Chapter 5 : Cross Feast

Bianca was jogging when she stopped near the photo studio. Her eyes fell on a photo frame of a son and grandson; she smiled at it and murmured to herself, “You might be quite a troublesome one.”

At the clinic, Neil had finished the final touches. He gave a big yawn and left.

Bianca, still jogging, wondered whether he had finished his work and climbed the stairs to the clinic to check for herself. Upon reaching the clinic, she was taken aback — it was finally done up. “Wow,” she said. “He has really done quite a good job.”

Neil headed toward his house carrying paint tins and his bag. To his surprise, the three grandmas were waiting for him and waved hello. He made tea for them while he carved soap bars and finished drying the bombils by the stand.

“Ah, thanks for the refreshing tea, Pradhan ji,” Flory said.

“Who taught you to make it so well?” Savita added.

“There is nothing he can’t do, other than find a good girl for himself,” Flory teased.

“How true!” Cynthia chimed in.

“How did we get to this topic, haan?” Neil laughed.

Savita found Neil’s suit and asked why he would throw away such a fine suit — it might be quite expensive. If he intended to give it away, she’d keep it for her son-in-law; she felt it would suit him.

“Savita? How can you think of giving your son-in-law a second-hand suit?” Flory scolded. Then she added, “Hurry up, boy, and give me the soap — I’m quite a busy lady.”

“How many do you want?”

“I’ll take two,” Flory said.

Savita wanted four, and Cynthia said she would take ten.

“Grandma Cynthia, you are quite a generous customer to take so many!” Neil teased.

“I don’t know about them, but I really do require it, na baba — to smell good over the bad odour of the bombil from my body… since I am particular about that!” Cynthia said.

Neil laughed. “Really? Then I shall continue to sell to you at ten rupees… you ladies do deserve a discount for all the sacrifice and hard work you put in.”

Grandma Savita then recalled seeing the dentist earlier that morning. “Ahh, that woman — I don’t know how she could do it.”

“Wait, what happened?” Neil asked.

“She was running on the pavement,” Savita said.

“Her clothes couldn’t have been more raunchy,” Grandma Cynthia said. “Her top barely covered her and her pants were so tight — I could see her backside so clearly I was embarrassed.”

Neil understood their perspective. “How can someone run around like that? I could literally see her belly button,” Grandma Flory added.

Neil explained, “That’s jogging wear. A lot of people wear it these days…”

“Huh?” Flory replied.

The three grandmas stared at each other, thinking the young man was trying to justify such clothes.

Neil broke the tension. “Okay, ladies — soaps. Two for Grandma Flory, four for Grandma Savita, and ten for Grandma Cynthia.”

While Bianca was loading clothes into the washing machine, Rosy arrived and was surprised to see Bianca’s villa nicely done up.

“Wow, your place looks like a newly done villa with modern interiors. I love it.”

“Thanks, Ms. Rosy. Do you want some refreshments?”

“No, thanks — I have to run errands to prepare for the cross feast in our area, so I came to invite you.”

“A cross feast,” Bianca repeated. Rosy noticed the hesitation in her voice and guessed the feast might be heavy on elderly people, which might make the newcomer uncomfortable.

“It’ll help you get to know your neighbours better.”

“I’ll see according to my day plan,” Bianca said.

“You should come,” Rosy insisted. “Even if you’re busy, squeeze out some time. It would be a good way to promote your clinic among the elders so they know you’re open and welcoming.”

“Promotion! I’ll think about stopping by. Thanks for the invite, Ms. Rosy.”

“Anytime, Ms. Bianca.”

The parish prayer ended, and as rosary beads slipped back into purses and pockets, the grounds outside the chapel turned festive. A wooden crucifix stood at the centre, garlanded with marigolds. Strings of coloured bulbs glowed against the night sky; a mandolin tuned up amid chatter.

Bianca lingered at the edge, hands folded, unsure where to begin. Before she could decide, someone called out.

