I've got to rent the house by today

"Jamuna, Clean that window sill, its dirty from yesterday's rains." Triveni called out to her maid
"Yes Madam" ,  responded Jamuna
Triveni was herself busy dusting the shelves in the house. It's got to be clean and sparkling when a prospective tenant visits. "I have to somehow let out the apartment by today", she kept telling herself. Triveni's house was located in an up market and suburban Jubilee Hills neighborhood in Hyderabad. Theirs was a brand new building that overlooked the city from the top of the hills.
She was very proud that her apartment was unique for its balcony view of the city.
"Why should I charge anything less than 15,000 ruppes?" She had asked Janardhana Rao, a broker defiantly.
"Madam, you are charging 15,000 rupees for 800 sqft madam. Your neighbors are charging only 8000. " The broker persisted.
"Have you seen the view from the balcony? Come in the morning and I will show you. " she shot back at him dismissively

"Madam,  please listen to me. You keep a lower entry rent and then can increase it every six months. I will myself help you with it. Yours is the only apartment that is still not let out in this new building."
She was in no mood to step down.
"I'm not interested in working with you any longer, I know how to let this apartment for lease. You are free to go" she dismissed his services summarily.
He had gone out mumbling something. She was not to be cowed down by these brokers.
"I will show them how it is done" she had told herself.
Triveni has seen so many people do it easily enough. She gave a boxed advertisement in Deccan Herald for the Saturday edition, when the weekly property rentals were published.
"A sprawling 3BHK apartment with modern amenities and  a balcony view of entire Hyderabad. Environment friendly and suitable for bird watchers at only 15,000 p.m, visit site between 9 and 5pm on Sat. Address....."
read the advertisement.
She had scanned the newspaper that morning for similar ads. She was happy that no one else had the features she had advertised. Be it the balcony or the bird watching . She found one apartment in Banjara Hills a few kilometers away.
She finished dusting and inspected the ceiling for cobwebs. She was sure she was not going to find any in a brand new apartment. She pulled herself a plastic chair under the fan and sat down to cool herself. She smiled inwardly at the cool fan she had picked for the house. With a chandelier sprouting from the center of the fan. It was huge with five blades. She was proud that she had lavishly spent on the fan.
Half an hour had passed when she looked at her wrist watch. It showed half past ten. There was no sign of any visitor. "Should I have mentioned my phone number?" she rued.
She then went and opened the main door hoping that people would not mistakenly knock some other apartment
Another few hours passed and no one turned up. She was getting restless. Have I made a mistake in the advertisement" she pondered.
The automated voice of the lift disturbed her thoughts "Please close the door" said the polite voice of the lift buzzer.
soon followed by the sound of lift doors closing. Her pulse quickened. "Hopefully it is for our apartment" she thought to herself as she straightened her Salwar. Soon enough, a gentleman in rich looking embroidered kurta peeped around the door sill.
"House . for rent... " he started
"aaanh yes yes yes yes.. Please come in" she welcomed him with the best of smile. Even her husband of twenty years had not seen such a sparkling smile.
He started to remove his shoes..
"No no.. don't bother.. " come in.. she encouraged him hoping to make things easier for him
"No, no, I don't walk into the place am going to call home, with my shoes on" he replied rather firmly
"place am going to call home.. a place am going to call home.." the sounds reverberated in Triveni's mind as her pulse quickened. "So open minded." she thought to herself.

"he he eh he eh.. " she laughed "you are very correct ji. . even I don't walk with my shoes in my residence. These are shoes I specially brought to wear indoors.. " she pointed to her Bata sandals . She is not going to admit that Jamuna had cleaned a pile of dog poop from the very shoes that morning.
He smiled.. and came in as he looked around the house..
"My name is Triveni.. Triveni Pandurangan" she introduced herself...
"Oh, nice to meet you madam.. I'm Ramesh Talwar, I was told that there would be someone to meet me.."
"Who would have sent this fellow. " she wondered as she kept nodding and smiling..
"The broker..  " he added as though her perfectly read her thoughts..
"Ooooh.. yeah yeah.. i forgot.. " she added again throwing in that shrill laugh for a good measure.."was Janardhanan trying harder? " she wondered.
"mm.. " he smiled curtly having cleared that.
"Let me show you around the house Mr.Talwar, you should see the view out of the balcony, out of the world.." she started effortlessly slipping into the saleswoman demeanor that she had rehearsed a thousand times since she had given that ad. She even watched the movie Rocket Singh, the salesman of the year to pickup a few tips! Afterall what source is better than Bollywood when it comes to knowledge!
Talwar followed her as he looked into the other rooms. He stood out in the balcony and was immediately sweating.
"This is an east facing balcony. You should see the sunrise here. A perfect place to enjoy your morning Chai ehe he he he eh" she added with fluid arm movements that would have made even makers of Preethi mixie cast her on their advertisements.
Hmm. he said looking at all the bird poops lying on the balcony. She noticed him with the eye of an eagle.

