Joycelin gave me a warm smile before taking a seat. It reminded me of Cora Stewart, an actress who played the lead in a romance movie I was forced to watch two years ago on my first blind date with a girl I couldn’t recall the name of. The movie or the date didn’t hold my attention as much as the girl’s smile did. A serious face that lit up with the curve of her smile, which pulled you in and held you hostage for a brief moment. Joy was no different.
‘You need to relax some,’ she said, offering me the cup of coffee she was holding.
I raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. ‘For me?’
She nodded. I took the steaming hot beverage from her. But the coffee didn’t refresh me as much as the fragrance of her light perfume did. It never failed to amaze me how women could still smell so good at the end of the day. I hoped I didn’t stink in comparison. ‘Geez, thanks.’ She waited as I took a sip, then nodded to her. ‘Quite good.’
She smiled again. ‘All thanks to the coffee machine.’ I grunted, blew in the mug before taking another sip. ‘Is it true what I heard?’
I had a feeling she’d come here to ask about that. My leaving the office was still confidential, but of course, nothing hid from the HR. In this firm that planned on hiring youth, people changed like clothes. And I could count the number of people who sincerely cared a hoot about someone who left.
‘Well, I’m not sure what you heard,’ I said, teasing her.
‘About you leaving, Ishaan,’ she whispered, her face changing. God, she was actually upset.
‘Well, yes. That’s true.’
‘And for personal reasons?’ She looked worried. ‘Did something happen?’ Her eyes trailed to my arm, then fingers, where I had new burn marks.
I needed to put this girl’s mind to rest. So I lowered the mug on the table. ‘Honestly,’ I said, serious now, ‘yes. I am in an abusive relationship and the girl I’m dating doesn’t want me to work. I really can’t do anything against her wish, you know. I love her.’
Her eyes widened, a small gasp escaping her mouth. ‘I knew it,’ she said under her breath, gritting her teeth. ‘Ishaan, you need to get out. It’s toxic. You … you’re being used. I don’t know who the girl is, but I can help you. I have a number you can call—’ she stopped because I was laughing softly, without making a noise, my shoulders shaking. She frowned, then took the diary from my desk and hit my arm with it. ‘This is no joke!’
I held up my hand in defence and waited till I could speak again. ‘You were so convinced about your theory, you can’t blame me for playing around a little bit.’
She placed the diary on the desk and leaned back in her seat, her face pouty. She looked cute and I realized how different Vartika was from her. The girl, dressed like a goth in all black, never pouted. She only snarled.
‘Then explain all those bruises,’ Joycelin demanded.
‘Well,’ I said, dropping the image of Vartika’s lips on mine and brought my mind back to the conversation, ‘You’re my only friend in the office, or at least, someone who treats me like a friend. And soon it will be public knowledge, so I don’t see why I can’t share it with you.’
She propped her elbow on the armrest, curious. I explained to her all that I’d been doing and planning to do, the reason I was leaving the job. I explained the bruises were nothing but marks of my passion, the oil spilled on it, the burns from hot plates or grills. It was all a part of my profession and I barely gave it a second thought.
‘Wow,’ she breathed, her eyes staring at me with awe. ‘I had no clue.’
I took another sip. ‘Most people don’t.’
‘What’s shocking is the fact that you’ve been working elsewhere and nobody knew.’
‘Well, that place isn’t exactly frequented by people like us.’
She twisted her mouth and then said something that had me spit out the coffee. ‘I want to see this bar.’
‘No,’ I told her without missing a heartbeat.
‘Why not?’ she asked. ‘I promise I will behave.’
I would have laughed if she wasn’t so serious. ‘You think that’s what I’m worried about?’ I looked at her, my eyebrows arched.
She jumped in her seat a little like Saloni did whenever she wanted something from Dad. It must be a girl thing, I mused. ‘Come on,’ she urged. ‘How bad could it be?’
Two hours later, her expression was the answer. Her eyes were transfixed and she tugged her blazer in the front, attempting to cover her chest. She was fully clothed, wearing a neck-high top inside the blazer, but the stares were pretty unapologetic and brutal and I thought I would feel the same if I were a girl. No wonder Vartika turned out to be the way she did.
