Pandavas

by Anil Chawla

  Her courage must have run out after she said all this, because she turned her head away and buried her face in her hands. Pantu could sense that she was crying but stayed put and let her release her emotions. She wiped her tears and turned back to look at him. Finally, he said, ‘Even if I get them connected to key people in the government and industry, they won’t get business unless they have an established set-up, which they don’t. And setting up a business takes money.’ Even though he hadn’t said it, it was easy to infer that Pantu couldn’t give Parvinder that money.

  She replied quickly, ‘Seed money is not a problem. My dad can give them a few lakhs provided they settle the case amicably, with the children in my custody, and no future claims or interventions from their side.’

  ‘But who will broach the topic with them, and how?’ he asked.

  She took time to frame her reply. ‘Our lawyer and their lawyer. They are friends. They know both families and really want things to work out beneficially for both parties. Our lawyer says that Parvinder and his family are in such dire straits financially that they will agree to anything for money.

  He thinks this will be a face-saver for everybody, and I will get custody of my children.’

  It was a very unusual scenario to be in but Pantu cherished their days together at LEC, the friendship, the romance, and yes, the garba nights too.

  Saloni sensed the delicate nature of the situation and said, ‘You probably want to think about this and discuss it with your family. Take your time and let me know whether you can.’ And then she got up to leave, turned around suddenly, and asked, ‘Can I kiss you?’

  Pantu shook his head, got up from his chair and came over to her. He gently patted her on the head. In all seriousness, he said, ‘I’ll have to take permission from Bubbly.’

  Both burst into laughter. He asked her what time she’d be back. She looked puzzled till he reminded her that Bubbly had invited her to dinner. She explained that she had nowhere to go in Delhi and would find something to do in the meanwhile. He suggested that she wait in the office; he would wind up early, and they could go to his place together. Sonia took her to the well-furnished office guest room meant for Pantu’s VIP guests.

  Pantu had a couple of meetings and went out, returning at around four o’clock. His meetings were quite hectic and he had totally forgotten about Saloni. As he returned to the office, Sonia told him that ‘Ma’am’ was in the guest room. He went to the room and gently opened the door. Saloni was fast asleep on the sofa-cum-bed. Despite all the troubles the years had heaped on her, she looked serene.

  After an hour or so, Saloni awoke, freshened up, and came to his room. Pantu announced that they were calling it a day and going home. He packed up, gave Sonia a few instructions, and left the office with Saloni.

  Ram was ready to move as they neared the car. ‘You seem to be doing quite well, Pantu,’ said Saloni. Not many people could afford a BMW.

  Pantu smiled and in his trademark style, said, ‘Daal roti kamaa lete hain. Kabhi kukkad aur scotch bhi mil jaati hai. Baaki kya rakha hai, in sab cheezon mein (I earn enough for daily bread. Sometimes even for chicken and scotch. What else is there).’ They laughed.

  Pantu lived in Greater Kailash. A few years ago, he had bought a 500 sq. yd. house, demolished it, and built one to custom, high-quality specifications. A watchman opened the gate as they approached, and Ram got out quickly to open the door for Saloni. Bubbly had been waiting for them and came out immediately. She greeted Saloni with a huge hug, escorted her inside and made her comfortable. Punjabi women are often stereotyped as fair-skinned, sharp featured and veering towards a ‘healthy’ build. In Bubbly’s case, the stereotype was true to the letter. She was quite talkative and chatted with Saloni in an open and friendly manner.

  After a while, she got up to bring everyone some tea. Pantu suggested leaving it to the cook but Bubbly replied, ‘Your college girlfriend has come to our house for the first time. I will make the tea myself.’ The word ‘girlfriend’ made Saloni blush but Bubbly put her at ease right away ‘Pantu has told me everything about you two.’ ‘Everything’ was a dangerous word in that context and Saloni looked worried. Bubbly said, ‘Everything includes the different ways in which you celebrated garba.’ With a mischievous grin, she disappeared into the kitchen.