"This place is so environment friendly that even birds love it. You see, birds of all kinds visit this place.. Mynahs, Bulbuls, Masakkalis and what not. I only have limited knowledge on birds you see.. eh he he heee he"

"Come let us see the apartment, " she led him indoors again.  she saw Jamuna standing near the kitchen and gestured her to clean the balcony immediately.. Jamuna scampered sighting rage in her boss' eyes.

By the time she finished showing the apartment, Jamuna was done and was hurriedly picking up the broom stick and leaving the balcony.

"I was told that the place is much bigger." He commented..

"No, sir. this is a 3 BHK and including.. common area.. "

"Hello, " she was interrupted by Talwar answering his phone..

"haan haan.. third floor, third house on the right." he was instructing someone..

"Sorry madam, my mover has arrived with my things.. He will soon be moving things.. " he said..

Her heart was beating.. Was she really hearing the truth..

"Oh sure.. I didn't know you'll be occupying today.. " she responded really not sure of what to say..

"Oh did he not tell you.. ?" he asked

"Oh, no , brokers are busy people, cannot really fault them.. but its perfectly alright, the house is available, what more is there to say.. eh he he he he he.. " her teeth flashed its whites..

"Madam, I come from Hardwar and I cannot afford to make multiple trips , once to see and once to occupy. For me , its all about time.. " he added with a sense of authority normal to a businessman.

"Yeah yeah.. well said sir. In India no one has a sense of time.. the other day, I called a call taxi to come at 1pm to visit my sister's -brother-in-law's father-in-law's sixtieth wedding anniversary and he coolly turns up at 2pm. When I ask them he says that he is ready to leave if am not happy. Tell me sir how will this country progress?" she asked of him as though discussing a genuine social problem..

He did not seem to evince any interest in progressing the subject further and Triveni did not miss it..

"Jamuna, bring some chai for Talwarji here.. " she instructed her maid..

"No madam.. don't bother.. " lets settle the commercials and we can move forward..

"Oh sure.. what did the broker tell you about the rent?" she asked innocently..

"Yeah he told me that it was 17,000 per month , but he said the area was 1500 square feet. This looks much smaller.. " he added, a bit confused..

"No no.. he said it right only, we have a huge covered car park in the basement that is reserved for us, he must have included that also.

"Oh, " he nodded rubbing his shin.

"That itself will be around 1000 square feet!" she lied..
"You can park two cars in there Talwarji.. two cars.. " she exclaimed with her eyes wide open.

The car park was common for t he building, she could easily bribe the watchman to say that it was theirs and ensure that no one else used it. five hundred rupees should easily do it. Her mind was continuously working to make this deal go through

There was no way she was going to let 17,000 slip through her fingers.. that too he had come with an intention to occupy right away..

"He also mentioned that there was a park in the front and lots of trees, the view here looks a bit barren.. " he said..

"No sir, till last week, it was like that, suddenly the government decides to cut down the trees and one morning we find the road completely cleared! these guys are very bad sir, the government guys.. " she again lied with a good show of concern and anger on her face..She was feeling that somehow Talwar was not happy with the differences he found in the apartment. She has to make amends somehow.

"I know you took the trouble , I will reduce the rent for this reason alone, am a nature lover too you see.. " she said with the Happydent smile.
"I will be perfectly happy to rent this out to you for 15,000 rupees per month, that is two thousand rupees lesser.. " she added with a show of serious concern and sincerity.