I leaned closer to Joycelin’s ear, asking her loud enough to cut through the blasting music and the hooting of drunk men dancing on the floor with hired strippers, ‘Is it bad enough?’
Still shell shocked, she frowned, her face dropping all excitement. She closed her parted mouth and nodded once.
‘Now let’s get out of here,’ I told her, clutched her arm gently and led her out.
In Vartika’s office, the three of us sat in an awkward silence. ‘So, you’re his colleague,’ Vartika asked, being her normal distrustful self. For some reason, Joycelin seemed a little nervous in her presence. Or maybe it was just the place. She nodded in response.
‘And… just a colleague?’
‘Vani,’ I said, a warning in my tone. She was not making it any easier for the girl.
‘What? I’m just asking.’
‘It’s okay,’ Joy touched my hand lightly, then turned to Vartika. ‘Yes, we’re just friends.’
‘So what brings you here?’
‘I just wanted to see where he worked.’
‘How do you like the place?’
Joycelin pursed her lips and I could tell she was debating whether to tell the truth. ‘It’s nice … I mean, if you want to unwind after a long day, I suppose it could be—’
‘Oh, just fart out the truth, bitch. I ain’t feeling bad by the opinion of some girl who isn’t even my potential customer.’
The shock on Joy’s face was evident. But she recovered quickly and cleared her throat. ‘Honestly?’ she said, shifting in her seat. ‘It’s … scary, not to mention slightly stinky.’
Vartika, as if expecting this, nodded in the most accepting way. ‘And?’
‘And?’ Joycelin blinked, surprised at being asked to describe it further. Then, as if testing the waters, she spoke tentatively, ‘I mean, the crowd isn’t exactly welcoming. They are—’
‘Don’t mince your words,’ Vartika urged, still nodding.
‘They’re disgusting,’ Joycelin blurted out and winced. ‘Horrible men who strip you naked with just their eyes.’
Now, extremely satisfied, Vartika smiled and leaned back in her seat. ‘I feel the same about them. Are we in the same boat now, sister.’
Joy, after the longest time that I’d seen her without it, smiled. We were briefly interrupted by Vicky bringing us three glasses of water. Joy reached for one and took a generous sip.
‘Do you want beer?’ Vartika asked.
My colleague blinked, probably not used to someone offering that at the first official meeting. ‘Sorry?’
‘Beer,’ Vartika repeated. ‘That drink adults drink?’
I sighed and decided to just enjoy the exchange. It was too much work to get into it. Besides, it was starting to get fun.
Joycelin smiled, placed her water glass on the table. ‘Sure. I prefer Scotch though.’
Vartika raised an eyebrow, then looked at me. ‘I like her. She’s approved to be a part of this discussion.’
Joycelin turned to me. ‘What discussion?’
‘About my restaurant,’ I answered. ‘We’re planning the interior and discussing the finances today. But I don’t want to keep you. I can drop you to the station or wherever you want to go and come back to talk later.’
‘No,’ she said quickly, then looked at Vartika and then back
at me. ‘I want to be a part of it. If you don’t mind, that is.’
I glanced at Vartika, who shrugged her approval. ‘I mean,’ I hesitated, ‘this might take some time.’
‘Tomorrow is Sunday,’ she added. After a moment’s pause, I agreed.
Before the drinks arrived, I laid out my rough designs in front of them. Being an engineer came in handy; I was familiar with trapping the measurements of life-sized places onto a page. I traced my fingers over the blocks that represented kitchen, fully equipped with ovens, stoves, storage and refrigerator, and dining that could house thirty-five people.
Vartika pointed out a few flaws. It was wiser to divide the area into a 40:60 ratio, she suggested, the dining getting the maximum share. ‘We can’t compromise on the seating,’ she said. ‘That’s what pulls your customers in. Food is what keeps them coming back.’
