by Benyamin
When I got back home in the evening, Chettan, his wife and Momma were watching a wedding cassette. It had been sent from the mainland. My Chettathi was from the mainland. It was the wedding of one of her relatives. ‘If you aren’t seized by the spirit of writing, come and sit with us. Let’s see if we can find a girl for you,’ Chettathi called out.
There’s nothing more boring than watching an unknown person’s wedding cassette. But my Chettathi was obsessed with it. She could then pick up fashion trends in the mainland. And search for a prospective bride for her brother-in-law. Reminisce about relatives and friends. She found all this useful.
I wasn’t at all entertained by the cassette, and I sat there with them, flipping through the newspaper. In between, she hollered, ‘Hey, look, that’s a nice girl!’ By the time I turned my head, the scene was over. She then rewound it for me. True, it was a pretty face. The girl was there only for a flash, so Chettathi pressed the rewind button once again. She rewound it a little too much. A face appeared out of the blue. ‘Stop, stop there!’ I jumped up.
‘Um. Why, have you found another interesting one?’ Chettathi smiled. She pressed the pause button. I moved closer to the TV. Yes, no doubt, it was her.
‘Isn’t that Jyoti?’
Chettan was three years older than me. He knew most of the people in my class. He’d noticed her too.
‘Yeah, it’s Jyoti.’
‘You know where she is now? I asked him.
‘The cassette shows she’s in the mainland.’
‘No, where exactly is she? And what’s she doing now?’
‘No idea. Must have married someone in the mainland and got settled there. Has anyone who went there come back? That is, other than you?’
Chettathi had moved on to watching the next scenes in the cassette.
‘I need the phone number of the house where this wedding took place. I need to find Jyoti at any cost,’ I said.
‘Da, she is already married. See the mark on her forehead. You go for the girl I showed you. I’ve known her since she was a child. She has completed her graduation now.’
‘Please, I’ll think of the alliances later. Give me the number.’
She called up someone or the other and managed to get me the number. 0091 477 2261489. I called the very next day. A guy named Salu took the call. I asked for Dr Jyoti. He didn’t know anyone by that name. I asked him to watch the cassette and identify the girl. I repeated many times the part where she was appearing in the cassette and gave all the possible details I could.
Salu was a responsible chap. He called me back in three days. He said it was not Dr Jyoti, but Jyoti Prasad and that she was his neighbour who now worked in Alleppey as a clerk in the railways. I thanked him.
I felt sad. The difference between what we expect and what actually happens . . . Anita and Jyoti were not only the best in class, but also in the whole of the school. Within the range of dreams we were capable of at that time, we expected the two of them to become doctors. Neither of them did. That was not the problem. They were not meant to be a pharmacist or a railway clerk. They could have led better lives and got great jobs. They must have their own reasons to explain why their lives had deviated from our expectations. But I was annoyed with them. They failed my dreams of their lives.
The next morning, I got a call. As I was in the bathroom, Papa took it.
Rejected
WHEN I CAME out of the bathroom, Papa called me to his bedroom. He was getting ready to leave for work.
‘Papa, who was on the phone?’
‘Did you do the thing I’d asked you to?’
‘What thing?’
‘Don’t remember, do you? Poor memory is not good at your age. Especially for a novelist, who has to remember a lot of things in order, and on time.’
‘Papa, please don’t start lecturing in the morning. Just tell me.’
‘What happened to the withdrawal of that case?’
‘Oh, that . . . I swear I forgot about it.’
‘I told you to do it ten days ago. What were you doing till now?’
‘For the first three days, I followed your advice—to write laboriously. The next four days I was labouring under a fever. And for the last three days, I’ve been in labour, waiting for the details of a classmate.’
‘That means you’ve wasted two-thirds of your life. I’ll say you lived only on the first three days.’
‘Yeah, that’s fine. I’m getting to know a lot of people who are not even able to live those three days for themselves. Tell me who called . . .’
