House of Cards: A Novel Read online

‘Amma, how do you spend your time?’ asked Sanjay affectionately.

  ‘I have plenty of work. Every week, I get supplies from Mysore and I must keep accurate accounts. That takes time. Moreover, there’s intense competition among the shops these days. If I close my shop even for a day, I’ll lose my customers. Getting workers to help in the field has also become difficult. There’s a big sand business on the banks of River Kaveri. You must have noticed it. Most workers go there because it pays more. The sand there is good for use in construction. Since there is a lot of building work going on in Bangalore, the trucks are filled with sand and sent there.’

  Sanjay thought about what he had observed on his way to T. Narasipura. He had read in the newspaper that even big rivers like the Yamuna, Ganga and Mahanadi were subjected to this exploitation. Nobody checked whether the sand dealers were legally allowed to take away the sand from riverbeds. The digging caused the water to clog and collect in pits in the rainy season. Because of the stagnant water, many diseases were caused.

  Ratnamma continued talking to Sanjay. ‘Now, I have started the chits business too. There’s a meeting every month. This month’s meeting is tomorrow, in my house.’

  Sanjay read his mother’s mind straight away. The conversation at the meeting was going to be about finances and moneylending. He did not want Mridula to hear all that. He was conscious about what she would think about his mother. He said, ‘Amma, I’m glad that I came and met you. It is difficult for me to get a few days of vacation like this. So maybe Mridula and I will go to Belur tomorrow and meet Lakshmi too.’

  This new plan surprised Mridula—Sanjay had not discussed this with her. She could never read her husband’s mind. But Ratnamma was not perturbed. She asked, ‘How many days of vacation do you have?’

  ‘Three, but I’ve already used up one day here in T. Narasipura.’

  ‘That’s all right. You can leave after breakfast tomorrow. There’s no direct bus to Belur from here. So you’ll have to go to Mysore and then catch another bus from there. But call Lakshmi before you go.’

  ‘Lakshmi has a phone now? I didn’t know that.’

  ‘Yes. Shankar wants to show off and Lakshmi agrees with him. The truth is that they don’t need a phone. But Shankar wants it because his brother Mahadeva has one in Mysore. There’s so much competition among the brothers and their wives. The competition should be about who earns more money and not about who spends more. Every week, Shankar and Lakshmi hire a taxi and go on a short fun trip.’

  ‘Amma, who gives you this information?’

  ‘Subbaiah Shetty. Lakshmi and Shankar met him two weeks ago at Shringeri. Four weeks ago, they were at Dharmasthala. They don’t try to save and don’t respect my advice. Since you’re going there, why don’t you talk to them?’

  Ratnamma was tired, probably at the very thought of her daughter spending money like water. She decided to turn in for the night. Later, Mridula said to Sanjay, ‘You didn’t tell me that you plan to go to Lakshmi’s house.’

  ‘I thought that later I won’t be able get holidays and I’ll get busy preparing for my entrance exam. Lakshmi has invited us and you also wanted to go see her sometime.’

  Sanjay easily hid the real reason for the change of plans and Mridula believed him. She said, ‘Okay, you’re right. But I don’t have much money with me now. How can we go to her house for the first time without taking a gift?’

  ‘That’s not a problem. Lakshmi won’t mind.’

  Mridula found it strange that her mother-in-law did not insist that they stay with her for longer. The next morning, Ratnamma gave them breakfast. Before they left, she called Mridula inside and told her softly, ‘We don’t know when we’ll have to face difficult times. Life’s good when we have money. People will be friends with us. But when we don’t have money, nobody will help us. So try to save some money from your salary. I can’t tell Sanjay this but I can share this with you.’

  Mridula nodded quietly. Then she touched her mother-in-law’s feet; she felt nice about getting advice from her.

  When they reached Mysore, Mridula was happy. She said, ‘Sanjay, can we stay here for two or three days? After all, it is Saturday today. Then we can see the Mysore Palace, Krishna Raja Sagara Dam and Chamundi Hills.’

  Sanjay thought, ‘Where will we stay? Lakshmi’s in-laws won’t welcome us and we can’t afford to stay in a hotel. We don’t have any relatives with whom we can stay without feeling obliged.’ So he consoled his wife and said, ‘We’ll come again and stay longer next time.’

  With the little money Mridula had, she bought a synthetic sari, fruits, vegetables and flowers for Lakshmi from Devaraja Market. After seeing her mother-in-law’s house, she could only imagine how Lakshmi’s house must be. They called Lakshmi from the Mysore bus stand and she sounded happy to learn that they would be visiting her.

  When they reached Belur, Shankar was waiting for them at the bus stand. Sanjay said, ‘Why did you come, Shankar? We know your address. We could have come on our own by autorickshaw.’

  Shankar smiled and did not say anything. He had a taxi waiting for them. When he took them home, Mridula was taken aback. Shankar was an ordinary bank clerk but his house was better than a manager’s. It had all the modern amenities and expensive furniture and equipment, which even a rich person like Mridula’s father did not have in Aladahalli.

  When Mridula placed her gifts on the table, Lakshmi smiled and said, ‘Oh Mridula, why did you bring all these things? We get everything we need in Belur.’

  Lakshmi was wearing an expensive Mysore-silk sari and had fresh flowers tucked in her hair. Mridula said, ‘You’re looking nice, Akka. Are you planning to go out later?’

  ‘No, this is how I usually dress. Shankar likes neatness.’

  Mridula was surprised. She had received only one Mysore-silk sari at her wedding. She kept it for special occasions and had worn it only once.

  The lunch was excellent. Lots of dishes were served at the table. Mridula was pleasantly surprised. She asked, ‘Akka, how did you make so many things in such a short time?’

  ‘Oh, that isn’t a problem. I ordered some food from a hotel and our cook made the rest.’

  ‘Do you have a cook for three people?’ Mridula was open and direct.

  Lakshmi felt uncomfortable answering her. She said, ‘No, I call a cook only when I have guests.’

  The taxi remained in front of the house—it would be at their disposal through the entire visit. Sanjay told Shankar several times that they could travel by bus, but Shankar did not listen. He said, ‘You’re our guest. I can’t take you by bus.’

  On Sunday, Shankar took them to the temples at Belur and Halebid followed by lunch at the Taj Ashoka in Hassan. Mridula was worried that he was spending too much on them. The day they were leaving, Lakshmi gave Mridula an expensive sari and presented a good watch to her brother. Mridula was touched. She thought that she had gained a friend and a sister. Life was beautiful.

  When Shankar returned home after dropping Sanjay and Mridula to the bus stand, Lakshmi commented, ‘Mridula is really stingy. She’s the right daughter-in-law for my mother.’

  Shankar was not as smart as Lakshmi. He asked, ‘Why do you say that?’

  ‘She gave me a cheap synthetic sari and shamelessly took the silk sari I gave her. She gave me vegetables as a gift—as if I don’t have vegetables at home!’

  Shankar joined in, ‘Sanjay is also very shrewd. He didn’t offer to pay the taxi bill. He should’ve at least had the manners to ask. I don’t think he earns well. Even an ordinary doctor in a village earns more than him.’

  On the journey back to Bangalore, Mridula was all praise for Lakshmi and Shankar. She was blissfully unaware of what they actually thought of Sanjay and her.

  A few months passed and Shankar’s niece Usha’s marriage was fixed. The groom was an insurance officer.

  Usha’s mother, Vimla, did not like Sanjay even though she had once thought of Sanjay as a prospective groom for her daughter. At t