drove into the lane and parked in front of the orphanage where he could see kids playing on swings in the courtyard.
“Give me a minute. I need to deliver a cheque and I will be back.”
With a stern warning to Toby to behave, Giana went into the gates as Max held on to a whining Toby who waved at her tearfully.
“Hey, little fella! She is coming back!” said Max, affectionately ruffling Toby’s hair.
“To-by dive,” chortled the little imp immediately forgetting about his mother, more interested now in grabbing the steering wheel.
Max had forgotten how enjoyable it was to be with a child. He deliberately swept aside the painful memories that assailed him at the familiar baby smell and the feel of the chubby weight in his lap. Today he was not going to think of the past. He allowed Toby to have his way with the steering wheel. For the next few minutes Toby had ‘vroomed’ and tooted and spluttered in glee, his hands grabbing the steering with the concentration of an ace formula one driver. Max chuckled in delight and wiped Toby’s mouth with a tissue as he dribbled saliva down his little chin in his excitement.
“I hope he wasn’t too much trouble?” asked Giana, when she returned.
“I was enjoying being chauffeured,” said Max, grinning widely, setting a protesting Toby back in Giana’s lap. “He might have driven off to the moon if his legs had reached the pedals.”
“He can be a handful, I know!”
Max drove the short distance to the marketplace and parked the vehicle. Then they were on their way to the shops Giana needed to visit. She talked with several wholesale traders for decorative fabric for the venue. The next stop was for the ingredients for the multi-tiered wedding cake she was supposed to create. Toby sat like a little prince on Max’s shoulders as Giana haggled over the price of each item.
Max felt great accompanying them. He didn’t question the feeling this time and went with the flow. It was wonderful to be with them...to be himself. To allow joy to flow through his heart. He loved to be with Giana. The thought had been gaining prominence in his mind lately. She was becoming far more important than anyone else in his life. He watched her, in between minding Toby, enjoying the little one’s prattle.
His eyes never left her as she wove her way from one shop to another, her curvaceous figure dressed in a navy blue shirt and sensible jeans. There was nothing sensible in the way he felt as his gaze followed her, dodging people, and looking this way and that for a better deal, conversing in pristine Tamil. More than once, she caught him looking at her, with a pencil poised on her notepad as she sat on a rickety stool discussing the merchandise.<
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It took Giana another couple of hours to finish her shopping list. They stood on the roadside contemplating the next stop as the evening light faded away.
“Shall we have dinner?” Max offered, anticipating a refusal.
Giana looked at Toby who was beginning to whimper hungrily, and conceded. She couldn’t refuse this time. Her heart wouldn’t allow her to refuse such an opportunity. It thumped away reacting to Max’s intense gaze as he waited for her answer. She wanted to prolong this beautiful time with him without anybody watching over her.
“I guess so...I have the day off from the cafe today. I am only expected back home in the evening.”
“Did you just say ‘yes’?” Max glanced heavenwards and grinned as though his prayer had been answered.
Giana laughed at his comical expression. It had been such a lovely day. Even though all that she had done was haggle with shopkeepers, examine the quality of goods and calculate figures in her head. Max had remained in the background taking care of Toby as though it was the easiest job in the world.
She rang up Carol and informed her about the van breakdown and that she would have dinner on the way. Her tired arms were crammed with packets as they made their way back to Max’s vehicle. He drove out to a multi-cuisine heritage hotel nearby where they were served a mouth-watering array of seafood.
The third floor restaurant, in the charming Tamil quarter, had a fantastic view. Giana looked with awe at the centre of the terrace which had a huge banyan tree aflutter with an assortment of birds settling for the night. The building around the courtyard was erected, keeping the banyan tree as the centre. It was beautifully lit up now with fairy lights that cast a cheerful ambience around the motley collection of people, both foreigners and locals, gathered at tables covered in white lace. The light glowing from hanging earthen lamps spread a ruddy glow all around. Toby was fascinated by the flurry of brilliantly hued lovebirds in the cages lining the terrace. There was a play area for kids in the centre. On the other side was a huge aquarium along the wall, lit up, teeming with tiny Gold fish that swam with Black Mollies and gauzy, white-finned Angels.
Giana felt her eyes well up inexplicably. She had fed many people at the cafe, creating wonderful concoctions with her recipes but she had forgotten what it was to savour one of the joys of life.
“You like it?” Max asked, his eyes hooded, staring at the lamp-lit glow on her skin.
She gave a soft smile, her attention straying to Toby who was happily shaking hands with a bunch of foreigners at a nearby table. She called to him but he scurried away to look at the birds again. Max’s eyes followed hers.
“Don’t worry. Let’s order food.”
They placed their orders and sat back relaxed, each of them keeping track of Toby’s movements.
“Have you thought of putting Toby in a crèche?” asked Max, looking at the little chap, peering into the aquarium in goggle-eyed fascination.
“I feel very worried that he wouldn’t be taken care of. I hear so many cases where children have been neglected and even injured.”
“You can’t carry him around when you have work outdoors. He needs to keep his mind and energy occupied with learning new, creative things.”
“I know,” agreed Giana. “I have thought about it. But...I feel...”
“Afraid?”