I made a note of running it through the designing agency. Shifting to costing and budgeting, I offered Vartika a 20 per cent share in the monthly net earnings instead of rent which she refused to take. With one third investment being loaned from the bank, some from Vartika and a substantial amount taken out of my saving, I was still short of two lakhs.
‘I would have liked to pitch in but my pocket’s pretty empty, what with buying the place,’ Vartika said. I considered asking my father, but I knew it would be futile. He would hardly agree to this passion of mine, let alone boost it. The thought of my aunt crossed my mind, but it was interrupted by Joycelin.
‘If it’s only two lakhs,’ she said, ‘I can pitch in.’
We turned to her. ‘And why would you do that?’ Vartika asked exactly what was on my mind.
‘For one, the money is simply lying dormant in my FD. If I lend it to you, it will at least be put to good use.’
‘You don’t need to,’ I told her.
She shrugged. ‘It’s fine.’
I held her gaze, then smiled, unable to speak anything more than just, ‘Thank you. That will be really helpful. Just … just know that I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.’
She smiled. ‘It’s okay. I trust you.’
‘Excuse me,’ Vartika intervened, leaning forward on her desk, ‘Let’s not leave everything to trust. Of course, this is a gamble for him and could be a financially fatal one at that.’
‘Vartika…’
‘No, she’s right. We should do the paperwork. Not just depend on verbal promises,’ Joy agreed politely and gave me a weak smile.
‘We’ll do it meticulously,’ Vartika added, pinning her with a critical gaze. ‘I hope you understand this is not about distrusting you, but just to avoid any future disputes.’
Joy nodded. ‘I understand. I will have my lawyer draft an agreement.’
We exchanged glances. ‘You have a lawyer?’ Vartika asked, eyebrows raised, tone altered.
Joy shrugged. ‘I might have a team of them,’ she said, not remotely sounding high on ground. ‘My father is a judge.’
The look on Vartika’s face changed so quickly I couldn’t help but snort. It was as if she’d been told she was being deported. ‘Well, damn you, girl! Is that how you give me a little heart attack!’
Flipping the page of the costing, I muttered, ‘I told you she’d be useful.’
‘Useful?’ Vartika barked. ‘Hell, she’s a blessing in disguise. Listen, girl, now that you and me are friends, I have some things hanging in the court. I want you to—’
‘Okay!’ I intervened, not wanting to taint the image we had built in front of Joycelin just yet. That could wait. ‘We can discuss that later. Back to this now?’
‘What?’ Vani complained, but stopped and muttered, ‘Just making a connection here.’
‘Of course, you are.’
By the time we were done discussing all matters, the restaurant was deserted. It was always contrastingly peaceful once all the customers had left and I loved the silence it offered at the end of the day. Booking a cab for Joy, I left the office feeling a slow fire crackling in my belly, enlivening me with renewed hope. I had never felt this before and it was as much nerve-wracking as it was thrilling.
As Joy sat in the cab, I reminded her to text me once she’d reached home. She smiled, assuring me she’d travel safely.
‘You better do!’ Vartika barked before the driver put the car in gear. ‘You’re one of our financiers now.’ Shaking our heads at each other, I mouthed ‘sorry’ to her and returned to the kitchen after seeing her off. I took the plates and a basket of rotis outside into the restaurant as Vartika sneaked up next to me, a bowl of sabji in her hand. ‘The girl you brought today is in love with you,’ she said.
‘Okay,’ I said, and gestured to Vicky to quit cleaning the tables and join us for dinner. It was two hours past midnight.
‘What, you don’t believe me?’ she asked, incredulous.
I set the food down and took a seat. ‘No.’
‘Well, she is. Who would hand out a wad of cash to a guy with an unconventional job and volatile future?’
‘I can think of one,’ I said, sparing her a look.
‘My story is different. I just want you off my back.’
I grunted, not sure why we were discussing this now. I could hardly resist the aroma of the food. So I took a spoon and tasted the gravy.
‘And by how quickly she offered to help despite learning about your secret life just now, she must really like you for a long time,’ the detective mused.
