House of Cards: A Novel

by Sudha Murty

  As he was about to close the drawer, he saw a photo album. Though he had seen it many times before, something seemed different as he opened it now. He said to himself, ‘Amma was so beautiful when she was young. Had she been taller, she could have entered the Miss India pageant. She’s wasted her beauty by becoming a teacher and a housewife. Had I been in her place, I would’ve pursued modelling and probably made more money than Dad and taken less time than him. She could have become a lady doctor and joined Dad and they could have built many more nursing homes together. Amma would have also been famous. She’s spent so much energy on teaching children in government schools.’

  Sishir closed the drawer and took his car to the gas station to fill petrol. His classmates Neeta and Naren were partying at a bar. Since they had been drinking, they asked him to pick them up and drop them home. When he went inside the bar, he was surprised to see Sarla Aunty, Prasanna Uncle and their daughter Dolly having beer. The last time he had met Sarla Aunty was at a temple where she was dressed in a traditional nine-yard sari and wore exquisite gold jewellery. Though he had nothing against women drinking, the two images of Sarla Aunty were jarring.

  Sarla Aunty became pale on seeing him. But she smiled and said, ‘Come, boy, join us.’

  ‘No, Aunty. I don’t drink.’

  ‘Then your first peg will be a whisky,’ Prasanna Uncle joked.

  ‘Well, that time I’ll call you for company.’ Sishir quickly said goodbye and walked away.

  When he came home and told his parents about it, Sanjay happily said, ‘You set them right.’

  His mother, however, was worried. She said out loud, ‘It’s wrong. Sarla comes from a conservative family. If her mother gets to know about this, she’ll faint.’

  Mridula’s words annoyed Sishir. He argued, ‘Amma, what exactly is wrong? Is going to a bar wrong or is drinking with your daughter wrong?’

  ‘Well, she’s a woman and she shouldn’t drink.’

  ‘Who said that you have to be a man to drink?’

  Sanjay wanted to support his son and said, ‘Sarla’s worked hard and made loads of money. She has a right to enjoy it too.’

  Mridula got irritated. ‘What do you mean? Haven’t I earned money with hard work too?’

  Both men knew that this might lead to a scene, so they got up and went to their rooms. Sishir thought, ‘Amma and Dad have lived together for so many years, but they are poles apart. Maybe their upbringing and professions have influenced their thought processes. Thank God they aren’t similar. Otherwise, I would’ve had a tough time. This way, I can take advantage of Amma or Dad depending on the situation.’

  20

  The Ways of the World

  While Sanjay was driving to the nursing home the next day, he thought about Mridula. He knew that she was upset about the previous night. Recently, he had observed that she often talked about impractical issues. She told him that he was not helping poor people as he had earlier promised. He said to himself, ‘Yes, I’m aware of my promises, but I was inexperienced at the time and I don’t have to fulfil the promises I made then. Mridula doesn’t understand this. In fact, she’s blunt and speaks her mind freely. In today’s sophisticated society, it isn’t necessary to tell people what’s on your mind. When someone comes to invite us for a wedding, sometimes she immediately tells him or her that we won’t be able to attend the event because we’ll be out of town. It’s so rude. She defends herself and says that she’s being straightforward and honest. But honesty isn’t needed everywhere. She just doesn’t get it.’

  When he reached the hospital, Rosemary greeted him with a warm smile and handed over a list. When Sanjay saw the list of patients and their scheduled operations for the day, he remembered his father’s words: ‘See God in your patients.’ Yes, he did see God—Goddess Lakshmi in fact. Every patient was a source of income to him. In government hospitals, the patients were dependent on the doctors. But in private practice, if he and his doctors were not good to the patients, they would go to another doctor and spread rumours about the nursing home. That would be enough to spoil the reputation of the nursing home. It took several years to build a brand but you could lose it very quickly. He kept his personal relationships and money separate. That was why he also kept Shankar at a distance and Shankar understood that.

  His phone rang. The receptionist told him that Dr Vasudha was on the line and wanted to talk to him. Sanjay recognized who she was. He told the receptionist, ‘I’m busy. Tell her to call back in the afternoon.’

