House of Cards (2 page)

Mridula listened very carefully to him.

She grew up in such a friendly and honest atmosphere that she became outgoing and helpful—just like her father.

With her parents’ support, Mridula travelled every day to teacher-training classes in Hubli and graduated with a top rank. She quickly got a government job in the village high school. Unlike Mridula, Krishna took a long time to finish his degree. Then he decided to look after the family farms instead of getting a job.

Bheemanna was happy about this decision because it gave him more time for social work. As a result, these days he was seen consulting with others in matters like marriage alliances, in mourning houses and even panchayat talks.

Soon, Rukuma started worrying about Mridula’s marriage. One day, she said, ‘Mridula is twenty-two years old. My brother is already trying to find a boy for Sarla. The good thing is that they live in a big town. Many good grooms come to Hubli in search for suitable brides. But nobody knows that our girl is here in Aladahalli. Please stop being lazy and find someone suitable.’

Bheemanna laughed at her. ‘Your niece Sarla has many hurdles to cross. She isn’t pretty and only wants to marry a boy who lives abroad. But there aren’t any such conditions for Mridula. Our daughter is beautiful. Arjun Sa predicted that the groom will come to our house seeking her hand in marriage.’

Arjun Sa Badni was a famous astrologer in Hubli. On hearing Bheemanna’s response, Rukuma took the vessel that was in her hand and smashed it down on the floor in anger. ‘What else has your friend predicted?’

Bheemanna tried to console his angry wife: ‘Don’t bash the vessels. My grandmother had given us that one. Leave your work and listen to me, Rukuma. Badni says that her husband will become a prosperous man after marriage. You needn’t worry at all.’

‘How can you believe such predictions, and do nothing? It is our duty to search for someone nice for her. Will you marry her off to a beggar just because of his forecasts?’

‘Even if he is a beggar, she will fetch him all the riches.’ Bheemanna stood up and walked away to their neighbour’s house, knowing that that would end the dispute.

As expected, Rukuma forgot the disagreement a few minutes later and went to the garden to work.

Their neighbour, Champa Bai Kamitkar, was a seventy-year-old woman who stayed opposite Bheemanna’s house. She had a huge garden in her backyard with lots of flowers. Each plant was as precious as a child to her. Watering the plants and plucking the flowers took her three to four hours every day. Even though she grew so many flowers, she did not use even one for herself. She sent all of them to the other houses on the street.

Champa Bai’s husband had died long ago and they never had any children. So, she had adopted one of her nephews—Chandrakant. He studied in Aladahalli and then went to Dharwad to complete his high school. After that, he studied medicine in Bombay and went abroad. He returned after a few years and married a Bombay girl. Eventually, he started his own hospital and settled there.

Every now and then, Chandrakant asked his aunt to come and stay with him in Bombay but she refused consistently. ‘Chandru, Aladahalli is heaven to me. People here are easygoing. Our Bheemanna is like a son to me. I can’t stand the crowd in Bombay at this age.’

Champa Bai was fond of her sisters who lived in different cities. She travelled often to visit them. During these outings, Mridula took excellent care of her garden for her and, as a gesture of thanks, Champa Bai gave her the lion’s share of the flowers.

2

Young Dreams

When Dr Sanjay heard the 6 p.m. bell in KEM Hospital in Bombay, he was rudely brought back to the real world. He remembered that he had to travel by train that evening. An introvert by nature, Sanjay was passionate about his work. It was his salvation; when he worked, he forgot everything else. He had missed lunch and dinner on many occasions as a result. But today, he was about to catch a train and couldn’t afford to miss it. He had requested his outpatient department’s Sister Indumati to remind him. And she had. Yet, he had forgotten. He immediately started scrubbing his hands so that he could finish up and leave.

Sister Indumati was the person closest to Dr Sanjay in Bombay. She was an elderly lady with grey hair. She smiled at Sanjay and showed her motherly anger: ‘Sanjay, at this rate, you won’t get to your own wedding at the right time and I will ensure that your bride marries someone else!’

