Accidental Inquisitors Read online

  ‘Like what sir?’ Raj blurted out.

  The man glared at Raj and said, ’Like corrupting my daughter’s mind with illusion of a happy future.’

  ‘That is not an illusion. I love her. She will be happy with me,’ Raj paused. He carefully eyed the man whose breath was beginning to grow deeper and said, ‘You should learn to empathise. How would I feel if you take away the love of my life for reasons as silly as caste?’

  ‘Mind your words,’ the man barked. They were distracted when the door opened and the man with the spectacles, who had opened the door for Raj, entered the house and walked into the room from which Geetha’s father had emerged.

  ‘We are all humans sir. And we live in a democracy,’ said Raj.

  ‘Are you saying you are equal to me?’

  Much better. Raj held his tongue.

  ‘This will never happen,’ the man said, shaking his head fervently, ‘My daughter will marry in my caste. Now she may be talking nonsense. Once she gets married, she will get back to her senses.’

  ‘You are going to get her married against her will?' Raj asked. ‘You have no right to ask that question boy,’ the man replied. Raj could sense the anger brimming inside the man. He decided to try a different approach.

  ‘Sir, what should I do to make you accept me?’

  The man smiled and raised him right arm, showing the inner palm to Raj. He pointed at his extended fingers with the other hand and said, ‘The day God decides that humans will be born with all fingers equal, I will consider you my equal. Then, you can marry my daughter.’

  Raj stared at the man’s palm, digesting what he just heard. The different approach had gone wrong. The man suddenly extended his arm further and caught Raj’s collar. He dragged him to the door and pushed him out of the house.

  ‘She will not marry anyone else,’Raj shouted. Geetha’s mother came running again. She was worried about the neighbours hearing Raj’s words. The man stopped her saying, ‘Let him shout as much as he wants’

  ‘I will tell everyone that Geetha and I love each other. I will also tell the bridegroom about us. Whoever he is.’

  ‘Had we fallen for such threats, our caste would not be as great as it is now. The bridegroom already knows,’ he said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘He was the one who opened the door for you.’ The man shut the door.

  ***

  Seeing the Toyota Innova parked in front of his gate, Antony felt he had arrived in life. He was assigned as the external invigilator for a practical examination at St. Jack’s International Residential School. The school had sent the car to pick him. He had promised his son a new pair of skating shoes and his wife a diamond ring the moment he got the assignment.

  ‘They take care of your needs and they are generous,’ Mr. Mehta, who had bought himself a new Bajaj Discover after his visit to the school as an invigilator the previous year, had said. ‘Chemistry is one subject where you can always catch their students off guard.’

  Antony’s hopes were high when he waved at his son and wife after getting into the car. Ninety minutes later, the car entered the school premises located on the Chennai Bangalore national highway.

  He was greeted by the principal, the Chemistry teacher, and a young lady who introduced herself as aa assistant. After a grand breakfast, seated at a table in the guest room, the Chemistry teacher asked Antony, ‘Shall we go to the laboratory sir?’ Antony’s face showed an expression of confusion which the Chemistry teacher did not miss.

  ‘Shall we sir?’ she repeated. ‘Do not start until they treat you right,’ Mr. Mehta had said. Antony sat upright and asked, ‘Where is the principal?’ Vanita, being quite experienced, smiled.

  ‘Sir, do you want to finish the formalities now or after the exam?’ asked Vanita looking into his eyes. ‘Now.’ Antony avoided her eyes. A minute later, an envelope was handed over to Antony by Vanita who was accompanied by the office assistant this time.

  Antony felt the notes inside the envelope. From his experience, he guessed it to have fifty notes.

  ‘They will give you at least seventy-five thousand,’ he recalled Mr. Mehta saying, when he closed his eyes for a moment. Antony fought an impulse to open the envelope and count the notes. When he looked up, he saw the office assistant watching him intently.

  ‘Shall we go to the lab sir?’ asked Vanita. Antony grunted assent, folded the envelope in half, stood up, stuffed the envelope into his right pocket and followed Vanita out of the room. The office assistant tailed them holding a bunch of papers close to her chest. Taking his seat behind a large wooden desk placed along the breadth of the rectangular room, Antony could see ten tables, five on each side. He groped the envelope in his pocket. He realised how lost he was when the office assistant, who was right in front of him, had to wave fervently to get his attention.

