“We should be done by midmorning, tops. You’re better off leaving before lunch if you want to make it back home at a decent time.”
“Good idea,” I said, and moved away from the window. “I better get going.” I put on my coat and picked up my briefcase. “See you around the same time tomorrow morning?”
Maryann nodded. “Thanks for everything, Meena.”
“My pleasure, and thank you for making my work here so pleasant,” I said, and took off.
As I got in the car and started the engine, I was grateful I’d found a spot close to the building. Large, dark parking lots in unfamiliar areas made me nervous. Then I heard a tap on my window. And nearly jumped.
Was I being carjacked? I’d heard of instances of car thefts in and around Washington. Heartbeat racing, I instantly turned my head. It was Prajay’s face outside the window. Heaving a sigh of relief, I rolled down my window.
He must have noticed the alarm on my face. “Sorry. Did I scare you?”
“I thought I was getting carjacked.” I laughed shakily at my jumpiness. “Not that anybody would want my car, but it’s still a reliable set of wheels.”
“I tried to catch your attention before you climbed in, but you didn’t hear me,” he said. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
“I’ll be back in the office tomorrow, Prajay. We can talk then.” I wasn’t sure if I could handle being alone with him.
“I know you have to meet Akka at the hotel, so I’ll follow you there. We’ll talk while you wait for her.”
I looked at the dashboard clock. “All right.” I put the car in gear and drove out.
At the hotel, we decided to have a cup of coffee in the restaurant while we waited for Akka’s bus to arrive. We picked a table that overlooked the parking lot.
“What did you want to talk about, Prajay?” I was rather proud of my casual attitude. Inside I was turning to mush.
“I wanted to thank you for coming out here on short notice and working on the campaign.”
“I’m only doing my job. Besides, Paul has other things to worry about, so this is the least I could do to help.”
“Still, I want you to know I appreciate it.”
“No problem.” I looked at the parking lot once again. More vehicles were pulling in, but there was no sign of the bus. “I should really go,” I said.
“Meena.”
“Yes?” Why was he stalling?
“I met that lady on the list you made up for me. Her name is Archana Mukherjee.”
“Oh ... that’s nice.” What else could I say? I was dying to know other details. Was she pretty? Was she what he’d been dreaming about?
“She seems like a nice person. She’s brilliant.”
“Yeah, I know. She’s an engineer. She must be smart.”
He gave a self-deprecating laugh. “I feel like a dummy in her company. She’s not just good in her field but she seems so well-read about everything. To be honest, I felt a bit intimidated.”
“You, intimidated?” I remarked. “I’m sure it was only first-date awkwardness. Things will get better. And I’m sure she’s pretty.”
“Actually we’ve met twice so far. She is attractive and outgoing.”
There goes Akka’s theory about a mustache and body hair. If she was that perfect, why was she still single? I didn’t know if I could sit there any longer and listen to him going on and on about this vision of perfection. “I’m happy for you, Prajay. Looks like you’ve finally met your match. Hope things go well for you and your ... uh ... potential bride.”
He was pensive for a few moments before turning the tables on me. “So how are things going with you? How is that young man you were seeing a few weeks ago? What was his name ... Deepak something?”
“Deepak Iyer. I’m not seeing him anymore. He’s ... He’s not my type.”
“Sorry to hear that.” He took a thoughtful sip from his cup.
“I’m about to meet someone else, though.” I figured I might as well start on Akka’s harebrained campaign. Prajay would walk off into the sunset with his beanpole—or rather paragon—now that I knew she was pretty. And accomplished. And outgoing.
His eyebrow arched. “Anyone I might know?”
I finished the last of my coffee and put the cup down. “You might know him, since he’s from New England. He’s a Konkani guy from Connecticut, someone my aunt put me in touch with. His name is Ajit Baliga.”
“For some reason the name rings a bell.” Prajay frowned at his coffee cup. “But then, if you’re seeing him, he’s got to be a lot younger than me, right? So he couldn’t be my classmate or even my contemporary.”