“Why are you standing there?” Neil asked.

“I was about to join the festivities,” she replied.

She noticed him taking pictures. “So you’re being charged for this one as well?” she asked.

“Well, unfortunately, this one is a favour.”

“Just don’t capture my picture — I’m very camera conscious,” she said, trying to hide her face.

“Don’t worry. I have very high standards when it comes to my subjects.”

He clicked some photos while she stood, perplexed.

“Ms. Dentist, come here,” Tai Savita called. Bianca excused herself from Neil and walked to the three grandmas, who sat at a round table, dressed in cotton lugras with hair tied in buns and long gold chains. Neil scoffed and snapped a picture of her interacting with them.

“Welcome — please have a seat,” Grandma Cynthia said.
“You remember us, don’t you?” Grandma Savita asked.
“Aren’t you our new dentist!” Grandma Cynthia added.

“Yes,” Bianca replied. “I’ve opened a clinic just above that building. Please come by if you have any problem with your teeth.”

“The world is changing for the better, haan,” one grandma said. “Back in the day we barely made ends meet — women hardly went to school, let alone college.”

“I see,” Bianca smiled.

“Anyway, please have some food. From what I saw the other day, you could use a little more of it,” Savita teased. “Hold on — eat this fugias with this sorpotel. The mild sweetness and the savoury sorpotel are a perfect balance.”

She tried to feed Bianca by hand, but Bianca refused. “It’s okay, Tai — I’ll eat a little later. I’m not that hungry.”

“Is it because she used her hands? We just washed our hands, really,” Savita said.

Flory ate the offered bite and licked her fingers, slightly disappointed. “No, that’s not it.”

Suddenly Rosy and Anjali came over.

“Ms. Dentist, when did you get here?” Rosy asked.

“Ms. Rosy, I was here a while back. I stood even for the prayer service,” Bianca replied.

“Oh — with all these arrangements I didn’t get a chance to meet you earlier,” Rosy said.

“Hi — I saw you moved in the other day. I own Sea Breeze Delights, an Indo-Chinese restaurant. How’s it been for you since shifting from the urban lifestyle to coastal village life? And I heard you rented the office spaces under my name.” She said it with a hint of envy. “You actually deserve a good landlady — but you got a grumpy one.”

Bianca laughed politely, thinking it a joke.

“Not really,” Rosy tried to defend herself with a smile. “I gave you a discount on the rent. Don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

“Actually, there are a couple of things.”

“Oh? Please go on,” Anjali prodded.

“Please change the clinic window. The hole is only the size of my pinky fingernail, but mosquitoes and fruit flies can still get in. Also, the tiles have a few cracks which aren’t pleasant for the eyes. And you grill fish at your restaurant, right? Maybe consider another way of grilling it — the smell can be overpowering sometimes; it smells kind of gross.”

Anjali laughed. “She’s not wrong,” she said, pulling Rosy’s leg.

Jessica, heavily pregnant at nine months, arrived. “Hi, you must be our new neighbour, right? I’m Jessica, I own the supermarket.” She introduced her husband. “This is my husband.”

“Hi, I’m Leon — I run the hardware store.”

“It’s so nice to have another young face in town. By the way, you didn’t buy anything at my store the other day.”

“Really?” Leon said.

“Yeah, come by whenever you like.”

“It’s just that I couldn’t find the product I was looking for.”

“What didn’t we have? We have more in our store than any other market in the area,” Leon protested.

“It’s a shampoo brand — it’s expensive and probably not available in the coastal area.”

The grandmas gave a stern look.

“In the coastal area?” Jessica replied.

“I was just checking,” Bianca said. “Don’t worry — I ordered it through Blinkit, though with higher transport charges.”

“Darling, can you help me?” Jessica asked, and Leon helped her up.

“I’m surprised you managed to get a Blinkit delivery here. In this coastal town, people usually don’t prefer to get things online,” Anjali said.

