The Sari Shop Widow

by Shobhan Bantwal

  “That is not true,” he argued. “One thing I will tell you, Anju, Rishi does not lie or cheat. If he told you that he has no relationship with that woman anymore, then he does not.”

  “How can you be sure of that? He could even have other girlfriends and you’d never know.” For a clever old man her uncle was hopelessly naïve when it came to love and sex and relationships in the modern world.

  “Trust me, Anju. I have known Rishi since he was born. He is a very honorable fellow.”

  “I don’t want to talk about him anymore, Jeevan-kaka.” After blowing her nose noisily, Anjali tossed the balled-up napkin in the trash can. “I know I’m stuck with him to some extent because he’s my business partner, but I don’t want to have much to do with him on a personal level.”

  “Anju.”

  Startled, Anjali turned her head toward the doorway once again. “Mom!” Oh great, now her mother was here to grill her. Soon her dad would show up and then all three elders would insist on offering unsolicited advice.

  “Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” she asked her mother.

  Usha ignored Anjali’s question. Instead she looked suspiciously at her brother-in-law and then at Anjali. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. Jeevan-kaka and I are having a conversation.” Anjali withdrew her hand from Jeevan’s.

  Usha glanced at the kitchen clock. “An odd hour for a conversation.”

  “I needed something to eat and Jeevan-kaka needed milk, so we talked while we ate.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me up?” Usha studied the crumbs on Anjali’s plate. “I could have fixed you something more substantial than junk food.”

  “Mom, I’m not a kid. I wanted junk food. Besides, I’m capable of fixing a simple meal.” She tried to smile, but the tears were still there, the shakiness in her voice lingering.

  “If it was just a casual chat, why are you crying?” Usha asked.

  “It’s been an emotional day. The strain from the last few months seems to be catching up with me tonight.”

  “Don’t lie to me, Anjali Kapadia.”

  Usha’s tart rebuke brought back memories of her teenage years, when Anjali used to try to pull a fast one on her mother. The way Usha was glaring at her now, Anjali felt like an errant teenager again. She couldn’t lie to her shrewd mother convincingly then and she couldn’t do it now.

  “I’m not lying, Mom. Jeevan-kaka and I were really having a conversation.”

  “Did you have a nice dinner with Rishi?”

  “I didn’t have dinner with him, period.”

  “Why not?”

  Anjali rose to her feet and placed her plate and glass in the sink. “Why don’t you ask Jeevan-kaka? He knows all about it.”

  “Does he now?” Usha looked at her brother-in-law like she was seeing him for the first time.

  But then Anjali, too, had glimpsed a side of Jeevan-kaka tonight that she hadn’t before. Her mom was in for a surprise.

  “I’m sorry.” She squeezed Usha’s shoulder. “I just don’t feel like explaining it all over again.”

  Usha’s expression softened. “Are you okay, dear?”

  She shook her head. “If you must know the truth, I’m not okay at the moment.”

  “You poor child, what—”

  “It’s all right, Mom,” Anjali cut in. “I’m not going to fall apart like I did some years ago. I just need a little time…by myself.”

  Usha’s face was distraught as she patted Anjali’s cheek. “Can’t even talk about it to your mother?”

  “Maybe in a day or two. Not right now.” Anjali headed for the door. “Jeevan-kaka will explain it. While he’s at it, why don’t you ask him to tell you about his own problems?” She tossed her uncle a meaningful glance before striding out of the kitchen.

  She heard her mother say in her schoolmarm voice, “Jeevan-bhai, you better tell me everything. What’s going on with Anju and that boy? I will not tolerate anyone hurting my daughter.”

  Chapter 29

  Rishi wheeled the food cart into his suite and sat down to eat his solitary meal. The fish had turned cold, with the juices beginning to congeal around the edges. The salad looked unappetizing. He managed to eat a few bites, then pushed the cart away. His hunger had vanished. He didn’t even want to look at the cold grilled cheese sandwich Anjali had ordered.

