Uncle Plats

by Aqua Allsopp

  *****

  Julie Summer was not just excited – she was super excited! This would be her first trip outside of the United States of America and the fact that she was getting an opportunity to travel so far as India and all on her own was really a very overjoying moment for the young woman. She had reached the airport well ahead of time and was one of the first passengers on course to board the flight. Now that the flight was in the air and making its way across the Atlantic, she turned her attention towards the events of the upcoming days.

  She had not really expected that a chance to visit the Far East would come up all so soon. Julie had just started working at an NGO in New York that her father managed and the organization had been called up to be a part of the UNICEF-US Government tie-up. UNICEF had come up with an initiative to fund development in some of the poor, underdeveloped regions of the Third World Countries and the American government had extended its support towards the initiative. Numerous NGOs around the United States had been roped in to do the bulk of the ground work and Julie’s father, thanks to all his connections with some of the top brass in the government, had managed to land a deal for his NGO. Julie, though only twenty-four years of age, was smart and capable enough to handle herself all on her own and this had prompted her father to give her the responsibility of taking on the ground work. Julie was happy to get this vote of confidence from him and she assured that she would not do anything that would let him down.

  “Ma’am would you like some refreshments?” an airhostess came along down the aisle and asked Julie. Her thoughts were interrupted. She looked at the pretty woman.

  “What options do I have?” she asked. The airhostess handed her a menu card. “You can choose anything you want from this list!” she announced.

  Julie looked through the list. “I’ll have a cold chicken sandwich and coffee please,” she said and handed over the menu.

  “Sure ma’am, here you go,” the airhostess said as she placed the order in front of her. Julie thanked her and then got busy savoring the meal. It was a really long flight across the Atlantic, taking as many as nine hours to complete before proceeding for another couple of hours to reach Abu Dhabi. There, they would have to change flights for their onward journey to New Delhi.

  Julie looked outside the window for a while but could see nothing but a stretch of blue sky and white clouds floating underneath. The soft whirring buzz of the aircraft engine seemed melodious to start with but soon got on her nerves. She started getting a little frustrated at the duration of the flight and wondered what she could do to pass away the time. Her eyes went to the screen inside the cabin that was playing an old English movie. Reluctantly, she pulled on the headset and tried to keep her attention on the movie but it was easier said than done. There was a tremendous sense of excitement bubbling inside her veins and she could not wait for the moment when the flight would finally touch down in Abu Dhabi.

  The movie turned out to be extremely boring and before she had even realized what was going on, Julie had dozed off into a deep sleep. She dreamed of the new country that she would be seeing soon enough and remembered all the things that she had heard about the place – the forests, the cities, the towns, the varied landscape, the warm weather, so on and so forth! She dreamed of having numerous adventures over the course of her stay in the country and also found herself in the company of many friends.

  “Ma’am…excuse me ma’am!” a voice interrupted her in her sleep. Her dream abruptly ended and she woke up with a start. “Huh?”

  “Please fasten your seatbelts, we will be landing soon in Abu Dhabi,” one of the airhostesses said to her. Julie pulled herself together and sat up straight in her seat, fastening her seatbelt. Soon enough the carrier started to descend. The daylight had faded into dusk and the setting sun spread its deep orange hue across the sky. Julie looked out of the window and at the city that was starting to come up towards her from the ground, almost as if rising out of the Earth. The whole ground was twinkling with the city lights glowing in full glory and it looked like something straight out of a fairytale.

  As the aircraft touched down and taxied towards the parking bay, Julie took out her smartphone and checked the local time. It was seven in the evening. Her connecting flight was not due for another four hours. The young woman stepped out of the plane and into the terminal building. She looked around and located a cafeteria where she went to grab a bite. Julie was really very hungry.

  Eventually, she freshened up and headed over to the waiting lounge. She found a comfortable corner and sat down, waiting for some announcement on her next flight.

  *****

  The flight landed in New Delhi after a delay of a couple of hours. Apparently there was a thick smog cover over the airport that had been the reason for the delay. It was still the season of spring and this was something of a problem in the capital city of India that had a bad history with pollution as much as unchecked population. David sauntered out of the aircraft, feeling extremely tired after what had been a long and severely exhausting flight.

  He walked down the jet bridge and into the terminal building, and then headed for the arrival lounge to collect his baggage. It was already morning and the sun was up and shining brightly in the morning sky. There was a pleasant chill in the air and David enjoyed himself quite a bit. “Nothing like the sultry, unpleasant heat that everyone keeps complaining about,” he thought.

  As he waited by the conveyor for the luggage to come along, David took a look around at the people who were waiting along with him. It was a pretty interesting and colorful group he found himself in the company of with mostly Indian citizens who were on their way back home from abroad. There were few white-skinned people as well and it seemed as if most of them were in the city on a tourist visit. David looked for Alex but could not locate him anywhere. He was wondering where the man could have possibly disappeared to when the conveyor started to move and the bags started coming in one after the other. He left his thought and got busy collecting his belongings.