Rosy excused herself. “I should probably change the way I grill fish,” she said. The grandmas prepared to leave; Bianca called after them, “If you have any problems with your teeth…” but they left without paying heed, leaving Bianca alone and thinking about what had just happened.

Around her, the feast was in full swing. Children zigzagged with paper cones filled with fried chilli bhajjias. Men queued at a counter where handia (toddy) and small glasses of country liquor were being poured. Tables sagged under the weight of dishes — pork vindaloo, chicken moile, crisp fried bombil, trays of croquettes, plates stacked with sannas and fugias. Women dug in with bare hands, licking fingers and laughing without a care.

Suddenly a booming voice rang out. “Ah, the dentist lady herself! I’m so sorry for the other day; I shouldn’t have formed the wrong idea about you. Can we forget what happened? I’ll properly introduce myself then...” He tried to sing, making her awkward and irritated.

“I don’t think you must have heard the song... so I’m a singer, and my name is Alwyn — owner of the café,” he said.

She replied politely, “Hello.”

“This happens to be my first studio album. You can have it as a welcoming present — it’s signed.” Bianca accepted it with a muttered thanks.

“You finished your food?” he asked.

“Yeah. You can go ahead — the buffet is still there.”

Neil came over to Rosy’s stall and asked for a plate of fried fish.

“Pradhan Pereira?” Rosy asked.

“Yes?”

“Are you also disgusted by the smell of my fried fish?”

“No.”

“Right?”

“I always use fresh fish, caught by our fishermen daily.”

“Hmm? Who complained though?”

“Ah, forget it. Here — have your favourite roast fried fish, marinated in our traditional bottle masala, just how you like it.”

“Thanks, Ms. Rosy,” Neil said.

Alwyn continued narrating his career to Bianca. “Once upon a time I nearly became a great singer. Hah! Sony Music almost signed me. I still have twenty songs — unreleased classics!”

Bianca froze, nodding politely as he launched into betrayals, lost chances, and an industry that didn’t understand his genius — and how he met his daughter’s mother. She tried to smile, but his words washed over her like background noise.

“I’ll just step to the restroom,” she said at last, offering a small bow.

“Yes, sure thing,” Alwyn replied.

Bianca slipped away from the courtyard, pretending to search for the restroom. The laughter and music faded behind her as she made her way toward the neighbourhood office at the edge of the compound. She reached for the door and nearly jumped when Neil appeared from the shadows, arms folded, his amused smirk tugging at his lips.

“Running away already?” he asked.

“I’m not running away. Just… looking for some fresh air.”

He raised a brow. “Fresh air? From a feast? You look like you’d rather be at a five-star brunch than here.”

Bianca crossed her arms. “I’m just saying — the place isn’t exactly hygienic. Dust everywhere, people cooking out in the open, no proper sanitisation. Everyone eating with their hands like it’s normal—”

Neil tilted his head, unimpressed. “It is normal. This is how the neighbourhood eats together. Why are you behaving like some Bandra elite? Haven’t you ever eaten street food? A pani puri, at least?”

Her expression froze. “No.”

“No? Not even once?”

“I’ve always had homecooked meals, or restaurants. Takeaway sometimes. But not roadside food.”

Neil let out a low whistle and shook his head. “No wonder you don’t know what living tastes like.”

Before Bianca could retort, her phone rang — it was Suvarna. Relieved, she stepped inside the office to find a quiet corner. Unaware, she entered the storeroom where the mics, speakers, and chairs for gatherings were kept.

“Finally. Somewhere I can talk,” she muttered, not realising a spare microphone near the chairs was still switched on and connected to the loudspeakers outside.

“Suvarna,” she whispered. “You won’t believe this. I don’t know how to handle these neighbours. They’re so noisy, crowding around me, forcing me to eat things. And there’s Alwyn — oh my God, this man has been troubling me nonstop about his failed singing career. Twenty songs no one wants to hear. He’s unbearable.”

