Chapter 2 : No Pain, No Gain

With no other option available for her Bianca slipped on the pair of bathroom slippers and walked on the streets feeling embarrassed walking in those pairs suddenly she spots a young boy crying holding a tooth and Bianca approached the little kid

"Hey champ what's wrong, why are you crying?" looking at the tooth she understood that his tooth chipped off "Shh, its okay, can I see your teeth for a moment, am a dentist, but can you tell me how did it chip off?"

"While I was playing with my friend, I fell to face and my tooth chipped off"

"ahh I see, no worries it was a milk tooth, you will get back a new tooth soon dear, by the way do you know if there is a dentist closeby?"

"Dr. aunty the clinic is very far we usually take the ferry to there".

"Oh! then let me take you the chemist, I can help you with first ad then"

The little boy nods his head and he escorts her to the nearby chemist.

*

At Rosy's Fried Fish Restaurant, Rosy is seen wipping her tables when suddenly her husband Naveen arrives along with his co-worker and it seemed like they were heading to another restaurant side of Rosy's when she managed to catch their eye

"Hey Naveen, I prepared for you stuffed fresh stuffed squids just how you like the Goan style!"

Naveen's co worker nudges him and says "Isn't she your wife?"

Naveen replies with a grumble, “Still is. Technically.”

Rosy shoots back, “Only technically, because neither of us wants to waste money on lawyers.”

The colleague snickers awkwardly and walks off.

"Did you really make stuffed squids?" he asks her to which she replies

"Why would I lie to you and you know that its only an only exception I do for you always by preparing an item which is not what my restaurant caters to which is serving East Indian delicaies but you always pretend that you know about this".

He smiles, trying to charm his way in. “Come on, Rosie… I’m just passing by.”She mutters under her breath, “You’ve been passing by for ten years now. Always when it’s lunchtime.”

Bianca watches this banter unfold with amusement. It gives her a peek into the everyday rhythms of village life and adds warmth to her otherwise stressful day.

Despite the bickering, Rosy finally sighs and says, “Sit down, but this time you pay. Even if it’s with old coins from your scooter glovebox.”

The young boy who was accompanied by Bianca runs to his mother as soon as he lays his eyes on her "Mama..."

"Son where were you? and whats that in your mouth?" she checks his teeth and she calls her husband Naveen ""Naveen, ye re zara! Pah re, tujha Lordfoklin dant todla re, Deva! Kasa kaay kelas tu he? Shaley jaatos tu shikaila ki kushtila? Tujha to dukhtoy hota dudhacha dant hota ka re?" ("Naveen, come here a second! Look, your Lordfoklin has broken his tooth—Oh God! What on earth did you do? Do you go to school to study or to wrestle? Was it that hurting milk tooth of yours?")

"Yes it is" the boy cries

Naveen then asks Rosy "Shall I take him to the dentist?"

The boy then looks at Bianca and says "Dada, Mama she is a dentist aunty".

"Hii" Bianca waves her hand

The young boys parents looks up at Bianca from head to toe and noticing their bathroom slippers.

"Arent those our restaurant bathroom slippers?", Naveen points at the bathroom slippers then at the restaurant so that Bianca can realize.

Bianca then she looks at her feet and then looks at the restaurant and then at them

"Oh yeah! am sorry this isnt mine or nor I have stolen from your restaurant".

The couple they look at each other confirming to themselves that she is indeed new to the place and to welcome her inside, while the young boy is served hot sweet corn soup by his dad and while he munches on the Goan delicacies, in the adjustcent table the owner of the restaurant questions her.

"So you are a dentist you say haan from Bandra? How did you land up in Uttan? came to visit Velankanni church or the beach side stroll?"

"Well I came her by thinking of planning to shift to Uttan in my dad's cottage and plan to open a clinic here".

