“Mission accomplished Sanjeev; I delivered the letter to Rose as promised. I’ve fulfilled my promise to Anwar. I feel good about that, and I want to thank you personally. I couldn’t have done this without you Sanjeev, thank you for your help,” said Beth. She could see his laughing brown eyes in the mirror.
Sanjeev broke into a broad smile. “My pleasure Miss, back to The Astor Hotel?” asked Sanjeev as the taxi pulled away.
Beth gazed out at the wretched Golden Tree area. “Back to The Astor Hotel” she confirmed nodding her head. After a while driving, the only noise was the rumbling of the road and the constant sound of horns. Beth turned her thoughts to Anwar. She tried to picture a young Aklina and Rose’s face came to mind. Aklina must have been as beautiful as Anwar had described. “Poor Aklina, the women over here have it tough,” thought Beth.
She looked at Sanjeev concentrating on the upcoming traffic. “Sanjeev, how did you meet Anwar? He told me that he knew you as a child?” inquired Beth.
“Yes, Miss,” replied Sanjeev. “I knew Mr. Anwar when I was five years old. My Father had an accident at work and unfortunately passed away. My Father knew Mr. Anwar from his Mysore days. News of his demise traveled to Mr. Anwar. He was in England at the time. Mr. Anwar knew that my Mother was sick and I had three sisters. He is a very generous man. For years he sent money to help with the family. My Mother passed away when I was twenty. Mr. Anwar made sure that we all went to school, spoke English, and had a place to live.”
“How did he manage to help so many people?” asked Beth.
“Mr. Anwar had a big heart. He personally helped each of my sisters marry. He found very good husbands, all are happy. He bought me this taxi and helped me establish my business. He has provided me with business contacts and corporate accounts. I would have done anything for Mr. Anwar and his friends,” said Sanjeev in a sincere tone.
“Wow, I didn’t understand how helpful he was. I feel good to have helped him but it sounds like he has touched so many people,” said Beth.
Sanjeev continued, “When I heard about the news I was devastated. My sister told me to be happy, as Mr. Anwar was not well. He’s in a better place and the karma will flow back to him in abundance. Mr. Anwar will be happy knowing the good deed that you’ve done. I feel privileged to have played a small part. He’ll be reunited with Aklina, his one true love. I’m a man Miss and don’t understand these things, but even I know it’s romantic. My sisters tell me so, yes?”
Beth laughed as she pulled her fingers through her tangled hair, “Eternal love, yes very romantic.”
Both smiled as the taxi sped towards The Astor Hotel. It was a long drive, the traffic was heavy but the red and white hotel came into view. Beth recognized the location of a couple of advertising boards as she approached the hotel. A few streets away, up high on a billboard an exotic Indian woman was still fawning over the man with the cool watch. The taxi pulled up to The Astor Hotel and the guards went through the regular entry ritual.
“Good afternoon Miss,” said one of the guards with a sunny disposition.
Beth smiled in response. She felt alive and serenely calm. She could now concentrate on finding the portal and helping Subra. It was a weight off her mind. She also had a great lead, Toronto.
The taxi pulled through the gates. Sanjeev jumped out of his seat and opened the door for Beth. “Call me when you need me again Miss.”
“I will and thank you again Sanjeev.” Beth touched Sanjeev’s forearm and gave it a light squeeze.
Sanjeev bowed slightly, smiled and said what he always said. “My pleasure, Miss.”
Beth entered the hotel and walked to the elevators. She smiled at the attendant on the front desk and stopped in her tracks. “Excuse me, is Ved the porter around please? I would like to talk with him.”
“Certainly Miss he’s in the back but let me call him right away. I’ll have him come to reception,” answered the smartly attired attendant.
“You wanted to see me Miss?” asked Ved in a nervous way.
“Yes, I have an errand that I’d like you to do for me, if its not too much trouble?” asked Beth smiling sweetly at Ved.
“Oh, no trouble at all Miss,” replied Ved.
“Good could you come with me and I’ll tell you what I need?” asked Beth.
“Certainly, Miss,” responded Ved politely.
Beth led the way to the elevator bank and Ved followed dutifully. Once they reached Beth’s room she invited Ved inside. Beth noticed Ved getting visibly nervous, unsure of the favor that Beth wanted. He shuffled and fidgeted while looking for direction. Beth walked over to the closet and opened the door to block his view to the safe. Screened by the open door, Beth punched in her access code and opened the safe. She removed money and the second envelope from Anwar. Beth closed the safe door and the wardrobe door. She placed the envelope on the desk. She looked at Ved searching for a reason to be in Beth’s room.
“I need you to do an important favor for me. It’s really important. Have you seen the new black and gold Eco-Drive Citizen watch, the one on the billboards?” asked Beth.Ved nodded unable to speak. “Do you know where to get one of those around here?” Beth asked.
Again, Ved nodded.
