Fallen Leaves IX Chapter
Adam Ayub
I caught the next bus to my dwelling place, the good old Arun Hotel at Aminjikarai. As I had mentioned earlier, we, monthly boarders, stay on the third floor, while the first two floors are rented out on daily basis. As I was climbing up the steps of the first floor, a couple was coming down the stairs, an old man and a young woman. I was shocked when I saw the man. He was Mr.…..Sait from Mattancherry! I could not believe my eyes.
He was a respectable and wealthy old man from my community! The woman with him was obviously a prostitute. She had that particular look, which a man can always tell. Mr.Sait was equally shocked to see me, because in our native place, people like him moved in higher circles. They did not seem to be aware of our existence. I had never even spoken to him before. No, In fact I had spoken to him once. While I was the president of the Memon Youth Forum at Mattancherry, we had approached the rich people in our community to collect funds for setting up free tuition class for poor students. We needed funds for taking a room on rent and buying the minimum furniture we needed. I remembered going to this man’s house with receipt books in our hands. He treated us like beggars and drove us away without giving a single rupee.
Now this man was standing before me in the company of a whore and trying to hide his shame. He recovered his composure soon. Laughing jovially he offered me his hand.
“You are staying here?” he said.
“Yes, on the third floor” I said, without accepting his hand. Instead I dug my hand deep into my pocket.
“This is an artiste” he said introducing the woman.
“Artiste?”
“Yes… er… new comer, of course”
She smiled seductively at me. I did not smile. I just wanted to go my way. The man’s pretences were disgusting. I tried to side step him and go up the stairs. But he grabbed my hand and whispered to me “Man to man, keep this little matter a secret. You know my reputation at home.”
“Yes I know “I said.
“So you will not betray me?” He asked in a pleading voice. He had four married daughters. They were all well settled. The woman with him must be the same age as one of his daughters. His youngest son-in-law was an acquaintance of mine. Now this man, who had treated me very shabbily once, was pleading before me in the company of a whore.
“Don’t worry, I wont tell anyone” I said.
He was relieved, “Promise?” He asked, again offering me his hand.
“Promise.” I said, without taking my hand from my pocket.
“Thank you”, he said pulling my hand forcefully out of my pocket. As I was feeling very disgusted with this man, I was clutching the inside of my pants pocket with a clenched fist. When he pulled my hand out of the pocket, it came out holding the bra! When he saw the bra dangling from my clenched fist, he was shocked and so was the woman. He looked at the bra and then at my embarrassed face and burst out laughing. The woman also could not control her laughter. Then he winked at me and said, “Naughty boy! You have turned out to be my Ustad!”
“No…no…but...” I tried to explain.
“That’s ok. I understand. After all boys will be boys” He slapped me on my back and said to his companion, “One day we will have a get-together, we will make a three-some”.
Then he walked away with the girl. I stood their gaping at them, unable to utter a word.
Before they turned the corner, the woman looked back and winked at me!
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