“His parents live in the New Haven area. Maybe your folks know his family, since ours is such a tightly knit community.”
Prajay kept staring at his cup. “I’m pretty sure I know him, or at least know of him. What does he do?”
“He’s a stockbroker.”
“A young financial whiz.” He paused. “I wish you good luck.”
“Thanks.” I noticed his cup was empty, too. “I’ve got to go. The bus is here. Akka was exhausted yesterday, and I bet she’ll be in worse shape today. She’ll need to eat an early dinner and hit the sack.”
He rose to his feet reluctantly. “All right. I can see you’re impatient to get away from me. I seem to have that effect on women.”
“It’s not that. I’m just—”
“Relax. I was pulling your leg.” He put down some money on the table, and we stepped out into the lobby. Just as I was about to say good night, he did it again: kissed me on the cheek. “ ’Bye, Meena.”
I lifted my head to look at him. He was smiling warmly. For a moment I was so consumed by the man that thoughts of the bus and Akka’s return flew out of my mind. I continued to stare at Prajay, frozen in the moment.
Fortunately the sound of voices snapped me out of my temporary paralysis, and I turned toward the entry doors. Several people were wandering in. The bus people. I stepped back from Prajay.
An instant later, Akka walked in, carrying a plastic shopping bag in one hand, her handbag on her shoulder, looking like she’d been to the moon and back.
I rushed forward. “Hi. How was the expedition?”
Before she replied her shrewd eyes took in Prajay standing behind me. “Nice. Those museums are wonderful. I have never seen anything like that in my life.” She smiled at Prajay. “I see Prajay is here, too. My own welcoming committee. I feel so important.”
“Prajay was just leaving,” I said quickly, before she got any ideas. “He came to ... uh ... thank me for covering for my boss.” I was talking too fast, but it was the only way to distract Akka. She had that speculative look about her.
“I see.” She started walking toward the elevator. “Why don’t you two continue your discussion? I’ll go upstairs and take a bath.”
“I’m going with you. I’ll draw an herbal bath for you just like last evening.”
“No need for that, charda. I know how to fill a tub.”
I forcefully took the shopping bag from her while I held on to my briefcase with my other hand. “Don’t argue. You’re too tired to even stand on your feet. Now let’s go upstairs, and I’ll order room service. We both need to eat and get some sleep.” I marched her to the elevator. While we waited for it to show up, I turned around for a second. “Thanks for the coffee, Prajay.”
Akka smiled and waved at him. When the elevator doors opened, I ushered Akka inside and hit the button for our floor. When I looked up, I saw Prajay walking out of the hotel.
“Why did you give up a chance to spend time with him, Meena?” Akka looked confused.
“Please, let’s not discuss it, okay? I’m tired; you’re exhausted.”
“I may be exhausted, but my mind is still working. What is going on between you two?”
The elevator doors opened, and we stepped out. “All right. You want to know? I’ll tell you. That idea of making him jealous? It had to be ditched even before it got off
the ground.”
“Why?”
“He has met a beautiful woman who’s even smarter than he. She’s everything he wanted, and more. So there.” I glared at her.
“Oh.” Akka looked a bit stunned. She obediently went inside the room when I opened the door and ordered her in.
“And guess what? She doesn’t have a mustache or body hair either.”
“Oh.” Akka sounded like she had only one word left in her vocabulary.
I dumped her shopping bag on her bed and my briefcase on the sofa. “You know what else? When I told him I was going to meet a nice Konkani stockbroker from Connecticut, he wished me good luck.” Akka remained silent. “Wished me luck, damn it!”
“Oh.” Akka hastily discarded her coat and sneakers and headed for the bathroom. I heard the water running for a while, and then everything went quiet. She didn’t come out for a long time.
