Meaning of the words used in this chapter:
Thayir pachidi (Also called Raitha) - It is curd (not yoghurt) with salt and raw onions. Some add raw cucumbers, carrots and/or chat masala
Akka - Elder sister
Periyamma - Mother's elder sister or wife of father's elder brother
Periyappa - Father's elder brother or husband of mother's elder sister.
Amma - Mother
Ammaamma - Mother's mother (Maternal grandmother)
Chiti - Mother's younger sister or wife of father's younger brother
Kozhambu - A spicy South Indian curry
Idly - Indian rice cake
Sambar - South Indian curry
Chutney - Side dish, looks like hummus (I'll put pictures below)
I did not know how I made it home. I could have taken a taxi or walked all the way. Hell, I could have gotten in someone's car and ordered them to drive me here. I glanced at my watch which showed me eleven at night.
When I walked out of that house an hour ago, I found my bag on the sofa. When I took my bag, Pughazh did not stop me. Instead, he just watched me from the entrance of my former room as I left.
Who was he? And when he spoke... why did he sound like he was dying? Did he have cancer or some other malignant condition where he would not live past two years? Was that why he was repenting?
All these years I had lived in that house, the times we both had conversed could be counted on one hand. He usually hung in the shadows, refusing to speak to others. But no one dared to bother him with his wife around.
Confused, without switching the lights on, I made my way to the kitchen to get myself a glass of water.
After I got myself one, I sat at the dining table and frowned deeply. What did he mean by anything he said? Was I supposed to know something? And what did he mean by him making a mistake and his wife taking it out on me?
Was I his illegitimate child? That could explain why his wife would hate me but he let me go. I shook my head. No. He was not my father. Just that thought was ridiculous.
But what could I have possibly done to anger his wife? Did I cast a spell on them to never have kids? Or was this a debt from my past life?
Too immersed in my thoughts, I failed to notice the footsteps that neared me. Only when she screamed, did I look up.
Monisha was leaning against the refrigerator and panted. "Fucking hell, Riga! Did you become a ghost or something?" She switched on the lights and glared at me.
I blinked at her innocently and showed her my glass. "I was just getting some water."
"Switch on the lights!" she seethed. "Next time when you wake up from your sleep, I will wait for you in the dark like this. Perhaps then you can tell me how your poor little heart took it."
I held my forehead in my hand. "Moni. Could you keep it down? I am developing a headache."
She was about to yell more, but then she bit her lips and came toward me. Flicking my forehead, she escaped before I could hit her. Then she opened the fridge and took out a glass box.
"Leftovers," she said. "Kriti and I ordered an extra chilli parotta. I will get it heated up for you."
That headache which was spreading suddenly curtailed itself and inched away. All this while I was certain that I had lost something. But seeing Monisha seriously heating my dinner, I decided that what was lost could be lost. Cause I had found something even better.
I smiled. This girl might have been impulsive and had a taste for bad decisions, at least, she had people's best interests in her heart.
When the oven beeped, she took out the chilli parotta and transferred it to a plate and kept it in front of me and smiled brightly. For a minute, everything was alright in my world. From Pughazh and his wife right up to my confused feeling with Gem.
I rolled the sliced pieces with a fork. "When are the others coming?"
She hummed as she went to the fridge and took another cup and went into the kitchen. "By tomorrow afternoon," she said cutting the onions. Then she made a waving motion with the knife in her hand and snorted. "I so wish they would not come back."
She cut a few more dice of onions and kept the remaining onion in the refrigerator and mixed the onion dice and salt in the cup of curd she had taken out earlier. "Farvin can. But not the other two."
As she placed the thayir pachidi in front of me I said, "So, she told you."
She washed the cutting board and the knife as she nodded. "Yes. She did." After wiping her hands with the kitchen towel, she sat on the dining chair next to me and sighed. "But... I was wrong too. I should not have forced those two together."
I glanced at the thayir pachidi and smiled. Earlier it had been Kriti who could have anything with thayir pachidi. But then, I met that girl and became friends. That was when I had to admire the way thayir pachidi could go well with nearly anything. From then on, for any Indian bread, I could have it with this curd and onion.
Pouring the thayir pachidi on my plate, I said, "You, you should think more a little. If they did not have a problem, do you think Kriti would have allowed you to share a room with her in the first place? Or would Anita have? You know about them both."
She whined. "I was wrong. But now... Kriti's a bit mad at me. Help me, na? Please?"
I ignored her big shiny eyes. The ones that were very similar to the Puss in Boots. "Give her a few days. She will come around."
