by Ranjit Lal
Shroom led him up the creaky steps, as Tinku came bounding up, wagging her tail. ‘Down, easy.’ She opened her room door, pushed him in and followed. ‘Phew!’ she said, shutting the door. ‘Made it!’
Gaurav looked around the brightly painted room, wondering yet again, what in the world he was doing here.
‘Sit!’ Shroom pointed to a chair, and both Gaurav and Tinku promptly sat down. She pulled up a stool and took out her notebook. ‘Now tell me everything!’
‘About what?’
‘Tch. About what happened to your dog! Like you told Miss Monica and Miss Raveena down by the pool.’
‘But you were there too.’
‘Don’t you get it? I have to write it down now. So shoot!’
Gaurav exhaled noisily. ‘It’s very upsetting…’
‘Some things have to be done! That’s what Dr Narayan used to say when he had to give me a horrible injection. He used to smile and his golden tooth would wink at me – can you imagine!’
‘Okay. Well, Mihi’s maid had to go on emergency leave and I decided to take Mihi and Rani for a walk to Lodi Gardens…’
‘Wait; not so fast! Who’s Mihi?’
‘My baby sister. Write it in point form; you can fill in the details later.’
She glared at him. ‘Are you telling me how to do my job?’
Jesus, the kid was batty and precocious, and had a way of getting up your nose – and be charmingly endearing at the same time. But if she was going to write down every word he said, he’d be here all night. And why exactly was he playing Spy-vs-Spy with this loony little girl in the first place? ‘Listen,’ he said. ‘I could write it for you; then you’ll have a written account – it’ll count for more…’
Shroom thought about it for a moment. ‘Okay,’ she said at last, clicking shut her pen. ‘But you’ll have to describe it to me now anyway. Then I’ll read your signed confession and see if there are any disc… disc…’
‘Discrepancies? Anyway, this is not a confession.’ This conversation was nuts.
The door opened and Vijaya stood in the doorway, her shimmering grey eyes appraising Gaurav.
Shroom leapt to her feet. ‘Nani, he’s my friend,’ she said, standing defensively in front of him. ‘He just looks like an escaped convict, that’s all.’
Vijaya smiled. ‘Hello,’ she said. ‘So I see Rukmini has shanghaied you… The girls told me…’
‘Er, hello, ma’am,’ Gaurav mumbled, extending his hand and suddenly wishing he had shaved.
She shook it gingerly. ‘You must be staying at Emerald Eden Estate, with your mother and sister… Megha told me.’
He nodded as Shroom stared at her grandmother. ‘Yes. We’ve come on a holiday,’ he said.
‘What else do you know about him, nani?’ Shroom demanded, her eyes flashing.
‘Rukmini, please tidy your room. Just look at it. What are all those balls of crumpled-up paper doing on the floor?’ She looked at Gaurav again. ‘Don’t let her bully you. I’ll have some tea sent up.’
As soon as she left, Shroom heaved a sigh of relief. ‘Whew! You survived an encounter with the Geek Empress! Not many people have managed that. Of course, she might poison the tea,’ she shrugged.
He got up. ‘Listen, I’d better go; it’s getting late.’
Shroom went to the door, opened it a crack and then quickly shut it. ‘You can’t escape – those minders are standing right outside the door. They’ve got machine guns under their kurtas… Now tell me what happened.’
Gaurav shook his head. Best to humour the kid. He recalled that she’d had some brain operation or something like that. ‘Okay,’ he said, ‘sit down and listen. Rani was just six weeks old when we got her…’
He told her everything about Rani and how she’d died, as briefly as he could. And by the time he finished, to his horror, there were tears in Shroom’s eyes.
‘Did they put that policeman in jail?’ Her voice quivered.
‘No, hey…’
‘I’m okay,’ she said, wiping her face with a handkerchief. ‘Now please go…’
He nodded and opened the door. Just as she had said, her two chaperones were just outside, but they simply smiled at him. He went down the stairs and out of the house.
Savita and Gudiya took a quick peek inside Shroom’s room: she was at her desk, writing, her tongue sticking out in concentration. Reassured that all was well, they resumed their positions.
