by Leena Clover
“You say I your niece, no? We are both black. Easy to believe.”
Sylvie's chest heaved as she wheezed, trying to get a word out. But Jyothi Sudhakaran was not done.
“I do the servant level work for you. You pay me under table. I come so far from school so no one can tell my family I am doing low caste work.”
“You! You stop with all that servant nonsense, girl. And get yo' ass outta here. There's no place here for a bigot who does not respect the law. You hear me?”
She looked at Jon and commanded. “Throw her out. Throw her out, right now. Or I swear to God I will put her on my lap and whoop her ass.”
All eyes in the diner were on us now.
I motioned Jon to take Sylvie inside.
“All good, folks. All good. Get back to your food.”
I gave a fake smile, urging people to stop staring. I literally took the girl by her shoulders, and walked her out.
“Look! You can't get a job here. It’s against INS rules. You are smart enough to know that. Stop harassing people and get a campus job!!”
I rushed inside, not noticing as the girl burst into tears.
Chapter 11
October rolled in, firmly ushering in Fall. The university campus, with its wide variety of trees and plants had turned into a picture postcard with orange, yellow and red hues coming together in a kaleidoscope. It was a feast for the eyes. Our own backyard wasn't much different. Jeet was on leaf duty, and he grumbled about it every day.
“When are we heading into the mountains?” Tony asked, scooping up some vegetable pot pie we had made at the diner.
A weekend trip to take in the Fall foliage is a big tradition. The whole family loves to set out for a day, and in later years, it had turned out to be quite a trip.
The general perception is that Oklahoma is flat and barren with no topological diversity. But the reverse is true. Our state has a rich Native American history, and plenty of mountains and rivers that afford numerous opportunities for hiking, canoeing, rafting and other outdoor activities.
“What are you thinking for this year?” Sylvie poured some coffee for herself and sat down next to us.
She and Jon came along with us on this trip, and they looked forward to a day away from the busy cafe.
“North toward Tahlequah or South to Chickasaw and Sulphur?” she asked Tony.
“It depends on when we’re going. We can check the Foliage Cam and decide where the colors are peaking at that time.”
“Yeah. But we’ll need to book cabins if we are staying one night.” Jon reminded him.
“Aye, Sir!” Tony assured him. “We’ll narrow down a place soon.”
The downside of traveling with the seniors is we can't be as spontaneous as we like to be. But having everyone together on such a trip is priceless.
“Dandiya Night is coming up soon. Are we going this year?” I wanted to know.
Navratri, or the ‘nine-nights’ festival is big in Gujarati culture. Traditionally, it is a nine day festival in India for worshipping the Goddess Durga. Garbhas and Dandiya Raas are dances to please the Goddess. In current years, these have taken on a commercial turn, with glitzy events around the country. In Swan Creek, the Indian Students Association organized Dandiya Night for a couple of hours one evening. It was the time to dress up in sparkling traditional costume and dance to hot, foot tapping Bollywood numbers.
“Oh Yeah! I am so coming this year,” Becky squealed. “And I need to borrow your choli this year. I am wearing it for the dance.”
“Just the choli?” Tony teased.
And we burst out laughing.
“Becky! The dress is Chaniya - Choli. The Choli is just the top. You will need the skirt too.” I said between bouts of laughter, and Becky joined in good naturedly.
I was shelving some books on the third floor at the library the next day when I heard some whispering in the corner.
“No talking please,” I said out loud.
One of the sillier aspects of my job is enforcing silence in the library. It’s silly because kids will be kids. If they have something juicy to gossip about, no amount of shushing or dire warnings will make them shut up.
“That's her. The black haired girl. She’s the number one suspect.”
“What are you talking about?” I pounced on two girls hidden behind a large stack of books at a small table near a window.
“Err ... we’re just doing our assignment,” the girl took the offensive. “Why don't you do your job?”
I shrugged and moved on. I had truckloads of shelving to finish before leaving for the day.
I was meeting Dad for lunch at the food court.
“A funny thing happened today. Some girls were pointing at me and calling me a suspect.”
Dad laughed out loud.
“Caught with your hand in the cookie jar?”
He found it very funny and laughed all over again.
“Meera, the only thing I had to ever call you out for was eating too much. Too much sugar!”
“Be serious, Dad! Have you forgotten what Stan said? Looks like word’s getting around. Even the students are pointing fingers at me now.”
“I took care of that, Meera. The whole idea is just laughable.”
“Apparently not,” I pressed, worried.
“Pay no attention, Meera. Anyway, I’m meeting the Dean in five. Gotta go! I am sure you'll finish these fries.”
He smiled and sped off, ruffling my hair fondly.
The fries held no appeal for me, and that said something about the state of my mind.
Chapter 12
“The veggie burger has stirred up a lot of interest. Many people said they want it.”
Sylvie was excited as I walked into the diner after work. We had decided to take a poll and asked people if they would like a veggie burger on the menu. All they had to do was drop a penny in a box we had rigged up to let us know their interest.
“Now you girls have to just start making one,” she said. “And soon.”