She closed her eyes and pouted. "You know I hate it when others are mad at me. Help me. I promise I will buy you chocolate!"
I stared at her.
"Fine," she grumbled. "I will buy you a box of chocolates. Happy? Now, will you help me, miser?"
I literally had no words for her. "Do you know that if I give in to you, Kriti will stop buying me chocolates from all her travel?"
She gaped at me and glanced at the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. "Traitor."
After finishing the dinner she gave me, got up to wash the plate and the cup. "I am not being a traitor, Moni. But you know that your actions hurt Kriti badly. It is fair for her to be mad at you. so, I won't help you out with this. And you know about Kriti. She will forgive you in a couple of days. So, perhaps, you can learn patience while you wait for her to forgive you?"
Monisha inhaled sharply. "You are right. But why should I learn patience when life is too short?"
For that, I truly had no words for her. Life was short. But did that mean I could throw caution to the winds and pursue Gem? Did that mean Kriti could care less about what Anita thought about her and pursue her despite her rejection? Life was short, but in these mere twenty-eight years of my life did I not see the true face of the family that grew me? It had been just one act, yes, it had been terrifying, but did Nathiya not turn her back on her mother?
It was precisely that life was short, that it was terrifying. And just because it was short, one had to be patient. Cause the acts that you did impatiently might ruin things and you would find yourself without even having the chance to repent, forever carrying the heaviest burden you would ever carry. Regret.
*********
Unlike Tejat and Sahara who were on leave today, I had to rush to the office. Gem was going to another company for a meeting and I had to go up to our office to make sure things were in order.
Nithin, Tejat's assistant, who covered my work when I was on leave, updated me on what happened and asked me to be cautious of C-3 who were to visit us today. C-3 had been our contender in the past, and Tejat and Pollux had ruthlessly destroyed them. Now that Light got a patent for a new nanochip, it would not be hard to guess their intentions. But Viraj, son of a director, a department head, had actually invited them today. Which idiot would do that?
By the time Nithin was done, I was ready to face the day. Cutting the call, I grabbed my purse and my phone from the charging port.
When I came out of the room, I saw the two girls staring at each other and at the coffee between them. From what I knew about them, Moni would have pestered Kriti until she was having coffee with her.
"See ya!" I yelled at them and left the house. When I closed the door behind me, I heard a feeble reply and Kriti sighing.
I glanced at my watch. It was already eight-thirty in the morning. I had to be in the office by nine. It was already a twenty-minute journey and, adding to the traffic, I groaned. Would I be late again?
I got in my car and held the steering wheel. I was tired, dead tired. Travelling, lack of sleep last night and not having my breakfast this morning were all taking their toll on me right now. Usually after a stressful day like yesterday, I would sleep like a baby, but not last night.
Scenarios flashed in my mind and I did not know if I had imagined them or if they had truly happened. I heard voices that were too familiar to me, but at the same time, I did not know who they were.
Just like Nathiya said, our family had dinner on the terrace every new moon and full moon. I was never allowed to be there. But this night, I was there on the terrace, sitting next to Nathiya and Rakesh, Vanita's elder brother.
Rakesh was ten years older than me and we had a lukewarm relationship. He did not actively protect me but at the same time, he did not give me a hard time like his sister did. And as if he knew the true face of this family, he cut all ties with them ten years ago and no one in the family ever spoke of him ever again. And even after I left the family, I did not try to contact him. What was the use?
But this was like a hazy memory. I was barely eight, Nathiya was eleven and Rakesh was eighteen. I did not know if this was my memory or something I had so deeply wished that my mind conjured a reality.
Rakesh gave me a cool look before he looked at his mother, Malli. "She is young, amma. What you are doing is not fair."
Malli snorted. "She carries Ihitha's blood. Do I need to explain further?"
Who was this Ihitha?
Nathiya frowned and pulled Ranji's saree. "Mom, why is Malli chiti angry?"
The eleven-year-old tried to whisper, but everyone heard her clearly.
Ranji glared at her younger sister. "Don't bring your family matters on this table."
Malli snapped. "My family matters? I am talking about Auriga! How did that become my family matters?"
I subconsciously clenched Rakesh's shirt. Whenever they spoke about me, it never ended well for me. I should not have come here tonight. But the moon had been bright and the sky clear that I wanted to see it. But more than that, I wanted to be a part of this family. I wanted to belong. To be loved like Vanita and Nathiya were.
"I told you," a low voice said, but upon hearing that voice, Malli became quiet and Ranji stiffened. That one voice held the absolute authority in this household. One even Sheela, Malli and Ranji's mother never refuted. "That you will not involve in Auriga's matter. Ever."
