by Benyamin
‘Where were you? I’ve been searching everywhere . . .’ said Srikumar as he approached me. ‘Didn’t feel like pushing with the crowd,’ I said.
‘But you could have put some soil with your palm’s warmth to her sleep?’ he said.
I don’t know why, tears swiftly flowed from my eyes. Without saying anything, I got up and walked to the cemetery. There were only a couple of workers and supervisors there. The coffin had been covered. I took a handful of soil, held it close to my heart and sprinkled it on her to give her company. A handful of soil that had the warmth of my dreams . . .!
My handful of soil went and fell on the fish-shaped carving on the lid of the box. I stood wondering why there were images of fish everywhere, when someone touched my shoulder from behind. I turned back. A male Melvin!
6
Package Tour
AFTER READING THE portion that Jijo had given me, I felt a sort of regret. It was not born of the knowledge that Melvin was dead. Rather that we had commented on this deceased girl, sent friend requests and been envious of Andrapper’s connection with her.
‘Isn’t there a way on Orkut to identify those who are no more?’ I addressed that question partly to myself and partly to Jijo.
‘I don’t know . . .’ Jijo was unaware of the reason behind my question.
‘Who has died?’ Nattapranthan was anxious to know.
I handed over the sheaf of papers to him. When he started reading, a waiter came with the juice I had ordered. I was famished from our journey, so I drank it to the last drop.
‘Jijo, how did you get this bit of the manuscript?’ I asked, after regaining some energy.
‘Christy sent it to me asking me to give it to you. But I didn’t have a phone number or address for you, sir. Till I found you on Facebook.’
‘Jijo, how did you meet Christy?’
‘First, tell me, how do you know each other?’
‘We don’t know each other,’ I said. ‘We haven’t met, or spoken, or even exchanged a mail. But for some reason, he trusts me. He chose me to tell his life story. The only connection he has with me is from reading one of my books.’
‘That was what I was wondering about all these days,’ Jijo said. ‘Why was he telling you all these things? What was his relationship with you? I was reluctant to contact you because of these unanswered questions. But now, after listening to you, I only feel more confused. I’ve never read anything other than my textbooks. Can a book really earn you such trust?’
‘I don’t know. It can, I guess. I don’t see any other reason for Andrapper to trust me.’
‘I’m a distant cousin of the Melvin mentioned in this portion which was handed over to you. When Christy came for Melvin’s funeral, I was his local guide.’
‘Oh, I see. So I’m sitting with someone who knows Andrapper. Did you see him or contact him after that?’
‘We used to mail each other. And when Christy visited Udayamperoor again, we met.’
‘Really?! Why did he come again?
‘He came for Melvin-chechi’s forty-first day. He also stayed at Valyedathu Veedu for a day. Since then, there’s been no news of him. Nothing about where he is or what he is up to . . . Something must have happened there during his last visit.’
‘Meaning?’
‘There was some reason why he was asked to come to Valyedathu that day. Just think about it. Would any regular acquaintance be asked to come here from abroad?’
‘I don’t think they were just acquaintances,’ I said. ‘They wanted to get married.’
‘But what’s the relationship after death?’
‘So, Jijo, are you saying Valyedathu Veedu had something to do with what happened to Andrapper?’
‘Yes, and I want to know what it was that happened.’
‘How would I know? You’re Melvin’s cousin, aren’t you better placed to know?’
‘My relationship with Valyedathu Veedu is distant. I somehow don’t like their age-old customs and ideas. That house is mysterious in nature. Among that family, Melvin was the only one who was somewhat open-minded and interested in being modern. That’s why she went to Diego.’
‘What was that?’ asked Nattapranthan, as if emerging from a dream. He had been completely absorbed in reading the fifth part of Andrapper’s manuscript.
‘What was what?’ I asked.
‘His last sentence was “A male Melvin.”
‘It’s Melvin’s brother, Meljo. They were three of them. Merin was the youngest. Melvin, the eldest.’
‘Jijo, you must be a friend of Meljo,’ I said.
‘Ey, no. He is the biggest introvert in the family. He hates even to hear that his sister was in love with a foreigner. When Christy came with Melvin’s body, he was the only one who argued that nobody should go to the airport to receive him. Even her Appachan said someone should wait at the airport, but he didn’t agree. That is Meljo.’
