Chapter 1
’It just takes a kilometre to come here from Techno park’ is what he uses as a catchy phrase when people call to enquire about the flats he rents out. That is how he describes everything. The focal point always stays the same, that is him. The terminus to all journey, thought and actions lead to that locus.
The building in discussion is a cluster of four 2bhk flats, two on the ground floor and two above. It stays in a new prime location of Trivandrum, near to the airport and the Techno park. Just turning 200 metres inward from the highway the building poise tall among other houses nearby with its unique mansion like design. It is too simple to describe yet exceptional, touched up just with greatest part marble-white paint and bordered in black rectangular construction. Adorned with a beautiful front garden which has tall house trees and hanging house plants on its shades give it an earthy and serene touch.
He lived in one of the flats in the first floor, far to the end was its entrance. There wasn’t any doorbell. Instead there was an antique lion-head door knocker in brass. And above the door hanged a beautiful peacock carved in wood and painted just in burgundy wood colour. The monochromatic peacock and the fierce lion head give out an impression to anyone who enters that, they are in for surprises. And yes, they are.
The first sight opening the door is a larger than life portrait of himself. To its left has a wall mounted 65’’ television which always displays stock market trading platform and the news related to it. On its sides there are wall racks decorated with Buddha heads. On a panoramic view across the room, one would wonder if they have entered a beautifully organised museum of relic yet contemporary artistry. There were modern paintings with spiritual aspects, a large jewellery box inherited from generations bygone and also human sized Russian Matryoshka dolls on a side wall shelf. That is his den. He lives there his venturous life, read chaotic to many, nevertheless laidback to himself.
’The country enters into yet another day of its lockdown due to covid-19. First causality has been reported in kerala’said the television news reader. He did not look up but raised his eyes on to the screen. He has bluetooth headsets around his neck, its right end fitted into the ear for the phone and the left ear open for the surrounding voices. The infrastructure of the room is designed to an open kitchen, in there he would cook; and straight up on the wall he binge watches his favourite series and movies. As he listened to the statement he stopped for a split second and continued to sauté egg in the frying pan. Then he chopped up some chicken sausages and added into it. Some garden peas and some fresh corns were added after. Continuing his conversation over the phone he said, ’this wouldn’t last for long, end of June I would say.’ He always has a calmness to his tone. Even on a topsy-turvy situation, he would speak with a sharp yet tranquil modulation which gives a sway that everything is hunky-dory.
Off he adds rice cooked in white wine seasoned with paprika, thyme, added the juice of half a lemon and a handful of flat leaf parsley. Sautéed for two more minutes, he plated it up to sit down on the sofa. He concluded the conversation by saying,
’will inform you a slot available for online consultation. Now let
me enjoy my Paella.’
After minute of silently listening to the other end he laughed out loud and said, ’Yes, it is. I am by myself at home. But I home cook every meal and that is a therapy I would suggest to you too. It is a good lockdown remedy.’
‘He’ lives in solitary. ‘He’ owns the building. ‘He’ collects antique, art and anything that he instigates an interest on. He is Praveen.