“Yes. He is the reason I live for.” She swallowed hard. “I love to have him with me, where I can keep an eye on him. He is at an age where he is curious about everything. I make sure that I only take up as much work as I can handle. He is my top priority. Once he begins play school next year, I will have some time to establish a better base for my work.”
Giana accepted the starter platter, an assortment of freshly baked breads that Max pushed towards her. Toby came to have a bite and Giana popped a piece into his mouth. He went back to the birdcages and pranced about in excitement imitating them.
Max knew that he couldn’t measure the joy he felt in his company. Only a child could have unlocked the secret chamber of his heart and set him free.
“He is a beautiful child. Such a source of pure joy. He brings people together.” He glanced at where Toby was holding an old couple enthralled with his baby talk. “Thank you, for allowing me to spend the day with both of you today.”
“I should be the one thanking you for helping me with the shopping. You needn’t have done it. I was able to finish everything without worrying about him because I could trust you with him. It must have been tiring for you after a working day.”
“Believe me when I say, that it was pure pleasure,” he said, the heat in his dark eyes so intense that it felt as though she was being slowly burnt under his scrutiny. The heady sensation was too much to bear as Giana lowered her eyes unable to take the onslaught. Max could make her melt with just a searing look.
“Tell me about your family in Bangalore,” said Giana to ease the growing awareness between them.
Max’s countenance paled under the lamplight. He looked down at his hands that suddenly clenched on the table. “My parents live with my older brother Phillip and his family. We are from Mahe. My great-grandfather was a Frenchman who married my great-grandmother, a native of Mahe. He loved the place so much that he stayed back in India.”
Giana smiled at that. “My paternal grandfather was French. He married a local girl and they moved to France and became permanent citizens there. Papa was their second son. He returned to Pondicherry on the insistence of my grandmother to ‘see’ a girl in a traditional set up. Papa liked my mother, Carol, and agreed to the match. But she never wanted to leave India so Papa stayed back with her.” Giana remembered the time when her father had been alive and his mother had been happier. “They loved each other deeply, in spite of the traditionally arranged marriage. It was sealed with stability and acceptance, I suppose.” Her eyes dimmed, wondering if she would have been happier with an arranged set-up if she had not eloped with Ricky.
“Did you never feel like taking up French citizenship?” Max knew scores of opportunistic people who would cash in on the colonial French connection. There had been cases of rampant fraud and cheating cases where avaricious men had married women with French citizenship only to dump them later.
“We spent one beautiful, summer vacation with Papa’s family in France. Mamma insisted that we learn French as children. It was Papa’s pride. We love our Tamil heritage too. In fact, I feel more at home speaking Tamil.”
“I am fluent in French, Malayalam, Kannada and Tamil, even though we were brought up in Bangalore. An English medium education system does the rest. I did get my architectural degree from an international university. It has been a jumble of vibrant experiences,” said Max with a laugh.
“Yes, we are a hybrid of rich cultures and all things bilingual. That’s what makes it so interesting, I guess!” she responded with her lovely smile. “However, I love Pondicherry! I can’t think of leaving India!” emphasized Giana.
“Neither can I!” Now more so, he thought, enthralled by her smile.
“Does your brother have kids?” asked Giana, encouraged by his words.
“Yes, twin girls, aged ten.” Just like her, he didn’t want to discuss personal things. It brought back too many memories.
Giana would have loved to know more, but seeing his reluctance, changed the subject, “How long have you worked in Pondicherry?”
“I took up a project concerning French architecture here a year back and really loved this place. A friend led me to the Villa Jardin d’Eden which was up for sale. I bought it and had it renovated.”
“I hope Vekkaiyya and Rameshwari are doing a good job?”
“Reasonably good, I’d say.” Max smiled, relieved that she was not asking personal questions any longer. “They seem very garrulous, which suits Mutt who loves to talk more than I do,” he said with a cynical laugh. “You didn’t bring Toby to see Mutt.”
Giana squirmed under the scrutiny. “It was a busy time,” she shrugged apologetically. “
Toby tried to wriggle under the gates the other day, hearing Mutt’s bark. You weren’t at home...”
“So, you are keeping track of me, huh?” he teased. “Venkaiyya takes care of him when I am not around. You can bring him to see Mutt any time. I have fresh batches of flowers and herbs growing in my backyard. The house looks tidy.” He paused and looked at her steadily. “I don’t get drunk anymore. All is well.” If you do not take into account the searing loneliness on most days, thought Max, with a mental grimace.
Giana nodded, relieved that he was at least moving on without the aid of alcohol.
“I hope Benjamin Fernandez is keeping his promise to Fr Da’Cunha?” he asked.
Her expression turned serious. “There was some hushed news that I heard from another parishioner. Benjamin was arrested on charges of assault last week.”
“It was long overdue,” muttered Max in grim satisfaction.
“It was his wife Susie who registered the complaint. He beat her up badly after a fight, broke her arm and smashed up her face. It was a regular thing, I believe. She has always struck me as a quiet woman. It was a surprise to hear that she went straight to the police from the hospital. He has been slapped with a case with details so ugly and incriminating that he won’t escape. He can’t meet his kids or get in touch with her without supervision,” explained Giana, without remorse.
Max curled his hand into a fist. “It had to happen someday. Men like him don’t repent. They only look for silent targets, preying on their fears.”
Giana shuddered, thinking of the horrible day and the narrow escape.
FLAWLESS Page 11