‘How was Meljo with Christy?’
‘He didn’t ever openly show resentment. But he definitely wasn’t okay about Christy’s visit. The hatred that local boys have for men who love their sisters! That’s why I feel suspicious about Andrapper’s disappearance.’
‘Jijo, say clearly what you want to say. We aren’t getting it,’ Nattapranthan said.
‘During his next visit, I volunteered to drop off Christy from Valyedathu Veedu to the airport. But he wouldn’t agree. Christy went missing after that. He could have contacted me. I’ve no idea where he went that day from Valyedathu Veedu. Benyamin sir, I’ve faith in you. You should find out what happened. The Christy I met was a nice guy. We need to know what happened to him.’
‘Do you have Meljo’s number?’
‘Yes, I’ll give it to you. But don’t tell him that I gave it. You call him up. Let’s see what he says. Christy was a writer. And you are a writer. It’s easy to explain your relationship. He won’t suspect anything.’
Jijo gave us both his number and Meljo’s before he left. ‘I came to Kottayam to meet someone. So I’ve to go now. I’ll be in touch.’
‘If I have any doubts, I’ll have to call you. It that okay, Jijo?’ I asked.
‘24x7, all 365 days of the year. I’m available at this number all the time except when I’m in the church or the theatre. You can call me any time. Just one thing. Meljo shouldn’t know that I gave you his number or that we’ve met. And be careful while dealing with Meljo. He is a very dangerous man.’
It was all getting more mysterious and complicated. Why did Jijo say all these things about Melvin’s brother? Could he be such a bad person? What was his role in Christy’s disappearance? There were no easy answers. But the answers had to be found out. Anyhow, on that day, we returned from Kottayam filled with the joy of having had a successful trip.
The very next day, I convened the Thursday Market and updated everyone about our progress. After that, Biju presented a one-line agenda designating Anil to call Meljo, and the rest of us passed it by clapping hands.
Anil took up the task and rang the number. The phone was in speaker mode so that all of us could hear.
‘Hello, good evening. Is this Meljo?’
‘Good evening. Who is this?’
‘My name is Anil. I’m calling from Thiruvananthapuram, from the desk of a weekly.’
‘Ok, what’s the matter?’
‘We got a story. It’s called ‘The Book of Forefathers’. Mr Christy Andrapper is the writer. I have some queries about that . . .’
‘But why are you asking me?’
‘He had written to us from some country called Diego. I couldn’t get through to that place. So I called you.’
‘Where did you get my number?’
‘His covering letter had this number as his contact in India. You are Mr Meljo, right?’
‘Yeah, this is Meljo. But I don’t know such a person.’
‘You don’t know him?’
‘No!’
‘But in the letter, Meljo is referred to as his brother-in-law. Is t
hat a mistake?’
‘Looks like it.’
‘Well, do you have any contacts in Diego?’
‘I don’t know anyone there.’
‘Oh, okay, sorry. We must have got it wrong.’
‘OK. Bye.’
‘Bye.’
‘He is a super fraud,’ Nibu said, as soon as the call ended. ‘How coolly he said he didn’t know Andrapper. We’ll have to sweat it out in order to catch him.’
‘If we’ve to sweat, we’ll sweat. But what’s the way out?’ Mashu asked.
‘Let’s all go home and think about what crooked tactics will work. We can confer tomorrow or day after,’ Nattapranthan said.
‘We shouldn’t call him for a few days,’ Salim said. ‘Whatever story we concoct, he’ll be suspicious. Let him forget today’s call. Then we’ll find a way,’ he said.
‘Okay. Then, here’s a devil of a problem for everyone to meditate on,’ Biju said. ‘If Jijo had not contacted us and given this part of the book, how would we have got to him? What were the hints that Andrapper had left regarding this portion in the previous bits of the manuscript?’
‘So, we have two responsibilities,’ Mashu concluded.
‘Goodbye till next Thursday,’ Salim said and left quickly. The rest followed in Anil’s Cultural Ambulance.
