Chapter 5- Paths Cross, Again
August 2009,Motihari
Dear Rishabh
I have finally accepted the fact that you aren't going to reply to any of my letters and so am reverting back to Hindi. Never mind. I will keep pestering you to your dying day.
Accha, so here's all our news. I recently went ahead and installed one of those new wells in our fields. Imagine, I had to go to Patna for that!! Sarpanch kaka came with me, but it was my first time going to a city. Cities are so huge! And the noise and the crowds! Nonetheless it was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.
Anyways we finally installed the new well. Now within 2 yrs your Madhu's fields will be producing more than any of the fields belonging to these snooty Panchayat members. Aren't you proud of me?
I saw an article about you in the newspaper today and added it my growing collection of articles on you. It mentioned something about you yelling at a waiter. While I love hearing news about you I would rather it showed you in a positive light unlike this one. So the next time you get into trouble you can confidently expect a letter from your Jungli Billi filled with gaali's . I am learning quite a few good ones from the labourers working here
Your Madhu
P.S- My birthday is in 2 weeks. What are you getting me?
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Mumbai, Present Day
"You want me to what?!" Bittuji mouthed, staring at his Chief in disbelief. In his 4 years with his Chief he had heard many strange things but this one took the cake. RK laughed, his eyes glowing in exhilaration as he swung the expensve sports car around a corner with an expertise which made surrounding passerby's look on in admiration. Revving up the engine he turned on to the straight road, the wind ruffling up his hair as he relaxed his hold on the brakes and let go. Bittuji clung on to the door praying that they would reach wherever they were going in one piece
"You heard me Bittuji" RK yelled over the wind "I need a wife, a temporary one who can act well enough to convince my grandmother to change her decision. She can be tall or short, fair or dark, a complete nitwit for all I care but to the outer world we should look like a second version of Hum Saath Saath Hain" The car swung around another corner
Bittuji was nonplussed. But never one to miss an opportunity he decided to summon up his courage and ask his Chief a question he had been meaning to ask for a long time. "Chief" he asked carefully" If it is so important for you to get married why don't you think of actually marrying someone, not just faking it. Don't you think it's time you think of settling down?"
Even before the words were completely out Bittuji knew he had crossed a line. RK's face tightened and the grip on the steering wheel suddenly became a little unsteady. However, when he spoke a moment later his voice was determinedly light" You of all people should know that I'm not cut out for marriage Bittuji. I prefer my roving bachelorhood better." This was accompanied with a roguish wink "Besides, there are a number of reasons RK prefers to remain single in life, none of which is your business, my faithful friend who should be looking out for prospective fake brides for THE RK"
At this not-so-subtle reminder Bttuji hastily whipped out his phone and started scrolling through the numbers of various rising starlets who would be willing to pull this stunt off. With any luck he could find an adequate candidate in half an hour
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"Mukund, SLOW DOWN" Madhu yelled, clinging to her seat with all her might. They were in an aged and broken down contraption which looked like it was a cross between a car and a jeep. Mukund had borrowed it from a friend of his and was presently driving the rattletrap with all of his customary sense-which was to say none at all
"FOR HEAVENS SAKE MUKUND!" Madhu roared as they narrowly escaped ploughing down on a motorbike, the owner of which, wasting no time in yelling some choice epithets at them. Mukund merely laughed and flipped his finger at the guy
Madhu stared at him incensed. Ever since they had finished signing the deal, Mukund seemed to have had lost any intelligence that he had and had dragged her into this metal hulk before proceeding to drive it at a suicidal speed. And he didn't even have a license!
"Mukund please slow down" she begged as they narrowly missed hitting a lamp post. Mukund turned his head and grinned at her "Cheer up Maddoo" before ducking to avoid the blow she aimed at him
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!"