My periyamma came up, carrying a pan with fish kozhambu. "If you dare decide about her, let's see if you can live."
"Akka," Malli stressed as if saying that word would burn her. "Today, Auriga's magic woke up. She is just eight! Usually, our magic will manifest during puberty and she had her magic manifest way before. You can see how strong her magic will be in the future! The younger the age the magic manifests, the stronger it will be. She is Ihitha's blood! Zayin Priscilla's worry was not nought!"
Magic? Me? Either I was influenced by Anita way too much to conjure that I was a witch or I needed some evidence that this conversation had happened. But why couldn't I remember this? I had too many spaces in my memory. I could recall a day of my past perfectly and suddenly, after a point, I did not know what happened. It was blank. There were days that I had no recollection of.
Periyamma placed the pan down and shrugged. "You think I worry about some Zayin?"
At this Sheela, my ammaamma frowned. "Some Zayin? She may not be your Zayin, but she is mine. And you have no idea what Ihitha did! How can she portray herself as the victim?"
Periyamma clicked her tongue. "I care less about your Zayin and your tribe. I care only about my people. And the last time I checked, you were not my people."
Ranji's eyes sharpened. "Who are you if you are not our people? Did the Monarch send you?"
Monarch? I tried to understand, but when I saw, Nathiya was fast asleep on her mother's lap and Vanita, was playing with her father, completely lost to the world. Gopal, Vanita's father, though he was distracting his daughter, glanced at the women occasionally.
Rakesh, however, was shaking beside me. Was it because of fear or fury?
"Monarch?" she said as if she had heard a joke. "Though he may command them, he can't command me. I don't fall into his jurisdiction."
As far as I knew, we did not have Monarchy in India. At least right now, we did not have. So, where did this Monarch come from? Were these people secretly descendants of some past monarchy that ruled in India?
Arul, Ranji's husband then frowned. "Then how were you able to make Zayin Priscilla listen to you? Who are you? Are you a Huntress?"
Periyamma scoffed. "Don't compare me with those things. Don't question me again. You can't kill Auriga. That's final."
Ranji clenched her jaws and glared at the rice cooker. Malli slammed her fist on the ground.
"Periyamma," Rakesh said. "If you care about Auriga, then why have I never seen you protect her?"
"Why haven't you?" she retorted. "You have never protected her and you're asking me?"
Rakesh held my hand that was clutching his shirt. For a moment, I thought he might pry my fingers, but he just held my hand. "After what my mother and Ranji Periyamma did, I don't think I have the qualifications to protect her or claim her as my relative. My family has done enough!"
Malli leered. "Good. What a good son I have! You dare say that I am wrong in this? Gopal! Look at the son we have brought up!"
Ranji snorted calmly. "Is he going to fight for the title? What right does he have with Nathiya and Vanita here? He is not a girl and he can't inherit any title before his sisters. If he has to, his magic must be stronger than theirs. His magic manifested only two years ago, very late for a warlock if you ask me. So, why care?"
"He is defying me, Ranji!" Malli said. "If he keeps this up, keeps feeling guilty, who knows if he might rat us out! After all, in the Summer Tribe, there are still people who think Ihitha must succeed. If they knew that her scion, Auriga is alive and that we had killed Kokila, Ihitha's daughter, you think they will let us go?"
Ranji looked at Rakesh and that was the first time I saw such a Ranji. The Ranji I knew was laughing, kind-hearted and helping. But right now, she was looking down on Rakesh. "Would you dare to do what your mother said you would?"
Her voice was soft like silk, but even I could detect her killing intent. My blood ran cold. She would not even hesitate to kill her own nephew, what was it to say that she would show mercy to my mother? Someone she was actually sent to kill? And how had I survived her? Was it because Periyamma had been too cruel that I saw Ranji's acts as acts of affection?
"I might not stand with you," he said, but he pried my fingers off his shirt. "But I won't rat you out at the same." He looked at me and I saw guilt and pity riddled in his gaze. He rubbed my head. "No matter what, you are my family. Even if you are wrong, I was born to you, amma." His gaze shifted to periyamma. "That's my reason for not protecting her. If I should be protecting her, I should report you all to the Monarch and have him deal with you. I did not do it, and I will not. I can't be her saviour."
"I just need her alive," Periyamma said. "My mission was to keep her alive. I don't care if she is left with one last breath." She gritted her teeth. "You have no idea how much I want to kill her, Rakesh. I want to kill her more than Priscilla ever does. I want her to bleed while I shatter each bone in her body and still I would hate her. But I am in a position where I have to protect her. Do you think I have it easy?"