‘It was from the Public Security department. Mr Vijay Mullikratnam. He has asked you to visit him this morning.’
‘For what?’
‘That I didn’t ask. Go—that’s fine. But by the time you’re back, the case shouldn’t exist, okay? I’ll be calling Stephen in the evening. Your papers for Australia are being processed, you know that, right? They’ll be ready any time.’
Without much delay, I went to the North Public Security office. It seemed as if Vijay Mullikratnam was waiting for me. As soon as I reached, he called me in. ‘Dude, how punctual you are! Within an hour of calling you, you are here. Good. Youngsters should be like this. I like it. Dude, if Chief Investigator Vijay Mullikratnam takes over something, that will be promptly done. You can ask anyone in the department. I called you here to prove that in person.’
‘Not sure I understand, sir . . .’
‘I conducted a thorough investigation about the case we discussed. I’ve been on it for the past ten days. I’ve studied it from all angles. And I’ve found him. Dude, your complaint was right. Senthil had gone missing. But it’s not what you think, there is nothing suspicious about it. Unfortunately, he experienced pain in the heart while he was on a boat. The boat driver took him to the hospital. Bad luck. They couldn’t save him. Because nobody knew about his whereabouts, he lay in the mortuary for two days. That’s why he was missing. That’s all. But good, dude, it’s nice you were concerned for your friend. You were anxious about him going missing. These days it’s difficult to find people like you. Really, I appreciate what you did.’
‘I’ve been to Senthil’s house,’ I said casually.
‘Oh, I see. But that day you said you didn’t know where he lived.’
‘We don’t need great investigative skills to find a house in this small island, sir.’
For a minute, Vijay Mullikratnam was taken aback. ‘That’s true . . . It doesn’t need investigative skills to find Senthil’s house, just a wagging tongue. But for an investigator, finding Senthil is not the only issue. Or is it? No. I found the boat in which he had the heart attack. I found its driver. Went to hospital. Met the doctor who attended him. Met his parents. Found out that everything is correct and in order. Dude, it was only after that that I decided to close the case.’
‘Sir . . . what? Are you closing the case?’
‘Yes. It was the duty of the department to call you here and inform you about it. We follow strict discipline in every case. This morning, I talked to your Dad. He was depressed. I know him personally. . . Anyhow, that’s over. I hear you are going abroad for some higher studies. Good, you can travel anywhere. The department won’t have any objection to that. Dude, I wish you every success.’
I left the place without a word. I wasn’t too disappointed with such a response. I’d seen it coming.
Da Vinci
IN FRONT OF the Public Security office, as I was stepping out, a young man ran up to me from the verandah, calling, ‘Eda, Pachu!’
To be honest, I panicked. A chill went up my spine: an abnormal fear. It was after a long time that someone was calling me by the name which had once irritated and later amused me. Pachu had been my nickname in school, so I was sure it was an old friend.
‘Don’t you recognize me?’
I’d been staring at him. It took some time to identify him. ‘Vinod!’
‘No, da Vinci.’
We laughed.
‘Why are you h
ere?’ I asked.
‘And you?’
‘The Inspector Director here is a relative, so I came to meet him.’
‘Okay. I’m lucky to see you. I need your help.’
‘What’s the issue?’ I asked hesitantly, wondering if I’d invited trouble.
‘For the past twenty-two days, I’ve been walking up and down here. Just to get something done. Do you know that I’ve rented a boat and run it as a taxi?’
‘What happened to your painting?’