  Saloni liked Bubbly’s simplicity and frankness, and especially the generosity with which she treated her husband’s former flame. Coming from a Punjabi family herself, she thought this unusual. Women were generally possessive about their men—covering their past, present, and future lives. It was a different matter that most men hid their pasts from their wives.

  There was a burst of noise as Pantu’s kids came back from the park. Simmi was her mom’s replica in miniature and was in kindergarten. Ronit was in play school and looked like a mix of his mom and dad. They greeted Saloni, attacked the kaju barfi and other snacks with ferocity, gobbled everything up in no time, and promptly returned to the playground.

  Everyone had an excellent evening. Bubbly spent considerable time in the kitchen making many dishes herself, ending with a delicious custard-topped butterscotch ice cream.

  When they were done eating, Pantu excused himself and Bubbly for some time and went inside. They emerged after a few minutes, and Pantu said to Saloni, ‘I discussed everything with Bubbly. She too feels I should help you.’ Saloni’s relief and gratitude were written on her face. Bubbly gave her a warm hug and said, ‘Don’t worry about anything. We are there with you and god-willing, everything will get sorted out.’

  Saloni was to depart by the night train, and Pantu asked Ram to drop her at the station. They said goodbye to each other.

  The next few weeks were hectic as Pantu explored various avenues, met Saloni’s lawyer, and planned everything in such a way that there would be no slip-ups.

  Finally, a meeting was held between the two families and their lawyers wherein an agreement was reached: Parvinder’s family would be given five lakh rupees to start a new venture, they would make no future claims on Saloni or her children, and the children would remain with Saloni. A mutual consent separation was finalized, subject to court approval. Parvinder had learnt that Pantu was influential enough to help him establish his business—which was to happen quietly. Pantu’s own assessment of Parvinder was mixed. He was no saint, but his parents’ influence had amplified the worst in him. On the upside, the hardware industry was booming and there was enough business for anybody who was ready to work hard at it.

  It was nearly six months before things finally settled down for Saloni. She and her parents came over to Pantu’s home and thanked him and Bubbly for all they had done. Pantu was happy to see the start of a new chapter in Saloni’s life.

  Global Warrior (Sales)

  Acouple of months into her job, Kalpu’s parents asked her to take a day’s break and come home to Vadodara for her birthday. At this time, only Sammy was in Mumbai. The other Pandavas were all scattered in different parts of the world. So she asked Sammy to join her at her parents’ place. After some initial cribbing, he agreed to come the next day.

  She took the evening train to Vadodara. Her parents, Vinodbhai and Sadhanaben, had come to the station to receive her. When they reached home, she found the whole house decorated with lights and flowers. Her parents had planned a big party for her the next day. The morning brought a surprise. When she got up and went out to the lawn, she saw a car covered with a white sheet and knew instantly that it was her birthday gift. She couldn’t wait to unwrap her present but the sheet was tied up from all sides. Her father came out, gave her a big hug, and told her that it would be unveiled only in the evening. But soon, Kalpu managed to persuade him to let her at least see the colour… and then a little more... and then a little more… Within minutes, she was at the steering wheel starting the car. Sadhanaben rushed out at the sound and scolded her husband for revealing the car without her.

  The day was full of activity. The Kapadias had a large social circle and many r
elatives, so phone calls and visitors dropping in to wish her started early in the day. Sammy reached at around five in the evening. Kalpu’s parents were very happy that at least one of her closest friends could make it. Soon, guests began to arrive and the party got going. She socialized with everybody, but kept coming back to Sammy every now and then. Sammy teased her, ‘Do you know what all those people are gossiping about?’

  ‘Not really.’

  ‘They are gossiping because you are openly flirting with the handsomest boy in the party,’ he said, his eyes twinkling.