  He locked the door to the suite and prepared for bed. However, sleep wasn’t likely to come any time soon. His mind was consumed with Anju.

  He could only hope she’d eat something at home. With the grim mood she was in when he drove her back, he doubted that she’d eat or sleep. He still couldn’t understand why she was so upset over a simple business transaction. How many times had he told her that Samantha meant nothing to him?

  And for mercy’s sake, why was Anju still analyzing his job and hers to death? Hadn’t he promised her that he’d take care of all the logistics? In this day and age, intercontinental business was as easy as hopping on a plane or picking up the phone or booting up a computer. Didn’t he himself do it all the time? It wasn’t as if London and New Jersey were worlds apart. The distance wasn’t much more than that between New Jersey and California.

  And damn Samantha for calling at the most inopportune moment. If she’d just waited until she’d started her working day, everything would have been okay. He’d have found a way to explain things to Anju in a rational manner about what was going on with Samantha. As a businesswoman with financial problems of her own, Anju would have understood. But the unexpected call at that particular instant, when Anju was seriously mulling over his surprise proposal, was a disaster.

  Bad timing was what it was.

  Something struck him in that instant. Timing. Good heavens! Could Samantha have deliberately called him at that hour, wondering if she’d catch him with another woman in his bed?

  Suddenly he began to wonder if there was more to the call than a plea for help. Was this Samantha’s perverted form of revenge? She’d been livid when he’d broken up with her. She’d more or less accused him of having another woman in the U.S. Now all of a sudden she’d sounded rational and almost…forgiving.

  Her abrupt overnight move from his house had left him feeling uneasy, especially because he knew her well. He’d seen her operate on both a business and personal level. Samantha was tenacious—and just a hair short of devious. It wasn’t like her to do anything without a motive, or walk away from anything she wanted badly without a fight.

  Was this her way of thrusting herself back into his life in the most insidious way, by playing on his guilt and his sense of loyalty? As far as he knew, her business was thriving. So why was she suddenly experiencing problems?

  Had she planned all this the morning she’d packed up and left him? Or had she really deluded herself into thinking he’d miss her so much that he’d regret his decision and welcome her back with open arms? Crying financial problems could be just a ploy, a way to keep her claws firmly inside his skin. A business loan could bind them for years. Could Anju have sensed the deceit before he had? Woman’s intuition?

  If Samantha was indeed up to dirty tricks, she couldn’t have plotted her revenge better.

  He thrust his hands into his pockets and paced the length of the room. He hadn’t been this conflicted and frustrated in years—not since he’d been in a hospital bed with a shattered leg, wondering whether he’d lose a limb.

  But all was not lost yet. He had resources, more resources than a lot of men, at his fingertips. If Samantha was plotting to make a fool out of him, he could stop her right now. And he would. One way or another he’d find out the truth.

  Picking up his phone, he pressed the button for his solicitor, Arthur Rush. Arthur’s secretary answered, so it was a minute before he got Arthur on the line. Rishi didn’t waste time on polite talk. “Arthur, I need a favor. Could you discreetly check into Samantha Harrington’s finances for me?”

  Naturally Arthur was cautiously curious. “Any particular reason?” Arthur als
o knew about Rishi’s relationship with Samantha.

  “She called a little while ago asking for financial help because of cash flow problems, but I’m almost positive her business is doing extraordinarily well. Before I commit myself to loaning her money, I want to make sure her claim is genuine.”

  “Uh-huh,” said Arthur, in his stolid solicitor voice. “Are you very sure you want to do this?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  “It is highly confidential information, Rishi. It’s not easy to obtain.”

  “I realize that. But it’s extremely important, or I wouldn’t have asked you. Try your best, Arthur.” Rishi paused. “And keep it discreet.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” replied Arthur. “Give me a day or so.”

  “Thanks, Arthur. You can ring Harry if you need to,” said Rishi, referring to his accountant. He shut off the phone and headed for the bedroom. Despite his wide-awake state of mind, he needed to rest, rejuvenate. Exhaustion was slowing him down, and his knee ached.