There were a few more Thursday Assemblies, but nothing useful came up from them. Meanwhile, Nibu studiously transcribed the interview with Rajanbabu, edited it and got it published in a website named Pravasakairali. He also mailed its link to Rajanbabu. That not only removed the doubts he had about us, if any, but also helped Nibu remain in touch with Rajanbabu.
While the search for Andrapper gained momentum through that route, Salim became eligible for a family holiday reimbursed by his company. It was a package trip awarded every two years. This time, he chose Mauritius as his destination. When Salim brought it up at one of the Thursday Assemblies, Nibu suggested, ‘Why can’t you make the trip via Diego? Then you can visit a country that you’ve only read about, and we can conduct our inquiries about Andrapper without a middleman.’
Everyone agreed that it was a good idea.
Was there a flight to Mauritius via Diego? Could transit travellers stop over at Diego? Was a special visa required? Would the ticket fare go up? Salim got the relevant information within two days. There were no flights from India to Mauritius via Diego. But transit travellers could get down at Diego and visa-on-arrival was available. The ticket fare was a bit of an issue. Salim’s company would only pay for tickets to one destination: either Mauritius or Diego Garcia. One option was to go to Mauritius with the fare paid by the company and then pay for the fare to Diego. The second option was to use the company ticket to visit Diego and go to Mauritius at one’s personal expense.
‘My head aches,’ Nattapranthan said. ‘Is life so complicated?’
‘Isn’t it?’ Mashu asked. ‘Just think about one day of our lives.’
‘So, what have you decided? Are you going to Diego or Mauritius?’ Nibu asked.
‘To both,’ Salim replied. ‘With the company ticket to Diego. And from there, I’ll pay my way to Mauritius. It’s not a huge amount.’
We complimented his decision with loud applause.
‘We should make a checklist of things to do there, and people to meet. Else, you’ll forget,’ said Anil.
‘Yes, tell me, I’ll note them all down.’ Biju was ready with pen and paper.
‘People to meet: Mohandas Purameri, Rajanbabu and Johnny for sure, if possible Stephen Pereira, investigator Vijay Mullikratnam, Anita, Sudha, other nurses. And places to go: the Andrapper house, Melvin’s hostel, Port Louis. And if possible, Senthil’s house in Cherar Peruntheruvu,’ I tried to be comprehensive.
‘To cover all these, I’d have to spend all of my holiday there!’ Salim said. ‘I’ll do my best.’
In preparation, Nibu sent a mail to Rajanbabu that a friend was visiting Diego, and any help would be appreciated.
Finally, the day arrived. The day we had been wishing for: Salim’s departure to Diego. Departing from our routine, all of us went to his house to wish him a happy journey.
‘If at least one of you were with me, it would have been easier,’ Salim said.
‘I do wish for a golden era in Malayalam literature when writers will be able to pay for their foreign trips,’ I smiled.
Nattapranthan pointed at Salim’s wife Sherly and daughter Janu: ‘We are sending two gems on our behalf.’
‘We’ll take care of him. And we’ll return with more details than all of you put together would’ve got. Fine?’ Sherly said pertly.
En route to Mauritius, Salim would spend two days in Diego and another day on his return. We saw them off.
Then we waited. Did Salim get there? Was he able to meet anyone? Did he manage to get some details? What was Diego like? Who knows, Salim might bring us a peacock or a monkey as a gift!
We talked about Diego day and night, and waited to hear from Salim. Though I knew Salim’s phone would not be active outside of India, I tried calling him. That was the level of my hope and anxiety.
One evening two days after his departure, I got a call from a number starting with 00246. It was Salim.
‘Benyamin, I’ve sent you an email. It has all the details. I’m calling from the airport on my way to Mauritius. Telephone charges are deadly here, so I’m hanging up. Please say hi to everyone.’ He said that in one breath. Before I could say or ask anything, Salim hung up.
I ran to the computer. One unread mail in my inbox:
Benyamin,
The journey was okay. The aerial view of Diego is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Right from the moment we landed, we began hunting for Andrapper. I called Mohandas Purameri. He kept talking about his Archipelago, so he was of no use. I think he’ll survive on this novel for the next ten years. He agreed to meet us at the hotel that day, but didn’t turn up, and I didn’t bother to call him. I also got in touch with the Tamil writer Shivasankar, but he was in Chennai working on a script. Luckily, I got a great taxi driver (the taxi was a boat): Seyfu, from Africa. There is no place in Diego that he doesn’t know. He took charge of our two days here. I’ve never seen such a smart taxi guy in any of my foreign trips.