  ‘Excuse me,’ he said and pulled the envelope out of his pocket. The office assistant saw Antony’s face pale after he peered into the envelope.

  ‘Madam,’ he said, calling out to Vanita who was busy instructing the students who had lined up outside the laboratory. The assistant, with a confused look on her face, stepped back to let Vanita do the talking.

  ‘What is this madam?’ asked Antony holding the envelope close to his lap lest the students at the door notice it. ‘This might be your price for a night.’ Vanita glared at the man. The office assistant’s jaw dropped. Trying hard to keep her cool, Vanita said, ‘Sir, we can talk about it after the examination,’ and forced a smile, ‘we will make sure you are satisfied.’

  ‘We?’ asked Antony then pointed at the assistant, ‘will this woman also join you?’

  ‘Mind your language Mr. Antony,’ said Vanita gritting her teeth.

  ‘You should learn to treat officials better,’ said Antony and thrust the envelope into his pocket, ‘I will finalise the marks based on your manners.’

  ‘We will meet the principal after the exam and sort everything out sir,’ said Vanita and went back to making the arrangements. Antony’s eyes fell on the office assistant who was watching him with disgust in her eyes.

  Papers were collected, apparatus were set up and experiments were on when Antony decided to walk around. Each table had four students. From his experience he could tell the ones who knew what they were doing, apart. He noticed one boy fully engrossed in his experiment. His work was neat. Perfect! Antony had identified his target.

  Viki waited for his turn to be called for the viva-voce. The invigilator was picking students randomly. Every time a student got up from the seat opposite the invigilator, Viki would look up expectantly. There were many who were anxious, awaiting their turn but when the clock read ten minutes to eleven, Viki was the only one left. He raised his arm. Vanita and the invigilator looked up.

  ‘Yes, Vikram?' asked Vanita.

  ‘My viva is not done yet ma’am’

  Viki saw the chemistry teacher turn towards the invigilator whose face was now hard. The man shook his head in dissent for something the Chemistry teacher was saying. Viki saw a grimace appear on the face of the office assistant who was sitting on the other side of the teacher. The conversation between the teacher and the invigilator seemed to go on and on. He picked his papers and walked upto the invigilator.

  ‘Sir, there are only five minutes left.’

  ‘I know, young man,’ said the invigilator, ‘your viva will not be conducted.’

  ‘Why sir?’ asked Viki and looked at his Chemistry teacher then at the assistant sitting next to her, confused.

  ‘Go take your seat,’ said Antony sternly and turned toward Vanita, ‘this student’s fate will depend on your manners.’ The student had not moved an inch. ‘Vikram, go to your seat,’ said Vanita and stood up. When she was about to leave the room, Viki asked, ‘Did I do something wrong?’ Vanita walked out without answering.

  When the clock struck eleven, Antony announced, ‘Everyone submit your papers on this table,’ knocking on the table in
front of him. Viki asked politely, ‘Sir, why are you not taking my viva?’

  ‘I know what to do,’ the man shouted.Viki was taken aback. He looked at the office assistant helplessly. ‘Vikram,’ said the office assistant, ‘wait till ma’am comes. Your viva will be taken.’ The invigilator shot a dirty look at the woman and said, ‘Who are you to say that?’

  ‘What is the problem sir?’ asked Viki. He noticed the man turn red in anger. ‘Sir,’ said Viki.

  ‘Get lost!’ the invigilator shouted at the top of his voice, banging the table. Viki froze, his eyes screwed and focussed on the invigilator’s.

  ‘I asked you to get lost, idiot,’ the invigilator shouted again.

  ‘Mind your words,’ said Viki.

  ‘What?’ Antony was furious, ‘How dare you speak to an invigilator like that?’

  ‘I don't care who you are,’ said Viki, ‘mind your words.’ The assistant quickly got up and pulled Viki by his hand. Even with all her physical effort she could not move the boy an inch. ‘Somebody come here and take him,’ she said turning towards the students who were leaving the laboratory. One boy quickly walked towards her.

