The Normal Family

Mahesh Is Caught

Narrator's POV

One evening, Adithya asked Srihari if they could take Gopi for a walk. "I have a lot to study now, my board exams are coming soon. We can go tomorrow." "Please, can we go now." Adithya begged. Gopi too wanted to go for a walk. He barked and kept pawing Srihari. "Wait Gopi, I can't take you for a walk today, ask one of those girls." he said. Both Gopi and Adithya left the room sadly. Gopi was bored, he walked towards the door and pulled his leash out from the box, and started at Srihari blankly, hoping he would come. 

Adithya asked Krishnan if he would take Gopi for a walk with him. "No, you go and do something else. Give Gopi some snacks, he will sit quietly. But Gopi did not. Adithya felt bad for the dog. "It's ok, I will take you for a walk." he said. He and Gopi, went for the walk alone. They had gone only a little far, and were spotted by Arjun who was returning from a meeting. When Gopi saw him, he wagged his tail with excitement. "What are you doing here alone?" he asked Adithya.      "I am taking Gopi for a walk, nobody else was coming."  Adithya replied. "Wait I will call your father, and tell him to take you home." he said. "No, don't call him. he will yell at me." Arjun tried calling Srihari he didn't pick up, he couldn't wait in the middle of the road for long so he took Adithya home.

Srihari's POV

Uncle Arjun called me and said that Adithya had taken Gopi for a walk alone and had begged him not to tell his father about it, he also said he had taken Adithya home with him. "Can you drop him home, my helmet is missing." I told him. "I am not coming to your house right now, the situation is dangerous. Your dad had discovered about your mother's first engagement. He was first mad at her, now he is blaming me and your grandparents as well. Even though I had nothing to do with it. There is no way I am coming there and getting myself involved." he replied. I understood, "But my helmet is still missing." I said. "It's ok, you won't die if you drive without your helmet once. Your mother might have told you that to scare you. that is what she told me when I started driving" he advised.

I agreed and went to his home. I saw Adithya playing with blocks with my cousins, Advaitha and Advaith. Aunt Megha greeted me and asked me to have some Pasta. I knew how her cooking was, so I declined. "We have ordered from Italian Chop" she said. "Oh, I will have some then." I said. Aunt Megha was now much different from how she was before she married Uncle Arjun, she had recently appeared in a Saree ad. Afterwards I took Adithya and said we were going home. "Can I come too?" Advaith asked. "You promised you will buy me chocolate next time you visit and it is next time now." Advaitha said. "I have to go now." I said escaping from the troublesome twins and hurried out. Uncle Arjun saw me and asked "Do you know, you used to behave exactly like them when you were this age. You used to ask to come along even when Megha and I were going on a date." "Did I?" I asked understanding how annoying it would have been.

The next day, I did find my helmet, but I understood how cool it would be to drive without wearing it and covering half my face. Wearing a helmet was very uncomfortable. That day, I was driving to school. Mahesh, my mom's assistant was just walking out of a local bar, that too wearing his uniform. "You shouldn't be driving without a helmet. Don't you respect the government's rules?" he asked. "You are wearing your uniform and walking out of a bar." I reasoned. "Anyway I have my helmet right here, I will wear it now" I said. "You, Rascal, I already saw you without a helmet." he said proud by his discovery. "you have to give me Rs.5,000 now." he said. "Give me a ticket instead, I am D.I.G. Akilandeshwari's son, I do not give or take bribery." I said. "Well ok" he said. suddenly sounding different. "You go now." I agreed, wore my helmet and left.

Akhila's POV

Srihari came to me this evening, he said, "Mom, I was driving without my helmet-" "Wait, you could die if you don't wear your helmet." I exclaimed. "Uncle Arjun said nobody died because of an accident due to not wearing helmet." he said. Was Arjun still teaching him such things? "What does he know about traffic rules he still doesn't wear a helmet while driving, nor does he wear his seatbelt. Anyways, don't drive without helmet." I said. "Well, I didn't get a ticket even though I was caught." he said. "Well, obviously, who will give you a ticket?" I said smiling. "No, I mean Mahesh saw me, he actually just bribes people who drive without a helmet. That is how he affords to buy whiskey. He was drinking, that too while wearing his uniform. He was so drunk he failed to recognize me." he explained.

 I was furious, how dare Mahesh do something like this. The next day I made sure I got a new assistant. Mahesh was demoted. He even tried to justify his actions to his colleagues. "What can I do with the salary government pays. My wife divorced me because I couldn't get her anything." he said. Then Prem said, "That is not exactly, why she left you but we can keep it that way." Everyone knew Mahesh's wife left him because he spent the days and actually even the nights outside mostly in his guest house.