Guilt began to settle around me. I’d been so nasty to her. It wasn’t her fault that the jealousy angle hadn’t worked. She was only a sweet old lady who was trying to help me. And instead of appreciating her efforts, I was treating her like the enemy.
Well, I’d make it up to her when she came out. I’d give her a big hug and order whatever she wanted from the menu.
But when she finally came out, looking frail and worn out, all she asked for was a cup of warm milk. All my coaxing to eat something did no good. She was adamant. “I’m not hungry, Meena. All I want is a cup of milk to swallow my nighttime pills with. Then I want to go to bed.”
“Akka, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have taken out my frustrations on you,” I said to her. Apologizing never came easily to me, so it took some effort. “It’s not your fault. It’s all mine for falling in love with a big dummy.”
“He’s not a bad person, Meena,” she said gently. “He just hasn’t realized that you are the girl for him. Give him some time. Let him socialize with that tall woman for a while. Let him learn.”
“He’s never going to look at me as anything but an employee. Maybe as a friend, but no more than that.”
“Whatever you say,” she said, and settled on the bed to massage the smelly ointment into her feet. Apparently it was some kind of ayurvedic herbal concoction, and Akka swore by it.
“So you’re not mad at me?” I asked her.
“If I got angry at my children and grandchildren for minor things, then I would be upset all my life.”
I went up to her and gave her a hug. “Thank you for being so forgiving. I’ll order your cup of milk now. How about a nice apple or banana to go with it? You need some nutrition.”
“Okay, order me an apple.”
“I’ll ask for the best apple in the house,” I promised her, and picked up the phone.
Chapter 26
As if to match my mood, the next morning turned out cloudy. And it was a good thing that Akka wasn’t going into the city. Although I had a folding umbrella with me, Akka would have had a hard time balancing while walking around with an umbrella and that giant handbag of hers.
Despite having nothing scheduled for the morning, Akka was dressed and ready before I was out of bed. I gave her an exasperated look. “Couldn’t you sleep in and enjoy at least one quiet morning?”
She glanced at me above her glasses. “I am enjoying a quiet morning. I’m reading my favorite verses.”
Well, who could argue with that kind of enthusiasm? I yawned and dragged myself to the bathroom. A half hour later we ate our breakfast. I called Maryann to find out how long she expected our meeting to last. “If it’s going to be over by midmorning, I’d like to check out of the hotel now,” I said her. She thought that was a good idea. “You mind if my aunt comes with me to the office?”
“Not at all,” she replied. “She can always make herself comfortable in the break room or in my office while we conduct business.”
I looked at Akka across the table. “Would you mind waiting in the office this morning while I wind up my work?”
“Whatever is convenient for you, charda,” she replied.
“Good. That way we can check out right now and head home directly after my meeting.”
A little later, I had Akka settled in the break room with a couple of Maryann’s magazines and a cup of coffee. Prajay joined Maryann and me briefly to offer comments on the proofs. He seemed pleased with them and the costs negotiated by Maryann, so I was free to take a set to Nishant for his final approval.
Around midmorning I went back to the break room to get Akka. Instead of finding her sitting all by herself with a refrigerator, a microwave, and a vending machine for company, I found her surrounded by a bunch of Rathnaya’s employees.
Puzzled, I stood at the door to observe what was going on. She was sitting at the head of one of the corner tables, talking. She was holding her arms above her head, palms facing out. The half-dozen individuals at her table seemed to be listening with rapt attention.
“And then, when you feel the tension easing from your lower back, you should exhale slowly, and go back to your relaxed position.” Her arms dropped, and her hands gracefully descended to the table. “This you should do at least ten times at each sitting to get any benefits out of it.”
She must have become aware of me standing in the doorway, because she looked at me and smiled. “Ah, there you are. Meeting is over?”
The rest of the group turned to look at me. I walked up to them, a little suspicious of what was going on. “What are you doing?” I asked Akka.
“These young people were telling me that they spend so much time on their computers that they suffer from stiff backs and legs, so I showed them some simple yoga exercises to help them relax and avoid back problems.”