Shroom had torn out a page from an exercise book, and had taken out her best pen: a dark-blue Waterman gifted to her by the PM.
Dear bade-mama, she began. I hate you! Do you know what you’ve gone and done?
Ten minutes later, she had folded her letter three times over and snuck into the Geek Empress’s study in search of an envelope. (The Geek Empress, fortunately, was outside, inspecting her garden.) Shroom found one and sealed her letter inside it. Carefully, in capitals, she wrote out the address. Anyone looking at the envelope would know where the letter had come from and would hand it straight over to bade-mama.
Then she returned to her room and hid the letter in her desk. Tomorrow she would post it, or get one of the Gurkha hobgoblins or Miss Raveena to do so. There was a letterbox clamped to a tree right near the school. For a moment she had toyed with the idea of sending him a message by e-mail, but as usual the Internet was not working. She could telephone him too – she knew the emergency number – but usually his sidekicks picked up the phone and never gave it to him (when they knew who was calling) and said he would call back, which he usually didn’t because they never gave him her message in the first place. Faking an emergency was stupid, because he’d just call the Geek Empress right away and then all hell would break loose. All this thinking made the grogginess return; she’d had a long day and was tired. Shroom staggered to her bed and flopped into it as Tinku scratched on the door outside.
Walking along the path back to the estate, Gaurav cursed under his breath. He’d been such an ass. He’d got so involved in recounting Rani’s tragic story that he hadn’t really asked her what he should have. But the kid had been very persuasive – he had to give her that. Well, next time it would be his turn. He’d have to find out several things. For instance, apart from the two hatchet-faced women and the guys outside and around the house, was there any other security? He hadn’t spotted any closed-circuit TV cameras in the house. Exactly what his plan of action would be, he hadn’t yet figured out. Besides, would he actually be able to execute whatever he did eventually plan? That would be the ultimate test. There would be no returning after that; once committed, he would be committed for life. Did he have the guts? Hatching dire plots and carrying them out were two entirely different things. This was not about shooting off the heads of VIPs made of plasticine; this was the real thing. Was he man enough? He thought about Rani, about the way the cop had slowly and deliberately raised his gun as she wagged her tail, and was consumed with rage. Well, for her sake, he’d better find the guts. Come what may, he had to do what he had to do. He could well have the might of the entire state after him; then escaping would not be easy… whatever – it was time these fucking VIPs learned the meaning of the pain they so indifferently inflicted upon others. And what about the two girls? Especially Raveena, who had got him to share everything with such ease. Perhaps it would be best to keep them at arm’s length, at least until all this was over. Later they probably wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him anyway.
The biggest puzzle remained Zara. If only he could contact her and tell her what had really happened…
Walking along that same track earlier, the two sisters had animatedly discussed the events of the day.
‘I still can’t believe it!’ Raveena said. ‘I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life! Meeting him again like that just after I’d slapped him!’
‘Oh, god, you went red in the face!’ Monica chuckled. ‘I wish I had my camera.’
‘Very funny!’
‘But poor guy. He’s taken the loss
of his dog quite badly. She was beautiful. No wonder he’s so mad.’ Monica shook her head. ‘These bloody VIPs and their security think they own the world.’
‘Vijaya seems different though.’
‘Yes, she’s not so in-your-face. But she gets what she wants all right.’ Monica glanced at her sister and took her hand. ‘I’m glad you got it out of him, Rave. It was burning him up like acid,’ she said quietly. ‘But they make quite a pair, don’t they?’
‘Who?’
‘Taklu and Shroom, silly – who else! Both traumatized in their own way and fighting their own demons.’
‘Well, let’s hope they overcome their demons.’ Raveena sighed. ‘Taklu and Shroom…’
EIGHT
‘Where have you been all day?’ Gaurav’s mother demanded as he tramped back to Emerald Eden. ‘I was beginning to worry!’
‘Just walking,’ he mumbled, flopping down in a chair. ‘Exploring the place.’