  Resisting the temptation to call Anjali yet again, he forced himself to go to bed. She hadn’t answered the two voice mail messages he’d left her within the past ten minutes.

  It was probably best to give her time to simmer down, let her sort it out on her own.

  When the bedside phone in his room began to ring, Rishi groped for it in the dark. Disoriented, he couldn’t locate it right away. Damn it, he’d hardly had a chance to close his eyes.

  The clock read 6:18 A.M. It couldn’t be Arthur this soon. It couldn’t be Anju either, not after the way she’d been sulking. It was probably Samantha again, whining about her finances.

  “I wish you’d stop ringing at such ungodly hours, Samantha,” he said wearily.

  He grimaced at the familiar voice on the phone. It wasn’t Samantha.

  “This is not your girlfriend.” Usha’s words were clear and rapier sharp. “This is Anju’s mother.”

  He sat up in bed. “Oh, Auntie, I’m sorry. I…It’s been one of those nights.”

  “No doubt.”

  Hurriedly gathering his wits about him, he said, “What can I do for you?”

  “Some explaining, that’s what. Mohan and I need to meet with you. Jeevan-bhai will be sitting in on the meeting.”

  “First thing in the morning, Auntie. I’ll stop by as early as you’d like.” He could hear the suppressed anger in Usha’s voice. He’d come to know her rather well in the past few months.

  “It is morning now. I want to discuss this right away.”

  Bloody hell! She wasn’t angry; she was livid. “All right, then. I’ll come over now.”

  “No, you stay right there. We’ll be coming to your hotel room. I don’t want Anju or Nilesh to hear any of this.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He let out a troubled sigh. “My room is 505.”

  He replaced the receiver and shot out of bed. He had just enough time to brush his teeth, shave, and get dressed—if he hurried. There was no time for a shower.

  It was bad enough that Anju was enraged at him, but now he’d gone and compounded a difficult situation by incurring the wrath of one more woman, Usha Kapadia.

  Instead of the pleasantly exciting night he’d envisioned, a night of celebration, marriage proposal, hours of making love with Anju, and hopefully waking up with her, it had turned out to be one unexpected and unpleasant surprise after another.

  For a man who prided himself on his pragmatism and sense of balance, he had completely lost control of the situation. Jolly good work, Shah.

  He pushed the food cart out the door and into the hallway, then called the front desk to have it removed at once. Going to the kitchenette, he poured himself a glass of wine and drank it down in three gulps. It was too early in the day for alcohol, but he needed some fortification to face the Kapadias. He’d need every bit of his strength to defend himself.

  He was well aware of the damage each one of them could inflict as individuals, so when they joined forces and put up a united front, they were sure to be formidable.

  Minutes later, when he opened the door to his suite and took one look at the grim faces of the three Kapadias, he knew there was trouble ahead.

  Usha looked neat and proper as always. But her expression was an entirely different matter. If looks could kill, Rishi would have turned into a tiny mound of charred remains by now. She glanced about the room, taking in the furnishings…or perhaps looking for clues. Very little escaped those discerning eyes. Mohan looked gray and exhausted. Jeevan-kaka appeared more haggard than he had a few hours ago. Obviously Anju’s emotional state had been worse than he’d thought for her family to be this upset.

  He invited them in with a polite nod. “Please come in. Sit down.”

  Mohan took a seat on the couch and Usha sat beside him, her back held rigid. Jeevan found the nearest chair and sank into it, looking relieved at being able to rest. Rishi wondered if the old man had lost even more weight within the past few days. He’d been eating next to nothing. Clearly the illness was spreading quickly. How long would this continue before he succumbed to it? Rishi didn’t want to think about it.

  He quickly forced himself away from his thoughts and faced his guests. “Is there anything I can get for you folks? Tea or coffee? Breakfast?”

  “No, thank you,” snapped Usha. “We’re not here to socialize.”

  Mohan ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. He must have been raking his hair for a while from the way it was standing at attention. Jeevan-kaka motioned to say no, too.

