The Mother I Never Knew Read online

  ‘What’s the approximate value of the remaining assets?’

  Mr Joshi was a seasoned lawyer. He answered tactfully, ‘You used to help him with the business, Satish. You should have a better idea.’

  Mukesh wondered out loud, ‘Why did Appa leave so much for me?’

  Mr Joshi realized that it was time to give the family some space. He stood up, ‘Money matters are always complex. It is better to resolve them calmly. The four of you need to sit down and discuss this as a family.’ He turned to Mukesh and said, ‘Munna, I need the power of attorney document from your Dad’s files to settle some of these matters. Call me after you have located it.’

  ‘Okay, Uncle.’

  After he had left, Mukesh asked his sister, ‘Neeru, do you know where we should look? I don’t know where Appa kept his legal papers.’

  Sumati replied absent-mindedly, ‘All his important papers are inside the old safe in the study upstairs.’

  When Rao Saheb was alive, nobody was allowed to touch the old-fashioned safe that was originally purchased in Delhi. It was his first purchase when he was branching out on his own. He had remained attached to it and considered it lucky for business.

  Neeraja went to her father’s study on the second floor and Mukesh headed to his bedroom wondering why Appa had been partial to him. Was it because he was a boy? He shrugged off the thought instantly, knowing very well that that was not the case. Maybe if he gave some of his assets to Neeraja, it would appease Satish and things could go back to normal.

  Mukesh dozed off.

  He awoke with a start to the sound of sobbing coming from his mother’s room. He ran there and found Neeraja and Amma crying on the bed. Satish was standing and looking upset while holding a picture in his hand. Mukesh knew why his brother-in-law was hurt—Satish thought that Appa had divided the assets unfairly. Gently, Mukesh told him, ‘Neeru and I are family and it doesn’t matter who gets more. I’ll give half of whatever Appa gave me to Neeru. Let’s not inconvenience Amma in any way.’

  Satish retorted, ‘Actually, these assets don’t even belong to you. You’re not a part of this family.’

  ‘How can you say such a thing?’

  ‘You are not Neeru’s real brother,’ Satish said slowly. ‘You were adopted by this family.’

  Mukesh was annoyed, ‘This isn’t the time to joke around.’

  ‘I’m not joking, Munna. Here, look at this.’

  Satish shoved the photograph he was holding into Mukesh’s hand. It was an old black-and-white picture of Neeraja and Mukesh sitting on two stools. There was a vase on the left and a curtain painted with waterfalls in the background. Mukesh said, ‘I admit that I haven’t seen this picture before, but what’s so special about it?’

  His brother-in-law observed, ‘Neeru is wearing a new skirt and blouse and you are wearing a very, very old T-shirt and shorts.’

  ‘So? What’s wrong with that?’

  ‘Look behind the picture.’

  Mukesh turned the picture around and saw a handwritten date at the back—‘2 February 1980, Picture Palace, Jalna, Maharashtra’.

  Immediately, Satish started asking him questions like the lawyer that he was. ‘Munna, Neeru’s birthday is on 31 December. Can you tell me the year of her birth?’

  ‘1977.’

  ‘And yours?’

  ‘I am two years younger than her,’ replied Mukesh.

  ‘Give me the exact date, please.’

  ‘1 January 1980. I remember because Appa and Amma celebrated Neeru’s birthday and mine together at midnight on New Year’s Eve. But Amma also celebrated my birthday on Buddha Purnima. Why are you bringing this up now?’ Mukesh asked sadly.

  ‘Munna, if you were born in the same year that this picture was taken, you should have been one month old in this photograph. Tell me, do you look like a newborn here?’ Satish’s voice was victorious.

  Mukesh stared at the picture. Satish was right. Both Neeraja and he appeared to be two years old—almost the same age.

  Satish continued, ‘If we consider this picture to be factually correct, then the two of you must be twins. But you aren’t, are you? Neeru has a birth certificate that says that she was born in Vani Vilas Hospital in Bangalore. What about you?’

  ‘Amma told me that I was born at home. She knows my date of birth.’ Mukesh turned to Neeraja and asked, ‘Akka, where did you find this photograph that’s threatening to ruin our relationship?’

  Satish smiled. He had made his point.

  4

  The Shattering Secret

  When Neeraja had entered her father’s second-floor study earlier, she had opened the safe but had not found the power of attorney document inside. She had thought of calling out to Mukesh to come and help her look in the cupboards, but then had decided against it. She felt sorry for her brother because he was going to have to travel soon and take a long flight back to London. After a twenty-minute search with no luck, she had gone back and looked at the safe again. She had stretched out her hand inside and to her surprise, had found the document and a small box at the back of the safe.

  Neeraja had kept the document aside and had curiously opened the box to find a small envelope that had turned yellow with age. She had peeked inside and pulled out a picture—a picture of Mukesh and herself. It was a rare childhood photograph that she had never seen before. Without even closing the safe, she had run down to show the picture to her mother. She had met her husband on the staircase and cried out in excitement, ‘Satish, look what I found inside the safe! It’s Munna and me. Don’t we look cute together? Amma and Appa must have forgotten about it.’

  Suddenly, she had remembered that she had left the safe open upstairs. She had told her husband, ‘Here, take this picture down and show it to Amma. I’ll close the safe and join the two of you in a minute.’

  Satish had nodded as Neeraja walked back upstairs. He had started climbing down the stairs while looking at the picture. In a flash, he had noticed that his wife and her brother looked like they were of the same age in the picture. Something was wrong. He had thought, ‘Neeru looks just like her mother—the curly hair and the straight nose are definitely from her. Munna is also tall like Rao Saheb but his features are very different. He has dark, soft and straight hair but Rao Saheb was completely bald. Still, it is difficult to tell from anyone’s external appearance. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions.’

  Satish was a smart man and had realized that his mother-in-law would know the truth. He had gone to Sumati’s bedroom and stood near the door. Absent-mindedly, he had noticed the photos on her dressing table—one of Mukesh’s marriage and the other of Neeraja’s and his.

  Sumati was formal with her son-in-law and had been surprised to see him at her door. She had stood up.

  He had come inside and asked her, ‘When was Munna born?’

  Neeraja had also come in a few seconds behind him.

  ‘You have been my son-in-law for the last five years now. You know when we celebrate Munna’s birthday,’ Sumati had said.

  ‘That’s why I’m asking you.’ Satish had held out the photograph. ‘You took this in Jalna.’

  Sumati had looked at the picture and felt the blood drain right out of her. She had turned pale and asked him, ‘Where did you find this?’

  Neeraja had replied, ‘It was tucked away at the back of Appa’s safe in an old envelope.’

  Satish had interrupted, ‘Amma, Neeru’s future depends on this. Is Munna not your son? Or is Neeru really not your biological daughter?’

  Sumati had not responded.

  Neeraja, taken aback, had started crying, ‘Am I not your daughter? Tell me, Amma!’

  Sumati had still not answered the question. She had also begun sobbing. Their cries had woken up Mukesh, who had then walked into the bedroom and found his mother and sister crying on the bed.

  *