‘What can painting do when I’m struggling to make a living! When I don’t get boat rides, I go paint boards. That’s the art world of your own da Vinci. Let it be. You listen to this. I’d taken my boat to Pentasia one day. Then another boat came and collided with mine near the jetty. A private boat. The mother of some big shot in the Senate was in it. My boat had been stationary, it was the other boat that came and hit it. Now if you’ve heard the hullabaloo, you’ll think I was the one responsible. Let it be. My boat suffered major damage. And theirs sustained just minor scratches. That’s all. Ideally, I should have filed a case with the Public Security. When I said that, the old girl said it would eat up a lot of time, so she’d rather pay the repair charges directly to me. I thought that was fine, although there would be a hundred formalities like insurance papers, inspection, etc. that would take up at least two days. The woman opened her purse and gave me some Diego francs. She didn’t even count them. So, I let it go at that, thinking she was a good soul. My bad time starts then. I went to repair the boat and then I realized that the currency notes were a first-class fake! The mechanics straight away called the Public Security. Who will believe my story? I was inside for three days, then I got bail. Since then, I’ve been walking in and out of here. Now they hold me responsible for all the fake notes in Diego. As if that isn’t enough, the woman filed a hit-and-run case! And yet another case from the Public Security because I hadn’t notified the accident. I’m innocent, I swear I’m innocent. But I have been trapped. Please help me out in some way. My family depends on me and the boat.’
He was on the verge of crying. I felt helpless.
‘What can I do here?’
‘Anything at all that you can, please. Don’t you believe me? I’m not the kind who’ll get into a fake-currency racket. If you visit my house, you’ll know my situation. If I had really made the deals that I’ve been accused of by the Public Security, I wouldn’t have been driving around the lake in an old Sparrow owned by Samudra. At the very least, I’d have gone with a stylish, limited-edition Yamaha or a Honda like you guys. Who will want to live a sorry life if they have the money?’
I couldn’t ignore his words. I took him to ID Stephen Pereira Andrapper’s room and described his sorry situation. Stephen uncle sat there staring at me. Then he asked Vinod to wait outside. He made me sit, then he stood up, stretched out his hand and whacked me on the head. I felt as if my ear had flown off.
‘Think of it as your Papa hitting you. If I wouldn’t do it now, I’ll later get shouted at by your Papa. Have you adopted all your friends? Didn’t I just put an end to one issue? But before leaving the building, you’ve come up with another one. What do you think, that this is an office that takes your recommendations? This is not the princely state of the Andrappers. This is a British colony. Every citizen is bound to obey the rules. Whoever commits a crime will have to be punished. And will be punished. Are you endorsing a third-rate criminal who has taken up the fake-currency business? Do you know against whom he is placing the charges? The Under Secretary’s Mother. Do you know how many years he’ll be in jail for the charges against him? And for your kind information, he’s on bail now not because we think he’s innocent, it’s because we need to know the people he is in contact with. To find out about all those who are involved in the fake-currency racket. And you come with your recommendation! It’s good that you came to me. Leave now! And never ever enter this building to see me.’
I bowed out. Vinod was nowhere around. I thanked my luck and left the place quickly.
Mariam Church
A HALF-HOUR BOAT ride from Venecia, past the Balton Strait, and you’ll reach Diego’s northern border of Bodom, a small island. Other than a British military camp and two or three recently built resorts, there are no permanent residents. But in the middle of vast palm groves, there is an ancient church. It was abandoned for a long time till its revival a few decades ago. It’s called the Mariam Church. It lies closed most of the year, but wakes up to major celebrations from 1 to 5 October. There’s a large crowd on those days. All of Diego’s hawkers gather there. Diego’s transport department runs special boat services to Bodom. It’s the harvest season for taxi boats and smaller vessels. More than a festival, it’s a great shopping carnival. There was a time when people used to buy their year’s stock of household goods at the Mariam Church festival—from cooking utensils to garments, crockery, kitchen implements, sesame and jaggery. But after the new shopping complexes came up in Diego, the local fair lost its sheen. It used to be a remarkable sight, with Diego’s wealthy, their wallets stuffed with francs, moving from one salesman to another. Now it had shrunk to a poor man’s parade.
But these days, a lot of foreigners come for the festival.
There are a number of churches for Jesus’s mother, Mariam. There are many for Magdalena Mariam too. However, this particular church doesn’t stand for either of them, but for a third Mariam.
Here is the myth and the faith.