In a lighter tone, she added, ‘I know you. So I sent your luggage with Dr Alex to the railway station. He said that the compartment number is A17. And now, you better run.’ Sanjay smiled back in gratitude and left quickly.

Dr Alexander was Sanjay’s colleague at the same hospital. He was dark, dynamic, popular, a smart dresser and an excellent
speaker. Alex was from Goa and was taking the same train till Londa station to meet his aunt, and then he was going to Panaji.

Sanjay rushed to Bombay’s VT station. The platform was crowded. The people on the platform who had come to see others off were double the number of the actual passengers. Everybody was busy either waiting to get into the train or saying goodbye to their loved ones. With the train just about to leave, Sanjay ran faster than P.T. Usha to board a coach. He made it into the train just in time.

Breathlessly, he made his way into the right compartment and sat down in front of Alex. Sanjay looked around and was surprised to see only a few people. He realized that the reduced rush was because the schools had reopened after the summer vacation. As he was catching his breath, he thought about how people dealt with anxiety. They lived with it and tried their best to learn how to control it. He got busy with his own thoughts—like a snail encircling itself.

Alex lit a cigarette and asked, ‘Sanjay, why are you going to Hubli? You don’t usually travel much.’

A lady passenger sitting close to them did not like the cigarette smoke and covered her nose with a handkerchief. But Alex didn’t care; he continued smoking and talking to Sanjay.

Shyly, Sanjay replied, ‘My friend Santosh is getting married there.’

‘I don’t think you are going only for the purpose of attending a wedding, especially when you have a lot of work this week. Are you going to be the best man? Or do you have an appointment with a beautiful girl there?’ Alex joked.

‘Alex, we don’t have the concept of best man in our weddings. Santosh is my good friend but I haven’t met him in years because he is now settled in the Middle East.’

‘For how long will you be in Hubli? Why don’t you come to Goa? We’ll have fun.’

‘No, I can’t. I’ll only be in Hubli for a few days. Professor Jog has given me a package to deliver to someone who stays around the area.’

Dr Chandrakant Jog was a professor of gynaecology at GS Medical College and Sanjay was his assistant. Sanjay did not usually like to go to weddings but Santosh had helped him in his tough times.

The train picked up speed. The cool breeze hit Sanjay’s face. He was tired and leant against the backrest. He asked Alex, ‘Is there a special reason for you to go to Goa?’

‘Yes, I want to meet my parents and my girlfriend, Anita. I am going to the Middle East next month. I am not a sannyasi like you. Anita visits me even in my dreams.’

Sanjay was quiet. Then he said, ‘You have a good job here. Next year, you can get a postgraduate seat. What’s the point in going to the Middle East? Goa is a small state and has two medical colleges. After your post-graduation, you can get a job in either of them.’

‘Come on, Sanjay, who wants to be a professor? I want to earn a lot of money. If you want to earn money in a government job in India, then you have to be corrupt. But if I work hard for four years in the Middle East, come back and open a hospital here, I can mint money.’

Sanjay asked curiously, ‘Do you think that Anita will wait for you till your return?’

Alex smiled and turned his head towards the window.

The train had reached Karjat station. Alex called out to a vendor selling batata vadas. The young boy claimed that the vadas were nice and warm but handed Sanjay a cold and stale vada. Sanjay did not get upset. He merely said, ‘Brother, the vadas are like ice cubes. Please give us something hot.’

‘In that case, take my employer’s head. It’s always hot. But for now, give me five rupees.’

Alex laughed and gave the young boy money; but Sanjay became serious. He was thinking about the poor boy’s
helplessness. The train started moving again and the smell of batata vadas was all over the compartment.