'mm.. ok, in that case you have a deal.. " he said in a emphatic tone.

"I hope the broker has explained my business and my background details.. " he asked looking at her expectantly..

"Oh yeah.. very much. you are a big man sir. the broker told me all about it, your business, your goodhearted nature, everything.. " she was by now completely at home spinning yarn after yarn. The kill was too close to miss. She was sure that Talwar was a big businessman just  by his attitude and looks.

"Alright, " he said pulling out a cheque book and writing something on it.
"I will give you ten months advance as promised and a months rent in advance madam. Anything else ?", he asked
"No no no.. that's it. you have everything in order.." she was terribly excited. She was going to be rich soon.
"To whom shall I make the cheque for.. ?"
"don't bother sir. I will fill it in.. " she added comforting him..
"No  no, its my practice madam. don't mistake me.. "
"Oh,, ok ok.. then please make it for Mr.Pandurangan.. " she responded quickly craning her neck to see what he was writing. He had made out a check for a lakh and sixty five thousand. Her mind was flying in the skies. now. She had done it. Rent out the house single handedly. She will manage the broker later.

"Full name madam.."
"Vittala Hari Tummala Pandurangan" she added quickly with a smile
He turned and looked at her face. obviously intimidated by the long name..
"Names are longer in this side of the country sir.. " she acknowledged with a sheepish smile.. "Shall i write it for you.. ?" she offered.

He responded by turning the chequebook to her direction and was again interrupted by the phone..

"Hello.." he barked into the phone while she waiting with one hand on the chequebook and the other holding out for the pen he was yet to give her.

"Haan.. bolo.."
"What ? where are you.. I cannot see you guys.. "
"Haan. 3rd floor, 3rd house on the right.. "
"Where the hell are you guys, I gave you an address and can't you follow simple instructions..?" he was barking into the phone now..
"Read out the address," he snapped into the phone as he pulled out a slip from his kurta..
"Haan, haan.. " he repeated into the phone as the person on the other end was reading out the address.
"Arrey, thats where i'm at.. " whats wrong with you guys.. you guys should know this place better than I do
"What? Give it to him.."
"Haan brokerji, bathao.. "
He listened quietly for a moment.
"but madam is here...  " he explained into the phone..
"Haan, speak to the madam here.. " he wiped the phone and gave it to her.
Triveni took the phone..
"Yes , Triveni here, "
"Madam, I think there has been a mistake, he was asked to go to third floor, third house on block 3. I'm at the residence now with his saamaan and he is not. Can you direct him to the right place.."
"But, this is block two,  " she croaked.. she had lost her voice..
"I know madam, he is new to the city.. you see. " explained the calm voice on the other side.
She felt as though the world was swirling around her..

Mother's day

It was past Eleven when Kalyan turned up from work . He tried to open the door as quietly as possible. He did not want to wake up his mother. He quietly closed the door behind him pulling the jamb so that the lock would not click close. He quietly slid the door jamb into its housing and turned around. The house was silent.
"Good" he thought to himself as he undid his shoes.
He quietly tip toed into his room and changed into his pyjamas. He quietly slid the trousers into the clothes hanger and hung it from the ward robe and turned around.
He literally died of shock! There was a form standing in the doorway. It was dark and lit by light from behind. Its hands were doing something behind its head , it was tying its hair in knots.
It was laughing.!.
'Ma, you scared me" he said clutching his pounding heart!
"he he he.. " she was laughing as she went to the switch board and turned the light on.
"Who asked you not to turn the light on. ?" she chortled as she kept giggling and walked towards the kitchen
It had become a habit for his mom. She would wake up irrespective of the time of the night he came home. He quietly hid the bunch of roses he had bought for her in his ward robe. She would have noticed had she waited for the tube light to turn on. "Thank god for tubelights " he thought to himself.