Kanika looked at her son worriedly. Ever since the terrible incident, he had withdrawn into some dark place within himself. At times she hardly recognized him; he used to be so happy-go-lucky and cheerful, now he had turned into this sullen person, perpetually on the verge of insolence. He barely acknowledged Mihi any more – in a way, perhaps, he blamed her for what had happened.
His father had been less sympathetic. ‘Going around looking like a thug is hardly going to help him!’ he had snapped, but thankfully he hadn’t said that in front of Gaurav. ‘What happened to Rani was entirely his fault, and he knows it. He should have listened to that cop.’
‘He has drifted away from us,’ Kanika had remarked. ‘He’s in a world of his own. He was never like this. We’re losing him.’
‘Well, he’ll come back when he knows better.’
Later that evening, Kanika felt she saw the first positive sign in her son. She had left Mihi in her pram on the verandah with him, and had gone in to fetch her book. Mariamma had gone huffing and puffing to the dining hall to get some milk. Glancing through the window, Kanika saw Gaurav stand over the stroller and look at the baby. Very hesitantly, he extended his little finger to her and she gurgled and grabbed at it, kicking about with her legs. He mumbled something and withdrew his hand to shoo away an insect that had flown close to her face. Maybe, she thought, he was making his peace with Mihi at last. And maybe he was coming back to them.
Her first guess was probably right but as far as the latter was concerned, Kanika couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Over at the big house, Vijaya, upright and proper at the head of the table, looked at her granddaughter as she helped herself and settled down with her dinner plate.
‘Are you sure you can eat all of that?’ Vijaya asked.
‘I’m very hungry, nani,’ Shroom said, shoving a spoonful of lamb curry into her mouth. ‘I’ve been running around all day.’
Both of which were such a blessing, Vijaya thought, suddenly wanting to hug the little girl. She remembered all those times when Rukmini had to be coaxed into swallowing tiny spoonfuls that she invariably threw up. Her recovery had been nothing short of a miracle. That wan, wasted child had bounced back and, though she did tend to tire suddenly and her attention span seemed shorter than before, she was back to running around nearly as energetically as before. All the domestic help were convinced it was the water from the stream that had helped her recoup: ‘Madam, there is magic in the water in these parts.’ Perhaps they were right, because Rukmini had never done well in Delhi. And she hated the restrictions placed on her movements there.
‘So what’s the name of your new friend? You never introduced him to me properly,’ Vijaya said.
‘Taklu. Beyond that I can’t divulge any information.’
‘He looks like he could do with a shave, doesn’t he?’
‘He’s a tragic taklu; that’s why he’s like that.’
‘Oh, why is that?’
‘Sorry, I can’t tell you; that’s also classified.’ Shroom looked down at her plate.
‘Is he nice? Do you like him? Or were you holding him hostage in your room?’
‘Nani, please, you’re interrogating me now!’
Vijaya looked a little surprised: Rukmini’s cheeks and ears had turned pink. ‘What about the teachers?’ she continued. ‘Do you like them?’
Shroom nodded vigorously. ‘Yes, they’re very nice. They were able to read my map quite well. I gave them 8 out of 10.’
‘This, err, Taklu’s come here for a holiday?’
‘Yes, with his mother and baby sister. He couldn’t bring his dog…’ Shroom looked up. ‘Nani, you knew that! You’re crosschecking facts with me!’
‘Maybe I am. Why couldn’t he bring his dog? I’m sure Megha wouldn’t have minded.’
Shroom’s face fell, and she stared at her plate.
‘Rukmini, what’s the matter, dear? Is your head hurting?’ Again, the dread in the pit of her stomach stirred uneasily. Not those headaches again… How the poor child had tried biting the pain back, making her lips bleed, clutching her head with her fingers, refusing to cry until the headache swamped her like a typhoon overwhelming a canoe…
Shroom clamped her lips tight and shook her head. It was a secret, a terrible secret; only her and Taklu’s secret (and, well, Miss Raveena and Miss Monica knew too, but they were just teachers – how would they know what she felt?). She swallowed the lump in her throat.