Rakesh frowned. "What did a little girl ever do to you?"
"Little girl?" she sneered. "I can't say. I can't harm her. What a life!"
Pughazhendi, periyappa sighed. "Let it go. You know it is not her fault. It is mine-"
That was all I could see before I felt a hand smacking my face. My body registered pain, but I could no longer recollect anything.
Scenarios like that surfaced. Each one never made any sense, but everyone ended with pain that I could not simply register. I tried to think of what might have happened after that, but it was all blank.
After my alarm announced that my day had begun, I had been so tempted to take another day off, but staying in my room would drive me even more crazy.
I started my car and shook my head. As much as I could not recollect all of what I dreamt, it did not make sense. They spoke about witches, warlocks and magic. Were they shooting a fantasy film and forgot to inform me? Was that what it was?
After turning out of my street, I called my colleague, Maha to get me breakfast. I had to deal with C-3 and Viraj first thing in the morning and I could not afford to be cranky.
I glanced ahead to see a huge white building with pale blue strips running haphazardly. In the upper right corner, the company's name, Light was in bold cursives. I smiled at it. Gem had wanted it to be in a more formal font, but I had insisted on this font. And finally, I won and this font was settled.
Earlier Light was just focused on electronics and gadgets. But recently, we had been expanding into the gaming sector and fibreoptics. While Gem did this, on one hand, there was a subsidiary under Light called Eventide which was very much involved in the Wood industry. Not many knew about Eventide. I knew about it because I was the one maintaining and running that. After Gem began that, he tossed it to me and earlier this year, he even transferred the rights and shares to my name.
Perhaps, that could have been where the rumours started. When I heard that, I wanted to cry, but I had no tears. He only transferred it to me because he tried to evade the damned taxes. But yes, in a way, I had a company in my name.
I parked my car in my allotted space and took the elevator in the back. Many would use the front elevators and it would always be in a rush. The back elevator was what Gem used and it was exclusively reserved for him. Following him, I began to use that and apart from us, only Tejat used it.
When I reached my office on the tenth floor, Maha was there with my breakfast. She wore a grey suit with her brown hair twisted in a bun. She was on a call with someone. Nodding to me, she handed me my food and mouthed, "Have to deal with White Sand Enterprises."
Nodding to her, I opened my office while she left for hers, which was near mine.
The clock read nine-two. Swimming through the traffic and reaching here in a matter of half an hour was great. I could take these two minutes as my grace time.
I threw my scarf over my chair and sat down. I have no idea how, but this woman always managed to get me the food that would suit my day. Opening the parcel, I saw four idlies with sambar and chutney. Did she know that my stomach had planned to throw up this morning, only to fail?
I switched my computer on and opened my mail. I usually preferred to eat this dish with my hand, but I had too many emails to read and reply to. Using a spoon, I ate as I worked. I opened the email Pollux sent me.
C-3 is eyeing the nanochip we got a patent three months ago. They tried to get it from me, but I did not give in. Be careful, Riga. They could get crazy.
I narrowed my eyes at the mail. It was just as I had anticipated. My instincts were usually never wrong, and ever since Nithin told me about Viraj inviting C-3 today, it was screaming that something would go wrong.
Got it. I sent him the reply and opened another mail.
This one was from Nithin who had sent me the gist of what happened during the two days of my leave. As much as the conversation with him gave me an idea, this mail had more information. Including the gist of the meetings that were held.
When I threw my breakfast container in the bin, someone knocked on my door.
"Come in!" I washed my hands and took my seat.
Maha opened the door and stuck her head in. "C-3 came and they have gone to Viraj's office right now. Nithin told me to inform you as soon as they come."
"Got it," I nodded as I picked up my tablet. This would be tiring.
***********
When I reached the gaming department, half of them had gone for a tea break and some were huddled together, talking about something. Had it been any other time, I would have called out, but this was a break time. they could do what they wanted.
But seeing me, a few stood up straight and a girl who had been viewing her Instagram closed the tab and began to work. As much as this overwhelmed me, I knew this was necessary. If I was too friendly, they would take advantage of me.
My heels clicked as I walked to Viraj's office. A young man who was standing out wanted to stop me, but I glared at him. Who was he to stop me? My boss?
Swatting his outstretched hand, I opened the door to find two foreign men and a woman who had Light's ID card hanging on her neck, smiling flirtatiously at them. She even had her upper button undone.