He wanted to surprise her the next day.  His mother generally was not fond of all these new found days, but it did not deter him. He was going to treat her. This was the first mother's day that came by after he got his first job and he was not going to miss the chance.
He heard the microwave humming as he came out washing himself. He joined her in the kitchen.
The food was laid out in small pecan bowls . The potato curry was steaming hot. He took the bowl in his hands and started eating from it.
"Stop it. Put it in the plate and eat ." his mom chided him
"mmm...hmmm" he mumbled chewing on a potato.
"Incorrigible.. " she muttered as she changed bowls in the microwave.
He gave her a toothy grin with mouthful of potato.
She slapped her foreheads with her palm and muttered some prayer to god.
"Where is appa?" he asked
" Oh, he had to go to Bangalore. Sudden visit" she explained. His father was a busy man and was often hopping cities .


"Come.." she called out as she deftly collected all the small pecan bowls in her hands and moved to the dining table.
"Ma, you go and sleep, I will eat by myself.. " he muttered
"Why? you will have that silly novel in your hands and eat for two hours.. what habit is that? come finish your dinner and read the book.. ",
"mmmhhmm..mmm" he muttered a whine having been discovered.
"I'm your mother, don't think am stupid. " she said smiling at the same time rubbing her back.
"mmm" he mumbled as he quietly served himself and gulped down the food.
"How long will you come late like this?" she asked, changing topics
"Don't know.. am a fresher.. have to learn as much as possible and work hard.." he said
"Kalpana comes home by eight dailly.. why cant you?" she asked. Kalpana was his big sister and she worked in Bangalore.
"Ma, she is a manager and am a newbie.. " he tried to explain
"So? " she asked innocently not really grasping the point.
"never mind.. I will have to slog for six months more at least.. " he said trying to simplify the point.

As he washed up, he decided to tease her.
"I have a surprise for you ma. " he said watching her.
She was still busily scratching herself. She turned and looked at him curiously, her interest was obviously piqued.
"What is it?" she asked smiling slowly, as she collected the bowls to place them for washing.
"He quietly went to her back and started scratching her back.."
"hey, its paining. stop it.. " she
"Ok, " he said taking his hands off
"What is the surprise?" she again asked him
"Wait till  morning" he said smiling.
"Hey, Hey, tell me now .. " she was almost pleading.
"No.. " he said in a sing song tune
"hmm.. its paining my back.." she said giving up her quest
"Wait I will get some moov spray.." he said.
"Who asked you to get up and do everything? You could have gotten a good sleep na.." he chided her as he applied the moov spray on her back.
"mm... " she halfheartedly mumbled.

Soon, she went off to her bedroom and the lights went off. He turned to his novel. He was half way through Pirate Latitudes and things were getting interesting with the plot.  He wanted to read a bit before he hit the sack.Soon, he was enamored by the adventure of 'Hunter' and his crew.
He was disturbed from his trance by the chime of the clock . He looked up at the clock and it was midnight.
He suddenly hit on an idea and retrieved the rose bunch from his wardrobe. He quietly slipped into his mother's bedroom tip toeing to ensure he does not wake her up.
She slept very lightly and woke up for even the tiniest of sounds.  He slowly tip toed to her and softly called out to her
"ma... "
She was sound asleep.
"Maa.." he said a little louder
Still no sign. Must be tired. "Should I just give it to her in the morning?" he asked himself.
"Maaa" he called again, this time placing his palm on her arms to stir her up.

"Maa, wake up maa.. " he said in his normal tone not bothering to be soft any longer.
Still there was no sound and his mother was showing no sign of stirring up.
He started patting her arms firmly calling out.. "Maa.. "
"Maa... "..
"Maaaa.. " He just then realized that her hands were cold. The AC was not running and why was she cold?
"Maaaaaaa... wake up ma... " He started feeling week in his knees and cold . An unexplainable fear started gripping him.. and he started sobbing without realizing it
"Maa.. wake up ma.. Its mother's day ma... Ma.a.a.. "
--------

Epilogue.
The doctors later said that she had died of a massive heart attack. Kalyan and Kalpana are still in a state of shock and are finding it difficult to believe that their mother is no longer with them. Such is the brutality of life. One moment, everything appears normal and the next minute it isn't and it has changed permanently.

NOTE: This is based on a true incident. Names, places have been changed as a mark of respect. This short story is dedicated to the departed mother who gave it all to her children though all the rough paths of life that she endured. All the time ensuring that her children were well fed, well educated and well tutored. She leaves behind two daughters , a son and a husband. May god give the family strength and caress them back to normalcy and bless them all.