Sylvie couldn’t hide her apprehension with all the change going on at the diner. I had been brooding over what I had overheard at the library. I tried to snap out of it and pay attention to Sylvie.
“Well, I have a few recipes in mind. We’ll try them out and see which one seems the best.”
Sylvie thought for a minute and brightened. “How about this? Honey and I had Bingo tonight and she was gonna ask you to order takeout. Instead, let's just ask everyone to come here. We’ll taste your burgers and vote on the winner.”
Becky called out from the kitchen. “That sounds exciting! I’m all for it.”
“I’ll call and aks everyone. You girls git to work.” Jon ordered from his perch.
“So. What have you thought of?” Becky took a notepad and pen from a shelf.
“Well, there is a loaded all veggie patty, like the kind Motee Ba makes at home. It's mostly potato.”
I thought hard.
“We can roll them in bread crumbs and deep fry to get a crunchy patty. Add a slice of American cheese and ketchup and mustard to get your basic burger.”
“Hmmm…” Becky considered. “Yeah, and folks can ask for the usual extras like grilled onions or mushrooms. We'll have pickles on the side, of course.”
She wrote it down.
“So that's number one. What else?”
“Something with beans. Maybe a Mexican theme?” I asked.
Becky nodded.
“So - black beans, some onions and peppers, jalapenos, sweet corn. We can top it with pepperjack and queso, and sliced avocado. Add some tortilla chips for crunch.”
“Now you're talkin', sista!” I high fived her and we finalized the number 2 burger.
“Next?” Becky asked.
“Something fresh, California style? Brown rice, veggies and tofu…”
“Is that too out there for Swan Creek?” Becky wanted to know.
We started working and it seemed as if only moments later, when everyone trooped in
.
“What's the backup plan, Sylvie?” Pappa joked. “What if these girls burn the stuff? I can't miss my meal time.”
He tapped his cane for good measure.
Everyone took it as a signal to start yanking our chain.
Suddenly there were flashing lights outside. The diner door slammed and Stan Miller swaggered in, pulling up his pants with one hand.
“Meera! You need to come with me. Now!”
Dad looked up from some papers he was grading.
“Now, Stan. What's this about?” Dad’s voice held a warning.
“Your girl here is the top suspect in a case I’m working. I’m here to take her in for questioning.”
“I thought we sorted all this out?” Dad asked as he stood up and faced Stan.
Everyone froze and stared at Stan, not knowing what to say.
“Are you here to arrest her? Do you have any evidence?”
Dad could be stern when he wanted to.
“Well, not really,” Stan muttered.
“Who else have you questioned? I am calling the Chief.”
Dad dialed the police chief and stepped outside. We could see him speaking into his cell phone.
Stan pulled out a photo and showed it to me.
“Do you know this girl, Meera?”
It was a grainy shot, probably pulled off a photo ID like a passport.
“Looks like that girl, Jyothi Sudhakaran. What has she done now?” I exclaimed.
“So you admit to knowing this person?” Stan was curt, very businesslike.
“Well, I don't know her know her,” I shrugged. “I’ve talked to her a couple of times. Actually, she talked to me!” I spit out.
“That's not the word on the street,” Stan swaggered. “Word is, you were seen arguing with this girl.”
“What? No way! What's the matter anyway? Why are you asking me these questions?” I was getting heated up now.
“Gone missing!” Stan said simply. “Hasn't come back to her apartment. Hasn't attended classes. Was asked to show up at the station but hasn’t turned up.”
“Why? What’s she done now?” I inched closer to Stan.
“Potential witness in an ongoing investigation,” Stan volunteered reluctantly. “Can’t say more than that.”
“Why are you picking on me?” I asked curiously.
“Someone said you mingled with her a lot. So far, you are the only lead we have.”
“That makes no sense,” I pointed out. “What about her friends, or teachers? They are the ones you should go to first.”
“We'll do all that, sure. But you're the first person I came to because you had words with her.”
Just then, the radio in Stan's car crackled and his partner motioned him out. He spoke into a receiver type thing, slammed his door again and sped away, not forgetting to give me a parting glare.
My knees buckled as I sighed with relief. Tony pushed a chair beneath me. I looked around. I was surrounded by all the people who loved me, and they were staring at me anxiously.
“What is all this nonsense, girl?” Pappa's cane was beating out its own tune on the parquet floor.
“We have no idea,” Tony shrugged.
“Actually, it’s like this.”
I explained the odd encounters I had with the missing girl. I still had no idea why Stan had zeroed in on me.
Dad brushed a hand through his hair. “We know Stan must be working on the Prudence Walker case. All of the local police are. And he says this girl is a potential witness. I think there’s a connection here. Or Stan’s trying to create one.”
“That Miller boy should know better. What about all the meals he mooched off us all these years? This is the thanks I get?” Motee Ba was indignant.
Dad lifted up a hand and told everyone to calm down.
“I think we should take this seriously. Today, it’s the local police. It can soon escalate to the state authorities. We need to consult a lawyer right away.”
“You don't think I am guilty, do you?” I looked around, tears flowing down my eyes.
“Of course not!” Becky and Tony hugged me and everyone else nodded.