The tablet in my hand nearly cracked. Since when did Light have employees like this? Did we not pay enough? Since when did we need to please anyone?
If anyone had been to the annual meet last year, they would know where Light stood in the technology.
"What is going on here?" I asked coldly, glaring at Viraj, who glared back at me.
A mere director's son thought he had power over me?
"You don't even know how to knock? Get out!" he sneered at me. Then he put on his amicable smile at the two men. "I am sorry. She does not understand-"
"I don't require permission to knock, Mr Viraj," I cut him off. "I have access to every room in this office. Including your father's. Do you think I have to knock before entering your office? What personal thing could you do? This is the office. If it was anything personal, take it out."
I did not know if it was the air-conditioner working properly or if it was my anger, the temperature dropped down by degrees. There was a vast difference in the way I treated different people, but I could not just help it. Some were born to ire me.
The woman straightened herself and blinked at me. Was she new here? But when had that mattered? If their behaviour was to throw away the reputation of Light, I would fire them without another thought. Gem and his friends might have started this company and were the backbone of it, but my sweat and blood were no joke. I would dare say that I lost sleep over Light more than Gem ever did. Perhaps, he prioritised sleep like a normal human or I might have been the weird one.
"You," he seethed as he stood up. "You are just here because you climbed Gem's bed. That's all you are capable of. Now, get lost. How can you understand the importance of C-3?"
I narrowed my eyes at him. Gem's bed was not that tall. In fact, he preferred a low bed. If anything, one had to fall down. Who gave him the wrong information? And if I had 'climbed' Gem's bed, why would I be working? I would spend my life as a couch potato.
I glanced at the documents laid on the table and my hold on my tab tightened. This brainless idiot was about to share the nanochip technology. Thankfully, Viraj only had access to the models that had been in trials a year ago and not the recent ones. Had it been the one we just got the patent for, this guy would have caused a lot of problems. After all, Light did not depend on nanotechnology to get by.
"That's all I am capable of?" I whispered and smirked. "You'll see what I am capable of."
Just before him, I took my phone and made a call. He picked it up in three rings. I put him on speaker.
"Riga," he said, with confusion in his voice. "Is there something wrong?"
"Yes," I said. "Tejat, do I have the power to fire someone?"
"Of course," he said. "I thought you knew?"
"Even a department head?" I asked. "A director's son?"
He paused for a minute. There was a rustle on the other side before he said, "You are talking about Viraj?"
"Yes," I said, smiling at Viraj, who looked like he was about to flare. "The very same."
"You can," he said in a flat voice. "You actually called me for this?"
While I was speechless inside at him for crumbling my image, I said, "Someone had a doubt."
"Oh!" he said. "Then tell him you can even fire me. Is that all?"
Was he pissed that I had intruded on the sweet time between Sahara and him? They had to come to Chennai at the end of the day and Sahara to our home.
Without another word, I cut the call and smiled at Viraj. "You heard. I fire you."
Finally, his anger faded, and fear took hold. "Y-You are joking."
I kept my phone in my pocket. "Was that call a joke? That was Tejat. You heard him. He said I can fire you. So, pack up. Or do you want me to call someone to help you?"
He fumed, but there was literally nothing he could do. After all, Tejat was above his father.
Viraj strode out and left the other three awkwardly. I looked at the woman and said, "This applies to you too. I will not tolerate this kind of promiscuous behaviour in Light. We don't use women to curry favour with anyone. Are we running a brothel or technology company?"
Her face paled, and she stammered, "I-I am sorry, madam-"
"Save it," I hissed. I looked behind me to see the entire gaming department before the office. Though they appeared to do their own work, they were crowded together, and I knew they were here for the tea.
"Out!" I said, looking at her from my peripheral vision.
As she strode out, I looked at the two foreign men with a cold smile. "C-3 sure knows who to contact."
Instead of feeling embarrassed, the one in the dark blue suit smiled. "We have heard of Miss Auriga for two years. But this is the first time I have had the pleasure to meet you."
C-3 underestimated me. They dared to send these two unprofessional freshers to me. And they wanted to deal with me for the nanochip? Were they not dreaming high?
"If you so have heard about me," I said. "You would have come to my office. After all, everyone here knows where I work."
The face of the one in the black suit changed. But before he could tell anything, I walked out. "Follow me to my office. We can have a lovely chat there."
A/N: Pictures:
Chutney (The white is coconut chutney, green is mint chutney and red is tomato chutney)
This is Kozhambu (Fish Kozhambu)
Sambar and Idly
Thayir pachidi
Let me know what you think of this chapter!
Until then,
Quill