Her voice carried into the courtyard. The mandolin player stopped. Children froze mid-game. The grandmothers looked at one another with raised brows. In the middle of them all stood Alwyn, microphone in hand, his face draining of colour as Bianca’s words echoed through the speakers.

Suvarna’s voice rang faintly from the phone. “…maybe he spoke to you because you’re new, someone who doesn’t know his past — someone who wouldn’t judge him. Everyone here knows his story already. Sometimes people just need a stranger to listen, Bianca.”

“Yes, maybe you’re right,” Bianca replied.

“Okay Bianca, I’ll catch up with you in a while — I’m purchasing groceries to prepare a meal for my date, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. Take care, Su.”

Outside, Bianca emerged from the office and found an eerie silence. All eyes were on her.

“Naveen, didn’t you check whether the mic in the storeroom was functioning? You should have brought it here instead of keeping it inside,” Rosy hinted.

Bianca froze. Her heart sank as she realised what had happened.

Alwyn sat by the shore, sad. Neil came over.
“Ah, there you are. I’ve been searching for you everywhere.”

“You didn’t have to. Doesn’t everyone need you there for the pictures?”

“I’ve taken enough,” Neil replied. “Are you okay?”

Alwyn didn’t speak.

Neil added, “Don’t take it to heart. She was just ignorant blabbering.”

Alwyn corrected him. “Everything she said was true, though. I fully deserve an assessment like that.” He grabbed a cigar and put it to his mouth but didn’t light it.

“Why are you saying that? People come to the café to listen to you sing, and you have such a loving daughter.”

“Why don’t we get some drinks? It’ll lighten your mood, huh?”

“I need to make lunch for Sarah. Normally she eats lunch at the feast, but she didn’t want to come — which I even scolded her for. Now I’m glad she didn’t.” He got up. “Okay then, Pradhan ji — I’m leaving.”

Neil sighed.

In the evening, Bianca was creating an Instagram ad and sending email handouts looking for a receptionist and a hygienist when the doorbell rang. She opened the door to find Neil dressed as a delivery agent, holding a parcel.

“Your parcel.”

“You really do everything around here! By the way, I didn’t expect this parcel to be couriered so soon since it’s from overseas.”

He gave her a look.

“What? Is something wrong?”

“You really think you are better than everyone else?”

“Pardon?”

“You’re smart — you topped your college and became a dentist. Your life must have been pretty smooth, not always of course, but you handled the bumps. You really think a little willpower can get you anywhere.”

“If this is about earlier, stop right there. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Is it only applicable for you to put people in their place and for you it’s off-limits? Listen, Ms. Dentist — life isn’t so fair for all of us. Some spend their whole lives trying to climb the ladder; some climb fast and fall down.”

He left, and Bianca closed the door, placing the parcel on the sofa. The bell rang again. She expected Neil, bracing for another taunt. Instead she found Suvarna standing at the door with suitcases, crying.

“Su?” Bianca exclaimed.

“I took an Uber here and it cost me one thousand rupees,” Suvarna sobbed.

“What happened, Suvarna? Tell me.”

She began to cry.

“Okay, okay. Shh — let’s get inside.”

Inside, Suvarna narrated how she had changed careers to work with her boyfriend as a receptionist so they could be together. He was a manager who ended up hanging out with a five-star hotel receptionist who recommended him for a job. “Here I am with a dentistry degree, I changed my line just to be with this asshole, and he dumped me so he could get recruited at Taj Lands End in Bandra!”

“Let’s get you back to Bandra and I’ll teach that b@$tard a lesson,” Bianca said.

“It’s okay. Never mind. You think your bestie will just be quiet? I did the needful.”

“You did?”

“Yes — and I will also work for you. I just need your second bedroom and a ten percent raise. Is it a deal?”

“Deal.” Suvarna and Bianca hugged.