‘I’m okay, nani.’ But she was suddenly exhausted; she’d been to Shroom’s Perch twice that day, clambering over the boulders and river rocks. Then again, tiredness, like pain, must never be admitted to until it completely engulfed you and took you down. Then maybe you lost, but you were not defeated because you hadn’t surrendered – that’s what the doctors had told her as they had pricked her and poked her with long silver needles.
‘I hope you haven’t overexerted yourself.’ Vijaya was watching her with keen eyes.
Shroom shook her head firmly. ‘I’m not at all sleepy, and I don’t have a headache.’
‘Hmm, okay. Now would you like some ice-cream or should Savita and Gudiya take you to bed?’
‘Some ice-cream will be fine, thank you. Excuse me…’ She slipped off her chair, went to the kitchen and splashed her face with icy water. She came back to the table, her face tingling, her eyes bright.
‘Now have your ice-cream quickly, dear, and off you go to bed. I’ll come and say goodnight to you.’
As her chaperones changed her and tucked her in, Shroom was practically falling asleep. Vijaya came into the room and sat on her bed. She placed a hand on her forehead. It was cool; no fever.
‘I’m all right, nani,’ Shroom murmured. ‘Read me a story please.’
‘You’re far too sleepy, Rukmini.’
‘Read me The Mad Killers of Killjoy Mountain.’
‘What?’
Shroom’s eyelids fluttered as she fought sleep, but only for a moment. She was fast asleep in the next instant. Vijaya leaned forward and took her in her arms; she kissed her and laid her back on the pillow. Then she quietly left the room.
In the forest rest-house, Monica and Raveena too had just finished dinner. It was usually now, or earlier in the evenings, that they tended to feel homesick and missed Delhi and the buzz of the city. Here it was deathly quiet at night with only the shrilling of the cicadas or the sudden whirring and fizzing of a moth as it hit the lights, breaking the silence. Sometimes, of course, an animal or wild bird called from the jungles around. Vijaya had promised them a TV set, but it hadn’t yet arrived.
‘What a day!’ Raveena settled down in one of the planter’s chairs in the verandah, after pouring herself her third rum-and-coke. ‘I never imagined things could get so dramatic here. I feel so bad about slapping that poor boy.’ She gazed at the dark forest surrounding them, pinpricked with a few twinkling lights in the valley below. ‘Things have been difficult for him, by the looks of it.’
‘Yes… He probably needs counselling. He obviously blames himse
lf for what happened to his dog. There’s a lot of hatred festering inside him.’ Monica turned to Raveena. ‘But you better keep your temper in check, madam.’
Raveena giggled. ‘D’you… d’you think I should kiss him and make up?’
‘You’ve embarrassed him enough, I think!’
‘But he would have to shave before I do that. Definitely!’
‘Rave, how many drinks have you downed?’ Monica looked at the bottle and gasped. ‘My god, we’d better be careful! We’ll turn into a pair of drunks if we carry on like this, and then the Geek Empress will banish us from her geekdom!’ She’d kept pace with her sister, but was able to hold her liquor better.
‘Hey, Mona – let’s go for a walk,’ Raveena suggested. ‘I’ve eaten too much.’
‘What? Well, okay. But not a long walk; I’m tired.’ Maybe the cool air would sober Raveena up, Monica thought; otherwise she would chatter non-stop until she fell asleep.
They gathered their torches and jackets, and set off.
‘Let’s take the upper path,’ Raveena said. ‘Those mountains will be beautiful in the starlight.’
‘God, I can never get tired of the night sky here. Just look at all those stars.’
They sat halfway up the zigzag slope, happy to look at the heavens.
‘Mona? Did you hear that? Someone’s coming!’
‘Are you trying to scare me now, Rave?’
‘No, I swear! Somebody’s coming up the track – see that light?’
‘You think it’s a ghost?’
‘Could be! Some old Brishit fogey returning from his club shtone drunk! Shit, we don’t even have a shotgun or pepper shpray.’
‘Rave, you are drunk!’ Monica laughed. ‘We should have brought the stick Ram-babu gave us.’
Raveena picked up the big four-battery brass torch and flashed it down the path. ‘Kaun hai?’ She giggled. ‘Is anyone there?’