  Once he had ensured that all the bags had been picked up, David headed for the exit. He was supposed to be met by a man by the name of Anand Sarkar who was a representative of Bright Lives Foundation, the NGO on the Indian side that was going to take care of the development work. This man was supposed to accompany him from Delhi to Kanpur which would be the hub of their operations. David had been informed about the name of the village that would be the working center for them but it escaped him at that very moment – only thing he could recall was that it had something to do with the word champagne.

  As he walked out through the exit, he was surprised to see the big noisy crowd that had gathered outside. He knew that the Indians were a noisy lot but he was not quite prepared for the scene that greeted him outside. There were people everywhere and almost everyone was shouting and waving at someone or the other. Those who were coming out of the terminal seemed to be in a hurry to reach their family members. David stepped to one side in order to avoid being hit by one of the many luggage trolleys that rolled past beside him. “Easy there!” he thought as the arriving passengers hurried along, oblivious of the fact that there was someone standing in their way. Finally he managed to find a relatively quiet corner for himself and stood there.

  “Now how do I find this guy?” he wondered, looking around about himself. By this time the crowd had dispersed a little and not many people were waiting for their guests or family members to arrive. A portly policeman standing nearby walked up to David.

  “Help sir?” he asked in a typically native accent.

  “Well, not really,” David replied, speaking slowly so that the man would be able to understand what he had to say. “I’m just looking for a man who was supposed to come and pick me up. I hope he arrives soon!”

  The policeman did not say anything and quietly walked away. David was not sure if the man had understood him or not. “Least bothered,” he thought and continued to look around. Just then he caught sight of a short man standing
at the far end with a cardboard cutout in his hand. He looked a little anxious and had his eyes glued on the exit as if he was afraid he would miss someone. Beads of perspiration had appeared on his forehead even though it was not really so hot. For some reason, David suspected that this man was Anand Sarkar, the person he was supposed to meet. He started pushing his trolley in that direction and rightly enough, he came across the name that was scrolled across the cardboard piece: “David McKay”. He walked up to the man.

  “Anand Sarkar I presume?” he asked. The man did not say anything but nodded. “Hello, I am David McKay,” he continued.

  A look of relief crossed the face of the little man. “Oh Mister David I have been waiting for so long over here but I thought I had missed your arrival. Welcome to India! I hope you had a very enjoyable flight?”

  “Yeah yeah that was all very good, thank you! I was getting kind of worried that you had been delayed or something but I am glad that you are here. And yes, I am really looking forward to having a good time in the country.”

  “I am really glad to hear that and I am sure you will enjoy your time in India. We will ensure that nothing goes amiss in our hospitality,” Anand said with a smile.

  “Great! Are we waiting for someone else or do we get moving now?” David asked.

  “Yes there is another lady whom I must receive,” the man replied. “She arrived in the same flight as you did so it should not be too long before she comes along.” Saying so, Anand took out another cardboard piece and held it aloft. This one had the name “Julie Summers” written on it.

  He had barely settled down with the new board in hand when a pretty young woman walked up to them. “Anand? I am Julie,” she announced herself.

  “Hello Miss Julie,” Anand said and extended a hand in welcome. “Welcome to India!”

  “Thank you, now if you don’t mind can we get moving? I feel a little tired!”

  “Yeah sure, sure… please come this way. Oh by the way, this is David McKay from the USA as well,” he said as he introduced David.

  The two American citizens simply nodded and smiled at one another as they climbed into the back of a car. Soon, they were off to their hotel. Little did they know that this was going to be the start of a long journey together for the two of them!

  *****

  The car arrived in front of a two-storied bungalow and stopped. David and Julie climbed out of the vehicle and followed Anand inside as a couple of domestic helpers came running through the door and whisked their luggage inside. The building looked like an old British colonial house that had been renovated and refurbished so that it could be used as a guest house. It looked like the building could do with a fresh coat of paint but otherwise it was in a good state. There was a long balcony running along the entire perimeter of the building with a small garden at the front. The place was well kept and located in one of the quieter parts of the city, making it a nice place to be in.

  “Your rooms are on the first floor,” Anand announced as he led the guests up the stairs and on to the balcony. The long stretch of the building was covered in marble. The rooms opened to the right of the corridor. As they walked along the area, both David and Julie noticed the size of the rooms which were really big for one person to live in. There was one room at the front of the building and another along the side. Both bedrooms had attached bathrooms. There was a small kitchen at the back and the other side had a living room, though it was not really a large one.

  “Here is your room Miss Summers,” the host said as he stopped in front of the first room. “One of the servants will be bringing up your food in half an hour. I suggest you freshen up and get some rest. There is not much to do during the day and it is going to get hot once the sun comes out. In the evening we will go and meet Rajiv who is the director of our NGO. He will detail everything that you people need to take care of over the course of your stay in the country. I will come to receive you at around six!”

  As Julie retired to her room, Anand started walking again with David. “Your room is this way,” he said and led him to another bedroom on the side of the building. “Enjoy your stay!”