Soon, it was time for dinner. Two railway canteen boys took their order. Alex ordered a non-vegetarian thali for himself and a vegetarian thali for Sanjay. Sanjay felt ignored. Alex had not replied to his question about Anita. Maybe he should not have asked him such a personal question. Suddenly, Alex said, ‘Anita will wait for a maximum of one year. I have told her not to wait for me more than that. We should be practical. If we become too emotional, it is difficult to lead a happy life.’

‘Where did you meet Anita?’

‘I met her at the Mapusa Church. I was the best man in my friend Marx’s wedding and Anita was the maid of honour. That was the first time I saw her. Then I met her again at a New Year’s ball. Thanks to the Goan Catholic society, there were many occasions for us to meet and we became good friends very quickly.’

‘Is she from Goa, too?’

‘No, she is from Mangalore, which is in your state, Karnataka.’

‘Oh, okay.’

It was getting dark outside the window of the moving train. Alex was thinking about Anita. ‘She is unlike the girls in Goa. She is different.’

For the last two years, she had been in Panaji, the capital city of Goa, working with her maternal uncle Freddy Roderick. After she had completed her Bachelor of Arts degree, Anita’s uncle had asked her, ‘What will you do sitting at home? I am a dealer for Alembic Pharmaceuticals. Why don’t you come and help me?’

Her aunt had also insisted. So, Anita had started working in her uncle’s office in Goa.

The real reason for bringing her there was that her uncle and aunt wanted to introduce her to the young and suitable grooms
in Goa. Anita was a good singer and always sang for the church choir. She was not interested in studies. She had completed her degree but her main interest was interior decoration. Even though she worked hard in her uncle’s office, she worked harder at home-decorating her aunt’s house. Anita never made the first move when it came to boys. At Marx’s wedding, Alex noticed that she was more beautiful than the bride herself and immediately set his eyes on her. She was fair and had lustrous hair. Many young bachelors wanted to date her.

Alex smiled. Though he had just told Sanjay that she was his girlfriend, he knew that Anita was more than that—he would marry her. He remembered how he had gone out of his way to get her phone number and check her travel itinerary. He would go to Uncle Freddy’s house without reason and sit there for hours. He had been worried that some young man would move faster than him and make away with Anita, but Uncle Freddy was smart and had suggested, ‘Young boy, don’t worry. Take her to parties, picnics and get to know her. But don’t talk of marriage right now.’

Uncle Freddy was older, wiser and more experienced. He liked Alex. Sometimes, Alex felt uncomfortable when he visited Uncle Freddy’s house. Financially, they were much better off than Alex and his family. They had a nice house and a car. If he wanted to marry Anita, he must maintain her lifestyle. Otherwise, people in the church would laugh at him. After going out with Anita, he realized that she was shy and had been raised differently. She did not care about money. But things were not easy when he met her father.

Anita’s father, Mr Pinto, was a strict man. He believed that women must work. He was a senior and honest officer with Mangalore Fertilizers. Apart from Anita, he had two sons—one in the merchant navy and the other based in Delhi. Pinto’s family was religious and they never missed Sunday Mass. They regularly contributed to the church and were good Christians.

When Mr Pinto came to visit Anita from Mangalore, Alex met him—but Mr Pinto did not even bother to talk to him. He passed a comment: ‘Oh, our Anita is so beautiful. She is getting marriage proposals from places like the merchant navy.’

Alex himself felt that he was only an MBBS doctor and could not compete with any of these proposals, unless he owned a nursing home. The only way to get engaged to Anita was to go to the Middle East, make money, come back and marry her.

But how could he share all this with Sanjay?

While Alex was lost in these thoughts, Sanjay started talking about some professor’s post that was vacant in a college in Goa. Alex said, ‘Tell me, Sanjay, do you want to remain Dr Jog’s assistant forever, or do you want to make money at some point?’

Sanjay did not reply. For now, his aim was to get as much experience as he could and then get a postgraduate degree. Money was not a priority, even though he was not from a rich family.

A short while later, dinner arrived. Sanjay asked, ‘Alex, what time does this train reach Hubli?’