The Tiffin (13 page)

THE BEST BUS JERKED to a halt a short distance away from the chawl. Kunal and Nikhil jumped off. The road was almost deserted. A cat scurried across the street, chased by a rat almost as large as itself. Cars whizzed past now and then. In the distance a drunk belted out a Bollywood song at the top of his voice.The rest of Bombay slept.

“So, he'll be all right?” said Nikhil. “You're sure?”

Kunal nodded. “He'll pull through.”
He has to
.

“We should have told the other dabbawallas, especially Hari,” said Nikhil. “They'll all be wondering about Vinayak when he does not show up tomorrow.”

“There wasn't any time,” said Kunal. “No point alarming them tonight. We'll tell them first thing in the morning. It's not like they can visit, nor can they do anything right now.”

A slight figure stood by the chawl's entrance, keeping to the shadows.

Nikhil nudged Kunal. “Who do you think that is?”

As they drew nearer, Kunal realized it was a woman. His pulse raced. It could only be one person. Should he dare hope she'd come, even though she'd refused to give out her number?

He quickened his step. As soon as they came closer, the woman started walking in the opposite direction. Kunal's heart sank. If it was his mother, she wouldn't be walking away. His stomach clenched and he tried to push her out of his mind. His thoughts flew to Vinayak again, lying alone in the hospital, tethered to machines by all those tubes and wires. Had his talk with Vinayak helped? He decided that it had.Vinayak had looked very peaceful when he had closed his eyes.

“Look, she's coming back,” said Nikhil, softly.

Sure enough, the woman had turned around as soon as she reached the end of the sidewalk. She approached them once again. Kunal stared at her. He'd already decided it couldn't be Anahita, but then, why did his heart say differently? Why was it beating at triple speed?

Nikhil nudged Kunal again.“Do you think …,” he said softly, “do you really think it could be her? She did say she was coming to see you soon.”

“There's only one way to find out,” said Kunal in a strangled whisper.

The woman hesitated for a moment, then walked purposefully towards them. Kunal marched towards her and waited under the streetlight.

The woman stepped into the pool of light and looked at Kunal. He met her gaze. She was pretty. And very nervous — eyes darting all around her, as if the shadows held hidden dangers. And in that instant he knew.

“Can you ...,” she said in a husky voice. She stopped, cleared her throat. “Can you tell me ...,” she spoke once again, her eyes fixed on Kunal.

“Madam,” said Nikhil. “We can't stand here all night waiting for you to tell us what you want. Either ask or be on your way.We've had a really long day.”

Kunal stared at the upturned nose, the fair complexion, and the full lips. Her eyes hadn't shifted from his face, even when Nikhil had been speaking, and he knew she had recognized him too. His heartbeat slowed, reverberating through him like the aftermath of a massive earthquake as he waited for her question.

Say something,
he thought.
Say what I've waited twelve years to hear.
The thudding of his heart was loud in his ears and he willed it to soften. He didn't want to miss a word.

She said nothing.

At this moment he would have settled for a “Sorry.”

“Can you tell me the way to Andheri Station, please?” she said, finally. Her voice was soft, shaky. Her eyes were rock-steady on Kunal's face.

Kunal's lungs were bursting and he realized he'd been holding his breath. He exhaled slowly and continued staring at her, unable to believe his ears. There were many first words he'd imagined exchanging with her.These did not fit in anywhere.

“It's that way,” said Kunal. His throat was incredibly dry as he pointed out the route.

The woman started when he spoke. “Thank you,” she said after a moment. “Thank you so very much.”

She couldn't tear her eyes away from Kunal, nor could he look away, in spite of what she should have said and hadn't. For a moment it seemed as if the rest of Bombay had faded away and they were alone on that deserted street, immersed in light. Her face crumpled, as if she was in severe pain. She took a step back and the shadows claimed her again. She hurried past him, almost running now. Kunal watched her go, surprised that he had no desire to stop her. She looked back, saw him watching her, turned around, and hurried away.

“Very weird,” said Nikhil, tapping his head. “It couldn't have been your mother.”