  Kalpu was not one to remain silent. ‘It’s your good luck,’ she shot back. ‘Thank me for spending time with you. Otherwise, nobody would be paying you any attention.’ Sammy challenged her, saying that he could flirt with any of the young women at the party. Kalpu was quite possessive about the Pandavas and forbade him from doing any such thing. Just as she was threatening him with dire consequences, her mother joined them.

  Sammy grabbed his chance and complained to Kalpu’s mother, ‘Look, Aunty. She doesn’t let me talk to anybody else, not even the girls here.’

  Sadhanaben added to the banter, ‘It’s because she likes you so much. She’s jealous.’

  Kalpu used her trump card and whined, ‘It’s my birthday today and you’re favouring him!’ She pretended to sulk, but burst out laughing after a minute. Kalpu’s mother hugged them both and then asked, to their surprise, ‘Should I announce that we’ve found a groom for our daughter?’

  And so the ribbing continued.

  At the end of the day, Kalpu had almost a roomful of gifts. She noticed the strange presence of many household items in the heap, and asked her mother, ‘Mummy, what will I do with these mixies, ovens, and so many toasters? And why have I been given a refrigerator?!’ Sadhanaben smiled and said, ‘You are twenty-five now and of marriageable age. So people thought it a good idea to give you useful things.’

  Kalpu turned to Sammy. ‘What have you brought?’

  Sammy pointed to himself and bowed. ‘I’ve come all the way from Mumbai. What more do you want?’

  Kalpu got sentimental, gave him half a hug with tears in her eyes and said, ‘I wish the others were here.’

  Sammy felt the same way and couldn’t say anything. After a few teary moments, he said, ‘I’ve brought you two gifts—a special one and an extra-special one. Which one do you want to see first?’

  Kalpu pretended to think about this, urging him to be quick. Sammy took out a gift-wrapped packet from his bag and handed it to her. She opened it eagerly and found a bottle of her favourite perfume, Intimate. ‘Thanks! Is this the special one or the extra-special one?’ Sammy handed her another package and said, ‘Wait till you open this.’ She did. It was a photo frame with two slots, both full. On the left was an old black and white photograph of the Pandavas taken at LEC.

  On the right was a picture of them arm in arm at their first Rewind_Rendezvous.

  Without doubt, she cherished this gift more than any she had received.

  Kalpu returned to Mumbai. Her life there after WIMA was very different from the one before, and she liked it this time around. As part of her job, she often had to arrange conferences for doctors. Sometimes, she met young and attractive ones, and after their professional association ended, she dated a few of them. However, with both parties focused on their careers, none of these relationships lasted long enough to materialize into anything serious.

  She sometimes had to travel to the company headquarters in Chicago. Her company had a generous travel policy, allowing any travel exceeding six hours to be by business class. Kalpu had spent her life in Ahmedabad, Surat and Mumbai, and her only taste of cold weather was on trips to hill stations during summer holidays. Before her first trip to Chicago to meet her boss, colleagues warned her of the severe cold there, especially in January. None of the warnings, however, could have prepared her for -20 degrees Celsius and the bane of all Indian visitors—the wind chill factor. Fortunately for her, the company had sent a car to pick her up. Nevertheless, the few minutes she had to spend walking out of the airport and into the car were enough to freeze her to the bone.

  She liked the free lifestyle of the US, which felt in sync with her personality. She enjoyed the shopping and the freedom to go out at night. Visiting a bar or a night club, or dating, weren’t a subject of gossip the way they were in India. She had always been an open-minded, free-spirited person, and her frequent trips to Chicago made her outlook even more liberal and cosmopolitan. Her intelligence and vivaciousness were infectious and she got on very well with her colleagues.

  Her American boss, the global head of marketing, noticed her great performance and attitude, and decided to invite her to move to Chicago for good. This was a dream come true for her and she was so excited that she felt like hugging him. She somehow held her excitement in, and calmly told him that she would think about it overnight and let him know the next day. Back at her hotel she immediately called her parents and gave them the good news. While her mother was a little sceptical about her unmarried daughter moving to Chicago by herself, her father was very supportive. He had always raised her thinking that one day, his daughter would win the world. For him, this was another step towards that day.