"Wow that's a good thought, Uttan is indeed a beautiful place connected to a neighbouring village Manori and if you take a ferry you will reach even Marve Road which lead to another East Indian neighbourbood Madh Island, Bandra too we have a beautiful East Indian neighbourhood, and parts of Versova and even in South Bombay Khotachiwadi.Sorry for just being so nostalgic about my East Indian routes, but just thinking about the place itself makes me nostalgic as this place has given alot to cherish and be happy of but coming to my point that Uttan is really in need of a dentist since we have to rely to travel by the ferry or take a bus towards Bhayandar which is a 30 min drive.There are many in this village suffering from many tooth conditions and you starting up your own here will give you so much revenue that you will forget about Bandra in no time".

"Oh is it? Then I shall consider my options of seeing a place to set up."

"Now since you know me, I can always help you finding a good space to set up,but tell me something how did you ended up wearing our bathroom slippers".

"Oh am sorry, did you need them?"

"No no dear you can keep them, but am saying how did you land up wearing them, I guess someone who is frequent goer to our restaurant must have given it to you".

"Maybe I guess that person must be, but it's a long story".

"Oh anyways, can I get you something to eat,, it's on the house since you helped my son so I owe you this one.Please don't say no, I know you must be hungry travelling all the way from Bandra and it's lunch time already and top of it you are so lean that I feel like feeding all of our menu".

"Ma'am thank you for your generous care and look out for me but since you are insisting then I order a light food, may be a varan bhat?".

"Am glad and Varan bhat it is ".she smiles and proceeds towards the kitchen.

*

Neil takes a shower and after his shower he sees some messages which pops up to him calling him for help either delivering some goods to the house, or fixing a cupboard, painting a room and many other odd jobs to which he replies giving his availability.He then heads out to the local hardware store, where the owner happens to be his best friend Leon

*

Hardware store interior is slightly dim, fan squeaking, a calendar stuck on last month. Radio plays old East Indian songs in the background.

Neil enters, greets Leon casually, picks up a few items — paint brush and paints , nails.Leon quickly calculates a price, marked up clearly above the market rate.

Neil notices. Raises an eyebrow. Looks at the items.

Neil mildly teasing, “Leon, is this a hardware store or a designer boutique?”

Leon gruffly, “Brother, diesel prices, delivery charges, even coconut oil's expensive these days.”

Neil stares at him, then pulls out the cash and pays without haggling.

Leon being surprised,“You’re not bargaining today?”

Neil shrugging, smiling faintly,“You’ve got two kids in school, don’t you? Let this be their math class fee.”

Leon’s expression softens. He doesn’t say thank you directly, but his eyes say it all.

“Throw in a heart, Leo. These days they’re harder to find.”

Leon says gruffly, “Next time I’ll throw in a screwdriver for free.”Neil walks out. A curious villager watching from outside nudges his friend.

“Didn’t he just get robbed?”

Another villager then replies to his friend by saying, “That’s Neil Pereira. He gives more than he takes — always has.”

*

After having a brief lunch Bianca as Bianca walks on the streets she comes across a sign board that says Rent an office space as she reads the rent she did feel the rent was cheaper as compared to Bandra but upon knowing the terms and conditions that she has to give a deposit of 20K plus rent montly of 45K thats when she realized it's not worth staying here when she won't manage to save any money if she has to pay off the rent.She heads back to her car by thinking of driving back to Bandra.As she heads towards the car and she then looks at the missing pair of shoes and she feels that why did she had loose them like that when it costs so much, then she begins to start her engine only for her to realize that her car isn't starting and she feels like the hell had to break loose today itself.

"Why God! Why? So much of mishap today only?" she then tries to call the service center to tow her car, but as she took out her phone to make a call she notices that she has lost range and she curses her fate "Not again!".

She heads outside trying to search for signal in the bustling market but as she searches for signal, her eyes dart towards a quaint local cafe and she thinks of heading there hoping to make a call.

*

The cafe is warm and cozy and she orders for herself a cappacino and after having it she heads towards the counter and asks the man if she can use his landline

"Can I use your landline? I just want to make an urgent call, am unable to receive range".

