Chapter 1
I am an outcast with no place to call my own, therefore staying in a hostel, where I work as a caretaker. Because of my work here, I don’t have to pay my rent and bills; I am allowed to use a small room, the size of a bathroom, in most houses, where I sleep through most of my nights. I don’t have to starve as I get two hot meals a day, and my two best buddies take care of my evening tea and sometimes a snack along with my tea.
My friends don’t get along with each other, so I accompany them on alternate days, and some days when both are busy with their errands, I go out by myself to the river bank. Rhea asked me to accompany her tonight; her father has finally allowed her to bring her love and agreed to fix a day for their marriage. But he added that he would only let that happen if he liked the man. Rhea was delighted when her father agreed; she considered it a battle half-won.
It’s a Tuesday afternoon, and the clock at the entrance wall reads quarter-to-three. I have swept, mopped and cleaned the utensils, which ends my shift in the Parashar College Hostel. I also attend the same college where I have been pursuing a bachelor’s Degree; it is a partially government-funded college and partly run by an NGO, where I would like to work too after graduation. Most of my classes start in the morning, which makes it easier for me to work during the afternoon and evening shifts in the hostel. The afternoon shift includes sweeping, mopping and cleaning the utensils after lunch, while the evening duty call on complete kitchen rituals followed by the bathrooms. Bathrooms are jammed in the morning till the afternoon since most girls get ready for their classes, making the nights perfect for sanitization, modelling them for the following day.
I went to the bathroom to clean myself up; Rhea wanted me to accompany her for some shopping before meeting her father. I forgot to inform you all regarding my extra working hours that aid me in earning some additional money in a hotel run by Mihir and his uncles. Their food is affordable yet delicious; I lend my hands there, tidying the place for their customers in return for one-fifty an hour during the peak time of the evening. Mihir is my college fellow, so despite not helping them daily, I still manage to work there. The days with evening shifts in my hostel make it difficult for me to work in Mihir’s Hotel.
I reached my room after the shower, dressed in the best pair of Jeans-Kurti I owned, with a satin chunni. I even sprayed the perfume Sadhna had gifted me on my birthday. I decided to do my studies, wearing my attire to save myself from showing up late, I did a quick revision, and there was no homework, a lucky day indeed. I could smell the sweet lemon fragrance from my Kurti, perhaps due to the lemon zest added to the perfume.
Two hours had passed, and without realization, all thanks to my diligent routine with books, the loud Maghrib Azan from the nearby mosque, informed me of the evening’s arrival. I looked into my mini hand mirror, my eyes stuck to a pimple that broke up the very morning. It reminded me of water; I drank forcefully half the bottle’s content through my throat, hoping to disappear the unwanted without getting scars.
I took my sling bag, rested its string on my left shoulder and hurried down through the main gates. By the time I reached the main roads, the auto had already reached my stop. I shared the tempo with seven others, wrinkling my kurta, but nothing dreadful happened other than the wrinkles, which are the least bothering issue while travelling on public transport. I handed out the five rupees coin for the journey which the driver took without glancing at the piece of metal.
We mostly met at the chai stall, so I walked straight to Abdul Bhai’s counter without further thought. I examined in all directions for a glimpse of my friend, but she was late. I ordered a “malai kulhad chai” and sat on the dusty, empty stool. By the time my tea got prepared, ready to be sipped, Rhea showed up.
“Are you having tea without me? Sorry for the delay, but I expect you to wait.”
Rhea playfully hit me, with her bag, on my left hand, being considerate, as my right had an earthen cup of tea.
“Let’s share it. By the time we finish up next one will be on the way.”
Rhea went first, taking the cup from my hand and sipping the content. In my sense of understanding, the tea served here was perfect in the whole of Lucknow; the creamy texture that this tea had was hard to find someplace else. More than the taste, the fragrance is what amuses me the most.
After finishing the second tea, we went shopping; after almost an hour of checking most shops, Rhea’s phone started ringing.
Kesariya Tera Ishq Hai Piya Rang Jaaun Jo Main Hath Lagaun.....
Rhea slid her hand into her purse to get the phone; a picture of a man with a wheatish skin and dark eyelashes flashed on her phone’s screen. I glanced at the photo and recognized his face, although I had never met him personally.
Rhea showed me a lot of his pictures on her phone. It was her father; he had called her to inform the place where we needed to head in the next half an hour. It was a reminder not to show up late; he was about to give points on every move of theirs and declare his thoughts at last.
Rhea was anxious and didn’t want to lose points for punctuality; she dialed Tushar and informed him, to her surprise he had already left with a friend of his. They made plans to meet near the Pakka Pull at Chowk. We also set off from Hazratganj towards Chowk; as we were about to reach, I got a strong urge to pee, all thanks to the water I had gulped for the sake of beauty. Getting down from the transport, I recited the whole situation; Rhea noted the time from her mobile, and there was plenty in hand, so we strolled across the depot to approach a public toilet. Without entering, we both glanced at each other the air was fetid, and Rhea couldn’t take a single step; she turned and started moving away from the toilet. Watching her, even I changed my direction and stood next to her. The uneasiness from my bladder kept informing me of the situation, reminding me of nature’s duties. In the commotion, my mind searched for the answers; I recalled Mihir’s hotel wasn’t far, a couple of minute’s walk.
Rhea’s phone started ringing again; her father was on the other side, he had hidden something near Pakka Pull park, and they were supposed to find it before he arrived. His creativity had made quite an impression on my mind, and as I heard about it, my lips curved into a broad smile. Rhea went ahead for her cute little treasure hunt, and I called Mihir with my small Nokia mobile to ask him to keep the toilet lock open. Mihir kept a lock on the toilet door to prevent it from getting mishandled by the public. Most of their customers weren’t thoughtful and soiled their personal property; consequently, the best peaceful solution was a lock on the door.
Mihir thought I had changed my plans and appeared for the extra shift. A myriad of customers had flooded his eatery; six to eight, the shooting hours of their business when every friendly hand got embraced. After using the loo, I decided to give him a little hand; although I mentioned Mihir, I would stay only for fifteen minutes without a fee. Mihir had a relief on his face that made my eyes twinkle. I used an apron to protect my best clothes and began taking orders; I served more than twenty unique customers in fifteen minutes, and it was undoubtedly a demanding evening.
My assurance of reaching on time was the subsequent obligation I had to fulfil that evening. I said my goodbyes to Mihir and started my trip towards the park. Rhea and Tushar must have already searched for their treasure; I hoped they didn’t start cursing me for not being there on time.