  Next, she phoned Maria, one of her colleagues with whom she had become quite friendly during her visits. Maria had moved to Chicago from their Brazil office. She was single and about the same age as Kalpu. She called Maria to the hotel and gave her the good news. They decided to celebrate at the bar. The next day, Kalpu woke up in her hotel room with a big hangover. She started to feel quite panicky: how was she going to drive to the office in this condition? And she had to meet her boss and accept the offer too! She called Maria again.

  Maria laughed for several minutes and then said, ‘After five shots and four margaritas, when you started hitting on the bartender, I thought it best to take you to your room. If I hadn’t, you’d have woken up next to a stranger.’

  Maria helped her out again that morning. She recommended a strong cup of black coffee and an aspirin, and told Kalpu to get ready for work. Maria had already informed the boss that Kalpu had a headache and might show up a bit late. Two cups of coffee and two aspirins later, Kalpu felt ready to take on the day. When she told her boss about her decision to move to the head office, he hugged her warmly and said, ‘Welcome to headquarters. I’m confident you’ll do wonderfully here.’

  Her friendship with Maria came in handy in more ways than one. After three months, when she landed in Chicago on a relatively mild spring afternoon, this time with a work permit to stay long-term, Maria was the one who helped her settle down in the city. Maria told her that there were three things which were absolutely necessary to have on her person at all times: her social security number, her driver’s licence, and a credit card. Fortunately for Kalpu, her office helped her open a bank account and get a credit card almost immediately. As soon as she got her social security number, she took the written test to get a learner’s driving permit. Maria had told her all about the test, and Kalpu passed without any difficulties. She was quite used to driving in India, and wanted the same freedom in the US. She was so eager that she went for the driving test just one week later. The scene at the Department of Motor Vehicles was quite different from her experience in India. In her nervousness, she took the left side of the road as was the custom back home, giving the inspector quite a scare. ‘Get back, get back!’ he shouted, almost jumping out of his seat.

  Back at the parking lot, the inspector instructed her to practise for two more weeks before coming back for another attempt. The next time, she passed. On Maria’s advice, she decided to lease rather than buy a car. Growing up, she had heard a lot about the swanky Mercedes and BMWs. She proudly leased a Mercedes. Her other important task— finding an apartment—had been easy. She found one in the same complex as Maria’s.

  Life in Chicago was just as she had dreamed: you worked hard and you played hard. Her boss was a nice man who had a happy tea
m working for him. Quite a few of the drugs the company had brought out were at the peak of their patent regimes and were bringing in plenty of money. She joined the Chicago office with a good package, and she got a big raise the next year based on her excellent performance. With all this money in hand, she started spending on luxury items. When she travelled within the US, her company put her up in five-star hotels and reimbursed daily expenses generously. Overall, life was as good as it could be.

  Maria also encouraged her to start dating. Maria herself was a fun-loving girl and changed boyfriends every month. Kalpu couldn’t quite get used to the idea of changing boyfriends that frequently, but she did start dating.

  Her first ‘date’ was set up by her mother. Concerned about the well-being of her single daughter, Sadhanaben had found a neighbour with a relative in Chicago who had an eligible son. Raj Patel’s parents, first-generation immigrants, wanted Kalpu to come to their place, but she insisted on meeting him at a restaurant, and a non-Indian one at that. She reasoned that they would get lot of unwanted attention in an Indian restaurant. Finally, they met at a place which did not attract much of a crowd on a Sunday. Kalpu took Maria along, and Raj came with his parents and younger sister. After they were comfortably seated, Kalpu and Raj started talking.

  ‘What kind of work do you do?’ asked Raj.

  Kalpu replied, ‘I am a marketing manager.’

  After a bit of chitchat, Kalpu asked Raj, ‘What qualities do you think your life-partner should have, Raj?’