  A queue of patients was waiting for him. Mechanically, he got up and washed his hands. Since he had become famous, patients from other states also came to see him. Some people said that he had a magical touch, but Alex said it was his super-salesmanship.

  Sanjay’s thoughts continued to trouble him. Bheemanna had said long ago that Mridula’s horoscope would bring her husband riches. Today, Ratnamma wholeheartedly agreed and proudly told everybody, ‘My daughter-in-law has brought luck to our family.’

  It was rare for a mother-in-law to pay her daughter-in-law such a compliment.

  Lakshmi, however, had a different opinion. She said, ‘My brother, Sanjay, is a hard-working and brilliant doctor. That’s why he’s successful.’

  Surprisingly, Mridula agreed with Lakshmi, despite the fact that the sisters-in-law did not get along too well.

  Soon, patients started walking in and Sanjay forgot about Mridula. By the time he finished his rounds and OPD, it was 2 p.m. He thought that it was better to eat in the canteen and check the quality of food there. Rosemary arranged for his diet meal. Sanjay was conscious about his diet. Though he was fifty and had a few grey hairs here and there, nobody could guess his age correctly. Most of his friends were jealous about his youthful looks and pestered him to share his secret. Sanjay diplomatically said ‘your friendship’ but he knew that regular exercise and diet were major factors.

  Rosemary ate in the canteen every day. She knew the difference between Sanjay’s and her position and ate at a different table. Sanjay appreciated her gesture.

  She was the head nurse and knew instantly when patients tried to fool her.

  During her first year, she had once asked for fees from a patient who said, ‘I’ve given the money to the other nurse.’ Rosemary assumed that it was true but after checking the accounts, she realized that he had never paid. Some patients would tell her, ‘Oh, we know the doctor well. He told us not to pay.’

  So she thought about what to do and came up with an idea. She decided that she would give pink and green paper slips to Sanjay. If he signed on the pink slip, the consultation was free and if he signed on the green, the patient would have to pay half of the total charges. No matter what the patients told her, she charged them based on the colour of their paper slip.

  A few years later, patients had started playing new games. They would get their operation done elsewhere, come for the dressing and say, ‘Your nursing home has forgotten to take out the unclean cotton swab from the wound. That’s why my wound isn’t healing. I’ll sue you.’ Rosemary had discussed these things with Sanjay and introduced a new computer software where the details of the patient, operation and everything else was recorded and the patient’s signature taken.

  In the afternoon, Dr Vasudha phoned again and Sanjay asked the receptionist to put her call through. Vasudha said, ‘Dr Sanjay, I hope you remember me. I was your classmate at BMC—Bangalore Medical College—thirty years ago.’

  Sanjay had not forgotten her. It was the same Vasudha who had said that she had sympathy for him but not love. He said, ‘Sorry, I knew three Vasudhas in college. Which one are you?’

  ‘I was in your batch and also Santosh’s relative. I used to come to your house too.’

  ‘Yes, I remember now.’

  ‘You’ve become so popular in Bangalore. I’m proud that we’re good friends.’

  Naturally, she remembered him because he was successful today. He purposely did not call her by her name. He said, ‘Yes, Doctor, wha
t can I do for you?’

  ‘My husband is a member of the Rotary Club. They are starting a health camp and you’re the perfect person to inaugurate it.’

  Sanjay knew that this was a lie—she either wanted a donation or a professional favour from him. He was not upset. Though he knew that he wouldn’t go for the inauguration, he asked, ‘When is it?’

  Vasudha knew that if she gave him a date, he would refuse saying he was otherwise occupied that day. She smartly said, ‘You can pick any date convenient to you.’

  Without even opening his diary, Sanjay paused and replied, ‘Sorry, my secretary says that I’m completely booked for the next two months. Please call up later to confirm.’

  He did not want to seem rude, though. He asked her, ‘How many children do you have?’

  ‘I have two daughters. One is in her final year and is studying computer science at RV College and the other one is a first-year student studying commerce at Christ College.’