First, we went to meet Rajanbabu of Diego Daily. I got a hearty welcome, thanks to Nibu’s email. But he didn’t have anything new to give us about Andrapper.
I asked him about the group that had sent a fax to Diego Daily asking for a probe into Senthil’s death. He was curious as to how I knew. When I said Christy mentioned it in his mail to web.com, he searched his files (God, I have not seen any other office with so many files piled up in columns) and pulled out the fax. Other than the name ‘Uthiyan Cheral Tamil Kazhagam’, there was no other notable detail. There was not even a fax number from which it had been sent. Rajanbabu told me that there was no such group in Diego and that it was a part of Andrapper’s political game.
Then we went to Port Louis. It was a haven for coffee shops! The coffee we drank there was surprisingly good. We loitered around, took some photos, and left. I couldn’t figure out which was the coffee shop that Andrapper frequented. I saw some fashionably dressed women, wearing sunglasses, striding along briskly. I futilely hoped one of them was Jesintha.
After that we went to City Hospital to meet Johnny. It was difficult to track him down in that huge hospital, but I was determined. He couldn’t give me much on Andrapper, but he helped me locate Rajakottaram Hostel where Melvin used to stay. By then it was evening and we returned to the hotel. The night was cold and windy. I left Sherly and Janu at the hotel and went to a few ladies’ bars. I’ve to tell you that when they hear one is from the mainland, the reception is awesome. Must be the islanders’ love for the mainland. I went to sleep at 11.
Seyfu came at 8 sharp in the morning. Else, I would have slept till 10. We visited Mariam Church and the Buddhist Sanchi. Took a photo posing in front of the 2000-year-old tree. I broke a bit of a branch and
put it in Sherly’s handbag. Now you too can touch the Buddha’s wisdom tree when I get back! On the way, we also visited a seabird sanctuary, the Chagos temple, Albuquerque Cliff and a peacock-feeding park.
It was almost 11 when we reached the Rajakottaram Hostel. I lied that I was a neighbour of the family of Valyedathu Veedu, and was visiting as per Meljo’s instructions. Throughout the trip, it was good to have my family with me! They helped sell the lies better!
Melvin’s hostel mates shared their memories. All of them said she was a sweet girl. Andrapper hasn’t visited the place after her death. A rich boy with no love or sincerity. Melvin had fallen in his trap. That was the general feeling.
I also tried to ask about Senthil, but they strategically ignored my questions. So we had coffee and left. (Everyone here likes coffee. My attempts to get tea failed miserably.)
From there, we went to Anita’s house. Jaya-chechi from the hostel accompanied us. Luckily, Anita was home. She inquired about Meljo and Appachan. I dodged by saying all of them were keeping well. If she had asked anything more, I would have been in trouble.
When I asked about Andrapper, her face turned red. Since the journey started, I had this intuition which I haven’t shared with any of you: I suspected that Anita might have the next part of The Book of Forefathers. I told her that Meljo had the first set of chapters and requested her to hand over the portion she had. I even told her that I’d come to Diego to collect it from her. But she snapped at me for even mentioning the name of Andrapper.
We did not spend much time there. We dropped Jayachechi back at the hostel, went to a lakeside restaurant and had a good lunch with karimeen and prawn. We wanted to return to the hotel and get some rest, but we were running out of time. So we proceeded to Cherar Peruntheruvu. It wasn’t difficult to find Senthil’s house. We also found a guy standing next to a Periyar statue who gave us the directions.
Senthil’s father, mother and Anpu were there. (What a beauty! Sherly pinched me twice, finding me staring at her.) I told them that we were from Pondicherry and that Senthil used to visit my office regularly. (Benyamin, after I get back, I want to meet the priest at your church. I desperately need to confess. I’ve told so many lies here in Diego!) We got a cordial welcome. They cried talking about Senthil. When I asked about Andrapper, I got an unexpected response. ‘A liar!’ That’s how Senthil’s father described him. I couldn’t get anything else out of them about him when I probed gently. Finally I gave up.