“Let's forget all this tasting business,” Sylvie said. “Jon, let's close the diner and head to the Thai place. We can plan our foliage trip over dinner.”
Everyone agreed and we trooped out together.
Chapter 13
I over slept the next day and rushed through my morning routine. I would have to skip breakfast. Motee Ba walked in with a basket of fresh eggs as I was grabbing some granola bars from the pantry.
“That Bubba Miller. I gave it to him.” Motee Ba sounded triumphant. “I told him what a jerk that nephew of his has been acting like. Bent his ear alright.”
And like that, it all came rushing back.
I hugged my grandmother goodbye and drove to work. It was a busy day, and I was putting away some old newspapers for the archives. A small news item in a campus paper from a few days ago caught my eye. There had been a break-in near campus. Two unidentified men had broken into some girls' apartments at midnight. They had scared the heck out of them. The goons seemed to be pretty incompetent. They were injured when they shattered some glass, and they trailed blood all over the girls' apartment. They had broken into the refrigerator, scrounging for food. They had scampered at the sound of sirens. Was there a sudden crime wave in our little old town?
I decided on a working lunch to make up for being late. As I munched on my salad, I had an epiphany. I had to clear my name before it became mud. And the only way to do it was look for Jyothi Sudhakaran myself.
“What options does the girl have? She's probably sulking, sleeping at some friend's place,” I reasoned with myself.
I felt better, having decided to get to the bottom of the problem.
A home game was coming up and the library lawn was painted in school colors. Students seemed to be getting into the spirit. I realized we hadn't tailgated at all this year.
I picked up the phone and called Becky.
“Hey, how ‘bout tailgating and raising some hell for this week's game?”
Becky's shriek was answer enough.
“I will make some chili in the slow cooker,” I offered.
Becky agreed. “Well, how about some wings? And I’ll ask Sylvie for some fried pies.”
I felt better and started writing down everything I knew about Jyothi Sudhakaran. Something was missing. I needed to reason it out with someone. Glancing at the clock, I was happy to see it was past 5. I hopped into the Camry and sped to the gas station.
“I’m going to find her myself,” I declared, pushing the heavy door in with my butt.
“What?” Tony asked.
He soon caught up. “You want to find that missing girl before the cops take you in, you mean?”
He grinned.
“Not funny!” I cried.
Tony held up both hands in mock surrender.
“I agree. And I’m all yours. Any help you want, I'm in. Just don't ask me to commit a crime.” He winked.
I almost dragged Tony out.
“Let's sit and think this out. Make a list, you know.”
We reached home in five minutes and stumbled into the kitchen.
“Anything to eat?” we both howled almost at the same time.
Motee Ba slid a plate toward us. “Nothing much today. I just scrambled some eggs and made egg and cheese burritos.”
“With the tater tots and salsa?” I smacked my lips.
We grabbed the platter and rushed out to the guest house.
“Leave some for Jeet!” Motee Ba called after us.
We made short work of the burritos while brainstorming over the problem.
“Why do you think Stan’s after me?” I asked Tony.
He shrugged. “Everyone knows you didn’t get along with Prudence.”
I shook my head. “If that’s the criteria, he should have a long list of suspects. That witch, err, girl, was nasty to most people. Why, don�
�t you remember how nasty she was being to Stan?”
“When was this?” Tony indulged me.
“At the Labor Day party. How could you not notice? He was running after her like a puppy dog and she was putting him down at every chance.”
“So Stan’s also a suspect?” Tony laughed.
“See? That’s my point. Who’s to say he didn’t take those insults to heart and wanted to teach her a lesson?”
“Come on, Meera!” Tony objected.
“I’m just saying,” I put my hand up.
“I think he was madly in love with her. He still is. Maybe that’s why he’s taking it so personally.”
Tony paused to think some more.
“Who was Prue’s nemesis? You. Stands to reason she must have bad mouthed you to Stan.”
“But why?” I demanded.
“Honey,” Tony reasoned. “You have a big chip on your shoulder about Prudence Walker. Admit it. And so did she. Looks like she transferred it to Stan. And now he’s coming after you because you are the widest, softest target available.”
“Whatever happened to common sense?” I asked. “Or that’s too much to expect from Stan?”
“Don’t be unkind,” Tony took my hand. “He’s lost someone close to him. Someone he loved a lot. He’s lashing out.”
“Okay, let’s say Stan’s perfectly justified in his allegations. Emotionally, if not logically. How do we prove him wrong?”
Tony put his arm around me and pulled me close. “Don’t worry, Meera. I’m with you. We are all with you.”
I reveled in the warm embrace, reluctant to break the moment. Then I picked up the notepad and looked at Tony.
“Let’s start with the number of times you met that girl, Jyothi,” Tony started. “Try to remember the dates, the places and what you talked about. Also, think about who was present around you at those times.”
Chapter 14
I made short work of listing the times I had met Jyothi.
Tony had been deep in thought.
“You know what I think, Meera?” he began. “Stan isn't a fool. He won't get the blessing to come after you unless there is something concrete. You have to think harder.”