Mukund threw back his head and laughed again. He was in unusually high spirits. No more, he thought. No more pinching and scraping and hard work which paid next to nothing. With this new job the money would just come pouring in. All he had to do was get some investors involved and then...he stole a glance at the girl sitting next to him in the passenger seat. She was currently hanging on to the broken seat belt and staring straight ahead with her jaw clenched. Madhu, he thought. His Madhu. Let the money roll in and then he would make her his wife. He knew that such an idea had never crossed her mind and he had a strong suspicion that she still pined for that long-gone husband of hers but ...He smiled smugly. All girls were the same. Once he showed her a double-storied house and a nice shiny car, she would think differently. He pushed down on the accelerator wanting to fly higher
" Mukund!" Madhu cried again despairingly. He smirked and yelled "I have a job, Madhu, a JOB. Today is the day to throw caution to the winds and LIVE!"
Madhu looked at him, her face troubled. She wasn't so sure about that. The whole setup had seemed shady to her. Not only had the "Offices" been situated in a dark dingy warehouse, the men clustered there had instantly repulsed her. The leering glances they had thrown at her had made her uncomfortable but Mukund being Mukund hadn't paid any attention and had jumped right away into signing the deal.
She shrugged internally. She had known there was a good chance the money would go down the drain the moment she had agreed to be his guarantor. There wasn't anything she could do about it now. All the same...
" Mukund, how do you know these people?" she asked curiously
Mukund stepped on the accelerator, focused solely on the thrill of his first drive in the big MUMBAI city as he replied absentmindedly "I don't know Madhu, a friend introduced me I guess?"
Madhu's face darkened and she opened her mouth to interrogate him further "But..."
CRASH!
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Paresh Mishra had been selling chaats at the same spot for 25 years and he had been selling chaats at the same spot today too when he saw the accident happen. It had been a foregone conclusion from the beginning. Not all of the expertise of the young man driving the Ferrari could have helped him avoid the massive hulk which had turned the corner drunkenly without so much as a signal. Paresh closed his eyes
He opened them to see the metal hulk of a jeep, worse for the wear, blocking the road and the Ferrari lying on its side some distance away. The passengers of both were currently trapped inside. Shouting for help he ran forward to the nearest, which happened to be the metal monster
Stooping down he saw thankfully that the two occupants didn't appear majorly hurt. The idiot driving was currently bent over the wheel, a tiny thread of blood trickling down his forehead. The other, a young girl was frantically trying to drag him out. Paresh hastily got down to pushing the door away from the opening and gently helped the young girl out of the battered jeep. A group of bystanders had by now gathered and a couple of them ran forward to bring the unconscious driver out
Paresh turned to the child and asked gently if she was feeing okay. She nodded mutely, her face horrified and bewildered
"What happened" he asked still more gently, not wanting frighten the already shaken child
"I...we were talking and suddenly Mukund..I.. are the others okay?" she asked frantically
Paresh made her sit down, clearing an area of the footpath for her and gave her a small piece of cloth, indicating the long jagged bleed on her forearm. She brushed at it impatiently before turning to him and asking beseechingly, her eyes wide "The occupants of the other car? They are fine, aren't they?"
Realizing she wasn't going to be pacified so soon Paresh gestured to a neighboring stranger. His eyes widened at the information the man relayed before nodding his thanks and returning back to the young girl
"Well?" she asked, her face drawn
Not wanting to alarm the child who in some strange way reminded him of his granddaughter, he said calmly" The other car apparently fell on its side and though one occupant was flung clear the other is trapped beneath it"
"Oh God" Madhu breathed, her face turning white "Who.. What...Who is he?"
"They think he is a film actor" Paresh said reluctantly and was suddenly confronted with a white staring face. Two arms clutched at him convulsively. He stared at her astonished
"A film actor?" Madhu's voice trembled "What is his name?"
Paresh blinked and said slowly "Well they are saying it's Superstar RK, but..." he got no further. The young girl suddenly dropped her hand and streaked off in the direction of the other car
Edited by Dr.Nix - 12 years ago