“You of all people deserve it, sir-ji. I have always thought you to be a canny fellow. You’ve just had bad luck, that’s all.”
“Exactly! Unlucky, that is all!” agreed Bagga Uncle.
He replenished their glasses.
“
Bagga Uncle stared at him blankly and blinked.
“I could draw the money for you from the bank in the morning. No need to borrow from some stranger you don’t know and risk your house. Let me take care of it.”
“You would do that for me?”
“Of course, sir-ji!” The detective gave him a hearty slap on the back. “What is family for?”
Tears formed in Bagga Uncle’s bloodshot eyes.
“Mr. Sherluck, you are number one!”
“So you accept?”
They shook on it. More Aristocrat whisky was consumed. And then the detective said: “Sir-ji, there is one thing I don’t understand. Why do you need this money if you are selling your land?”
Bagga Uncle leaned in. “You promise not to tell anyone?”
“They would have to gouge out my eyes!”
“I can trust you?” Bagga Uncle suddenly regarded Puri as if he were a stranger.
“Have you ever had any reason not to?”
“There was that one time you called me ‘saala’,” said Bagga Uncle with a wounded expression.
“For that I apologize unreservedly, sir-ji. I was angry, but it was uncalled for. Besides, now we are business partners.”
That seemed to do the trick.
“OK, I’ll tell you. In order to build the mall, the developers need the land next to mine as well,” said Bagga Uncle. Go on.
“That land is owned by that son-of-a-whore bastard motherf – ”
“What’s his name, yaar?” interrupted Puri.
“Jasbirjaggi.”
“He does what exactly?”
“He’s into transportation. Lives in a big farmhouse off Ferozepur Road. Laad sahib!”
“And?”
Bagga Uncle leaned in farther, looking pleased with himself.
“See, Chubby… when the construction company approached me they mentioned they would need that other land as well.”
“And?”
“I told them I could get it for them. No need to talk to that son-of-a-whore bastard motherf – ”
“And so you offered to buy it from this Jasbir Jaggi?”
“Exactly!”
Puri stood up abruptly and pushed back his chair.
“Saala!” he roared, and stormed out, leaving Bagga Uncle staring after him in bewilderment.
Twenty-Four
Rumpi had a big lump in her throat as she sat in Mummy’s car across the street from the white villa in C Block, Greater Kailash Part One, in South Delhi.
“You realize I have known this woman for near on twenty years?” she said to her mother-in-law. “Her children and mine used to play together. I was present at her son’s wedding. I still can’t believe she went and did this. What was she thinking? Now her whole reputation will lie in tatters.”
“Some people are lacking in moral fibers, na,” said Mummy. “Rich or poor – doesn’t matter.”
They sat in silence for a while, watching cars and auto rickshaws and the occasional bicycle rickshaw pass by in the gathering darkness.
Majnu was restless in the front seat.
“Madam, my duty is getting over,” he said grumpily.
It was a quarter to six. But the driver had arrived an hour late for work, making some excuse about a headache, so by Mummy’s reckoning, he still owed her an hour and fifteen minutes.
Weary of scolding him, she simply let out an irritated tut and then said to Rumpi: “It is nearly time, na? Think others are coming?”
“I do hope so. It would be much better if we all confronted her at once.”
Presently, Lily Arora’s Sumo turned into the space in front of Mummy’s Indica. Mrs. Shankar, who rode a scooter, was next. A minute later, Mrs. Bansal pulled up in her BMW.
“I’m afraid Phoolan isn’t coming,” she called from her window with a long face. “Something about a root canal.”
They gave it another five minutes and then gathered at the gate. There were three no-shows, bringing the total to nine plus Mummy.
“Madam is expecting only myself,” Rumpi told the security guard. “So don’t tell her I have come with friends. Or you will ruin the surprise.”
He wobbled his head in an understanding kind of way and stepped into his sentry box to use the intercom.
When word came back that Rumpi was to be shown up, she led the way past the cars in the forecourt and into the house.
Mrs. Nanda, as straight, tall and elegant as ever, was waiting in the sitting room. She stood to greet Puri’s wife with a smile and both hands held out in welcome.
“What’s wrong, my dear?” was her reaction to Rumpi’s cold response. And then, still smiling: “What’s this? Ladies, what a surprise! How nice of you all to come. Please make yourselves comfortable. I’ll ask for more cups.”
In silence, they all stood in a row just inside the room looking either pensive or embarrassed, and in Lily Arora’s case, enraged.
Mummy, who had been elected by a quick vote at the gate as official spokeswoman, said: “We won’t be staying long, na. Just we came to say we have come to know everything.”
Lily Arora suddenly interjected angrily, pointing a finger at Mrs. Nanda. “How could you have done this, Sona? You realize my poor baby’s lying in a coma? He might not live and the vet says even if he does he will probably never walk or talk!”
“I’m sorry, Lily, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I – ”
“Oh, don’t lie to us, Sona.” Lily Arora had her hands on her hips now. “That will only make it worse for you, believe me.”
“Ladies, I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding,” said Mrs. Nanda calmly. “Are you suggesting I was involved in the robbery somehow? Is that it?”
The silence answered well enough.
“Well, that’s ridiculous!” She looked incredulous. “What reason would I have for doing something like that?”
“Same reason anyone does dacoity, na,” said Mummy. “You needed paisa.”
“Forgive me, Auntie-ji, but you obviously don’t know me very well. I can assure you I have no need of cash. My husband – ”
“Is doing accounting. Yes, we’re aware. He’s a topper, handling so many of big companies. Thanks to that he’s getting information on stock market and takeovers and such.”