‘You’re saying that because you don’t know her. That’s how Joy is with everyone,’ I told her. ‘Helpful and kind.’
Vartika smirked, shaking her head. ‘You do not understand women. How are you ever going to find one?’
Now, I averted my gaze, seeing the rest of the staff walking towards us. ‘Maybe I wouldn’t have to,’ I muttered.
I woke up to an unexpected text waiting for me in my Whatsapp inbox the next morning.
Good morning. Joycelin had written and stuck a smiley with it.
This wasn’t the first time we had exchanged texts. But all our previous conversations were short. In the last one, she’d told me to take care because I’d taken a sick leave and I’d replied with I will. The text before that had been me wishing her on her birthday in January, to which she’d said thank you. That was about it.
Brushing off the dried rheum from the corner of my eyes and propping up on one arm on the bed, I typed a reply to her, making a spelling error and sending instead, Good mourning. I didn’t bother to correct it, knowing she’d get it.
I exited the chat and clicked on Vartika’s window, whose last message was from yesterday night.
Vartika: I bet the girl will try to get closer to you now. You’ve officially given her a green signal to talk to you.
To that, I’d replied, Stop cooking up theories and put your mind to sleep.
She had sent a devil emoji as a reply before signing off. I clicked on her display picture. It was still the same from a couple of months ago—holding a giant tuna fish she’d found in the market, the one we’d put on the ‘special menu’ of that day. She was grinning at the find.
I texted her too. Good morning.
She replied two minutes later. Are you high? Why are you wishing me that?
I sighed. Why can’t I?
Vartika: They’re incredibly obligatory. Not to mention utterly useless. What do you intend to tell the other person with that? Hello, I’m awake and hope you’re too?
Me: Nothing could be more useless than arguing with you.
Never being much of a texter, she stuck a smiley.
Me: I have something important to do today.
Vartika: Who?
I meant, what?
She added a wink.
Me: Need to buy that dress for Saloni. Can you maybe help me find it?
Vartika: When and where?
As I typed the date and place to her, Joycelin’s message dropped in. Woke up now? It read. I switched the chat to hers, now seeing the obligation of these texts.
Ye
s. I replied anyway.
‘So you say it had a blue lace,’ Vartika asked, bringing me a dress that didn’t look anything like the one I had in mind. ‘Like this?’
‘No.’ The image was blurred and I guess I would be happy to get anything close to that. ‘It was more like a … a wavy lace, like the one that forms when a cloth is folded too many times.’
‘Frill, you mean?’ she asked, her hands dropping. ‘Was it at the bottom of the dress or across?’
‘Across.’ I tried to explain as best as I could, gesturing with a hand running diagonally on my torso. ‘From here till here. Like a thing those miss universes wear.’
‘A sash,’ she said, nodding intelligently. ‘And was it off-shoulder? I mean, was one shoulder bare?’
I know what off-shoulder means, I wanted to tell her. ‘Yes,’ I said. ‘One shoulder was exposed. It was knee length.’
She gave me a small salute. ‘Got it,’ she said and dispersed. I didn’t want to explain to any of the salesgirls about how the dress looked, or what exactly I wanted. So, pretending Vartika was looking for something nice, we went from rack to rack. When we were on the third one, she asked me, ‘What are you going to tell her while giving her the dress?’
I blinked, confused. ‘I haven’t thought about it.’
‘You should!’ I mused, for a second, then ten, a minute. ‘Okay,’ she sighed. ‘Imagine I’m your sister.’
I mentally stepped away from that word, but made sure my face didn’t register horror. ‘I can’t,’ I mumbled.
‘Just think,’ she insisted. ‘Now, what is the one thing you want to tell me?’
‘If only I could,’ I thought and to distract my mind from the longing in my heart, I simply imagined Saloni’s face. ‘I’d probably tell her she doesn’t need to steal the next time. If she wants something, she can tell me.’
‘And what if you can’t afford it?’ Vartika countered.
I frowned. ‘I … will find a way to get it. But she didn’t need to do anything crazy until then.’
A Long Way Home Page 16