  He could sense pride in her voice. She was telling him the names of the colleges as a status symbol. In return, she asked, ‘How many children do you have, Doctor?’

  He noticed that she did not use his first name either.

  ‘I have one son—Sishir. Haven’t you seen the name of the topper in the medical exams? He’s my son, S. Sishir.’

  Vasudha had, of course, but she said, ‘I’m sorry. Since both my children are not in the medical line, I don’t follow the latest updates in that field. What does your wife do?’

  ‘She’s very intelligent. Sishir has taken after her. He is not like me.’

  Sanjay did not say what Mridula did and before Vasudha could ask him any more questions, he said, ‘Okay, Doctor, keep in touch. Take care.’

  He disconnected the phone. Sanjay felt bad. Though Mridula was a good-looking girl when they got married, she was not a doctor. Had she been one, they may have had fewer differences. Now, he strongly believed that it was better if a couple worked in the same profession. He was advising Sishir to get married to a lady doctor too. A husband–wife team could build a great business empire together. But Sishir did not seem to care.

  At home, Sishir was waiting for a pizza delivery. To pass the time, he stood in front of the mirror and looked at himself. He knew that he was handsome and that there were many girls who liked him. He had everything—money, good education and a great future. Naturally, any girl would love to marry him. Neeta was one of them. She called him all the time and got his mother worried. One day, Mridula advised him, ‘Sishir, don’t get too friendly with any girl. You’re a boy and if something happens, nobody will blame you. But the girl’s name and future will get spoilt. We aren’t living in a Western society.’

  This really upset him. He did not say anything to his mother but he thought, ‘If the girl herself isn’t bothered and when her parents themselves send her with me, then why does Amma care? Times have changed but she has stayed behind. Sarla Aunty also pushes Dolly towards me and Prasanna Uncle is no less. Sometimes, he calls me for lunch, leaves Dolly with me and disappears after giving a lame excuse. But I’m aware of their intentions. There are many girls more intelligent and beautiful than Dolly, so why should I bother about her?’

  The doorbell rang. It was the pizza-delivery man. Sishir went downstairs in his T-shirt and shorts to get his pizza. Mridula was already paying the bill and looked disapprovingly at Sishir.

  21

  Shades of Grey

  Ambuja, Mridula’s colleague in school, distributed her nephew’s wedding invites to the staff and insisted that everybody must attend. As soon as she left the room, another colleague, Leela, commented, ‘Do you realize how shrewd Ambuja is?’

  Mridula replied, ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘She invites us for her nephew’s marriage but not her niece’s because for a boy’s wedding, the lunch expenses are borne by the bride’s side of the family, but in a girl’s wedding, they themselves have to bear the expenses.’

  Mridula had never thought of it this way and, at times, she wondered why she could not think like other people. She asked Leela, ‘Are you planning to go?’

  ‘I don’t want to. But I will.’

  ‘If you don’t want to, then why will you go?’

  ‘That’s etiquette.’

  Again, Mridula was unable to understand the word ‘etiquette’.

  Ambuja’s nephew’s wedding was on a Sunday. The girl and the boy both belonged to rich business families and there was a long queue of people waiting to congratulate them. Mridula decided to sit in a corner until the rush subsided. Suddenly, she saw Lakshmi; she was a little surprised to see her there. Before she could get up and go to her, Lakshmi had got lost in the crowd. She was dressed nicely and was wearing a diamond set which was shining in the bright lights. She had not seen Mridula yet.

  Usually, whenever Lakshmi visited Mridula, she wore only one plain gold bangle. The lady sitting next to Mridula saw her looking at Lakshmi and said, ‘Do you know that lady?’

  Mridula stayed silent. The lady continued, ‘Look at her jewellery. It’s beautiful. I saw her buying something at a jeweller’s shop just the other day.’

  ‘How do you know her?’

  ‘We are members of the same chit group. Lakshmi pays the highest chit. She invests twenty thousand rupees every month.’

  ‘I see. Is she that rich?’