“Take this money, it should be enough. I’d like you to get me one of those watches and bring me the receipt. Can you manage that?” asked Beth as she placed the money on the table.
“It’s a man’s watch Miss?” responded Ved looking at Beth’s fox tattoo.
“I know. I want the exact model in the poster not a knock off. Get me an original man’s watch,” instructed Beth.
“Miss, I can get you one tonight when my shift ends at the hotel. I will bring the watch back to you later tonight,” explained Ved.
“Very good,” said Beth walking over to Ved and standing deliberately close to him.
“Don’t let me down now,” she said pushing her cute face close to his.
Ved was very nervous, as he looked deep into Beth’s beautiful green eyes. He had never seen green eyes before and managed to stutter a response through his personal fog. “I won’t Miss.”
“Good, thank you Ved,” said Beth smiling and moving to the door. Ved followed quickly. “Ved, I think you’ll need the money,” said Beth.
“Oh, yes,” said Ved nervously rushing back to retrieve the money from the desk.
As Ved left the room he did so with a smile, a bow, and a slight wobble of his head. Beth laughed and thought he was a sweet boy. She just knew she would see the exact watch, receipt and precise change that night. Ved was a good kid, honorable. Now Beth had to find a way to get to Toronto quickly. “How am I going to do that?” she thought.
* * * * *
Chapter 9: Trees standing in water - Toronto
Beth rang the front desk at The Astor Hotel. The attendant answered politely, “Hello Miss Martindale how may I assist you?”
“I need to make flight arrangements to get to Toronto, do you have someone who can help me with this?” asked Beth, trying to be polite.
“Of course Miss, just come down to the front desk and our travel concierge will be happy to assist you,” said the attendant.
“Thanks, I will.” Beth grabbed her passport and wallet from the safe. She made her way down to the front desk. The attendant was already talking to a tall, slim man in a hotel uniform. He looked up and caught Beth’s eyes.
“Miss Martindale, this is Raj, he will assist you with your travel plans. I hope your stay with us has been satisfactory and we do hope to see you again,” said the attendant in a cheery voice.
“If I find myself in Kolkata again, and I just may, I would not consider staying anywhere else but The Astor Hotel,” said Beth honestly.
“Thank you,” said the attendant looking over to her colleague. “Raj, please assist Miss Martindale.”
Beth followed Raj into the sitting area next to the check in desk. The sitting room contained a small desk with a computer screen, two chairs, and a large red sofa. Raj sat
in the chair behind the desk and motioned for Beth to take the other chair directly in front of him. He swiveled the computer screen so Beth could see what he was doing. He logged onto a web site that prompted for information.
“Toronto, Canada was it Miss?” inquired Raj.
“That’s right, I need to get to Toronto,” said Beth hardly recognizing the words coming out of her mouth. “I’m going to Toronto,” thought Beth. “I don’t even know where Toronto is,” thought Beth in a panic. Beth thought of Anwar and replayed his words from the allotment.
“Many people say that when they go to India it touches them and changes them forever. Beth, you need to do this not for me but for yourself. I know you think that you are doing me a huge favor, and you are. You have to trust me; you will perhaps later think that I’ve done you a large favor.” Anwar’s words echoed in her mind as Raj punched the keys on the keyboard.
“I get it now,” thought Beth. “You really did me a great favor. Anwar could have chosen Sanjeev, Amba or any of his Kolkata contacts to find Rose, yet he chose me. Probably the least equipped person to do this mission. He chose me and I’ve not let him down. I’ve grown more this week as an individual than I’ve grown in the past ten years. If I can do this, I can do anything. That’s the lesson that Anwar is teaching me. Yes, India has changed my life and I’m sure Toronto will broaden my horizon even more,” thought Beth proud of herself.
Raj peered into the monitor and then looked at Beth staring at the screen with a blank expression. “It’s not looking good Miss. It’s hard to get to Toronto from here. As you can see there’s no direct flight. You will need to connect,” said Raj.
“I’m fine with a connection,” explained Beth.
“Twice,” said Raj in a higher pitch. “I’m afraid this is not a pleasant route. Do you want to fly business class Miss?”
“Yes,” said Beth hardly thinking.
“I have to let you know, not all domestic flights in India offer business class, so you have to fly coach. I’ll try to keep you in business class where I can. I’ll also try to keep you on the same airline that way no mess up with the luggage or boarding pass,” explained Raj.
“Thank you,” said Beth, “I only have carry on luggage.”
“That’s easier, but they still mess up boarding passes when you cross airlines. It’s better to stay with one airline the whole way,” explained Raj. “I have your route locked in, is leaving tomorrow good for you?”
“Yes, if possible,” reassured Beth.
“It is, let me read this to you so that you understand,” said Raj. “This is with Jet Airways. You will leave Kolkata at 6.05am, an early start Miss. This flight will be domestic to Mumbai it arrives at 8.40am, that’s two hours and thirty-five minutes. Good so far?” asked Raj.