  Soon the Americans had freshened up and were served a meal of piping hot soup, cold salad, and chicken. They had their meals in their respective rooms and then went to bed. Not a word passed between the two of them; in fact, they did not even see each other until the evening when Anand was back in the bungalow to take them to the NGO office.

  “Rajiv said he is very excited about meeting the two of you,” Anand announced as their car made its way through the crowded city street. He was sitting in the front seat next to the driver with the two guests occupying the middle seat.

  “Who is this Rajiv? I don’t remember him being mentioned!” David remarked.

  Anand gave a laugh. “Oh sorry, I forgot to say. Actually Rajiv is my boss and he is the one who has been making all the arrangements for your stay in India. I am merely his representative. He is also the one in charge of all operations at our NGO. His full name is Rajiv Gupta.”

  “Oh, that’s nice!”

  Anand turned his head around and looked at Julie who was busy staring out of the window. “Miss Summers, you have barely spoken all day. Is everything alright?” he asked.

  Julie turned to look at him. “Yes, I am fine!” she said with a smile. “Just settling in and looking forward to starting work. And please, call me Julie.”

  “Sure! So both of you are from the United States. Which part?” their host asked.

  “New York!” they said in unison. The manner of their response caught both David and Julie by surprise. They looked at one another and for the first time, a smile appeared on their lips. But they soon turned their gaze away and looked back outside the window.

  After an hour’s drive, the car entered into a narrow street and stopped in front of a whitewashed building. The surroundings were really dirty and Anand made it a point to usher the two of them inside as fast as he could. A small signboard above the main entrance announced that the building belonged to Bright Lives Foundation. They entered the building and found themselves in a poorly lit hallway. “This way,” Anand said as he led the two Americans down a corridor on the right. There was an unbearable putrid smell about the place.

  “Ugh…what’s that smell?” Julie asked, putting a handkerchief to her nose.

  “There is some dispute surrounding the property next door so the whole neighborhood has been freely using it as a dumping ground. In India, you don’t leave plots vacant and in dispute because they will invariably turn into open garbage vats,” Anand announced. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks and knocked on a door alongside.

  “Come in,” a burly voice called from inside.

  “They are here,” Anand announced as he pushed open the door and entered a brightly lit, air-conditioned room. The space was well furnished with large cabinets lining the walls and a desk at the far end. Behind this desk sat a middle-aged man. He was dressed in business formals complete with a suit and tie. His hair was still neatly kept almost as if he had just taken a bath not so long ago. He was of a fair complexion, unlike Anand who was of a darker complexion – both David and Julie were of the impression that all people of the subcontinent were of a dark complexion but ever since they had arrived in the country, they had come across many white-skinned people which had helped change their perception. He had a thick moustache and wore rimless glasses which gave a professional, authoritative feel to his overall appearance.

  “David and Julie from the United States,” Anand announced as he led the two of them inside. “I’d like you both to meet Rajiv!”

  “Hello there, I’m Rajiv. Welcome to India both of you. I hope Anand has been taking good care of you people so far?” the man said.

  David and Julie smiled at him. “Yes we have felt at home so far,” he said.

  “Excellent, now please take a seat! I’ll explain our course of action for the coming months. Would you like to have something to drink? Anand, please get
some refreshments for our guests.”

  The two of them tried to protest but Anand was already off. He returned soon with a tray on which three glasses of cold drinks were neatly arranged. “Thank you so much,” Rajiv said. “That will be all, you can go home now. I’ll drop them off while returning.”

  As Anand left the room, closing the door behind him, Rajiv began to talk. “I am really very glad to have the two of you down here to work on this noble initiative by UNICEF. I was apprehensive that anyone would want to come and work in a poor Indian village, but the response I received was truly overwhelming. Thank you so much!”

  “Oh that’s nothing! We are always glad to help all we can,” Julie said.

  “So what’s the plan? What are we going to do?” David asked.

  “I’ll tell you,” Rajiv said as he opened a drawer and pulled out a large file. He dropped it on the table and opened it, drawing out some papers. “Do you happen to remember the name of the place where you will be working?”

  “I don’t know but the only thing I remember is that it has some kind of relation to champagne,” David remarked.

  Rajiv and Julie burst out laughing. “I really like your sense of humor,” he said. “But you are right, they share a similar kind of name. It’s Champaneer!”

  “Champ…whatever! I’ll just refer to it as Champ.”

  “Don’t worry you’ll get used to it! Now let’s focus on our plans. So you people have the next couple of days off and you can spend that time taking a tour of Delhi if you want. Then we will be travelling to Kanpur where you will be put up in our guest house. Your work will require you to travel daily between the city and the village of Champaneer since there isn’t a good enough place where we could have accommodated you in the village. You will work until late in the afternoon and then return back to the city by nightfall. It can get a bit risky along the road so this is the best possible arrangement we could come up with. Raman Kumar, one of the administrative officers of the district will be available with you for all kinds of assistance. I hope that is clear. Now do you have any questions?”