They crossed the courtyard and climbed the steps in silence. Nikhil stopped on the second floor. Kunal continued up to the third floor, each step taking every ounce of will power.The shadows and darkness seemed to be dragging him down.

“Good night,” Nikhil called out.

“Good night,” replied Kunal, with some effort.

“Hey, Kunal!”

“Yes?”

“We completely forgot the main reason I came to see you this evening. Do you want to see your mother tomorrow? We can go after you've visited Vinayak and I've delivered the tiffins.”

Kunal gripped the banister. His mother's face swam before his eyes, crumpled with pain yet, strangely, devoid of love. He remembered the deep satisfaction in Vinayak's when Kunal had accepted his offer to stay.

“ You fallen asleep on the stairs or something?” said Nikhil. “Don't you want to see your family?”

“No,” said Kunal. “I already have a family.”

glossary

Ahura Mazda
: Avestan language for the divinity exalted by Zoroaster. In the Avesta, Ahura Mazda is the highest object of worship.

 

Aloo-Puri
: Seasoned spicy potatoes served with fried bread.

 

Amitabh Bachchan
: Famous Bollywood actor renowned for his daredevil stunts.

 

Anda Bhurji
: Scrambled eggs, Indian style.

 

Ashem Vohu
: One of two very important prayers in Zoroastrianism.The Ashem Vohu, after the Ahunavar, is considered one of the basic, yet most meaningful and powerful, mantras in the religion.

 

Baida Roti
: Roti (or chapati) dipped in seasoned egg and cooked on a flat skillet.

 

Batata Wadas
: Seasoned boiled potatoes, dipped in chickpea batter and deep-fried.

 

Beedi
: Homemade cigarette made with a dried leaf and filled with tobacco.

 

BEST bus
: Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport: Government organization that runs the public transport system.

 

Bhajiyas
: Fried Indian snack that can be made with your choice of vegetable, such as cauliflower, onion, spinach, or potato.

 

Bhel
: Also called
bhelpuri
, it is a puffed rice dish with potatoes and a tangy tamarind sauce. It is a type of chaat or small plates of savoury snacks, particularly identified with the beaches of Mumbai (Bombay), such as Chowpatty.

 

Bollywood
:The film industry of Bombay, named in a similar fashion as Hollywood.

 

Chai
: Hindi word for tea.

 

Chapatis
:Type of unleavened flatbread from India.

 

Chawl
: A type of building found in India.They are often four to five storeys high with about ten to twenty tenements, referred to as
kholis
(literally meaning
room
) on each floor. A usual tenement in a chawl consists of one all-purpose room that functions both as a living and sleeping space, and a kitchen that also serves as a dining room.

 

Chutiye
: Slang for
idiot
. (Considered crude.)

 

Dabba
: Box, or in this case, a tiffin.

 

Dabbawalla
: A dabbawalla (literally,
box person
), also spelled
dabbawala
or
dabbawallah
, is a person in Mumbai (Bombay) who is employed in a unique service industry whose primary business is collecting the freshly cooked food in lunchboxes from the residences of the office workers (mostly in the suburbs), delivering it to their respective workplaces and returning back the empty boxes by using various modes of transport.

 

Dal-roti
: Lentils and bread (
roti
is another word for
chapati
).

 

Dhaba
: In India and Pakistan, highways are dotted with local restaurants popularly known as dhabas (singular: dhaba). They generally serve local cuisine, and also serve as truck stops.

 

Dhoti-kurta
:
Dhoti
is a traditional men's garment in India. It is a rectangular piece of unstitched cloth, usually around seven yards long, wrapped around the waist and the legs, and knotted at the waist.
Kurta
is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is worn by both men and women.

 

Faltu-giri
: Rubbish or nonsense (in Hindi).

 

Flyover
: An overpass.

 

Gadhera
: Donkey.

 

Gandu
: Crude slang for idiot.

 

Holi
: Indian festival of colours.

 

Jaldi
: Hindi word for
quick
.

 

Jalebis
: Indian fried sweets. It is made by deep-frying batter in a kind of pretzel shape then soaked in syrup.

 

Jhootha
:
Lies
in Hindi.

 

Junglee
:
Barbarian
in Hindi.