Once upon a time, the Kerala region was ruled by a king called Thoma. A Hindu prince fell in love with his only daughter, Maria. When the prince approached with a marriage proposal, King Thoma asked him to convert to Christianity. So, the prince became a Christian and married Maria. After the time of King Thoma, the prince became the king. Meanwhile, in his own province, a minister named Paliathachan had taken over the throne. He blackmailed the prince into renouncing Christianity to get back his kingdom. But when he returned, Paliathachan and his cronies arrested and exiled him to Ceylon. The abandoned Maria pleaded with Paliathachan to send her to her husband in Ceylon. However, he wanted her to renounce Christianity in exchange. But Maria was not willing to let go of the faith of her ancestors. In a fit of rage, Paliathachan sent her in exile to Bodom. With just a few helpers, Maria spent years and years on this island, praying to be united with her husband. Meanwhile, in Ceylon, the prince regretted his decision to leave Christianity and his beloved wife. Determined to be with Maria again, he changed his appearance and set sail to the Chera region. And believe it or not, struck by a huge wave while at sea, he ended up in Bodom. It is said that this church was built during her time in Bodom.
Mariam Church is known for the special prayers for husbands who were away; the belief was that the prayers would come true. All of Diego’s married women are the devotees of Mariam Church. They believe that all their husbands’ achievements are the result of their prayers. My sister-in-law is one of them. There is a mass at the church on the eighth of every month. Whatever happens, she finds time to attend it. She’ll start the arrangements a week in advance. And usually, via my brother, the responsibility would land on my shoulders. I’d take her there, but I never ever entered the church. I’d roam around outside till she finished her prayers. Or would stay in the boat with a book.
On that day too, I was whiling away my time in the church premises, when a department boat arrived. It parked in the jetty. The crowd started to flow to the land. I saw a flash of Anita’s face among them. I felt a tremble. My hand swiftly moved to my wallet in which I had the photo of her children.
I rushed towards her. She was surprised.
‘You, here?’
‘Why? In a world full of believers, can’t I be a believer too?’
‘It’s not that. Only that it’s a strange coincidence to see you here.’
‘I come here most months. Not for the mass but as a chauffeur. With my sister-in-law. It was a coincidence when we ran into each other the last time. This is another coincidence
. The next one will be the next time we meet. Life is a grand total of coincidences.’
‘OK, OK. Let me get into the church,’ she said, laughing.
‘This is . . .?’ I asked, pointing to the woman with her.
‘Ayyo, I forgot to introduce her. Sorry. This is my friend Melvin. She is a nurse at City Hospital, at the Accident and Emergency department,’ she said and entered the church.
There was a fire in my belly. At the Accident and Emergency department in City Hospital! This was a good route to probe into Senthil’s death. I had to know for sure. Even if the whole world told me that Senthil had had a heart attack, how could I believe it? I decided to wait till they came out.
Jealousy
AFTER THE MASS, when my Chettathi, Anita and Melvin came out, I was surprised to see them together. I didn’t expect them to know each other. I came to know only later that it was a quick acquaintance formed while sitting near each other at the mass. Chettathi was good at that, too. Typical of women at home. Nobody is spared without being asked their name and whereabouts. Chettathi and Anita were surprised that all three of us knew each other.
Though Anita initially declined Chettathi’s offer to drop her, she succumbed to the repeated pleas and got into my boat. During the journey, I purposefully brought up the topic about our class. My intention was to find out if she knew about Senthil. But she didn’t utter a word about him. She asked if I had found any more of our classmates. ‘Oh, I forgot to tell you. A few days ago, we were watching a wedding cassette from Kerala, and there I saw Jyoti, wearing a silk sari and all.’ Before I could finish what I had to say, Chettathi interrupted. ‘Listen, Anita, it seems he had a crush on that girl. He kept calling the mainland for three days without a break to find out her details. You should have seen his despair when he came to know she was already married,’ she broke into laughter.
