Mumbai Criminal Zone…
In the dead of night, three large vans rumbled into the infamous A-Zone, carrying an assortment of household goods. The eerie silence of the Mumbai criminal zone was shattered by the arrival of these vehicles, causing many to wake up from their sleep and peek through their broken windows, wondering what was going on.
At the entrance, Warden Desai personally led the convoy, making sure all three vans reached their destination—the house of Uncle Roy. The moment the vans came to a halt, murmurs spread throughout the slum-like neighborhood. It wasn't every day that outside vehicles entered the criminal zone, let alone this late at night.
Uncle Roy, dressed in his usual loose pajamas, stumbled out of his house, fluttering his tired eyes. Meanwhile, Lambo—the hefty, lazy man who guarded the entrance of Uncle Roy's house—let out a loud yawn and barely lifted his head.
"Desai sir… why are you disturbing us at this hour? I need to report for my watchman duty tomorrow morning," Lambo grumbled, scratching his belly. "Just let us sleep."
Desai chuckled before playfully kicking Lambo off his wooden bed. "You useless fellow! Who told you that you even have a job? Now, stop snoring like a pig and go wake up Uncle Roy. Das has sent gifts for all of you."
The moment he heard the name 'Das,' Lambo shot up like a bolt of lightning, his sleep forgotten. His face lit up with a wide grin as he screamed, "Master sent gifts! Wake up, everyone! Our master has sent gifts for us!"
The entire neighborhood stirred awake as Lambo ran inside the house, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Uncle Roy stepped out, blinking at the commotion. "What in the world is happening?" he asked groggily.
Desai waved a small letter. "Your boy sent this for you."
A large crowd had gathered by now, their curiosity piqued as Warden Desai cleared his throat and began reading aloud:
"My dear brothers and sisters, this is your master's first gift. I have found a good job outside and I am doing well. With my first salary, I have bought all these necessary things for you. Take whatever you need. Uncle Roy, don't worry about me and take your medicine on time. I will visit you all soon.
—Your Master, Vikram Das"
The moment Desai finished reading, loud cheers erupted among the people. Happiness filled the air as everyone rushed towards the vans, eager to see what their beloved master had sent for them.
"Master hasn't forgotten us!" a young boy shouted excitedly.
"He always thinks about us!" another woman added, her voice choked with emotion.
Uncle Roy wiped a tear from his eye, his old heart swelling with pride.
Lambo, unable to contain his excitement, jumped onto one of the vans and started pulling out boxes. "Come on, everyone! Let's unload these!"
Inside the crates were kettles, fans, study lamps, hot water geysers, books, and other daily necessities. Das had thought of everything. People lined up eagerly, distributing the goods amongst themselves with overwhelming joy.
-
The Frost Family Household…
Inside Lily's home, the atmosphere was tense, yet surreal. Unlike every other night, Das sat comfortably on the center sofa. On the table before him lay two gold chains, a thick bracelet, and stacks of cash totaling ten lakh rupees.
Ruby, Lily's mother, stood frozen in shock. She couldn't believe her eyes.
Lily's younger sister, Soya, sat to the side, clutching a piece of paper—the appointment letter for Das. Her hands trembled as she read it out loud again.
"Selected as the personal guard for Princess Maya of the Rajput family… Monthly salary—one hundred thousand dollars…"
She looked up, her mouth slightly agape. "Das… this is unreal. Do you even know how much that is in rupees? Eighty-four lakh per year! That's more than what our entire textile business makes annually!" [1 lakh = 100,000= Hundred thousands.]
The weight of the revelation hung in the air. But before anyone could react, she continued reading.
"But… there's a tax clause… You have to pay half of your earnings to the government?" Soya frowned, confused. "Why?"
Das smirked. "Because of my… colorful criminal background."
Lily, who had been silent until now, finally exploded. "Mother, stop staring like that! It's just a three-month contract. After that, Das will find another job."
But to everyone's shock, Ruby wasn't angry or disappointed. Instead, she was utterly stunned.
"Three months contract?" Ruby muttered, still processing the information. Then, to everyone's horror, a smile appeared on her face. "My son-in-law is so capable… The Rajput family won't find a better man than him."
Lily nearly choked on air. "What?"
James, Ruby's husband, rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Did… did your mother just say something positive about Das?"
"I think I need to sit down," Soya mumbled, still staring at the document.
Ignoring their reactions, Ruby stepped forward and reached for the gold chains and cash.
Das leaned back, watching the scene unfold. He knew better than to argue. Losing the money was a small price to pay to avoid Ruby's daily nagging.
But just as Ruby's fingers touched the gold chain, Lily jumped forward. "Wait! All of this belongs to Das. Don't touch it!"
Ruby shot her daughter a sharp look. "What are you talking about? Das is our family member. And what's his, is also mine!"
Lily clenched her fists. "You've done nothing but insult him all these days! Now that he's making money, suddenly he's your precious son-in-law?"
"Lily," Ruby cried out, rolling her eyes. "I was only testing him. And look! He passed with flying colors. Besides, I need this money. Do you know how expensive groceries are these days?"
Lily gritted her teeth. "Mother, put that down."
Ruby smiled sweetly. "No."
James and Soya watched the argument like spectators at a tennis match.
After a moment, Das let out a laugh. "Let mother-in-law have it, Lily. She will use that money for family."
Lily crossed her arms, glaring at her mother. "You win this time."
Ruby, victorious, tucked the cash into her saree and grinned. "Das, you should sleep in the bedroom tonight. You have an important job to attend to tomorrow."
Das smirked, shaking his head. "Yes, mother."
James leaned towards Soya and whispered, "I think hell just froze over."
Soya nodded. "I think so too."
-
Tq all ;-)