  Rishi’s immediate instinct was to put a hand on Jeevan’s shoulder. “Are you all right? You look a little…”

  Jeevan gave Rishi a resigned look. “No need for being so secretive, beta. They know about my cancer now.”

  Rishi eyed the other two. “I see.” He wondered how that news, too, had happened to leak out on this, the worst of nights. Everything was beginning to come to a head at once. It had to be one of those cursed new moon nights or something, Amavasya, when some of the undesirable events occurred, sometimes in multiples.

  “Naturally we are upset that Jeevan-bhai didn’t see fit to tell us earlier,” said Mohan, eyeing his brother with a mix of irritation and sadness.

  “I tried to convince Jeevan-kaka that he should share the news with all his family,” Rishi said. “But he felt he wasn’t ready for it yet.” He patted Jeevan’s arm. “And I respect his wishes.”

  “You could have at least given us a hint, Rishi,” scolded Usha. “We’re family.”

  “It wasn’t my place to do it, Auntie. It was Jeevan-kaka’s wish to share that when he wanted to.”

  Jeevan made an imperious and dismissive gesture with his hands. “Enough about me. We have more important things to discuss.”

  Usha cleared her throat. “Yes, we do.”

  “Sit down, Rishi,” ordered Jeevan. “Mohan and Usha are worried about Anju. I have explained some things to them, but they want to talk to you in person.”

  Rishi sat down in the only chair left in the sitting room. “All right, then. Let’s talk.”

  As expected, Usha came straight to the point. “Is it true that you proposed to Anju?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m in love with her, Auntie. I believe I could…make her happy.”

  Usha’s eyebrow flew up. “Did you invite your British girlfriend to live with you because you believed you could make her happy, too?”

  Despite her deliberate sarcasm Rishi decided to keep a lid on his temper. He shook his head. “I never actually invited Samantha to live with me. She suggested it and I agreed. And if you’re wondering whether I kept Samantha a secret from Anju, I did not. I mentioned Samantha to her and the nature of our relationship some time ago. Anju had no problem with it. At least that was my impression.”

  “If you already had a relationship going in London, then why did you start one with Anju?” Mohan’s voice sounded more tired than angry. His wife had probably woken
him early and dragged him here against his wishes. Of course, he’d just found out about his brother, too. It had to be hard on a man his age—coping with all that on top of the stress of opening a new business.

  “Uncle, please understand that I didn’t plan to start anything with Anju. I came to the U.S. at Jeevan-kaka’s request to help you with the business issue. But then I met Anju. The more I saw her, the more I liked her, and fell in love with her. You have a lovely and talented daughter with a captivating personality. However, I started seeing her seriously only after I broke up with Samantha. Until then, I didn’t date Anju, and nor did I tell her of my intentions.”

  “And you never once thought that by playing with her emotions you’d be hurting a vulnerable girl whose life has been blown apart once before?” The distress in Usha’s voice was sharp enough to affect anyone, even a strong man.

  Rishi felt his stomach tighten. “Auntie, I had no intention of hurting Anju. Precisely for that reason I didn’t pursue her until I made a clean break with Samantha. When I was in London recently, I told Samantha that our relationship wasn’t progressing and that it was time for us to part.”

  “Samantha obviously didn’t think so,” Usha quipped.

  Ignoring Usha’s barbed remark, Rishi continued, “I made sure there was nothing of hers left behind. In fact, I even thought about selling my home and all its furnishings if Anju agreed to marry me. I wanted us to start fresh, with no ghosts from our respective pasts.”

  A frown settled over Usha’s face. “Then why is your girlfriend still calling you in the middle of the night?”

  “She’s facing some financial problems.” He was beginning to have doubts about Samantha’s claims but he couldn’t tell the Kapadias that. Not yet anyway. “For some unknown reason she called me for help.”

  “What do you mean, unknown reason?” retorted Usha. “In our culture, when a man and woman live together like husband and wife, then they’re expected to be husband and wife. And apparently you and she lived together for several years.”