  ‘Take him,’ she said but the boy stood next to Vikram, facing the invigilator.

  Seeing the two boys stare at him unsettled Antony a little. Even in his fury, he noticed that the two appeared menacing. However, he could not let his ego be hurt.

  ‘What’s your name hero?’ he shouted.

  ‘Bala,’ came the reply. Antony matched the name to a registration number and picked the bunch of papers in front of him and sifted through them till he arrived at Bala’s number.

  ‘Both of you can be sure you will fail,’ said Antony. A smile appeared on Bala’s face. He looked at Viki, who nodded, and with practiced coordination, the boys brought down one hand each on either side of the invigilator’s face.

  Antony heard the assistant shriek as he felt his head swirl and white dots appear all over his vision. He saw a blurred image of a lady entering the room.

  The same shriek had made Vanita, who was on the way back to the laboratory, run in. It took a few moments for Vanita to gather what had happened. The horror on her face terrified Viki who was rubbing his palms.

  ‘Send everyone out and close the door,’ said Vanita to the lab assistant. Viki and Bala looked at each other, when Vanita said, ‘You both stay.’

  Antony recovered and sat upright, his hair dishevelled, face red and eyes bloodshot. He looked at Vanita, who said, ‘I am extremely sorry sir.’ Antony stood up and said, ‘Bitch, I will make sure proper action is taken against this school. Tell your pigs they don't have a chance of passing.’

  Antony was making his way to the door with Vanita pleading behind him when the lab assistant spoke, ‘Mr. Antony!’ The tone of her voice startled Bala and Antony stopped.

  ‘I will ruin your career,’ she said and Antony spun around.

  ‘I have complete video proof of you refusing to come to the lab unless we give you the bribe and of everything that happened here. I have been recording everything.’ She showed Antony a smartphone. Vanita looked at the smartphone in the assistant’s hand and raised an eyebrow.

  ‘If you do anything stupid, I will make sure your career is ruined.’ She saw Antony’s head drop. He murmured something into Vanita’s ears, then returned to the table and quickly filled up a couple of sheets and left the room behind Vanita. The assistant, held the phone in her hand and waved after them. A grin appeared on Bala’s face.

  When the car left the school campus, Antony broke down in the backseat of the car. His sobs were loud enough to get the driver’s attention. I’ve never been slapped on both cheeks at the same time.

  ***

  ‘You can’t keep swinging in and out of a relationship like this,’ she shouted into the phone. She felt embarrassed when her co-passengers in the Mumbai metro looked at her. Tears began flowing down her cheeks while the person on the other side kept talking to her. Nothing registered in her mind. This was the third time in the last year he has expressed his unwillingness to be in a relationship with her. The last two times she had struggled hard to move on but he was back when she had just begun moving on.

  ‘Pritvi, how many times will you do this to me?’ she asked, after a few sobs, ‘Do what you feel is right for you. I never mattered to you anyway. Bye!’ She was to alight at Andheri West and then take a ten minute shared-auto ride to her office in Bandra Kurla Complex.

  Her tears had dried by the time she entered the women’s restroom on the second floor of her office premises. After settling in her seat, she wanted to talk to the only trustworthy friend she had. Now, he was in another branch. She dialled his number.

  ‘Hey Jainika!’ said Raj enthusiastically as soon as he picked her call. She smiled. He often called her with the meaning of her name.

  ‘How are you?’ she asked.

  ‘I am well. Why are you upset?’ he asked. How does he know?

  ‘It’s that guy. He said he can’t continue,’ she said, trying to hold her tears back.

  ‘I am so sorry. But what’s his reason?’

  ‘He’s saying I am a distraction.’ This time the tears rolled.

  ‘That’s lame. Are you in office?’

  ‘Haan,’ she managed to say without letting him hearing her sob.

  ‘Jainika,’ he said softly. She could no longer suppress her sobs. ‘Why does this happen to me?’ she asked, crying. ‘Jainika. he should be the one crying. You are a sweetheart.’

