Radha's POV:
It was six in the evening.
After a small nap I was up and was escorted by Sarju to the dinning area for having some healing Soup.
Rajomma was chatting non stop and apologizing relentlessly for whatever Madhav has done.
This lady was a real tension easer.
With my bandaged chin I could barely speak but she needed no explanation and she continued blaming her baba relentlessly. It was a motherly blame but still it was a balm for my soul. I knew I was a gullible fool... but Madhav was definitely responsible for this mess and Rajomma reciprocating my thoughts was a great mental support.As she spoke, I kept adding things up.
Apparently , Madhav practiced minor hypnotic stances and he drew immense pleasure from fooling around.
Rajomma kept on blaming his elder brother for tolerating all his childish pranks and treating him like a teenager even now.
"Had he been my son Laddo, I would have locked him in the room . You won't believe the first shock I had when Baba came here four months back. It was the second day after his arrival and I made his favorite paneer curry. I kept everything ready for dinner on the table. He came and sat on the table, smirking and faking killer hunger. I had even served the butter Nan and just as I reached for the kadai, it just vanished right in front of my eyes.... And I screamed in fear.
Sarju came running and when she looked, she saw the kadai and even the paneer just the way it was supposed to be!!!
It was all Baba's hocus focus... And that other day as the Dhobi...."
And she went on and on and I didn't even notice when my soup got cold.
Rajomma had such mind blowing stories to tell. Who cares for soups in front of such amazing stories!!!
After hearing to this elderly lady, I felt like an idiot for overacting and smashing my chin in the morning. But then again, who knew that Madhav was an amateur magician!!!
But one sentence kept on ringing in my ear, she is not going to climb all those stairs in this condition.
Now, how do I explain that!!!!
I made a mental note, someday I will corner him on this point.
*************************************************
Rajomma proved to be a mine of information.
In my half an hour audience with her, I gathered a lot.
Madhav was the younger of the two brothers from some semi royalty of Western India and for the past four months he was stationed in the City to open some fancy Retail chain and expand his family business.
Real estate, bakery, sugar and milk products were their core business but Madhav had innovative outlook and he made his elder brother proud with new profitable ventures.
The family had good political connections too but the brothers preferred business over politics.
Madhav was engaged and his wedding was set in the coming winter. He intended to complete the first phase of the business extension by Diwali so that he could enjoy his marriage and honeymoon in peace.
Too much information for me to process, yet, I soaked in all that I could remember. Was this a dream? Were these people real?
How did I end up in this fairy tale?
WOW...
Rajomma was such a warm personality that I instantly felt connected.
Madhav still owed an apology and had some serious explanations to do but my anger was long gone after hearing about his mischievous yet helpful nature.He was definitely a party rocker and a natural prankster. And definitely a good man. Otherwise who would take responsibility for such a subtle crime and instruct his entire personal work force to take care of a nobody like me?
I was absentmindedly playing with the cold soup when Sarju appeared with a fresh bowl of hot liquid.
Saab won't be happy Madam. Why didn't you drink that soup? It contains special herbs that Saab specially brought from home. It is a miracle healer and if you want to get that bandage out anytime soon, drink this.... Like a good girl.
And she shoved the new bowl in my hand.
I sipped the hot liquid and concentrated on my surrounding. The flat was elegant and spacious and the walls were adorned with beautiful poetry paintings.
Poetry painting....
Such beautiful poetries and such wonderful paintings...
The creator was definitely someone unique.
As Rajomma saw my eyes grazing over them, she filled in,
That is Maya Baby's handwork. She is so amazing. Cooking and painting and household job.....
She is MBA also.
Baba is good but Baby is like----
I nodded and waited for more details on this lovely lady. But it never came.
Instead the doorbell rang.
Some servant had already opened the door .
My earlier ease was gone as I heard voices approaching the dinning. I quickly changed posture to rush back to the guestroom so that I could remain invisible.
Rajomma had informed me that Madhav wanted me to offer a new job as a compensation to the damage he caused unintentionally. She was expecting my new employer to be here in the evening.
I really hadn't pondered on the information up till right now.
Something about the voices made me panic and I acted on impulse to escape my PERHAPS FUTURE BOSS.
I was just not ready to meet anyone Madhav has recommended me to. He was way up in the social ladder and his friend will not be someone I could meet with a bandaged chin while wearing a borrowed oversized suit!!!!
But the sudden movement proved to be a bad decision.
Very bad decision.
It could have been the weak body.
It could have been the sudden posture change.
But my world swirled, the bowl dropped and I started a free fall, unable to find something to hold on to.