“Sounds easy except for the early morning start,” said Beth smiling. She was rubbing Lord Ganesha through her jeans.
“Here’s where it starts to get ugly Miss. Your flight from Mumbai leaves at 12.55pm. This means over four hours of waiting. I’m sorry it’s the best I can do. The next flight is Jet Airways to London, Heathrow landing at 5.55pm local time. This will be an enjoyable nine and a half hours of flying,” said Raj.
Beth pulled a face. “London is nearly home for me,” thought Beth. She nodded at Raj to continue the horror story.
“You’ll be happy to know that Jet Airways does fly direct from London to Toronto. It’s a quick hour layover in London leaving at 7pm. After a little over eight hours you should make it to Toronto at 10pm local time. I’m sorry Miss this is an ugly 25 hours and 30 minutes with layovers. Not a great schedule. It’s the best I can do if you want to get there quickly. It avoids overnight layovers,” said Raj in perfect English. “There is good news. All of the flights are business class except the first short flight to Mumbai.”
Beth thought about the prospect of traveling for more than 24 hours straight through. “I can do this,” she thought, “I can. I’ll sleep and talk with Subra. Beth nodded and Raj started to confirm the booking.
“Can I borrow your passport?” he asked.
“Do I need a visa to go to Canada?” asked Beth.
“Canada is still part of the commonwealth, you don’t need a visa to visit,” explained Raj moving his fingers rapidly over the keyboard. “Sanjeev will get you to the airport. I will call him and make plans for him to collect you at 4.30am.”
“4.30am,” repeated Beth in mock horror.
“You’ll need to leave an hour earlier to give you time to check in,” explained Raj.
“Yikes that’s early. I better hit the hay early tonight,” said Beth watching Raj pretend he understood what she just said.
“I’m ready to confirm your tickets now. I can use the billing information on your hotel account.” Raj turned the screen fully towards Beth so she could see the prices. They looked large until she noticed they were displayed in Rupees. Beth could not figure out the cost and rather than look silly she just nodded and smiled. Raj hit the confirm button and said, “You’re booked Miss. I’ll just print your e-ticket at the front desk if you’d like to follow me.” Raj rose from his seat and Beth followed. They entered the reception area and Beth realized she had not read Anwar’s letter.
“He told me to read it after I located Rose. Damn, I might have jumped too soon organizing this trip to Toronto. Damn, Beth. Damn,” thought Beth getting angry with her self. Beth waited as Raj went behind the check in desk. The attendant smiled and graciously moved to one side allowing Raj access to the printer. He took the papers and folded them into a sleeve with “The Astor Hotel” emblazoned on the front.
“Here you are Miss, your e-ticket. You’ll need this at the check in counter tomorrow,” said Raj.
“Thank you for your help.”
“My pleasure,” said Raj smiling almost as brightly as the attendant.
Beth felt a presence over her right shoulder. She turned and found Ved looking a little stressed.
“Miss, I’m so glad I caught you. I’ve been worried sick but I’m pleased to report that I’ve completed my assignment.” Ved handed over a gift wrapped box and a handful of bills with some coins. “Here’s the receipt,” he said looking relieved.
“Are you all right?” asked Beth.
“I’m not used to walking around with so much money; they looked at me strangely when I bought the watch with cash. Then I had to walk back to the hotel with all this money in my pocket. It wasn’t mine and I was worried,” blurted Ved.
“No need to worry now,” said Beth trying to calm Ved down. Beth glanced at the receipt; it read “Citizen Eco-Drive Model.”
“Good job Ved,” thought Beth. “Ved, thank you for doing this. I know this will deliver positive karma to you,” said Beth smiling.
Ved returned the smile as Beth reflected on her statement. Curiosity got the better of her.
“I must go and get ready for tomorrow,” said Beth making an excuse to retreat. She walked briskly to the elevator carrying the package. Once inside she selected the 3rd floor. In her room she slotted the plastic room key into the wall and the lights activated. She could clearly see the envelope sitting on the desk. Beth latched the door and got undressed. She pulled on her hotel bathrobe and slippers. Looking at the crumpled pile of clothes on the floor she bent over and picked up her jeans. Beth paired the hems together and held her jeans upside down. Lord Ganesha fell to the carpet softly. She tucked the leg hems under her chin and let them fall over her forearm. Beth took the folded jeans and gently placed them on a chair. She picked up her Tee shirt, underwear and socks and placed them on the table next to the letter. Her life was going to be orderly; she was going to get her act together from now on. It was a new Beth. Beth took the envelope and reclined on the soft bed. Staring at the envelope she wondered if Rose was having the same feelings before opening her envelope. She had received a message from Anwar, a message from the spiritual domain, as Subra would call it. Beth took a deep breath before gently tearing a corner of the envelope.
She placed the torn paper into the trash bin next to the bed.
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