House of Cards: A Novel Read online

  Sishir felt quite happy about the turn of events. Thirteen hours later, the plane reached London. Neha and Sishir met each other again at the baggage claim. Sishir’s bags had priority tags on them, so they arrived almost immediately, but he decided to wait with her. Unfortunately, Neha’s bags did not come and she looked worried. Sishir went to the airline counter and registered a complaint. He was asked to wait for another half hour. When Neha heard this, she said, ‘Thank you for your help, but I don’t want to hold you up.’

  Sishir smiled and did not reply. Instead, he asked her, ‘Is this your first trip to London?’

  ‘Yes, in fact, it was my first plane ride.’

  ‘How do you spend your vacations? Where do you go?’

  ‘I go wherever my parents are. Both of them are in transferable jobs. They try to stay near Chitradurga—sometimes they are successful and sometimes they aren’t. Depending on the circumstances, I make a trip to visit them. Otherwise, I stay alone in Chitradurga.’

  ‘Isn’t it difficult to stay in a small village by yourself? It’s different from staying alone in a big city like Bangalore.’

  Sishir had the independence to live alone but it was the first time that he comprehended that he liked staying with his parents. He might not always like their advice or suggestions but he knew that they loved him unconditionally and he loved the attention he got from them too.

  Neha interrupted his thoughts saying, ‘Sishir, it is not difficult. I have extended family there and my dad has also built a house. It may be small but it’s our home. I like living there. I enjoy the company of my relatives and I participate in festivals with them.’

  ‘What are you going to do in Oxford?’

  ‘I’m pursuing my studies in sociology and human behaviour. I have received a fellowship for two years.’

  ‘Are you going to continue to play chess?’

  ‘Of course! It’s my hobby.’

  ‘Do you have any friends or relatives in the UK?’

  ‘No. Almost all my contacts are in Chitradurga and I have a few cousins in Bangalore.’

  ‘You must be away from your family for the first time for this long.’

  ‘Yes.’

  Sishir felt sorry for Neha—a girl who had never gone out of her country was going to stay on her own in a place like England without any relatives and with limited income. He suddenly remembered his mother. She had told him, ‘Sishir, when I came to Bangalore, I cried for months. My Kannada and background were so different from the norm in Bangalore. It was as good as going to a foreign land. Many times, I wanted to go back home but I realized that your dad had a better future in Bangalore. So I started making new friends, learning their habits and the culture. But my heart lies in the village. For me, home will always be Aladahalli.’

  Sishir thought, ‘Neha must be feeling the same way Amma did all those years ago.’

  He said, ‘I’m going to be in John Radcliffe Hospital near Oxford. Please let me know whenever you need any help.’

  Neha’s bags finally arrived. As they walked out of the airport, Sishir asked, ‘How are you going to Oxford?’

  ‘The college website said that I should get down at Heathrow Airport, take the tube into town and then a bus to Oxford. I’ll follow their instructions.’

  ‘Why do you want to do that? I’m taking a taxi. I’ll give you a ride.’

  ‘No, I don’t think so. I have troubled you enough. I can manage on my own.’

  Sishir was a little annoyed and said firmly, ‘Neha, try to understand. This is a new country. It is not even remotely like going to Delhi. I’m an Indian student like you who’s going to stay here for four years. There’s grace in accepting favours sometimes. Let me help you.’

  Neha was silent for a minute and then said, ‘Okay.’

  They went out of Heathrow Airport and got into a taxi. Sishir knew the ins and outs of London.

  As the taxi got going, Sishir noticed that Neha was looking on either side of the road, like a child looking at a beautiful toy for the first time. Her face was usually calm but he could see that she was excited now. He liked seeing her enjoy London. When her destination arrived, Neha got down with her bags and said, ‘Thank you for the ride. I’ll go to my room now.’

  Sishir laughed. ‘Do you have the keys?’

  ‘Oh, I’m sure there’s a chowkidar who will show me the room and give me the keys.’

  Sishir was amused. ‘This isn’t India, Neha. There’s a different system here. You need a special kind of key to get into your apartment.’

  Sishir got down, talked to the apartment office and got the keys; Neha followed him quietly. Finally, he dropped her to her room. As they were saying goodbye, Neha felt alone; Sishir could see it in her moist eyes.

  A week passed by and Neha sent Sishir an email giving the details of her apartment and her phone number. She said that she had started her classes. Though she was intelligent, she found it a little difficult to follow the British accent. Adjustment for Sishir was much easier. He had two seniors working in the same hospital but their shift timings were different. Apart from that, in one year, his seniors had also found girlfriends for themselves.

  Sishir called Neha that evening and politely asked if they could meet on Saturday. He wanted her to have someone to talk to. Within a month, Neha had become a fish in water. She had adjusted well and made new friends. But she always felt the most comfortable with Sishir and liked meeting him. Sishir felt the same way. He had grown up an only child and had never had anybody to share with, to fight and reconcile with, to help hide his secrets, or compete with. Though he was friendly with both boys and girls, he preferred to keep to himself. For the first time, he felt a strong connection to someone whom he really respected.

  26

  Learning to Survive

  A team of teachers came from Mridula’s school to visit her. She had never taken such a long vacation and now, she had applied for medical leave. When they came to see her, everybody gave her different advice. Some said, ‘Madam, since you are unwell, you should go to a hill station and rest. The change might be good for you.’ Others said, ‘You should go on a world tour since you don’t have to worry about money.’ But Leela said, ‘I attended a swamiji’s discourse in Jayanagar. He teaches relaxation techniques and I found it useful. Maybe you can try it.’

  ‘Do you think my mind will be at rest after that?’

  ‘I think so. I’ll give you his address if you want.’

  Mridula decided to enrol for the course and went there the next day. There were people from different age groups and everyone had a problem. Finally, the swamiji entered. He was young, lean and clean-shaven. He had a calm face and was wearing a white robe. He said, ‘The main reason for unhappiness is disappointment. Disappointment disappears with detachment. Detachment comes through knowledge and knowledge is gained by dhyana. So you should learn the technique of dhyana.’

  Mridula did not understand a word. She just wanted to be happy again. A devotee asked, ‘Swamiji, I get upset quickly. How do I control my temper?’

  ‘With your mind. I can’t tell you a specific method because every individual is different and you have to find out what works best for you.’

  Mridula thought, ‘If I knew how to control my mind, then I wouldn’t be here. I want to be the way I was and enjoy life and its beauty. But now, I dread the thought of living another day.’

  Disappointed, Mridula came back home. The next morning at 10 a.m., the doorbell rang. She heard the sound but continued sitting on the sofa. The cook, Sakamma, opened the door. It was Vani, a former student of Mridula’s. She was looking happy and holding a bunch of wedding cards in her hand. When she saw Mridula though, she stopped smiling. She knew that something was wrong. She said, ‘Madam, what is it? What’s the matter?’

  Shocked, she sat down right next to Mridula.

  Vani had been a student in Mridula’s school. Her family was not well off: her father was a rickshaw driver and she did not have a mother. Sh