  ‘You say such things,’ she said, ‘because you’re my friend,’

  ‘You really are. You are what, 24? You have the whole world to explore. Youth to enjoy. Charm to make men run after you. And you’re crying for that loser?’

  ‘Is he really a loser?’ she asked. She had accepted Pritvi more than once and didn’t want to agree he was loser because that would mean acknowledging something negative about herself.

  ‘How possessive can you be? He hurt you. He’s obviously a loser.’

  ‘I accept it since you are saying it. I feel so bad.’

  ‘I know. It hurts. At least he told you he is not interested. Look at my situation. I don’t even know if she is still in it or not?’

  ‘Achcha! Tell me. What’s happening?’ she was suddenly interested in his story.

  ‘I met her parents. They threw me out. She was not there. I don't know where she is.’

  ‘Don’t worry yaar. You will surely get her. You are not like this Pritvi. His mood swings are more than that of pregnant women.’ Raj laughed.

  ‘Talking to you makes me feel better. Thank you so much.’

  ‘Don’t thank me. I am always here for you. Call me whenever you want to. Take care.’ Raj hung up as he entered the training room. The door swung open behind him and Mr. Ashok walked in.

  ‘Good morning,’ he said, ‘nice to see you young bright faces.’

  Priyanka reciprocated the enthusiasm. Raj mumbled his greetings. ‘Okay Raj, if that doesn't cheer you, I have news of your postings’ The duo looked at the trainer in anticipation. They hoped that their department postings were according to their preferences.

  ‘Do you want to guess your department?’

  ‘Yes,’said Priyanka, ‘ I am in Finance?’

  ‘Let’s see,’ Ashok said and winked, ‘what about you?’

  ‘Sales, of course,’Raj said.

  ‘Okay here you go. Priyanka Finance’

  ‘Yay!’ she pumped her hands in the air.

  ‘Raj Bancasurance sales,’ Mr. Ashok clapped. Priyanka joined him. ‘I was told that you are the only one in your batch who had given Bancassurance sales as the first preference. That’s bold.’

  ‘Thank you!’ Raj knew he would be posted in sales. The rest managed to lobby their ways to other departments while he was busy drooling over his girlfriend.

  ‘I hope you are aware about the pressure in that vertical Raj.’ Raj looked at the BUM expectantly. ‘T
here’s heavy pressure there. And a lot of politics. A young lad recently fell out with the Regional head and got transferred.’

  ‘What?’ asked Priyanka.

  ‘Yes, this Regional Head is a master politician within the company,’ said the BUM. After an uncomfortable silence he said, ‘Don’t let this dishearten you. I am just telling you to take things in the stride and stay cool about things.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Raj, perturbed, ‘for this valuable advice.’

  ‘You can get your IT requirements and access rights registered today. Report to your respective departments tomorrow,’ Ashok said as he opened the door to leave, ‘good luck!’

  Priyanka turned to Raj about to say something when he extended his arms and said, ‘Congrats!’ She shook his arm and smiled uncomfortably. He stood up and left the room. Clearly, he was not interested in a conversation.

  Chapter 4

  Raj sat in front of Mrs. Akhila, the manager of the Chennai branch. The lady, in her mid-thirties, was already positive about him. Her cubicle, one among many huddled together like the holes on a beehive, was at the far end on the ground floor.

  ‘Raj, I have a feeling that you have a lot of stuff.’

  ‘I hope I live up to your expectations,’ Raj replied.

  ‘You will exceed it. I am sure.’

  Raj found Akhila beautiful. Since the encounter with Geetha’s father the previous night, his mind had been occupied. He found the lady in front of him calming.

  ‘Raj,’ Akhila said, ‘what happened?’ He inhaled deeply and then said, ‘You’re beautiful’ Akhila went pink for a moment. ‘Ahh…umm..thank you Raj.’ she said with discomfort, ‘Do you want me to take you through the structure of our channel?’

  ‘Yes, please,’ Raj said. He found the situation exciting. Akhila took him to the conference room and picked up a board marker while asking Raj to take a seat. She peeped out and called out to the office boy, ‘Gopi, two coffees.’ She drew a hierarchy chart. Raj noticed that her face was the only thing attractive about her.