“No kidding.” I had had no idea my great-aunt was an authority on yoga. But then she was the self-proclaimed expert on a lot of things.
One young man smiled at me. “Your auntie is a very smart lady.” The others nodded, seconding his opinion.
“And so interesting,” added a young woman.
“She certainly is,” I agreed. I wondered what these people were doing here listening to Akka’s lecture instead of working.
“We were on our midmorning break, and we discovered your aunt here,” a bespectacled man explained, probably because he saw my censorious expression.
Just then Prajay and Maryann walked in, bringing the impromptu yoga class to an abrupt end. The men and women quickly returned to their offices with their coffee and sodas. Prajay watched their hasty exit and turned to me with raised brows.
“Akka was lecturing your employees on how to overcome the ills of a sedentary profession,” I explained.
“How does one overcome that? I’m curious myself.”
“Yoga and meditation. You see, yoga is good for the body,” said Akka, “while meditation is excellent for the mind and soul.”
Prajay looked impressed. “I can see that the art of consulting runs in the family.” He threw Akka a quizzical glance. “Maybe I should hire you as a consultant to teach yoga to all my employees.”
Was it my imagination, or was there a hint of sarcasm in his words?
Akka didn’t appear to notice any cynicism. She looked sufficiently pleased, but pretended modesty. “Oh, don’t be silly. I know a little, and I practice it for my own health, that’s all. I heard one of them complaining of back pain from sitting for many hours, so I volunteered to show him some stretching exercises followed by meditation. The others were interested, so they stayed to see my demonstration.”
Maryann looked intrigued. “Maybe you should teach my husband and me some of that. My husband has a chronic back problem.”
“I would be happy to teach you,” Akka promised her before turning to me. “Are we leaving soon?”
“Yes. If you want to use the ladies’ room, you might want to do it now,” I said to her, then watched her make her way out of the break room. Maryann went after her to show her the way to the restroom. I could almost bet Akka was going to express her hope of returnin
g someday to teach yoga to Maryann.
Prajay and I were left alone.
“So, what big weekend plans do you have?” he asked.
I started walking toward the door. “I told you I’m meeting Ajit Baliga.” Prajay was right behind me as I went to Maryann’s office to retrieve our coats and my briefcase.
“That’s right. It slipped my mind.”
Was he doing this on purpose—reminding me that he didn’t give a damn about my private life? I didn’t want to wait another second for Akka and Maryann to return, so I made a beeline for the hallway where the ladies’ room was located. They came out just then, making it easy for me to help Akka into her coat and escort her to the elevator. Maryann and Prajay stayed with us while we waited for the elevator.
I shook hands with Maryann first. “Thank you so much for everything, Maryann. It was great meeting you. It’s been an interesting couple of days.”
Maryann smiled. “Interesting as in hectic, you mean?”
“I like hectic,” I assured her. “A busy day goes faster.”
Akka said fond good-byes to the two of them, by clasping their hands in both of hers and thanking them profusely for their hospitality.
“I’ll walk you ladies to your car,” Prajay offered.
“No need for that, thank you.” I took Akka’s arm to steer her away before she could encourage him.
Prajay shook his head. “It’s no trouble at all.”
“I’m sure you have enough work piled on your desk,” I countered with icy politeness.
He glanced at me warily, then gave in by shaking my hand. “All right, then. Have a safe trip home.”
With both relief and regret gnawing at me, I drove toward the highway. Akka looked a bit glum, too. I had a feeling she was experiencing a letdown after a busy couple of days. I glanced at her. “So, did you enjoy your short trip to Washington?”
“Yes, very much.” She patted my arm. “Thank you, charda. Most young people don’t like to take on the responsibility of old people.”
“It was nice having you with me.” I sent her an appreciative smile. “Besides, you’re not like the other elders in the family. I tend to forget that you’re one of them.”
The Reluctant Matchmaker Page 23