"Sure", the cafe owner said.

As Bianca tried to make a call she realized the line is dead and she told the same to the cafe owner and he confirmed the same and then he asked her to use his phone and again she wasn't able to make a call from his phone as well.

"Ahh even your phone as well doesn't have range! It's okay I shall pay for my coffee.How much is it?"

"50Rs'

In that moment, his daughter arrives and she witnesses whats going on

Bianca then says "I shall Google pay you the amount" quick to notice she then says "Oh if am unable to get range how am I supposed to Gpay?".

"Okay then can you give me cash?"

"Cash? I have not carried cash with me and only used to paying by card or by Gpay, Could I just go to the ATM and withdraw a 500Rs so that I can get the change? I can leave my bag here, it's a branded bag".

The daughter scans Bianca from top to bottom an drealizes she is wearing the bathroom slippers of a restaurant and she then nudges her dad and tells him

"Dad, don't trust her keeping her bag it might be a fake editiion maybe because look at her slip ons".

Bianca then looks at her feet and then looks at the cafe owner "That's a long story, but what if I keep my phone?".

"Your phone?"

The girl checks the phone and confirms its a latest model and the cafe owner excuses her to let her go to the ATM.When she arrives at the ATM the watchman at the ATM puts a sign on outside the ATM at the very min before she could step in which says "Out of Service"

"ATM is out of service!"

"Yes ma'am, all the servers are down".

She then comes back to the cafe and tells them the issue that she faced at the ATM

"Sorry but can I send you the amount once reach back to Bandra?" the girl and the father makes an eyes to each other whether they should consider but the girl doesn't seem to trust her to which Bianca replies "I have never snitched anybody specially not 50Rs.Please trust me I can pay for this once I reach Bandra".She hands over them her business card "This is my business card with my phone number as well"

The cafe owner stood up from his seat "You are a dentist?"

With a geneuine smile Bianca replies, "Yes I am".

The cafe owner's daughter still doesnt believe her and says "That even this can be fake as well".

Bianca counters to her saying "NO! Its not fake, and not my bag too".

Suddenly Neil steps inside the cafe and he salutes the cafe owner "Whats up Alwyn!".

He then looks at Bianca and then her feet and says "You ended up wearing them it seems Ms."

She gasps, that's when the cafe owner Alwyn asks Neil "Pradhan ji you know her?"

"Pradhan ji?" she questions

"I don't know how should I answer that"

Bianca tries to cover saying that "We do know each other, we had met earlier on the beach".

Neil asks Alwyn whats the matter thats when Alwyn brings it to his notice that she was trying to leave without paying for her coffee.That's when Bianca tried to reason saying that she tried to use her Gpay but there was no range and when she went to the ATM the server was down.

"It's true" says Neil and then he further adds " The internet and all the phones are frozen as a telecom company caught fire today".

"Oh Jesus! thats a big issue how am I supposed to watch my cricket today?"

"I heard from someone that Pritam who is one of the fishermen and his neigbours is setting up a screening outside his house with chairs and refreshments which is provided by his other neighbours and simultaneously in other neighbours house so that the echo can reach every houses just like olden days when we didn't have net".

"Oh is it? Then let me go and check the set up, Sarah why don't you close the cafe later and then come there, you will also get to witness how in the olden days we used to watch TV shows or cricket or football matches."

"No offence dad but after closing the cafe, I shall head over to my friend's place so that we can watch Salman Khan-Govinda's Partner movie dvd once again".

"You and your Salman Khan! Okay...okay".

"Neil, just look into matter okay". Alwyn says this and runs towards Pritam's place, while Sarah scrolls through her phone.

Bianca then walks up to Neil and she asks him that whether he could give her a favour of lending her 30 Rs and that she can repay back to him swiftly once she heads back to Bandra, "Please can you do for me this favour, I generally do ask anyone for money favours and it's not whom I am.Please can you help me?"

"If you weren't put in such a spot, you would'nt fall into this right".