 

Kasam se
:
I swear
in Hindi.

 

Kheema Bun
: A bun filled with savoury minced meat.

 

Kohl
: A mixture of soot and other ingredients used predominantly by women in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia to darken the eyelids and as mascara for the eyelashes.

 

Maharashtrian
: An ethno-linguistic group of Hindu people from Maharashtra, India, speaking Marathi language.

 

Maska Pao
: Bread and butter.

 

Memsahib
: The way to address a woman with respect.

 

Paan or Meetha pan
: South, East and Southeast Asian tradition that consists of chewing betel leaf (
piper betle
) combined with the areca nut. There are many regional variations. Paan is chewed as a palate cleanser and a breath freshener.

 

Pallu
: The end of the saree, normally worn draped over the shoulder.

 

Panchgani
: Is a town with a municipal council in S¯at¯ar¯a district in Mah¯ashtra, India. Scenic Panchgani was discovered by the British during the British Raj as a summer resort.

 

Paratha
: It is one of the most popular unleavened flatbreads in Indian cuisine and is made by pan-frying whole wheat flour on a griddle.The paratha dough usually contains ghee or cooking oil, which is also layered on the freshly prepared paratha. Parathas are usually stuffed with vegetables, such as boiled potatoes, radishes or cauliflower, and/or paneer (South Asian cheese).

 

Pehlwan
: Big guy.

 

Phenyl
: A brand of antiseptic floor cleaner available in India.

 

Raita
: Yogourt thinned with water and with onions and tomatoes added. Normally eaten with biryani to cut its spiciness.

 

Saala Paagal
:
Madman
in Hindi.

 

Sambar
: A vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind and toovar dal (a type of lentil). Sambar is very popular in southern regions of India, especially Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

 

Samosa
: Generally consists of a fried or baked triangular or half-moon-shaped pastry shell with a savoury filling of spiced potatoes, onion, peas, coriander, minced meat, or sometimes fresh paneer. Non-vegetarian samosas may substitute fillings of minced meat or fish. The size and shape of a samosa as well as the consistency of the pastry used can vary considerably, although it is mostly triangular.

 

Saree
: A sari or saree is a garment worn by women in the Indian Subcontinent. A saree is a strip of unstitched cloth ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. The most common style is for the saree to be wrapped around the waist, with one end then draped over the shoulder baring the midriff.

 

Shabaash
: Hindi word used to praise someone.

 

Tetrapods
: Three-sided stones made of concrete to shore up the coastline of the reclaimed land along the Arabian Sea in Mumbai (Bombay).

 

Theek Hai
:
Okay
in Hindi.

 

Yaar
:
Friend
or
pal
in Hindi

acknowledgements

YOU MIGHT AS WELL get some popcorn now, sit back, and relax. Ready? Here goes ...

I'd like to thank my friends and family in India for their help in getting the necessary footage of the dabbawallas, and Bombay in general. Special thanks to Kersi, Dolly and Nergish Irani, Hosi and Mani Billimoria, Khursheed Kanga, Naveen, Zubeen and Nafeesa Mehrotra, Shamin, Abuzer and Fouziya Indorewalla. Hugs to my family here who continue to support and encourage me; Mom, Rahul, Aftab, Coby, Mazarine, Aziz, Zenia, Rayhan, Vicky and Dave.

A heartfelt thank you to The Humber School for Writers where this book first began its long journey, and to my brilliant mentor Tim Wynne-Jones who steered me in the right direction, gently but firmly. Those few months were truly memorable!

Huge thanks to the Toronto Arts Council for their generous support of this project. Many thanks to my talented web designers, Vladimir Drizhepolov and Mike Cirillo who have done such a fabulous job with my website and book trailers.

And finally, a sincere thank you to my wonderful editor, Barry Jowett, who continues to believe in me, to my publisher Marc Côté and his wonderful team at Dancing Cat Books, Bryan Ibeas and Meryl Howsam, and to Gail Winskill for her insightful comments to make this a better book.

Though I'm almost out of creative ways to say thank you, I will say one last
shukriya
to all my readers.There would be no me, without you!