I decide to drive. It will be better for my nerves; negotiatingBengaluru traffic actually calms me down.
I call our driver, Shashi, and ask him to bring the car to the rear entrance of Kempe Crown.
Raju and his helmet follow me into the car. ‘You could’ve left your helmet in my office; it would’ve been safe,’ I tell Raju.
He shrugs and places his Steelbird graffiti-adorned helmet on his lap. His baby.Would he love anything more? I wonder.
I check my phone. I have dialled Appa a dozen times. Shashi has adjusted the rearview mirror for me. ‘Maybe I should call Appa’s PA,’ I tell myself.
I smile at my friend, who finally sees that I’m upset.
‘Are you okay?’ he asks.
‘I will be okay,’ I say as we turn out of the hotel.
The pettiness to talk about my clothes. I can wear whatever the shit I want to wear, whenever I want to wear it, in the boardroom or on the bloody beach.
I’m hanging on to the unemotional details because I don’t want to think of things that really matter. All the times he looked at me, like I’m the only woman in the world… That Choti Holi evening when our eyes found each other’s over bobbing heads, in the middle of thousands of people, sounds and songs. Later that evening, on the terrace… his lips on my lipstick.
The phone interrupts my thoughts. It is Kannan, Appa’s smooth-as-silk PA. I tell him I’m on my way; I want to see Appa immediately.
‘Boss is in his office; he’s busy, madam.’
‘I’ll be there in ten minutes, and please ensure he is free.’
I don’t wait for a response; I disconnect. Alia has taught me well.
I don’t have to wait for Kannan to show me in because Raju took care of the PA. Kannan was Raju’s first pal in Appa’s team. He is the guy Raju broke bread with every morning when he worked here.
Appa’s smile freezes when he sees me.
‘Aashi,’ he says, ‘are you okay,magale?’ His face crumples.
‘Are you planning to take over Ranibagh?’ I ask before I take a seat opposite him.
He nods instantly, and after a whole minute, he asks, ‘How do you know?’
When he shook his head, I thought he was going to tell me he had no designs on Ranibagh Palace, but Appa’s question explodes in my head like a parcel of crackers. So, this is what this morning was about?
Why has Appa put me in this position? My shoulders drop, and my throat burns.
‘I won’t go ahead with this proposal, Appa. I cannot,’ I say. I speak slowly and clearly.
I didn’t want to tell him that Vedveer had already called it off. That’s for the Rathores to handle on their end. My reason for not telling Appa that Vedveer jetted into town this morning, convinced we were plotting to take over Ranibagh… is because my ego has taken a beating.
‘It’s not a big deal; they do not need our money. At least, not the way you think they need the money,’ Appa says.
‘How do I think they need the money?’ I ask.
‘They are not in debt or anything.’
I exhale. Thank god for small mercies, not that it mattered anyway.
‘I’m out of this alliance,’ I say. ‘Heladha mathu keltha idhira?’ Are you listening to what I’m saying?
Appa is staring at me. If he is waiting for me to retract my words, he is going to be waiting for the rest of his life.
‘Chinna,’ he says, using one of my many nicknames like he is testing the keys of a piano, ‘this is not an underhand deal; this is all above board. They are looking to lease a part of Ranibagh Palace, and we made an offer.’