"Right"

He then asks her to follow her...As he takes her down the street, he goes house to house telling all the old people the phones arent working but there is nothing to worry which pisses Bianca off that she has to visit every place and he isnt telling her what she can do to earn that 50rs so that she could head back to Bandra.

"You could have just told me right what should I do about earning that 50Rs, instead of making me come along with you to pit stop at every grandparents house who are living alone? Just cut me some slack dude".

He stops in his tracks and looks at her and says,"Whose the one asking for a favour? you or I?"

She then sighs and then continues to walk

"Thats what I thought".

He then suddenly helps an old lady to cross the street while some cars was passing by and the old woman gives Neil her blessings,

This is seen by Bianca that he can be soft sometimes apart from being so much stern.He then takes her to the Dry dock where all the Fisherwoman be it the Hindu Koli fisherwoman or the East Indian Koli fisherwoman were together cleaning and drying the bombils.

"By the way why were everyone calling you a Pradhan? Are you a cheif of the village or something? so much respect and appreciation".

He doged her question and told her

"Here we are!" he then hands her a pair of gloves "This might come in use for you!Though most of these woman are so used to using their bare hands to do the job but since you are new to this, these gloves can save your hands to get dirtied.".

"Seriously? me and cleaning bombils? I haven't touched a raw bombil and let alone cleaning one".

"There is a first time for everything!" Neil says

"But you don't know who I am, am a dentist by profession!".

"But now you are poor! Get to work".

"And how much is the pay".

"200rs per day"

"200rs is the minumum wage per day are you serous?".

He then calls out one of the Tai "Tai she is here to help you guys".

Then the tai's comes over to Bianca and she gives a pleasing smile "Hello!", the Tai's were at first confused how she is going to help them when she is wearing such a nice dress.The tai's then show her how the cleaning of the Bombil is done and how it's dried, while she attempts to do it, at first it was difficult for her while cleaning them them,

but then after multiple attempts she gets it right and she beems with joy and shows it to the others and cleans and dries the bombils.

It was past 6pm after she cleaned and dried the bombils and then a man who owns the Bombil drying dock, hands over the daily wages to each fisherwoman and it was then Bianca's turn who accepted the money wholeheartedly and she awaited for Neil.

She then asked when "Why didnt you stay back and left me with those woman? But look here I got my wage".

"yeah I heard from the man he gave you the full amount even though you barely did the job well because it was your first time and you were a city girl, he felt pity on you."

"That's sweet of him for not cutting my wage, but it wasn't easy for me being a dentist doing this job I tried my best though, but please can you give this to the cafe owner for me?"

"yes sure". before Neil could leave , Bianca calls him for another favour "One more thing? Could you please help me with one more favour please?"

"It's my car". she continued

"Car?" He questioned.

"Do you know any mechanic who can possibly help me?"

She then shows him her car and then he tries to check it for himself by opening the bonnet and then tries to check the parts of the car thats when she says "thanks for always helping, I just don't know how I keep end up asking you for favours". He then asks to her to start the car and she does and it works but then checks for himself and then shows her wheel indicating her that her tire pressure was low and she then asks him now she will be able to go back to Bandra.

"you will have to get it fixed by the shop in the morning".

"I have to stay back the whole night? when idk if my cottage is in good condition to stay and in specially in these stinky clothes?"

He then suggests her that there is a beach shower by the beach and she can get a fresh pair of night overall by the thrift store worth 100Rs and a soap by the chemist which will cost you Rs.20".

"That would leave me with me 50bucks".

"That's right! Neil exclaims

"Which will be my dinner budget... and what about mechanic? again I have to clean bombils?".

"So you are smart enough to do the math!"

"Duh! Isn't it obvious".

"Cool-Cool, maybe by tomorrow the network might come back and you can gpay".

"But what if not?"

"Then God is with you, you know the drill".

"Ahhhh".

He leaves from there, while she makes a frown face heading towards the trift store and chemist and then towards the shower by the beach.