  ‘Haven’t you heard of Dr Sanjay from the Sushruta Nursing Home? She’s his sister. Twenty thousand rupees is nothing for her.’

  Chit groups were not unknown to Mridula because Ratnamma was also a part of one. Lakshmi was her daughter after all. Mridula thought, ‘How can Shankar and Lakshmi afford such a huge chit? They stay in a rented house in Malleshwaram. Lakshmi doesn’t work either. Though I’m younger than her, my heavy silk brocade sari and minimal gold are still too much for me. But Lakshmi’s dressed like a bride.’

  By then, the queue had shortened and Mridula went up to congratulate the young couple. She ran into Lakshmi on her way towards the newly-weds. Lakshmi was shocked to see Mridula there. But she composed herself and said, ‘Oh, Mridula, I didn’t know that you were going to be here. Are you from the bride’s side or the groom’s?’

  ‘The groom’s.’

  ‘Oh, I’m from the bride’s side. I didn’t want to come, but they insisted. You know how it is.’ Then Lakshmi lowered her voice and said, ‘Mridula, you know that I don’t have much gold. So I feel awkward whenever I have to attend weddings and functions. These days, you get a lot of fake jewellery that glitters more than the real thing. I bought one fake diamond set to wear during weddings. Everyone thinks that it’s real. Look at it. Don’t you think it looks real, too?’

  Mridula did not know what to say and kept quiet. She thought, ‘I should give her the benefit of the doubt. Since I’m not sure, I won’t say anything.’

  When Mridula reached home, the phone was ringing. It was Ratnamma. Sanjay picked up and spoke to her on the speakerphone. Ratnamma said, ‘MLA Adikeshavaiah wants to start a women’s cooperative bank in our village. The government also helps in such projects. Because of my experience, they want to elect me chairman. I need to deposit ten lakh rupees for this. Please send a DD for that amount in my name.’

  Sanjay said, ‘Give me some time. I’ll get back to you.’

  Mridula found it strange. She had always thought that Ratnamma did not care about position or status. Sanjay was quiet after the call. Mridula asked him, ‘What do you think? What should we do?’

  Sanjay replied, ‘I don’t think Amma should accept this position. I’ll call her back and talk to her later.’

  Mridula felt happy that Sanjay was thinking on the same lines as her.

  Every year, Mridula’s cousin Sarla held a big Satyanarayana puja at home. After that, she arranged for a luxury bus to Tirupati and invited all her close relatives to the trip. It was something similar to the Purnima celebrations in Bheemanna’s house. Bheemanna normally joined the festivities. But now, he did not want to leav
e his home and go anywhere. After Rukuma Bai’s death, he had lost interest in life. In recent years, Mridula’s brother, Krishna, and his wife, Vatsala, had started coming to Bangalore for this function. They came a week in advance for sightseeing and shopping. Every year, they stayed with Sarla in her house and that hurt Mridula. They visited Mridula only once for a few hours—like she was a mere acquaintance.

  This year, Mridula could not control her grief. She tried to share her thoughts with Sanjay. ‘Vatsala and Krishna should stay with us. I’m Krishna’s sister. Isn’t our relation to them closer than Sarla’s?’

  Without lifting his head from the newspaper, Sanjay replied, ‘Relationships are maintained not just because you are related by blood, but also by keeping in touch.’

  ‘But I’m his sister.’

  ‘Even Lakshmi is my sister. I haven’t done anything wrong to her. And yet, she never comes and stays with us for a holiday.’

  Sanjay was shrewd enough not to take his mother’s name, who refused to come to Bangalore.

  Mridula did not know whether Sanjay was saying this to blame her. He acted polished in front of others but in front of his wife, his words could be brutal. Mridula replied, ‘I’ve never ever told Lakshmi not to come. She’s involved in activities like ladies’ clubs and chit group meetings. Unfortunately, we don’t share common interests. We are neither enemies nor friends.’

  ‘Sarla and you were best friends once. But even she doesn’t come to our house. What happened?’

  ‘Sarla is busy working or travelling. How can I expect her to come and spend time here?’