The Case of the Missing Servant

doorway. 'It can't be such a long chat about a car?'

'Just I've been discussing one investment proposition.'

'With Rinku?' The detective laughed. 'What's he trying to sell you? The President's Palace?'

'Don't do sarcasm, Chubby. Rinku has given me one hot tip. Just some land is coming up and we're in discussion.'

'You watch your back, Mummy-ji. He's a slippery fellow,' said the detective, closing the door behind them.

'Oh, Chubby, when will you learn, na? Just I can take care of myself. Now, come. Let's play cards. Tonight I'm feeling very much lucky!'

Glossary

AACHAR     a pickle. Most commonly made of carrot, lime, garlic, cauliflower, chili or unripe mango cooked in mustard oil and spices.

'ACCHA'     Hindi for 'OK,' 'good' or 'got it.'

ADIVASI      literally 'original inhabitants.' These Indian tribals comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India.

AGRAWAL  a community in India, traditionally traders.

ALOO PARANTHA   flat Indian wheat bread stuffed with a potato and spice mixture, pan- fried and served with yogurt and pickle. Often eaten for breakfast.

ANGREZ     Hindi for 'English' or 'British.' Also means 'Englishman' or 'Britisher.' Angrez noun, Angrezi adjective.

ASHRAMAS the four phases of a Hindu's life.

AUTO         short for autorickshaw, a three-wheeled taxi that runs on a two-stroke engine.

AYAH         a domestic servant role that combines the functions of maid and nanny.

'AY BHAI'   Hindi for 'hey, brother.'

BAGHA-CHALL  a strategic, two-player board game that originates in Nepal. The game is asymmetric in that one player controls four tigers and the other player controls up to twenty goats. The tigers 'hunt' the goats while the goats attempt to block the tigers' movements.

'BHAANCHHOD'  Punjabi expletive meaning 'sister fucker.'

BABA         father.

BABU         a bureaucrat or other government official.

'BADIYA'    Urdu word for 'wonderful,' 'great.'

BAKSHISH   a term used to describe tipping, charitable giving and bribery.

BAHU         daughter-in-law.

BALTI         a bucket.

BANIA        a trader or merchant belonging to the Indian business class.

BARSAATI  from barsaat , meaning rain. A barsaati is a room at the top of the house used for storage or servant's quarters that bears the brunt of the falling rain. Today, barsaatis in posh Delhi neighborhoods rent for hundreds of dollars per month.

BASTIS       colonies of makeshift houses for the poor.

BATCHMATES  students who attended the same school, college, or military or administrative academy.

BETA         'son,' or 'child,' used in endearment.

BHAI          brother.

BHANG      a drink popular in many parts of India made by mixing cannabis with a concoction of almonds, spices, milk and sugar.

BHAVAN    home or building.

BHINDI       okra.

BIDI           Indian cigarette made of strong tobacco hand-rolled in a leaf from the ebony tree.

BINDI         from the Sanskrit bindu , 'a drop, small particle, dot.' Traditionally a dot of red color applied in the center of the forehead close to the eyebrows worn by married Hindu women, or by any girl or woman as a decoration, often colored to match the clothes they are wearing.

BUCKS       as in America, but used to mean rupees instead of dollars.

BURFI OR BARFI  a sweet made from condensed milk and cooked with sugar until it solidifies. Burfi is often flavored with cashews, mango, pistachio and spices and is sometimes served coated with a thin layer of edible silver leaf.

'BUSS'       Hindi for 'stop' or 'enough.'

CAR-SAAF-WALLAH  Wallah is a generic term in Hindi meaning 'the one' or 'he who does.' Car-saaf-wallah is typical Hinglish, a mixture of Hindi and English, in this case meaning 'he who washes the car.'

'CHALLO'  Hindi for 'let's go.'

CHAI         tea.

CHANNA   spicy masala chickpeas, also known as chhole .

CHANNA BHATURA  Indian fried bread, very oily, chewy (and delicious!), served with curried chickpeas.

CHAPPATIS  see roti.

CHARAS     handmade hashish, very potent.

CHARPAI    literally 'four feet.' A charpai is a woven string cot used throughout northern India and Pakistan.

CHAPPALS  Indian sandals usually made of leather or rubber.

CHAT        a savory, spicy, tangy street food common to northern and western India. Chat comprises crispy fried papris or savory biscuits, topped with yogurt, spices, sliced onions, mango powder, and tamarind and green chili chutneys.

CHAVAL    rice.

CHHATRIS  literally 'umbrella' or 'canopy,' a domeshaped pavilion commonly used as an element of Indian architecture.

CHHOLE     see channa.

CHIKAN KURTA  Kurta is a long shirt worn by men and women in Pakistan and northern India. Chikan refers to a unique embroidery style from Lucknow, believed to have been introduced by the emperor Jehangir's wife, Nur Jehan. Traditionally, it uses white thread on white muslin cloth.

CHOWKIDAR  watchman.

CHOWTI BABY  in Hindi, chowti means 'little.'

CHUDDIES   Punjabi for underpants.

CHUNNI      long scarf worn with drawstring trousers and a knee-length kameez or kurta.

CHURIDAAR PAJAMA  a style of leg-hugging drawstring pajamas with folds that fall around the ankles like a stack of churis, or bracelets.

CRORE       a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to 10 million.

CROREPATI  an extremely rich person, a multimillionaire.

COUSIN-SISTER  a colloquialism emphasizing that in India a first cousin is like a sibling.

DAAL         spiced lentils.

DABBA      a lunchbox, usually round and made of stainless steel with several compartments.